Page 43 of One Last Step

“Sympathizer is putting it loosely,” I reply.

She nods.“Yes, I suppose it is.He believed that Switzerland was a traditionally Germanic nation and should join their fellow Aryans in… well, I’m sure you’re familiar with Nazi beliefs.”

“And you?”

She flinches and replies indignantly, “I amnota Nazi!I…”

She grabs two fistfuls of her hair, and for a moment, I fear she'll have a complete meltdown.But after a moment, she releases the hair and slowly lowers her hands."Adrien nearly ruined the family.He died when my father was nine years old, and my grandmother, God rest her soul, knew nothing about business and even less about money.She converted our antique shop into a museum and liquidated the family fortune, buying back examples of Rousseau clocks to display.When my father took over the business, the family was several million Francs in debt."

She gestures expansively."This, all you see here, that was my father's doing.He worked tirelessly to make this museum succeed.He researched our family's history as clockmakers, and he celebrated not just our success but the success of the entire Swiss horological history.You know, even today, the Swiss are considered the finest manufacturers of timepieces in the world?"

“I know it.I purchased a Swiss watch for my fiancé’s birthday last year.”

"Then you made a fine purchase.It is one thing we Swiss do better than anyone.My father knew that, and he reminded everyone that Rousseau was one of the original clockmakers in our tradition.We aren't Nazis.We're clockmakers."Tears well in her eyes."I'm only trying to preserve our family history."

“But why this history?”I demand.“Why the records of your grandfather’s treason?Why would you want that somewhere where anyone could stumble across it?”

She scoffed.“Well,no onestumbled across it until after you arrived.I’m not blaming you, of course, it’s just a funny coincidence.I’ve spent forty years protecting this history, and only now is it suddenly being pulled out of its vault.”

“But Elena…” I shake my head.“I overheard what Claudia said to you.It’s not just Interpol looking at you.It’s Mossad.”

Her lips thin.“Yes, I’m aware.”

“But surely you must be aware of how this looks.You are the direct descendant of a very militant Nazi sympathizer or possibly an actual Nazi.You are holding memorabilia belonging to that Nazi and possibly planning to sell certain articles on the black market—”

“That isnotme,” she insists.“Someone stole those clocks.I am not going to sell a piece of my family history.”

“But why keep it around at all?”I press.

“Because it’sreal.”

She buries her face in her hands and begins to cry.I don’t say anything.I don’t really know what to say.I can believe that Elena isn’t a Nazi, but I can’t understand why she’d cling so desperately to such a bitter portion of a family history that is otherwise one to be celebrated.

She takes a shuddering breath and says, “I know it’s horrible.I knowwe’rehorrible.Not all of us, but some of us.But this isreal.This is our history.This is all we have left.I never met my grandfather, and this is the closest I can come to knowing him.Even if knowing him is knowing that he was a traitor and a fool.”

“And a racist,” I add.

She lowers her eyes.“I never thought this would come to light.I never thought this would harm anyone.I thought I could keep this little secret safe and have the complete history of the Rousseau family represented here.”

She lifts her eyes to mine.“You know, that history is important.Knowing who you are.Knowing where you came from.People are so unconcerned with that, but then they enter their lives lost and unsure where to go, what to do or who to be.We can trace our lineage back to 1597.Over four hundred years.Not many families can say that.And we can trace that lineage back warts and all.”

She sighs.“I can see in your eyes that you think that’s a poor excuse.Maybe it is.Probably it is.It certainly feels like one now.”

She takes a deep breath and releases it slowly.“I think I felt this was my burden to carry.My grandparents died young, my parents died young, and my son died three days after Sophie was born.I’m the longest-lived member of my family since my great-great-grandfather.This is a blight on our history, but it’s ours, and throwing it away just felt… cheap.I guess in my arrogance, I thought I needed to suffer by carrying this memory with me.”She chuckles.“Well, I’m suffering now.”

"It's not just your suffering you have to think of," I say."It's Sophie's.How much more of this is there?How much more could be stolen or brought to light?There's nothing in the pocket watch or the mantel clock, is there?"

“Nothing that can be linked to us.The mantel clock has an old intelligence report on an Allied unit stationed in Ville-la-Grand, France, but nothing scandalous.”

“But elsewhere in the museum?”

Her lower lip trembles again.I sigh and shake my head.“Elena, you have to think of your granddaughter.If this comes back to you, then you are at risk of imprisonment.”I remember my conversation with Claudia and amend that.“Perhaps not imprisonment, but you are certainly at risk of trouble.That blow to your reputation will ruin you.You will lose this museum.You will loseallof your history to save the most despicable part of it.”

“Stop,” she says.“I understand.Don’t you think I understand?I just…” She lowers her head and reddens.“It’s not fair.I know I sound like a child, but it’s true.It’s not fair.We’re not hurting anyone, and this means so much to me.”She looks back at the photographs.“Are you going to tell anyone?”

I sigh heavily.“I don’t know.Not yet.If you’re not the one selling these items on the black market—”

“I’m not.I swear it.On Sophie’s life, I swear it.”

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