by Ellin Carsta
Madlen smiled. “I’m going to say farewell to the children and then go to the university.” She stood.
“Compared to my daughter-in-law, I’m just a pitiful coward. So much courage and determination!” Peter shook his head wistfully. “Let us know if there’s anything we can do to help. I might even become a good person after all.” He rose to his feet.
“Where are you going?” Elsbeth asked.
“I’m going to stretch my legs a bit.”
“Wait a moment; I’ll accompany you.”
“No, no. Don’t bother.” Peter patted his wife on the shoulder as he moved past her. “I won’t be gone long.” Without waiting for her response, he said good-bye and went outside.
“Everything all right?” Madlen asked her mother-in-law.
“Of course,” she said quickly. “And you better go before it’s too late.”
Madlen nodded, turned, and went upstairs. She said good-bye to the children and told them that Agathe and Elsbeth would be coming up soon. Before she left the inn, she waved at Elsbeth and Agathe, then hurried out. As she walked, anxiety about Peter came over her. She’d noticed the strain between her in-laws—blessedly absent for a few days—had returned. But then she thought of the abused women and the important task of helping them. Yes, that was what she wanted to do. She’d never felt more powerful in her whole life.
Madlen was unable to concentrate during the lecture, barely following Franz von Beyenburg’s instruction.
The doctor seemed to notice that her mind was elsewhere because after the lecture he asked her to stay. “Is everything all right?”
“Of course. Thank you.”
“I only ask because you seem so distracted. Are you worried about something? Perhaps someone reprimanded you because we’ve allowed you to listen to the lectures here?”
“No, that’s not it. Really, thank you so much,” she said evasively.
“Well, then”—he opened his hands—“let me know if I can help you in any way.”
“I will,” she promised. She bade him farewell and hurried out. She was relieved to see Dr. Auerbach sitting on the low wall where they had spoken earlier. She waved and walked over to him.
He stood. “God be with you, Madlen.”
“God be with you, Doctor. I’m happy to see you.”
He seemed surprised. “Really?”
“Yes. Why are you so shocked?”
“Well, I figured you would greet me a bit more reluctantly. I thought you’d tell me that after thinking about it, you must regretfully reject my proposal.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Yesterday, I went to the sheriff’s office and outlined the proposal we’d discussed. He suggested that your heart was no doubt in the right place but that you’d have to be out of your mind to help us.”
“Well, I hope I won’t disappoint you and the sheriff too much by informing you that your assessment is utterly mistaken.”
“Really? Does that mean you’ll speak with the woman?”
“With her and all the others who are in the same position.”
“Madlen, that is fantastic!” He grasped her hands. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“When can we see this woman?”
The doctor thought about it. “I would like for us to speak to the sheriff. What do you think? Would it be possible for you to come to the sheriff’s office this afternoon? Then we’ll be able to discuss things without anyone else getting wind of it.”
“Yes, that suits me very well. In that case, let me hurry back so that my children can have a little time with their mother.”
“Madlen, you are a remarkable woman!”
“I just hope I can help.”
“Of that I’m quite sure. I’ll accompany you to your accommodations.”
“I can find my way alone. Thank you anyway.”
“Yes.” He smiled. “Indeed, a woman like you requires no escort.”
She returned his warm smile. Then she hurried to the Golden Rooster.
Agathe and Elsbeth had just returned from the market with the children, who enthusiastically described all the things they had seen and experienced. Madlen listened cheerfully, squeezing in a question here and there. But her attention wasn’t fully with them. She’d been excited about the prospect of helping the sheriff and the doctor, but she was starting to feel nervous about meeting the woman so soon. She felt insecure. Would she actually be able to help? Did she have the necessary skills? Would simply being a woman who had suffered grave injustices be enough? Madlen pushed her doubts aside. This habitual brooding wasn’t healthy.
