Free Hidden Depths by Ally Rose Page A

surprised. ‘You were in Berlin too? How strange. Thank you. I felt quite a fool, losing my identity card.’
    â€˜Susanne’s in the bedroom,’ Klaus began. ‘We haven’t called for an ambulance or the police, we waited for you. I hope this was OK. Felix told us how much you helped him and Susanne and we are forever in your debt.’
    â€˜You owe me nothing. I’ll see her now,’ Dr Wissemann told them.
    The sight of her lying lifeless on the bed brought tears to his eyes. ‘Dear girl,’ he whispered to her corpse.
    â€˜Will you call an undertaker?’ Ingrid asked.
    Dr Wissemann nodded. ‘Now I’ll check the baby, to make sure he’s all right.’
    â€˜We want to keep him,’ Ingrid announced. ‘We don’t want to lose Felix or Axel.’
    â€˜Well, you’re Felix’s next of kin and he wants to stay with you, so I can’t see there being any problem and the courts could award you legal guardianship until he’s 18. As for the baby, I don’t know.’
    Ingrid frowned and shook her head. ‘I’m sure they won’t let us keep either of them when they find out what’s happened to Susanne.’
    Dr Wissemann could see the fear in her eyes. ‘It’s no one’s fault. Would you like me to help you with Axel’s adoption?’
    â€˜Would you, Jens?’ Ingrid pleaded.
    Dr Wissemann reassured her ‘Yes, of course I’ll help, and with Felix’s case.’
    â€˜When I’m old enough, I’m going to change my name to Baum. Felix Baum, my grandmother’s family name,’ Felix told them. ‘Waltz has been an unlucky name for me and I think Susi would want Axel to have the name of Felker. We’ll both have a new name and a new start.’
    â€˜Klaus and I haven’t any children of our own. Now we have two sons and I’m so afraid they’ll be taken from us,’ Ingrid told the doctor.
    â€˜The new Germany can’t possibly object to our family reunification,’ Klaus remarked bitterly. ‘Ingrid, don’t worry, we’ve lost Susanne but we’ll not lose our boys.’
    â€˜I’ll sign a death certificate, deal with the police, etcetera,’ Dr Wissemann told them. ‘You said she jumped from the balcony at the top of the hangar, so there’s only one thing I can write: suicide.’
    â€˜Couldn’t you lie for us?’ Felix implored. ‘Axel will suffer one day when he learns the truth. Couldn’t you say it was an accident?’
    â€˜Felix!’ Klaus exclaimed. ‘You can’t ask the doctor to lie on a death certificate. He could get struck off!’
    Ingrid concurred with her husband. ‘Felix, we can’t compromise the doctor. What difference does it make what Dr Jens writes on the death certificate? She’s gone.’
    â€˜Tante! It’ll make all the difference in the world to Axel. And maybe it’ll affect your chances of adopting him.’ Felix turned his attention the doctor. ‘Dr Wissemann. I’m just a kid, what do I know? But I know about stigma from being a Torgau boy. I don’t want Axel to have any labels forced on him and live his life under a cloud or grow up thinking his mother didn’t love him or want him. How do you think he’ll feel if he learns someday she jumped to her death because she thought it was the only way out?’
    Klaus and Ingrid agreed. ‘We’ll never tell him the truth.’
    â€˜The truth’s bound to come out someday,’ Dr Wissemann began. ‘But by then, our lies won’t look like anything compared to some in East Germany. I should have realised Susanne was depressed and helped her when she was alive.’
    â€˜Then help her son,’ Felix said, crossing his fingers behind his back.
    Dr Wissemann nodded. ‘OK, I’ll do it, if it means protecting Axel. Poor Susanne’s death certificate will say