hide.’
Hess unclasped his hands and brought his feet together in a crisp, military manner. ‘I have nothing to hide, Inspector. I was merely surprised that the Kripo is interested in a suicide.’
Geli’s brother had his arm around her sister. The young woman was sobbing. Frau Raubal was speaking to Father Pant. The wind carried their words away from Fritz.
‘So, did you know Geli?’ Fritz asked.
Hess sighed. ‘We all knew Geli. She accompanied Hitler on all social occasions.’
‘How about privately?’
He shrugged. ‘My wife knew her better. Hitler was protective of Geli. He preferred her to have the company of women.’
‘He was more than her uncle, then.’
Hess pinned Fritz with a sharp gaze. ‘He was her half-uncle. Angela Raubal is his half-sister. It is a permissible relationship.’
The defensiveness made Fritz take note. Here was an issue even the party found sensitive. ‘How serious was Hitler about her?’
‘He loved her.’ Hess spoke simply.
‘Was he planning to marry her?’
Hess glanced at the mourners before speaking. ‘He has been concentrating on his political career. He was going to announce his presidential campaign this weekend.’
‘In Hamburg?’
‘In Hamburg, yes.’
‘I saw him in Munich late Saturday afternoon. How did he return from Hamburg so quickly?’
‘He drove to Nuremberg on Friday. We managed to locate him there before he went farther north.’
‘We?’
Hess clasped his arms behind his back again. It appeared to be a nervous gesture. ‘I meant, I managed to locate him. I am used to speaking for the party.’
‘And what does the party say on this?’
Hess tilted his head as he looked at Fritz. ‘The party says this is a lamentable tragedy. The girl was obviously unstable. It was only a matter of time.’
‘Really?’ Fritz said. ‘The party does not think it odd that their presidential candidate had an affair with an unstable woman who was half his age and a relative as well?’
‘The party understood Hitler’s relationship with Geli.Your reaction is precisely the one we wanted to avoid when the body was discovered on Saturday.’
‘What else were you trying to avoid?’
Hess tilted his head slightly. ‘I do not understand.’
‘You were trying to avoid scandal caused by a suicide.’
‘Yes.’
‘Of an unstable girl related to Herr Hitler, an unstable girl he was in love with.’
‘Yes.’
‘And what else?’
‘Need there be anything else, Detective Inspector?’
Fritz let the words hang in the grey morning air. One of the couples was speaking to Frau Raubal, shaking her hand, the man turning his collar to guard his neck from the damp.
Finally, Fritz said, ‘Who broke her nose?’
Hess’s chin went up. Soldier position. ‘I beg your pardon.’
‘Geli. She is covered with bruises, and her nose is broken. Who did that?’
‘I assume it happened when she fell.’
‘Some of the bruises are old, fading.’
Hess was watching the mourners leave. He would not look at Fritz. ‘I told you, she was an unstable girl.’
‘An unstable girl who shoots herself in the chest, and then falls forward , thus breaking her nose. Do you expect me to believe this, Herr Hess?’
Hess shifted so that his feet were apart again, his entire body on guard. In the tight SA uniform, he projected a considerable threat. Fritz was as large, and in better shape. He braced himself as well.
‘I expect you to believe the Minister of Justice,’ Hess said.
‘I am not as easily bought,’ Fritz said.
‘You malign Franz Gürtner.’
‘You cannot malign a man who bases his judicial opinion on money, cronyism, and a phone call from an associate. Such a man maligns himself.’
‘The matter is closed, Inspector.’
‘A woman has been murdered, Herr Hess, in the home of the man you are backing for President. Have you no fear that her attacker will return for Hitler? Or do you know that Hitler was never a target?’
Hess’s eyes narrowed.
Hess unclasped his hands and brought his feet together in a crisp, military manner. ‘I have nothing to hide, Inspector. I was merely surprised that the Kripo is interested in a suicide.’
Geli’s brother had his arm around her sister. The young woman was sobbing. Frau Raubal was speaking to Father Pant. The wind carried their words away from Fritz.
‘So, did you know Geli?’ Fritz asked.
Hess sighed. ‘We all knew Geli. She accompanied Hitler on all social occasions.’
‘How about privately?’
He shrugged. ‘My wife knew her better. Hitler was protective of Geli. He preferred her to have the company of women.’
‘He was more than her uncle, then.’
Hess pinned Fritz with a sharp gaze. ‘He was her half-uncle. Angela Raubal is his half-sister. It is a permissible relationship.’
The defensiveness made Fritz take note. Here was an issue even the party found sensitive. ‘How serious was Hitler about her?’
‘He loved her.’ Hess spoke simply.
‘Was he planning to marry her?’
Hess glanced at the mourners before speaking. ‘He has been concentrating on his political career. He was going to announce his presidential campaign this weekend.’
‘In Hamburg?’
‘In Hamburg, yes.’
‘I saw him in Munich late Saturday afternoon. How did he return from Hamburg so quickly?’
‘He drove to Nuremberg on Friday. We managed to locate him there before he went farther north.’
‘We?’
Hess clasped his arms behind his back again. It appeared to be a nervous gesture. ‘I meant, I managed to locate him. I am used to speaking for the party.’
‘And what does the party say on this?’
Hess tilted his head as he looked at Fritz. ‘The party says this is a lamentable tragedy. The girl was obviously unstable. It was only a matter of time.’
‘Really?’ Fritz said. ‘The party does not think it odd that their presidential candidate had an affair with an unstable woman who was half his age and a relative as well?’
‘The party understood Hitler’s relationship with Geli.Your reaction is precisely the one we wanted to avoid when the body was discovered on Saturday.’
‘What else were you trying to avoid?’
Hess tilted his head slightly. ‘I do not understand.’
‘You were trying to avoid scandal caused by a suicide.’
‘Yes.’
‘Of an unstable girl related to Herr Hitler, an unstable girl he was in love with.’
‘Yes.’
‘And what else?’
‘Need there be anything else, Detective Inspector?’
Fritz let the words hang in the grey morning air. One of the couples was speaking to Frau Raubal, shaking her hand, the man turning his collar to guard his neck from the damp.
Finally, Fritz said, ‘Who broke her nose?’
Hess’s chin went up. Soldier position. ‘I beg your pardon.’
‘Geli. She is covered with bruises, and her nose is broken. Who did that?’
‘I assume it happened when she fell.’
‘Some of the bruises are old, fading.’
Hess was watching the mourners leave. He would not look at Fritz. ‘I told you, she was an unstable girl.’
‘An unstable girl who shoots herself in the chest, and then falls forward , thus breaking her nose. Do you expect me to believe this, Herr Hess?’
Hess shifted so that his feet were apart again, his entire body on guard. In the tight SA uniform, he projected a considerable threat. Fritz was as large, and in better shape. He braced himself as well.
‘I expect you to believe the Minister of Justice,’ Hess said.
‘I am not as easily bought,’ Fritz said.
‘You malign Franz Gürtner.’
‘You cannot malign a man who bases his judicial opinion on money, cronyism, and a phone call from an associate. Such a man maligns himself.’
‘The matter is closed, Inspector.’
‘A woman has been murdered, Herr Hess, in the home of the man you are backing for President. Have you no fear that her attacker will return for Hitler? Or do you know that Hitler was never a target?’
Hess’s eyes narrowed.
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