“. . . and then the lady told me she was going to give me an apple because I had such beautiful eyes and that my hair would grow again very soon. I had so much fun.” Cecilia beamed at her mother.
“That’s wonderful, little one.”
“First you must eat something,” Elsbeth urged her, after Madlen explained she’d be leaving again soon to accompany the sheriff to the abused woman’s home. “You’ve been walking here and there the whole day.”
“I’m not hungry, but thanks anyway.”
“Are you all right?” her mother-in-law asked.
“Of course. I learned a lot today, and it seems the lecture had a lasting effect on me,” Madlen fibbed.
“This makes you really happy, doesn’t it?”
Madlen nodded. “I have to go. Would it be too much to ask you to watch the children again? I’d rather not take them with me to this meeting.”
“You’re always doing things without us,” Veit complained.
“I’ll be back very soon,” Madlen said, trying to pacify him.
“Where are you going, Mother?” Cecilia asked.
“I’m going to see a woman who needs my help.”
“And it’s really not going to take long?” Cecilia asked.
“Not long at all. I promise.”
“It’s all right by me as long as you stay with us afterward,” Cecilia said.
“Yes, sweetheart. Then I’ll stay with you.” She hugged her children, though she was unable to rid herself of her guilt about leaving them.
“Where is Peter?” Madlen asked.
Elsbeth kneaded her hands nervously. “He hasn’t come back yet.” She tried to smile. “He’ll surely return any moment now. You go ahead and help those women. Agathe and I will take care of everything here.”
“Is everything all right between you and Peter?”
“Of course,” Elsbeth answered a little too quickly.
Agathe touched Madlen’s shoulder. “Elsbeth is right. Go now. We’ll stay here.”
“All right.” Madlen kissed her children good-bye and got underway. Something didn’t feel quite right, and that uneasy feeling remained as she headed toward the sheriff’s office.
A deputy announced her arrival, and immediately the sheriff ordered him to bring her in. Once she was inside, he stood and greeted her warmly. “Madlen, I can’t begin to tell you how pleased I am to see you. Please come in and take a seat.”
She took a deep breath, straightened her spine, and smiled. “God bless you, Sheriff.”
Dr. Auerbach was already there. He rose from his seat and greeted Madlen with a bow. “Thank you for coming, Madlen.”
She sat down, and the sheriff and the doctor reoccupied their places.
“The doctor and I have been speaking about the women whose lives we fear for the most,” the sheriff said. “I can’t tell you how thankful we are for your support.”
“I’m delighted to help. But I can’t promise that I’ll be able to convince them.” Madlen looked from the sheriff to the doctor. “Tell me, aren’t you afraid that it will only make matters worse for these women, once they report their husbands’ misdeeds?”
“We’ve already talked about that,” the sheriff answered. “That’s why we want to have six specially selected members of the council present when the abuser is informed of his wife’s report. After that, if he touches a hair on his wife’s h
ead, the husband will be arrested and incarcerated, whether he’s hurt her or she claims to have accidentally hurt herself. Besides”—he raised his eyebrows—“I wouldn’t believe the latter anyway. This is how we will stop the abusers from here on out. In Heidelberg, we will enforce the laws as set forth in the Saxon Mirror, and these men can’t do anything about it.”
“And what about helping the women find a place where they are safe from their husbands?”
“That would be difficult. Husbands have the right to determine where their wives reside. That’s the law. But I have decided to introduce a decree that will mandate, in such cases, that the wife’s custody will transfer to me or to Klaus, the prior of the Augustinian monastery.”
Madlen sighed. “I fear even that measure wouldn’t stop these men from taking revenge on their wives.”
“That’s why we must impose harsh penalties, in the hopes that we can make a potential abuser think twice before raising his hand against his wife. Even though other cities in our land might overlook these abuses, I won’t tolerate them here in Heidelberg. The Saxon Mirror is unambiguous, and I will act accordingly.”
“It’s insane that we have to go to such extremes to protect these women,” Madlen said.
