SALOME Ch 8

“Whether you knew it or not, young lady, Lake Wannsee is right next to Dahlem. Rumor has it that Hitler hid an astronomical amount of gold bullion inside the lake. They say the lads who stand guard around there occasionally see a glittering ghost, so if you happen to run into one later, be sure to ask where it is. You never know.”

At Beth’s innocent question, he spun quite a plausible and entertaining tale in a compelling voice. Cedric could see Beth’s eyes sparkling with curiosity. Oh dear, this fellow clearly doesn’t realize that Beth is far more adventurous than she looks.

“I definitely have to ask!”

“If you find out, let me in on it, too, miss. So I can get a ring made and pop the question.”

At the driver’s subtle hint, Ann and Beth made a fuss, asking if he had a girlfriend. The driver bashfully mentioned that they had been together for about three years, and casually shared that they planned to get married together when he returned next year. As the mother and daughter endured the tedious darkness with the driver’s story, the Jeep quickly entered the city center. At the boundary before entering downtown, a guard dressed in an Allied uniform brought the vehicle to a halt. Walking up to the driver and Albert in the passenger seat, the soldiers asked for identification and their purpose.

“Good evening. I’ll need to check your identification, please.”

“Of course. The people in the back are my family.”

Thanks to his clear status as a diplomat and his nationality as an ally, the guards allowed the Primrose family through without any real hindrance. Returning Albert’s passport, the guard offered a salute.

“Welcome to Berlin. Have a pleasant evening.”

Once inside the city, it didn’t take long to reach the front of the British Embassy. Setting the Primrose family down in front of the embassy, the driver took his leave, wishing them a good time. Beth noisily shuffled the soles of her shoes like a motorcycle revving its engine. At the sight, Ann pressed a hand to her forehead. Before his mother could collapse, Cedric quickly led Beth by grabbing her hand through her heavily bundled sleeves.

“See you at the set time, Mother.”

“Beth, you must listen to your brother! Don’t go running off by yourself again!”

Ann kept shouting reminders at the backs of the two as they slowly drifted away.

“Understood!”

Yet Elizabeth’s vigorous answer only amplified Ann’s anxiety.

“I wonder if she’s just saying that again…”

∞ ∞ ∞

Not far from the British Embassy, a massive Christmas market was underway. The entrance alone offered a glimpse of its sheer scale. A central, grand Christmas tree visible even from the outside, a carousel spinning alongside carol melodies adorned with a cluster of bright, round light bulbs. Children were riding the carousel with loud chuckles, and it indisputably stole the entirety of Beth’s attention.

Perhaps because they weren’t the only ones who had come to see Berlin’s premier Christmas market, the inside was naturally bustling with crowds of people. There were too many people to walk side by side with Beth, so Beth led the way while Cedric followed closely right behind her. Inside the market, wooden booths were meticulously decorated with pinecone-adorned wreaths, colorful garlands, and glass ornaments.

Even though Beth must have seen Germans come to open similar markets in London or Dundee, she led Cedric by the hand with her mouth slightly agape in wonder. From shops gathering music boxes that played tunes, to winter knit shops run by skilled grandmothers, to shops selling handcrafted ornaments—and every now and then, she would stop in front of street snacks, forcing Cedric to open his wallet.

Things like sweet hot chocolate, savory roasted almonds coated in caramel, or soft, colorful Turkish Delight sold by a Turk. Wiping off the powdered sugar left behind after she ate the Turkish Delight, Cedric found the sight of Beth’s cheeks—flushed red from the cold weather—peeking through the gap between her purple scarf and her beanie pulled tight over her ears thoroughly adorable.

“You’ve seen these often enough in London. Is it really that fascinating?”

“Of course! This is a real, real Christmas market. Those misters you talk about only claim to be German, but their English is super fluent… I feel like I got scammed!”

At Beth’s pouting words, Cedric conceded, “Well, I suppose so.”

“I mean, that’s because British people can’t speak German…”

“Wow! They sell donuts over there!”

Not that she was particularly expecting an answer from Cedric, Beth bolted like a bullet toward a donut booth that wasn’t even in sight. Cedric gave chase immediately at Beth’s sudden action, but unlike little Beth who could weave through people’s legs with ease, Cedric’s build was far too large.

“Ah, I’m sorry—Beth! Wait, let’s go together! Ah, sorry.”

As he bumped into the crowd moving frantically on both sides and his gaze shifted for a fleeting moment, Beth’s bulky coat tail, previously visible between the legs of the crowd, vanished. Cedric pushed through the crowd in the direction Beth had run, but nowhere was Elizabeth—bundled up like a plump penguin—to be seen.

∞ ∞ ∞

Oh dear. Cedric felt a cold chill run down the back of his neck. This little troublemaker. She finally went and did it. Cedric looked around, desperately trying to spot Beth’s figure. Following this way and that through the crowd, he spun around a child wearing a hat similar to Beth’s—

“Beth? Ah, I lost my sister. By any chance…”

—or he turned around a child with a similar build, only for the child to actually be a chubby boy—

“She’s about this size… Ah, she’s actually quite slender, but she’s wearing a lot of layers.”

—and when he turned around someone who looked almost identical, the face was completely different…

“By any chance, have you seen a child who can’t speak German?”

Amidst the chaotic crowd, Cedric searched for Beth until warm steam rose from his mouth and sweat beaded on his forehead. Yet despite those efforts, Elizabeth was nowhere to be found. Though he could clearly feel the hands inside his leather gloves growing cold, Cedric refused to give up and kept making rounds along the market paths. Calling out softly, “Beth, Beth.” Fearing that calling out loudly might only make a scene, he kept scanning his head continuously as he wandered around. And watching Cedric’s desperate struggle was a man.

Idiot.

Yuri, hiding half his face behind a thick, dark scarf around his neck and hands tucked into the pockets of his gray wool coat, was tailing Cedric as he looked around. It was the reason why Yuri, who happened to have free time, was ordered to conduct surveillance based on the wiretapped content reported that morning.

And Yuri had been faithfully following behind the brother and sister from the front of the British Embassy like a natural pedestrian. Gazing at the market booths with an indifferent expression every now and then as if taking in the sights. Though he was keeping an eye on every single move the brother and sister made for his report, the young girl seemed to have a beggar in her belly, doing nothing but eating.

They say they’re from Britain, a wealthy aristocratic family, but do they not feed their child properly? Or do women intentionally cut back on eating? Come to think of it, listening to the wiretap, the mother seemed to have plenty of complaints about the kid’s eating. Seeing her today, the kid was plumper than expected compared to moving day, but to starve her…

Yuri formed the impression that the Primrose family was miserly, thinking that the well-off were always the stingiest. Meanwhile, Cedric kept turning his head, searching for Beth. Running around so much had built up heat, leaving him walking around with his coat unbuttoned, looking quite frantic. Seeing that sight, Yuri felt slightly conflicted. Possessing the sharp eyesight characteristic of trained personnel, Yuri actually knew where Beth was.

In a small side alley Cedric hadn’t noticed, a curved row of booths was set up, and Yuri had caught Beth walking over there from behind.

However, unlike his assumption that since he saw it, Cedric must have seen it too—being taller than him and all—Cedric was thoroughly lost. To the point where it was painful to watch. While Cedric wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead and asked people about Beth’s appearance, Yuri debated with himself.

If he had been ordered to grab a leverage point instead, he could have simply carried off the younger daughter who was proudly occupying a spot in the line for the donut shop. But since he was told merely to observe, he felt conflicted about how to handle this situation unfolding between the two.