"Actually, he is your stepson, is he not?"

"No, he is my son. I legally adopted all of Herr Schoennacht's children."

She smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Are there grandchildren?"

"Fourteen." Her eyes darkened. "I don't see the grandchildren that often. I saw them more when Herr Schoennacht was still with us. They loved to visit Opa. He loved them, too." Her voice became disapproving. "He used to spoil them rotten. Whenever the parents weren't looking, he would give the little ones candy. It was very surprising to me because he was a strict father."

"I suppose spoiling is the prerogative of a grandparent."

"Of a grandfather, at least." Said with a tinge of resentment. "I am and always will be the sensible and moderate one. I was less strict as a mother, but I wasn't nearly so indulgent as a grandmother. Of course, one must be flexible when raising adopted children."

Stronger resentment had crept into her voice. Berg said, "Do you see your children often?"

"As often as I can." Her smile was sad. "They are very busy these days."

"With the care of their children?"

"With everything, it seems."

"Rolf doesn't have children."

"Not yet. But his wife is young."

"Ah, that's true." Berg waited a moment. "Rolf travels a great deal, doesn't he?"

Hannah nodded.

"To The States."

Another nod.

"You were born in The States, were you not?"

"An odd question." This time she directed her eyes on Berg. "I suspect that you already know the answer."

He smiled broadly. "You caught me."

"I'm sharper than I look." She wagged a finger at him. "You are here for a certain purpose. What would you like to know, Inspektor?" She sipped tea and waited. As self-described, she was a sensible and moderate woman.

"I've actually come here to find out information about your sister, Della."

Hannah stared at him for what seemed to be a very long time. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you. I haven't spoken to my sister in twenty-two years."

"I see." Berg's head was spinning. What to do? "Were you close as children?"

"Not really, no."

Neither of them spoke. The silence lingered until Berg broke it. "How long have you been out of contact with her?"

"Twenty-two years. I believe I'm repeating myself."

Think of something to say! "I know it must be difficult to talk about her."

She sipped tea, regarding him over the rim of her glass. "Why are you so interested in Della, Inspektor? The past is over and forgotten."

"Not for me, Frau Schoennacht, because I believe it has bearing on the present. How did you come to raise your sister's child as your own?"

"Rolf was not my sister's child, he was my husband's child. And someone had to step in after she abandoned him."

"But he would not allow her to see him."

"She abandoned Rolf a long time ago, Inspektor, when she wasn't true to her loving husband. Herr Schoennacht was devastated when he found out. He had been madly in love with her. He had tried so hard to please her. My sister was the beautiful one-beautiful on the outside, at least. She threw everything away."

"She was seventeen when she married. Raising four stepchildren when she was just a child herself must have been very hard."

"Ach . . ." Hannah waved her hand in the air. "She had servants, she had nannies, she had anything she wanted. Herr Schoennacht would have given her the world. He was madly in love with her."

Said a second time but without rancor. It was just a statement of fact. Berg repeated, "She was still very young."

"Young, yes. Also rash and stupid." Her voice lowered until it was barely above a hush. "Herr Schoennacht saved my sister from a life of shame. Della was already in the family way when he married her."

"So he did the right thing and made an honest woman out of her."

"Did the right thing!" She practically spat. "You don't understand, Inspektor. Rolf wasn't even his child! Herr Schoennacht was an old friend of my father's and was visiting The States when it happened. Della had always looked up to him as a kindly uncle. When she found out about the baby, she was too scared to tell our parents, so she told him. He stepped in like a gallant knight . . . offered himself to her, sparing my sister wretched humiliation. They married just three weeks later. Herr Schoennacht moved her to Munich, hoping that a sensible life as a Bavarian wife and mother would change her ways. But it didn't."

"She continued to have a roving eye?"

"It was terrible." Hannah bit her lower lip. "Then . . . when it happened again, Herr Schoennacht was stunned."

"What happened?"

"What do you think?" Her hands patted her tummy.

"Ah . . . another child on the way."

"Another . . ." Again she started to whisper. "Another bastard!" Her eyes moistened. "Gunnar had wanted to have children with her, but she always claimed she had enough babies raising his children. Of course, he wouldn't argue with her. She was the pretty one!"

Berg recognized the family pattern. Hannah was the older, homelier, sensible sister; Della was the beautiful and wild young thing. He had some empathy for her, but more for Della. Berg had always been the favorite son.

"What happened when Herr Schoennacht found out she was pregnant?"

Tears rolled down her cheeks. "He was just devastated."

"How did he know it wasn't his child?"

"It happened when he was on a long business trip. Even so, he still took care of her."

"What do you mean?"

"He made arrangements for her to . . ." She lowered her gaze. "A righteous Catholic man . . . and still he made the arrangements for her! Because that's what she wanted. Do you know how hard that must have been for him?"

"Terrible-"

"Disgusting!" she broke in.

Berg nodded. "But she decided to have the baby anyway."

"No. In the end, she decided to get rid of it, even after Herr Schoennacht offered to raise it as his own!"

Now Berg was confused. "She got rid of it?"

"They claimed the child died at birth. I have my doubts."

"What do you mean?"

"I think she gave it up for adoption and told people it died." She wrinkled her nose. "Of course, I have no proof."

