‘I don’t know how to dance.’
‘Leave that to me.’ He began to waltz, sweeping her along with him. His grip was firm and she abandoned herself to his movement and the rhythm of his song. They reeled past the mannequins with their arrogant faces, past the shelves and clothes stands, past the dappled light gleaming in from Tauentzienstrasse. Only when they came to a halt did she realise that they had danced halfway across the floor. She felt a little dizzy and out of breath, but happy nevertheless.
‘Where did you learn that?’ He never ceased to amaze her, this skinny boy with the child’s face that sometimes appeared so terrifyingly serious and grown-up.
‘In the home. The kitchen girls used to dance when the nuns weren’t looking. They showed me – do you like it?’
She nodded, and he grabbed her again, spinning in the opposite direction this time. Alex was overjoyed. If her father knew that she took pleasure in such bourgeois frippery as the Viennese Waltz, he’d no doubt have condemned his wayward daughter even more than usual.
When they arrived back at the tobacco section she was unable to stand on her own. ‘That was great,’ she said, out of breath. ‘We should have done it sooner. I could use the practice.’
‘Maybe we should go dancing properly sometime. Somewhere real swish, I mean, like a dance hall on the Ku’damm…’
Alex laughed. ‘They’d turf us out!’
‘We’d just need to be dressed like we are now.’ Benny paused, as if finding it hard to utter his next sentence, as if the words had to overcome a few hurdles first. ‘You’re beautiful, Alex,’ he said, and it sounded as if he’d been meaning to say it for a long time. He stroked her cheek with his fingertips, startling her with his unexpected tenderness. She gave a little start, but he didn’t notice, simply closed his eyes and drew nearer. Only when his lips brushed against her mouth did she react, pushing him away gently but firmly.
‘Benny! You can’t…’
He didn’t seem to understand, or want to understand.
‘I don’t know. You’re only fifteen.’ Shit, Alex, be nice to him! ‘Don’t get me wrong, I like you. You’re my friend.’
‘Why can’t I kiss you?’
He looked so sad and awkward she couldn’t help taking him in her arms and stroking his head. ‘I like you, Benny. But… we can’t. Especially not now. We’ve got work to do.’
‘True,’ he said. ‘Enough of this nonsense.’
He let go and unpacked the second canvas bag, into which he had stuffed his old clothes, but she could see she had hurt him for the second time that evening, only this time it had gone deeper. He was trying not to let it show, and she pretended she hadn’t realised, but the atmosphere between them was soured. Moments before they had soared across the KaDeWe floor; now, in evening dress, they looked like two children who had been rummaging secretly through their parents’ wardrobe. At least, that was how Alex felt, and Benny too by the look of him. He rushed to get back into his old clothes, and Alex returned behind the pilaster to change.
‘Let’s get to work,’ he said, passing her the second bag. Silently they went on their way.
The jewellery section was also on the ground floor, the glass of the display cabinets shimmering in the half-dark. Alex felt her nerves jangle again. The most expensive items would be stored in the vault, and, since the display cabinets contained only replicas, Alex and Benny could ignore the swanky rocks and concentrate on simple items that were bound to be genuine: plain rings, bangles and earrings, but mostly watches, any number of them, golden pocket watches and elegant wrist watches. Kalli always paid good money for watches.
Benny took off his leather jacket and wrapped it around his arm. ‘Alex,’ he said, ‘I promise you, in two, maybe three years, I won’t need to do this anymore. I’ll spend the day wearing expensive suits, drive a car, and live in a nice house with servants. And then I’ll ask you again if you want to go dancing with me.’
Before she could reply, he drew back his elbow and shattered the glass with a clatter that was loud enough to wake the whole city.
They moved quickly, not exchanging a word, Alex collecting wristwatches from the shattered display cabinet and stuffing them into her bag, while Benny shook shards of glass from the leather of his jacket and prepared for the next assault. The second time, the clatter didn’t seem quite so loud. She took care not to stuff too many glass fragments into the bag with the watches, which proved trickier with the next display cabinet, where a number of low carat diamond rings rested on the velvet between the splinters. Alex was concentrating so hard on these little splinters that she overlooked the sharp edge of glass in the brass frame and cut the back of her hand.
The wound bled profusely. Without saying a word Benny tore a strip of fabric from his shirt to bind it before emptying the third display cabinet. With her bandaged hand, Alex wasn’t much use.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘It doesn’t matter. We…’ Benny broke off, turning to stone mid-sentence. ‘Did you hear that?’
Alex shrugged, but then heard the noise too. Somewhere in the building a door had slammed shut.
‘He’s on the move again,’ she whispered. ‘That can’t be right. He must still be doing his rounds outside; he won’t be going over the shop floor a second time.’
‘I wouldn’t bet on it.’ Benny grabbed another handful of rings. ‘Maybe we were too noisy. Let’s get out of here.’
He closed the two canvas bags, taking the heavier of the pair, and they started to run, with Alex, who was more familiar with the layout, leading the way. In the meantime, there were scores of night owls out and about on Tauentzienstrasse, its windows and doors barred to keep late-night window shoppers from temptation.
They had to find a rear storeroom or office window so that they could reach the access yard and get onto Ansbacher Strasse, before joining the crowds and taking the next U-Bahn train east. Same as always, except something happened that threw their plans into disarray.
The door to the southern stairwell opened, and a wedge of light fell on the shop floor. Alex jumped for cover, dragging Benny behind a wall draped with silk neckties. She thought she had seen a uniform in the door. Not the red-brown of the KaDeWe watchmen, but the dark blue of the Prussian Police.
Judging by the noise, it must be a whole squad of uniformed officers. Benny silently mouthed a word she’d have preferred to scream from the rooftops. Shit!
They would have to go via Tauentzienstrasse after all. They had no other choice. What the hell were the cops doing here anyway? Alex gave Benny a nod and led the way. Hunching slightly, using the shelves and clothes stands for cover, they worked their way through the half-dark, stretching the distance between them and the cops.
‘Police!’ someone cried. ‘We know you’re in here. Give yourselves up. You’re surrounded on all sides!’
For a few moments a light flashed, then it was bright as day. Alex ducked behind the shelf they were passing and peered around the corner. It didn’t look good. The officers had divided themselves into several groups and were systematically combing the entire floor.
She looked at Benny, who gave a helpless shrug. Not much time left. They had to do something. The lifts! The middle one was on the ground floor. Alex gestured towards the lift doors a few metres to their left and Benny nodded. It was their one chance to gain a head start; a little more time to hatch a new plan. They bent low, crawling past a long rack of plus fours. The lifts were now almost within touching distance. All they had to do was break cover.
Alex heard a male voice close by. ‘Look at that mess. Let’s hope they haven’t escaped.’