‘Non,’ Re conceded. ‘I came here because I had psychic visions that the Schloss would be in trouble. That it needed me.’
She stared at him incredulously. ‘You mean you saw—?’
Re nodded. ‘I have no clue how or why, but just before something evil or wicked is about to happen to a place I’ve been to, I get this clear vision. Then I have to drop everything I am doing and turn up at the place, waiting for it to happen. I can’t prevent it. I can only hope that eventually I can help stop something. I am a silent witness to what the future holds for that place.
‘And what did you see about the Schloss?’
‘I saw a dark grey cloud slowly descending over the white palace, like a thick mass of smoke. It was surreal—like a scene from a sci-fi film.’
‘Wow!’
‘I know,’ he managed a half-smile. ‘It’s not easy, seeing this vision. It riddles me with guilt and anxiety and leaves me a bundle of nerves.’
‘I can imagine,’ Isabel’s tone was sympathetic.
‘You don’t disbelieve me?’
‘Why should I? Why would you lie?’
‘That’s right. Good question.’
***
Stefan was more than a little anxious. None of the searches had disclosed any traces of anything hazardous. No sign of any danger anywhere at all. He glanced at his watch. It was twelve minutes to noon. Had the threat been a hoax after all? Surely in ten minutes not even an expert would be able to place and trigger a bomb at any of the monuments? So, was someone really pulling a fast one on them all? Was this some stupid game? If it was, he would ensure that the prankster would never show his face in Salzburg again, Stefan thought, thoroughly angry. He would wait for just ten minutes—because he had to. But he was pretty sure that the danger had passed.
He extracted the notes from his desk, the one that Isabel had given him and the one that Keller had brought in a while ago. ‘Help!’ His eyes skimmed to the other note in his hand. The handwriting was the same! Both written by Justin. Help! A single word. But one which was extremely disturbing in its content. It was obvious that Justin had written that note, probably thrown it out of the window in the hope of…hope of what? Stefan shook his head. Why would Justin need help unless, for some strange reason, he couldn’t help himself? What situation could that be, with Isabel in the house?
A cold hand clasped his heart and with a sense of doom, Stefan slumped into his chair. Feeling extremely uneasy and trapped within the walls of his anxious thoughts, he switched on his computer. He needed to think more about the danger to Salzburg. He still felt a little jittery. The danger has passed, he repeated to himself, trying to calm his nerves. Even as he tried to convince himself, his cellphone rang.
‘Sir, I’ve just had some news. A guy has been spotted hanging out at the Mozart house. My informer tells me that the man is carrying a bulging duffel bag and he doesn’t like the look of it.’
Stefan rose at once. ‘I’m going ahead. Gather our team and meet me there in five minutes!’
He glanced at his watch. It was exactly ten minutes to noon.
***
The man glanced up at the open window of the house of Mozart. He adjusted his cap and fixed his sunglasses firmly on his nose. This was the place where Mozart was born and had lived till 1773. The third floor housed his preserved apartment, and the second floor had been converted into a museum. The man in the sunglasses had been up the narrow yellow-walled staircase to the museum several times. The walls displayed detailed information of Mozart’s lineage in a chart for the benefit of awestruck tourists. Then came the rooms which exhibited copies of manuscripts and letters exchanged between Mozart and his family, portraits of membes of his family, and especially one unfinished painting by his brother-in-law of Mozart at the piano. More importantly, the rooms that displayed his instruments, the violin he played in his childhood, and his concert piano. This was a cultural spectacle and a salute to Salzburg’s greatest icon. It was the perfect place to begin!
***
Stefan reversed his car out of the parking lot and sped down Minnesheimstrasse, turning left to the Linzer Bundesstrasse. He mentally calculated the time. It normally took him thirteen minutes to cover the distance of 4.6 kilometres from the headquarters to the Altstadt but today Salzburg seemed to be jammed with tourists. His team would’ve also departed and he hoped against hope that they would reach in time. They were only being led by suspicion as of now, but he couldn’t afford to ignore the faintest lead. If it turned out to be a hoax, it was all too well. But if it wasn’t…he didn’t even care to think of the consequences.
