Chapter NineThe scorching midday sun beat down on the pedestrians who trudged past on the sidewalk outside Rolande’s apartment. Eyes downcast, the civilians dressed in dark, threadbare clothes pointedly avoided looking at the German soldiers who strode through the crowd. Dirt and debris littered the streets that prior to the war were pristine. Window boxes on the homes across the street were void of flowers. No one seemed interested in celebrating summer after four years of Occupation.
A young woman, her head covered with a handkerchief, pushed a decrepit carariage. Did she only carry a baby, or was she a Resistance member hiding clandestine documents underneath her child as Adele had done several weeks ago?
Rolande stood in front of the open window in an effort to gain some relief from