“That’s true. I’m sure it reminds you of Matthias Trauenstein,” the sheriff stated. “At first he only slapped”—he stressed the last word contemptuously—“his poor wife around. Just a slap or two, then three or four more, then he started punching her with his fists. He always found a reason to abuse her, whether it was a bad business day or he just wanted to make sure she knew who was boss. Then the violence escalated to brutal rapes, more beatings, further atrocities. That swine actually enjoyed what he did to her, and nobody intervened. Until at last, he killed his unborn baby and later his wife. Then he murdered the maid so that he could blame the whole thing on you. Men like him won’t quit their abusive behaviors if nobody stops them.”
“That’s the very reason we have to do something,” the old doctor confirmed. “If we don’t do it, nobody else will. And I don’t want to see any more wounds for which I can only offer superficial treatment. I can’t bear to hear any more bald-faced lies about accidental falls down the stairs. What’s worse is when these women refuse to talk at all.”
“Who will I be speaking to?” Madlen asked.
“Trude von Fahrenholz and Magdalena Grossherr,” the sheriff answered. “Their situations are so bad that there’s a very real danger they won’t survive the next few months.”
“Each time I see them, their injuries are more severe than the time before,” the doctor said. “With their bodies in such a weakened state, they won’t be able to take much more.” The doctor shook his head. “Even scoundrels who are made to confess under torture are treated better than these women.”
“When are we going to see them?”
“Today,” the sheriff responded. “If we want to help them, we don’t have any time to lose.”
“I’m ready,” Madlen declared.
The sheriff nodded. When he got up, Madlen and the doctor did, too. “I’ll come along,” the doctor said. “The women know and trust me.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” the sheriff said. “If your involvement becomes known, these honorable gentlemen will undoubtedly stop sending for you, even if their wives are badly injured. It’s my job as sheriff to investigate violations of the laws of our city. And Madlen has nothing to fear because she’ll be going back to Cologne soon. Since Madlen and her husband are such notable citizens, they will come to no harm.”
The doctor deliberated for a moment then nodded. “You’re probably right. Can I wait here until you return so I can find out what occurred?”
“Certainly. I’ll let you know.”
“I will do my best,” Madlen assured the doctor.
“I have no doubt about that,” he answered. He pensively watched Madlen and the sheriff as they left the office.
Chapter Twenty
“Where am I?” Johannes tried to lift his head, which felt as though it were made of lead.
“In a room in the archbishop’s palace, my lord.” Linhardt appeared at his bedside.
“What happened?”
Linhardt shrugged. “We were hoping to find that out from you. I’m not supposed to speak to you, and I’ve been ordered to report when you wake up.”
“You’re not allowed to speak to me and have to report when I wake up,” Johannes repeated in astonishment. “Why?”
“I . . . I’m really not allowed to say any more. Please, forgive me. And don’t leave this room. There are two guards standing outside the door. And also out there”—he pointed to the crown glass window—“so I wouldn’t try it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s about the murder, my lord.” He didn’t elaborate but went right to the door and hurriedly left the room.
Johannes was utterly confused. The last thing he remembered was being with Wentzel in an alleyway near his house. They were on their way to find the fellow who had killed Duretta’s impostor. But then what happened? He couldn’t remember.
In a few minutes, Linhardt returned, accompanied by the vicar general.
“You’re awake! Thank God!” The vicar general raised his hands toward the heavens in gratitude. “Now you can finally explain what happened. What’s been claimed is sheer madness,” he said indignantly.
The vicar general came over and sat down on the edge of the bed as if he were a trusted confidant. “I’m on your side, Counselor. Don’t worry. We’ll get this all cleared up.”
“Forgive me, Monsignor, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You haven’t told him?” He turned around and scowled at Linhardt.
The guard shrugged and raised his hands. “I was forbidden to do so, as you know.”
