Seconds Away

CHAPTER 21

I didn’t have homework, so I went online and did an image search for both Hans Zeidner and the Butcher of Lodz. Plenty of terrifying photographs from the Lodz ghetto popped up. They were all in stark black and white. I would say that they were like something out of a nightmare, but I don’t even think my worst dreams could compete with this. Many of the photos featured frightened and starving children. I thought about Lizzy Sobek. I wondered what her life in that ghetto must have been like.

There was only one photograph that may have been the Butcher of Lodz.

It was, I thought, the most horrible photograph I had ever seen. It had been taken in November 1941 in the Baluty Marketplace in Lodz. Eighteen Jews were executed by hanging in that one day for trying to escape. In this photograph you could see three of them dangling by the neck from what looked like a child’s swing set. In the background, you could see the crowd somberly gathered-even children-forced to watch as a warning. And there, standing right next to the dead bodies, with his back to the camera, was a man in a Waffen-SS uniform.

It was suddenly hard to breathe.

I shut down the computer. That had been it-there had been no photographs of the Butcher’s face.

So how had Bat Lady gotten one?

It always came back to her, didn’t it? Bat Lady had started me down this road the first time I saw her, opening up that door, stepping out with her long gray hair and white gown, pointing that bony finger at me…

Mickey? Your father isn’t dead. He is very much alive…

Hold the phone.

I remembered something else now. When I’d seen Ema earlier today, she somehow looked different to me. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but now…

I grabbed my cell phone and texted Ema. I just said R u there? in case, I don’t know, someone else was home and he checked her texts and got angry if it was someone asking more personal questions.

Ema replied quickly: what’s up?

Me: Going to Bat Lady’s house. Wanna come?

Ema: can’t.

That was odd. Usually Ema could get out at all hours.

I typed: Everything OK?

Ema: fine. let’s go after school tomorrow.

I was about to tell her about Rachel getting out of the hospital, but then I remembered how Rachel had insisted: Don’t tell anyone I texted you. No one.

Could she have meant Ema too? I don’t know, but the words no one seemed pretty clear.

To Ema, I typed in: Can’t.

I was going to ask her about what I noticed, about what struck me as different with her appearance, but I wanted to check it out in person. It could wait.

Still thinking about the rumors Spoon had heard, I added: R you OK?

Ema: fine. u?

Me: Fine.

There was a pause and then Ema wrote: this is an awesome text exchange.

I laughed out loud.

Ema: r u going to Bat Lady’s tonight without me?

I thought about it, but not for very long. I couldn’t just sit here. I had to act: Yes.

There was a pause and then Ema wrote: b careful. I’ve got a bad feeling.