***
The man bent and extracted the machine from his bag. The three-legged beauty with its corresponding fans was the size of a child’s football. Lightweight and extremely handy. For a self-indulgent moment, he admired the make and how cleverly he’d placed the camera. Then he switched on the remote and began maneuvering the machine. The drone rose up in the air and headed straight to the second floor and its open windows.
***
Stefan glanced at his watch. Five minutes to noon. He was almost there. He turned into Imbergstrasse and stopped. Oh no! A tourist bus blocked the road as passengers descended, looking disgruntled and grumbling in Chinese. The bus seemed to have had a breakdown. Stefan didn’t give it a second thought. He normally preferred the Staatsbrucke route but he didn’t have a choice now. He speedily reversed the car and turned into Salzburger Strasse, crossing the Salzach river. He felt breathless. Almost there now…almost there…
***
There were about a dozen people inside Mozart house, peering at the photographs and the exhibits. The atmosphere was sober and reverent. One teenage girl was reading Mozart’s sister’s—Nannerl’s—letter to Mozart. Nannerl’s poignant words begging her brother to come back, and telling him that she missed him, brought tears to the girl’s eyes and she brushed them away hastily.
A sudden throbbing sound intruded into the muted conversation. To everyone’s great amazement, a drone flew in through the window. The uniformed security guard rose at once, shock registering on his face. The drone looked like a big crawly insect and swept widely and confidently into the rooms. The next instant, it released a spray. The smell was strong and of cedar oil, pervading the rooms swiftly.
One of the guests clasped his throat. He lost his balance as his companions gaped. A camera crashed to the floor just as he collapsed to the ground. The teenage girl ran to his assistance, but she never made it. The other group members had barely time to register what was happening when, one by one, the unsuspecting group of men and women began coughing and gasping, struggling to breathe. The drone staged a quick exit, as smoothly and skilfully as it had made an appearance.
The guard struggled to the security bell, barely managing to punch it, before sliding along the wall to the ground. Another uniformed man ran in and stopped short, an incredulous expression on his face. He whipped out a kerchief and held it to his nose. It was a horrifying sight and he gawked aghast at the blood-curdling scene before him. Some people were writhing on the floor, their faces blue, while others wildly clutched at the air to breathe. Instinctively, he ran to his colleague.
‘Eiber, window…’ the barely conscious securityman summoned all his strength to point to the open shutters.
Eiber ran to the window and peered over into the shopping street below. He was just in time to see a man wearing a cap stuffing a drone into his duffel bag and striding away. Eiber turned to the room in helpless, confused horror, just as footsteps clattered in the corridor and Stefan and his team burst into the Mozart house.
Stefan stopped short, his blood freezing. It looked like a scene from a mass massacre. It was exactly noon.
Part II
WATER
Chapter 1
5th October
The ambulance made its way through the crowd and vanished round the bend. Stefan stared after it, still in a daze. The police had cordoned off the Getreidegasse area near the Mo
zart house, pressing back the curious and worried on-lookers. With masks on their faces, the men worked efficiently and emotionlessly. Nothing on their faces showed that they had just dispatched twelve people to the hospital, writhing miserably. It had been a distressing sight, seeing your townsfolk as well your guests in such agony. Some of them, Stefan knew personally. These were harmless, innocent Salzburgers, who had brought their friends and guests along to show off their proud connection to Mozart. And these were the poor, innocent people who had been targeted!
The Mozart house had been shut down till the poisonous air cleared and the staff had been hastened to the hospital. Despite the limited view from the second floor, Eiber had seen and described the culprit as someone with a beard, eyes hidden behind sunglasses and a cap pulled low over his forehead. In short, the description was so banal, that there was nothing distinctive about it. The perfect disguise that would help anyone merge with the public.
Stefan experienced a wave of extreme anger, for his selfperceived inefficiency, and the craftiness of the criminal. He had also now fully realized the extent of the danger to his town.
