Actually in the times of turmoil, broken diplomatic agreements, and even war, his family firm would become even more powerful than the squabbling, disorganized, and indecisive governments that controlled their populations. How could the Nazi wave challenge him or be any different than the countless other regimes that have risen and fell while the Hoogerwoerd name remained the real rulers of Europe?
The Count closed his eyes, as if to prepare for sleep. The Nazis would be quite a different monster, but he had faith in himself and the family empire. After all, he had successfully handled the Nazis… so far.
Elka and Patricia waited until the hallway to the telephone operator room was clear, then Patricia dialed the number. Patricia barely noticed the double click sound after each click of the number she dialed, but paid it no thought. What she was not aware of is the seemingly ‘echo’ occurred not because she was dialing a long distance number, but that an extra wire had been attached to the phone line to the lodge. An extra wire the Gestapo had set up since this building was being used by the higher ups in the Nazi party. Himmler kept his eyes and ears on everyone, even those high up in the Nazi party – even the Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels.
While such a tap was normally used for places or people under suspicion, it was indeed standard practice for any gathering of high officials – be it a private or official function.
The phone rang several times.
“I don’t think anyone is home now.” Patricia said, with one ear still in her headset. After the eleventh ring she disconnected the plug. “I’ll try again later.”
“Thanks.” Elka said as she started to leave. “I’ll check with you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight.”
When Elka returned the next day, she found that Bettina, Goebbels, and his entire group were gone. The secret vacation Goebbels and his group had was finished. Later when seeing Patricia, Elka asked if the message got through.
“No, I tried all night but there was never any answer. I’ll try again as soon as I go on.”
“No, never mind. My cousin is on her way back to Berlin now, in fact, she probably is in her boyfriend’s arms right now.”
“I know the manager at the Hotel Victoria in the middle of Stettin,” the Baroness began, “…he’ll put us up even if he’s full.”
Karl Ernst and Elaine looked at each other puzzled. Then they turned and followed the Baroness into the darkness of the forest. They both thought of her eccentric behavior they observed in the house… and wondered if this was simply another example.
“Baroness Fredricke!” Elaine mouthed in a hushed shout. “Baroness! You can’t walk out alone that far in this weather!”
“Who said anything about walking?” The old woman’s voice echoed from the darkness.
Karl Ernst and Elaine took the hint and began walking towards her and then saw an opening in the woods the Baroness had disappeared through. As they were further away from the house and deeper in the woods, the Moon suddenly disappeared behind a lone cloud. For a few moments, neither of the Kraffts could see anything around them. Karl Ernst pulled Elaine next to him.
In the distance they heard a motor staring and saw two faint beams of light radiate about 20 meters in front of them. Karl Ernst and Elaine slowly walked towards it.
“Is this your car?” Elaine said as they approached the loudly idling vehicle.
“In one sense it is,” laughed the Baroness, “hurry up and get in! It’s getting cold out here!”
As soon as both the Kraffts were inside, the Baroness raced the engine far more than needed to shift into first gear. When she finally did shift, the result was three huge jerky lurches forward rocking everyone in the car, except the Baroness. The spinning wheels caused gravel, dirt, and grass to shoot away from the 1931 Volkswagen – the “People’s Car” – the one Hitler promised early in his political career that every German would soon own.
Karl Ernst had never been in an automobile driven by a woman, and for that matter, neither had Elaine. However, at the moment neither saw it as an issue since they were heading away from the house.
“Where did you learn to drive?” Asked Karl Ernst, noticing that outside of the shaky start, she was now handling the car as an experienced race driver. While she was certainly going much faster than anyone would expect for a lady of her age, it was clear she was in complete control of the car in a graceful way.
“In Mannheim, from Herr Porsche!”
It was also obvious she knew the roads very well, for Karl Ernst noticed she would prepare for a turn before the headlights revealed any bend in the road. Elaine noticed that she never looked at any of the road signs, or in her rear view mirror.
“Porche, Ferdinand Porsche?” Questioned a shocked Karl Ernst.
Elaine, hearing the conversation from the back, leaned forward to take part, when appropriate.
“The one and only!” The Baroness stated by downshifting to make her next sharp turn. “We were lovers, once, when – you might say – I was a much younger woman and he was a much younger man.”
Even Elaine could not begin to guess the Baroness’s age. Depending on the light, she looked anywhere between seventy and one hundred, yet could seem to be one who lived over many lifetimes by her uncanny ability to look deep into one’s soul. Yet at this moment, she was acting – in the way that she drove this little VW – like an enthusiastic, youthful teenager.
“It was Ferdinand who gave me this car!” The Baroness continued, while twirling her finger at the glove compartment as if instructing Karl Ernst in the front passenger seat to open it – which he did.
There was only one item in the small compartment, which from the heavy stock, felt like a birthday card. Upon pulling it out, Krafft saw indeed it was a greeting card, with a picture of Ferdinand Porsche standing in front of the Volkswagen factory entrance in Wolfsburg. Upon opening the card he smiled, and held it up for Elaine to see. The card read:
“To My Lovely Fredricke, All that comes through these gates are products of your divine inspiration. Love, Ferdinand”
After Elaine read and nodded, Karl Ernst carefully put the card back into the glove compartment. Ferdinand Porsche was one of the few people he truly admired, the engineer represented innovation and excellence, was an outstanding racecar driver himself, and a man whose heart was truly for the people. Krafft once read an interview on Porsche and was deeply impressed that of all his accomplishments, Ferdinand’s greatest joy was that he was able to design exactly what Fredricke was driving: a car that the average person could afford and enjoy, and one designed to move four people and a suitcase using the lest amount of fuel.
“Ah, we’re almost there!” The Baroness shouted happily as the glow of Stettin’s lights created a uniform glow over the horizon. Just as they crossed the sign marking the city’s boundary, the Baroness turned to Karl Ernst.
“Don’t let those people into your life. They will take everything you have.”
Karl Ernst returned her statement with a blank face.
“Mark my words, they will take your work you so value, your wife, and your life if you are not careful. Work for them if you must, but never give them anything else.” She said while glancing back at Elaine. “Never!”