Berlin, Flat of Heidi Kaufmann
July 20, 1944, 2345 hours
When Heidi woke up, she found herself in her own bed. The room was dark and the flat was silent. She sat up.
"Heidi?" a voice said in the darkness.
"Hans? Is that you?" she asked.
"Ja, it is me," he replied.
Suddenly the events of the evening came flooding back to her. "Hans, is it true? Are you an American spy?" she asked.
"It is true," he said softly. She was silent for a long moment. "Heidi?" he asked.
"Please tell me what you were going to tell me tonight," she requested. She felt the bed move as he sat down on the edge.
"My name is Robert Morrison," he began. "I am an American, though my ancestors were from Germany. Soon after Hitler came to power, I was asked to join a German patriotic organization and renounce my American citizenship."
"So you are not an American?" she asked.
"I am," he said. "It was all a front to bring me to Germany. I am an agent for the American OSS organization – it's similar to what the Abwehr was. I became Hans Teppel and joined German intelligence."
"So your whole life here is a lie?" she asked softly.
"Nein, not my whole life," he replied.
"I do not understand," she said.
"Heidi, Hans Teppel joined Abwehr and became a German intelligence officer," he said. "That life was a lie. Robert Morrison met a lovely young barmaid named Heidi Kaufmann and fell in love. That is no lie."
"Hans … I mean Robert …" She stopped with an exasperated sigh. "Oh I do not even know what to call you!"
"Heidi, do you love me?" he asked.
"I do," she replied. "I mean I did." She let out another sigh. "I fell in love with Hans Teppel and now you are telling me you are not Hans Teppel!"
"You fell in love with me," he said softly. "Whether I am Hans Teppel or Robert Morrison, you fell in love with me."
"I'm so confused," she moaned.
"Heidi, I never wished to hurt you," he replied. "And if you wish, I will leave and never bother you again."
"No, I do not want that!" she said. "I just want everything to be the way it was yesterday!"
"You know that cannot happen," he said.
"I know," she agreed with a sob. "But what are you going to do now?"
"I must leave Germany," he replied.
"What about me?" she asked.
"You have a choice," he said. "I would like you to come with me. But if you do not wish to, I will leave and you can go on living your life here."
"You want me to leave Germany?" she asked.
"That is my wish," he said. "You also have another choice," he added.
"What?" she asked.
"You can do your patriotic duty and turn me in to the Gestapo," he said without a hint of emotion.
"And they would kill you!" she exclaimed.
"If they catch me, I am a dead man," he agreed. "Whether I call myself Hans Teppel or Robert Morrison. But there is something else you should know. If you do not turn me in and still remain here, the Gestapo will turn on you because they will find out you and I were lovers."
"So I do not have much of a choice, do I?" she asked bitterly.
"I am sorry," he said softly.
The room was quiet for a long time. Finally, Heidi said, "Hans, I love you and I do not want to see anything happen to you. How can I help you?"
"The best thing you can do is to say you have not seen me," he replied. "I need to hide until I can escape – but I do not want to be found here."
"They would look here?" she asked.
"I am afraid they will," he said. "When they find out we were close, they will question you. They would search the flat to make sure you are not hiding me."
"Would they arrest me?" she asked. Teppel could hear the fear creeping into her voice.
"Not immediately," he said. "They would watch you for a while to see if you could lead them to me. But we will be gone before they move in."
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Kurt said that Marya is working on a plan," he replied. "Marya is very good – and the people she went to contact are also very good. If there is any way out of this, they will think of it."
"How long will it be?" she asked.
"I do not know," he replied. "But I must find a place to hide until then. I cannot stay here."
Heidi sighed resignedly. "Yes you can," she said.
"Heidi, they will search here," he insisted.
"They will not look where I had in mind," she said. "Come, let me show you."
- - - - -
Teppel looked at the wooden paneling on the wall. "I cannot see any opening," he said.
"Of course not," Heidi replied. "That is why I suggested it."
Teppel watched as she bent over and lifted the bottom of the paneling. A section came off in her hands, revealing a dark opening in the wall.
"The stairs in the hall are right there," she said, pointing at the underside of the stairs. "The crawlspace was left empty and covered. When I put the paneling back and push the bureau back in place, no one would ever think of looking here."
Teppel nodded his head. "This would be perfect," he said. "I am not looking forward to spending the next few days in there, but I would rather be uncomfortable in there than uncomfortable at the receiving end of a firing squad."
"When I am home, you do not need to stay in there," she said.
"I cannot take the chance of them finding me in your flat," he replied. "And I do not want them to find me with you – you will be dead too."
Heidi looked at Teppel with a serious expression. "Hans, you have already endangered me enough," she said. "I will hide you here and you will get me out of Germany."
Teppel stared back at Heidi. There was no hint of any expression on her face. "And after we are out of Germany?"
"I do not know right now," she said.