***
‘Using a drone to enter Mozart’s house!’ Stefan repeated for the third time. ‘And here I was, scouring monuments for deadly bombs.’
Dan, Re and Isabel maintained a silence. It was unspeakable, what had happened. They were sitting in Dan’s office. Stefan had insisted on meeting them all together, and Isabel and Re had left the tree trail and joined them in the Meierhof.
‘But are you sure that this incident is connected with the threat? I mean the Trail?’ Dan asked.
‘Positive. He struck on the dot of twelve, smoothly and without fuss. Cold-bloodedly tried to kill twelve Salzburgers and tourists in the Mozart house. Sprayed poison with the help of a drone,’ Stefan reiterated. ‘But this was the only crime that took place at that time,’
‘We have to understand that the Pillars that Reinhardt indicated are perhaps not the same as the ones threatened today,’ Isabel remarked. ‘These Four Pillars of Salzburg would be as seen in the eyes of the person who has threatened us. And for his own reason, he feels that the Mozart house is the first Pillar. Now it’s up to us to find out why he thinks so. Although it’s not so odd, when you think of it.’
‘What do you mean?’ Stefan asked, turning his full attention to her.
‘Well, it’s self-explanatory. Isn’t Mozart an inseparable part of Salzburg?’
‘He is,’ Stefan agreed.
‘Well then, why can’t his house be the first Pillar?’
‘It can be, but the point is the technique used in targeting the Pillar. Besides, this is a very dangerous guessing game,’ Stefan said bitterly. ‘Today, twelve innocent people almost lost their lives. If help hadn’t arrived in time, they would all be dead by now.’
‘Which is what he wanted,’ Re completed. ‘This guy is serious. The nonchalance and flair with which he carried out his mission says a lot about his cold-bloodedness. He’s an expert who operates with state-of-the-art technology. Eh bien, I believe that we’ve gathered some important things from this incident. The first is that it is apparent this guy hates Salzburg enough to attempt to kill innocent people, and that he will stop at nothing to gain his objective. Or rather, no price is too high for Reinhardt’s “gift”. He wants it at any cost.’
The momentary silence in the office was loaded as the magnitude of the situation re-registered in their minds.
‘But now we have to think of the next Pillar. What could it be? And how would he strike?’ Stefan frowned again. ‘He would obviously not repeat his poisoning technique again.’
‘Assuming that the culprit is indeed following a pattern with the Pillars, what did the first Pillar signify?’ Re asked, looking at Isabel.
‘You mean physically and symbolically?’
Re nodded. ‘Also, in comparison with the original Pillars that we know of.’
‘Cultural significance, music,’ Dan put in. ‘One thing’s for certain: the Pillars are not necessarily religious monuments.’
‘That’s right. So the features we need to consider are:
oldest, with a Mozart or/and Reinhardt connection. But that’s like almost the entire Altstadt!’ Stefan said in wonder. ‘Anyway, I think the prominent one would now be the Mozart Residence. I’ve already placed guards in all the important tourist spots, but I’ll ask my men to keep a special watch on this location.’
‘In the meanwhile, if Re and Isabel can complete the Trail and find the Gift, we’ll be rid of this threat.’ Dan sighed.
‘How’s that going?’ the police officer asked.
‘Isabel and Re have managed to decode two-parts of the trail,’ Dan explained.
‘That’s interesting!’ The officer turned and fixed a curious gaze on Re.
Re quickly explained how they had solved the first two clues, and Stefan listened with keen attention. He glanced at Isabel, an expression of bewilderment on his face. Something is on his mind, Re thought, with a start of surprise. When Stefan looked at Isabel, it almost seemed as if he wanted to continue looking at her and yet the reading on his face was far from friendly. What could the matter be? Re wondered.
‘I think you ought to have a quick bite at the White Room and then head back to the Trail,’ Dan suggested, interrupting Re’s train of thought.
