Berlin Burning Read Free

else?’
    Roth said he could.
    â€˜Much as I hate to say it, I think Kessler was right about the sequence of events,’ Trautmann said. ‘Which means we likely have an as-yet unknown third party roaming the streets.’
    Roth grunted. ‘No wonder the 87 th are so keen to get this solved,’ he said. ‘Our friend there is practically one of them.’
    â€˜Come now, Roth, let’s not go through this again.’
    â€˜No – you come now. You know that precinct is honeycombed with Nazis.’
    Trautmann longed for his pipe. But he couldn’t smoke it at the scene for fear of contamination, so his irritation grew.
    â€˜Politics should be left at the door, Roth.’
    â€˜How can you be so naïve? I wouldn’t be surprised if Kessler was hauling his troglodytes off to Bülowplatz this very second looking for Reds to assault.’
    Trautmann thought of Fleischer’s sometime-association with the KPD. The links between communism and organised crime ran deep in those parts, but Trautmann was determined to keep from reaching too hasty a conclusion.
    He took in the patch of blue-black stubble beneath his assistant’s jaw, the bloodshot eyes that spoke of beer hall intrigues with his Reichsbanner comrades before work. How old was Roth? Trautmann didn’t know. But he couldn’t have been more than thirty; hardly older than the boy lying dead on the rug with his guts shot up.
    â€˜Politics could well be the cause of this young man’s death, Roth. Not to mention our now pressing need to arrest someone before the streets erupt with yet more thuggery.’
    â€˜He’s a Nazi, Trautmann. He hated us as much as the Reds.’
    â€˜If we refused to investigate the deaths of everyone who didn’t like us, we would have precious little to do.’ Trautmann knew he sounded pompous, but he couldn’t seem to stop now.
    â€˜He probably brought it on himself. What if he did beat his girl?’
    â€˜We don’t know that he did. And what of it? Should we add to the cycle of violence by refusing to solve the murders of people we don’t like? This violence is never ending, Roth! An insatiable fire consuming all it touches. And of all people, you should understand that.’
    Roth rubbed at his arm stump. ‘That was different.’
    â€˜Was it? This man might have been a monster. But, just maybe, he wasn’t. He deserves our best efforts, regardless. And I think, beneath your hard, socialist bluster, you know that. Or I hope you do.’ Trautmann shifted his gaze to the newspaper clipping and began to read it. ‘Now, this is what you called me over to see?’
    It was a story from the Völkischer Beobachter:
    TIME FOR THIS JEW LOVER TO GO
    We have observed with growing concern the indulgence shown by new Reich Interior Minister von Gaben towards the Judeo-Socialist leadership of the Prussian state government – and of the Berlin police force especially.
    But this is going too far!
    Offering his “wholehearted support” to Red Grzesinski and his deputy – the so-called ‘doctor’ Weiss – in curtailing the recent “rise in street clashes between paramilitary groups”. The cheek of it! The lunacy!
    After all, were it not for the Slav and his slick deputy ‘Isidor’ provoking the honest, angry working men of Berlin with underhand tactics, such clashes would be few and far between. We have written before in these pages how our brownshirts are forced to resist the most wicked taunts and abuse from Reds and Jews – and their police protectors – while on peaceful protest marches.
    Why, Isidor has repeatedly proven himself so pompous and aloof from the honest working German that even his own men lack respect for him.
    We all know the Reds want nothing more than an excuse to throw our boys in jail – so they can continue their pernicious work. And this support from von Gaben just shows