Berg scratched his head. "If that baby died or was given up, who was Rupert?"

Hannah let out a bitter laugh. "That was the second time, Inspektor, after Della freed herself from the first. Herr Schoennacht was sure that such a trauma would have an impact on her, that she would change her ways. But she didn't. Even after all she went through, after all Gunnar went through to save her, she refused to give up her paramour. When my husband found out who it was, he had had enough. Immediately, he filed for divorce and sole custody of Rolf."

"Even though Rolf was not his child-"

"Nonsense," Hannah fired back. "Herr Schoennacht was the only father Rolf had ever known."

"Yes, of course." Berg picked up a poppy-seed cookie and bit into it. "Delicious."

"Thank you." She managed a stiff smile. "More tea?"

"Yes, please."

She poured him another glass, then refilled her own. Berg tried to approach the subject as delicately as possible. "So . . . when did Rupert come into the picture?"

"Rupert . . ." Hannah shook her head. "Just a few weeks after the divorce was final, Della found out she was with child . . . again . . . and by the same man . . . the same married man. My sister was in a terrible bind because it was well known that she hadn't been with Herr Schoennacht as husband and wife for months. She was no longer married; she couldn't pretend anymore. That's when she made history repeat itself."

"Meaning?"

"It was clear by now that her married man was never going to leave his wife. So Della found an older sap to marry her. Dirk Schick was not a handsome man. He was a confirmed bachelor and much older than she was. She must have seduced him and somehow managed to convince him that the child was his."

"Could it have been possible for the child to be his? After all, he arrived only a month early."

"You have really investigated this, haven't you?" Berg's expression was enigmatic. "The baby was two months 'early,' but weighed over three kilos. Dirk had to have known something was awry, but the fool had already married her."

Berg remembered what Krieger had told him, how Dirk had been very good to her. Della must have had something very special to make men love her so much. "So now you are saying that Rupert wasn't Dirk's son."

"Exactly!"

"And are you also telling me that Rupert and Rolf had the same father-the anonymous married man?"

"Of course, I couldn't know that for certain. . . . May God forgive me if I'm wrong, but . . ." Her voice dropped to a whisper, her gaze on her lap. "I'm sure I know who he is . . . was. I knew long before my own husband knew. It was treacherous because the three of them were boyhood friends."

"The three of them?"

"My father, Herr Schoennacht, and . . . this person." She had tears in her eyes. "I can't mention his name because the family is well known in Munich. All I will tell you is that he was a wicked man, Inspektor. A very wicked man because we were just children! He, Herr Schoennacht, and my father were friends from way back in Germany. My father married an American woman and moved to Boston. This man . . . His wife was from a prominent Boston family. He and Herr Schoennacht used to come and visit my father. They used to play with Della and me, acting as the fun uncles. As a matter of fact, we called him Uncle Hansy. That was what particularly appalled Gunnar, that the man was so vile as to seduce Della under my father's nose. Of course, Herr Schoennacht didn't find out about it until much later. Then, when I told him what had happened to me . . ."

Berg waited.

This time, the tears gushed out, rolling down her cheeks and dripping off her chin. "He seduced me first, Inspektor! I thought he loved me! I thought . . ." She dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. "But as soon as Della was just a bit older, he moved on to her. I was so stupid! I just thank God that what happened to Della didn't happen to me." She sniffed hard and blew her nose. "I saw him kissing her. He kissed her right in front of me, then winked at me. I was sick for a week afterward. I couldn't get out of bed. I certainly never talked to him again."

"He fathered her sons. Maybe she loved him."

"Maybe she just married Herr Schoennacht so she could move to Munich to be with him."

"It would be very helpful if I knew his name."

Hannah shook her head. "What difference does it make?"

"It may be related to some very important police business." His eyes took in hers. "Very, very important business!"

She remained resolute. "I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you as long as Rolf is alive."

"Rolf has never been told that Herr Schoennacht was not his father?"

Hannah grew rigid with fright. "I shouldn't have told you anything. You must promise me never to repeat what I have told you!"

It was time to show sympathy for this old woman's troubles. "You have lived with this terrible burden for a long time, Frau Schoennacht. Too long! Please don't feel guilty about talking to me."

"Then promise you won't tell Rolf what I told you."

"I don't see why I would need to tell him anything about it. Still, it would be helpful if you told me who this treacherous man is."

"I cannot, Inspektor. I am sorry."

"Please, Frau Schoennacht. If you can't tell me now, maybe you can tell me later."

Hannah nodded. "All right, Inspektor. I will think about it."

"Consider what I ask of you, bitte. Lives may depend on it!"

The woman bristled. She did not like being pushed into a decision. Berg backed off. "It must have been very hard for you, Frau Schoennacht, raising five children, including your sister's child."

"Rolf was never her child. She was never around for him . . . too busy carrying on with her married man. No, Inspektor, the only real mother Rolf has ever known is me. As far as Rolf is concerned, Della is dead and gone."

Berg wasn't so sure of that. Surely Rolf had some curiosity about his mother. The sneak visit with the nanny . . . "Is Della-in actuality-dead and gone?"

"I wouldn't know. When my mother died, Della disappeared from my life for good. Mother used to talk to me about her, so I suppose I had . . . indirect contact with my sister. But now, as far as I'm concerned, Della died years ago."