The vicar general waved him off dismissively. “Oh, let the sheriff of Cologne talk. The attorney is in the service of the archbishop; he possesses his trust and full authority. And we are here in the archbishop’s palace.” He turned to Johannes again. “You’ve been accused of murdering that fellow you were with. But that’s out of the question, complete nonsense. So, stay calm.”
“Wentzel is dead?”
“If that’s his name.”
“Yes, his name is Wentzel. How was he killed?”
“With a knife. First he was stabbed in the stomach, and then his throat was cut from ear to ear.” The vicar general shook his head. “Barbaric. I never believed for a moment that it was you.”
“Why would I have anything to do with it? I got hit on the head and don’t know what happened after that.”
“Well, there is a witness. And to hear it from him, it was exactly the other way around. He claims to have observed the crime and says that it was you who knocked the poor man down in order to help the man who wielded the dagger.”
“I demand to speak to this so-called witness immediately,” Johannes hissed. “If he maintains such a thing, it’s because he himself committed the crime. I didn’t stab anybody with a knife. Why would I? Wentzel was an important witness for me.”
“A witness to what?” the vicar general asked.
“He knows who killed the woman.”
“Which one? Bernhard von Harvehorst’s housekeeper?”
“No, the other one. The one who pretended to be her.” Johannes noticed the confused expression on the vicar general’s face. “It’s a long story.”
“Be that as it may,” the vicar general said, “you should be aware of the following: the sheriff wanted to take you to jail, but we knew that we had to prevent that.” He nodded to Linhardt. Johannes understood that he probably went to a lot of trouble to keep him at the palace instead. The guard returned the clergyman’s nod.
“It’s of the utmost importance that we prevent you from being taken away from the palace,” the vicar general continued. “You have the full authority of the archbishop; therefore, you have preeminent rights.
But I’m afraid that beyond these walls, there isn’t much we can do for you. That’s why I immediately sent for the doctor when Linhardt reported that you were awake. He will certify that you are not in any condition to be brought to the dungeon. They will honor the doctor’s recommendations.”
“I understand,” Johannes said.
“I’ve sent out our people. They’ll try to find more witnesses.”
“This is insane!” Johannes yelled. “What reason would I have to kill Wentzel? I needed him alive.”
“The sheriff insists all the same. He believes there is a conspiracy because, from the start, the palace, the office of the archbishop, tried to keep him out of the investigation into Bartholomäus’s and Bernhard von Harvehorst’s deaths.”
“I believe there’s a conspiracy, too,” Johannes murmured. “But not one involving the sheriff.”
The vicar general didn’t know what to do with this remark, so he simply continued with his explanation. “The sheriff didn’t take it too well when the archbishop appointed you to the investigation instead of him. It damaged his reputation in Cologne. He’s having a field day now that he has a reason to cause you trouble.”
“I have no desire to be pulled into this power play,” Johannes said. “This so-called witness, the one you mentioned earlier—who is this man?”
The vicar general shrugged. “Unfortunately, I really don’t know. The sheriff said that he didn’t want to disclose his identity so as not to put him in danger.”
“The man is delusional!”
“Possibly, but that doesn’t change the facts. As long as the archbishop is out of the country, the sheriff doesn’t trust me to have an unbiased view of you. He wants to get an audience with the king so that he can request a trial.”
“He wants to curtail the archbishop’s power?”
“Better to curtail his power than to be his employee.” He leaned forward again. “I can’t trust anybody anymore. There are two guards out there—the sheriff’s men, not the palace’s. Linhardt insisted on staying with you here, inside the palace.” He sat down again, speaking loudly enough so that Linhardt could hear him clearly. “For which he deserves my undying gratitude.” Then he continued in a whisper, “My suspicion is that something more sinister is afoot. It seems as though the leading city officials under our imperial rulers want to wrest away the archbishop’s power, or at least curtail it. There is a conspiracy brewing, but it’s not to the palace’s benefit.”
