“Hilde? Yes, it’s Anna. No, I’m calling from Toronto, but I’m coming to Berlin shortly. How is everyone?”
“Everyone is just fine, believe it or not. I’m totally delighted right now because I’m going to have another grandchild!”
“Hilde! How wonderful — which one of your offspring-?”
“Annette. And she’s really feeling great.”
“You mean you are going to have this baby in your own neighbourhood?”
“Close, anyway. But we’ll talk about it when you come. How long can you stay?”
“Just for a couple of days. I’m going to spend much of the time with Frank Hornung. He has been helping a lot. I have to go back to Stolpe, want to visit cemeteries. I’m looking for the graves, Hilde. Have been corresponding with the administrations, looking at lists. He has been digging up old documents. I can’t seem to find the boys, Hilde. None of them. Not a trace.”
“Oh, I see.” Hilde pauses. “Do you think — would it be possible that after these many years they had plowed under the anonymously buried at the time? To use the plots? You know?”
“Yes, that’s what I thought too, but it turns out all the surrounding cemeteries kept meticulous lists of even the unidentified victims. Described them by approximate age, clothing and so on. The kids aren’t among them.”
“Look, let’s do this after you get here. Are you talking with Eva and Maja as well? Do you want me to call them, or ?”
“Maja called me last week. I’m staying with her this time. But first I want to go to Hannover to visit my mother’s grave. I’ll call you when I get in. In the meantime, you give one mighty hug to Annette. When’s the baby due?”
“Late December. I look forward to seeing you.”