‘Right. And Dan, I think it’s time to interrogate some of the guests from the list you sent me,’ Stefan said.
‘Right now?’
‘Right away. The sooner I get them cleared, the narrower our search will become. I’m convinced that the person who stole the heart has to be either living or working in the Schloss.’
‘What?’ Dan appeared startled.
Isabel threw him a quick, concerned look.
***
The outside of the hotel was stripped of paint and the wooden staircase that led to his room was a drab pink. His actions were quick and focused. He ran up the staircase, the cap still pulled low over his face. The carpet looked faded and tatty and covered with stains. But he didn’t seem to notice any of these things. He inserted the card in the key slot and the door opened with a click. As he stepped in, paper crinkled under his shoe. With a quick start, he bent down and picked up the note, which seemed to have been slipped under the door. The words were concise and clear.
‘I know what you’ve done. Meet me at 7 this evening at the Hercules Pond.’
An expletive burst from his lips. He shut the door with a bang and flung his cap in fury on the single bed, along with the bag carrying the drone.
***
The White Room on the first floor of the Schloss, where the staff usually had their lunch, was already crowded. It was a beautiful bright room, its wide windows overlooking the lake and allowing the sun to envelop the space in a cozy warmth. Pictures in gilded frames hung on the pale walls and a ceiling-high tiled oven occupied a prominent position in a corner. A buffet was laid out by one wall and Re helped himself to the food while Isabel was greeted warmly by the others. After a few minutes of casual responses to eager, concerned enquiries, she excused herself and joined Re with her buffet plate.
‘Feels as if life is almost “normal”,’ she remarked in a low voice, as she glanced out of the window at the lake. ‘I’ve had umpteen meals over the years in this White Room with these colleagues, some of who are close friends. It feels almost as if the numbness is wearing off and reality and routine are beckoning to me.’
‘That sounds positive,’ Re replied, tucking into his pasta.
‘It does, doesn’t it?’ Isabel poured herself some apple juice and took a sip.
‘Extremely promising. Emotions are the precursors to positive action.’
Isabel almost smiled. ‘All kinds of emotions?’
‘Mai oui! Strong emotions are a sure-fire sign that you exist. Once you exist, you live. Once you live, you act, and once you act you overcome restraint and step forward. All emotions are useful.’
‘Hmm…intere
sting!’
‘So go ahead and allow the emotions to co-exist inside you. Without any guilt.’
She glanced at him startled, but before she could respond, someone approached their table.
‘May I join you?’ a pleasant voice asked.
Re glanced up to meet friendly, smiling blue eyes.
‘Hi! I’m Martina. We met in Dan’s office, remember? The artist-in-residence?’
‘Oh hi, yes please, do join us,’ Re indicated the chair beside him.
Martina smiled at Isabel and took the seat.
‘So glad to find you here,’ she said conversationally. ‘How’s it going?’
‘How’s what going?’
‘I know about it. I was the one who made the discovery.’ She lowered her voice. ‘The heart…and the Trail.’
Re flashed Isabel a quick glance.
‘It’s too early to say anything now. But we are making progress,’ he replied vaguely.
‘Oh, so glad to know that. Dan almost panicked. It was a horrible sight. I’ve never seen anything quite so horrendous before, and despite being an empty grave, it felt wrong!’
Re nodded. ‘I know what you mean. By the way, you’ve met Isabel, right?’
‘I’m afraid not.’
‘She’s the Schloss historian and fellowship manager. She was on leave but is now back.’
Isabel nodded with a reserved smile in response to the artist’s bright beam.
‘Oh, I’ve heard so much about you from Dan! What a pleasure to finally meet you! You’ll be interested to know that I’ve been studying the paintings at the Schloss and writing a report on them. It’s so difficult to identify which era they belong to and which one is genuine. But they are amazing works of art. Especially in the Venetian Room and the Marble Hall, don’t you agree?’
‘Totally. The Schloss itself is a work of art, mesmerizing, genuine and with a character entirely its own,’ Isabel concurred.
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