Re was thoughtful, sudden possibilities springing up in his mind. He remembered overhearing their conversation the earlier evening, while they were approaching the bench.
‘Thank you for sharing this,’ Re nodded to Joanna. ‘The information could prove useful in finding out who invited you to the Schloss and why.’
He turned to Perth and fixed him with his brown gaze. ‘Don’t you want to explain your connection to the fire here?’
Perth was visibly startled. ‘How—?’ he spluttered.
‘Never mind that. The apron is suggestive of something connected to the Schloss, right?’ Re guessed, shrewdly.
Perth was silent for a long time. Re glanced from Joanna’s open, friendly face to Perth’s downcast eyes. Myriad expressions crossed his face.
‘Ok, well, all right!’ the hotel guest shrugged. ‘My grandmother was a member of the kitchen staff at the Meierhof. At that time, the building was used more like a stable, where horses and pigs were kept. Apparently, she fell madly in love with someone, and when it wasn’t reciprocated, in a fit of fury, she set fire to the Meierhof.’
‘That’s interesting. So you two figured there were reasons behind why you were gifted this holiday, and the reasons were this flute and apron, right?’
Joanna nodded, glancing at her friend.
‘But why did you want to get rid of them?’
‘Because we know about the Archbishop’s heart being stolen,’ she replied in a small voice. ‘We overheard Dan and Officer Weiss speaking and we began to feel that something wasn’t right here. And that we’d got entangled in something for no fault of ours.’
‘Because you deduced that the flute and apron could be seen as some sort of evidence that you were involved?’
‘Yes,’ Perth replied.
‘But what made you think that the theft of the heart was connected with your stay here?’
‘Just a feeling. It’s strange isn’t it? Two strangers, connected to the Schloss in weird ways, invited to be here at the same time that the heart is stolen,’ Joanna said.
‘Isn’t there a possibility that our past would make us prime suspects in this case?’ Perth asked.
Re nodded. ‘Anything is possible. But the wise thing to do would’ve been to hand these articles over to Officer Weiss in the first place, to make his investigation easier. I’ll do the needful now, if you don’t mind. Anyway, I think you should both go to bed now. And do not utter a word about the stolen heart to a soul. Less said about it the better.’
‘Thank you, we’ll keep that in mind,’ Joanna replied. Re watched as the couple headed back to the Meierhof. His mind was like fertile soil, richly seeded, waiting to sprout thoughts.
***
Stefan sucked in his breath, his heart plummetting to the pit of his stomach. The rain splattered all around the Schloss garden, the lawn slippery and under water. Two of his men stepped out of the pond, hauling the body over the edge. The Hercules statue towered behind them, a large looming shadow with features invisible in the darkness. Two others held large open umbrellas, and flashlights to light up their way.
‘Good job, boys! Be careful, this part of the pond is virtually untouched,’ Stefan cautioned, trying to keep his emotions in check.
In reality, he felt a icy hand clutch his insides. If he was right, then the worst nightmare had begun.
‘It’s the dogs. They sniffed it out. Which was really lucky, because this pond is much further away from the Schloss, kind of hidden behind these tall trees, and the body had slid behind the Hercules statue,’ Kurt reported, his voice raised over the din of the rain.
‘Turn him around,’ Stefan said.
He shone the flashlight on the body as they rolled it on its back. Stefan gasped. The face was an ugly mass of mutilated skin and bones. Someone had done a thorough job on him and some hours in the water had done the rest. His stomach churned and he felt nausea rise. Quickly, he turned away. As always, he experienced a spontaneous stab of sympathy for the dead man. Just as quickly, he tamped it down. Over the years, he had taught himself to be detached. To not let his day-to-day interactions with the dreadful reality of criminal life seep into his civilian life, and take permanent hold on his conscience. If he had to retain sanity, he had to be heartless!
‘Check the pockets for any kind of identification,’ he ordered.
Kurt ran his gloved hands over the muddy T-shirt and the jeans which seemed to have sunk into the bloated body. His fingers touched a thickened outline in the body’s backpocket. With great difficulty, Kurt extracted a thin wallet and handed it over to his senior.
The leather wallet was dripping and totally ruined. For the wildest of seconds, Stefan had an uncharacteristic urge to throw the wallet away, deep into the pond. Without ever opening it. Without ever knowing the identity of the dead man. If only he could! If only he really could live in ignorance, protecting himself from the truth. But he couldn’t! He had to face it, as always.
Stefan flicked open the wallet and stared at the photo of the man. For what seemed like eons, the world swam before him and hot waves lapped at his body. Finally, struggling to appear composed and normal, he turned to Kurt.
‘We’ll have to take him for post-mortem. And listen, send another patrol here in an hour. The first dignitary arrives at six and I want one last screening of the premises before that. Nothing should go wrong.’
‘Yes, sir!’
Stefan turned away, brushing away the moisture from his eyes. He had no clue whether the sudden tears were for the man lying on the wet ground, or for a love which seemed to disappear like a mirage.
Chapter 2
Sleep seemed to be a distant hope, and Re recognized the restlessness within him. He paced up and down in the cool night air, with the rain now falling softly and silently, and then walked back to the bench by the lake. A low rumble in the sky heralded the arrival of more rain and he marvelled at the way the weather had changed suddenly. He glanced at this watch, through his misted glasses. It was almost 4 in the morning, when the world was supposed to be cuddled in the warm confines of a bed. And here he was, keying up for action. The dark sky loomed overhead and the Schloss was a pale magenta structure against a black backdrop. Re sensed something—like something was on the verge of happening. Something wildly dangerous, careering on the divide between imagination and reality. But hadn’t it happened already? The heart had been stolen and two pillars of Salzburg had been targeted, injuring several people and wreaking havoc. What could be worse than this? He reasoned with himself. They had already solved five clues on the Trail, but Re still felt no closer to understanding what exactly was afoot here. Why were they being led on a long-ago treasure-hunt. What was at the end of it? Why were Perth and Joanna invited to the Schloss? What role did the flute and apron play in this game? Re removed his glasses and wiped the raindrops with his handkerchief. Questions clamoured in his head. He didn’t know the ‘what’ ‘why’ or ‘who’ yet, but he knew that he would soon. Today, to be precise, his gut instinct told him. Because everything hinged on today… and he had to trust his instinct.
A sudden bustle and crunching of feet disturbed the night air. He saw Stefan walking with quick strides and grim determination towards the Meierhof. Something in his countenance, pre-occupied yet brisk and policemanlike, made Re shoot up from his seat and cross over to the entrance of the hotel.
‘Stefan! Still here?’
The officer appeared a little startled. ‘Re! You still awake?’
‘What’s the matter?’ Re sensed the vibrations in the air.
‘Is Isabel asleep?’
‘She went up a while ago. Why?’
Stefan paused, hesitated, then sighed. ‘We’ve found a body. I think it’s Justin’s, but we need her to identify it.’
Re sucked in a quick breath. ‘Can’t it wait till morning?’
‘Afraid not. The morning brings on a host of new duties. All my men are scattered because of the threat to the Pillars and most of them will be here
from dawn…it may be too late by then. I have to get the identification out of the way before that.’
‘Very well. May I come with you?’
Stefan shrugged. ‘I don’t see why not. She may need a friend.’
‘And you are not one right now,’ Re said, pushing back his spectacles to look at him, trying to discover the officer’s stance on matters.
‘No. I cannot be a friend to a person who could possibly be accused of murdering her husband!’
‘Mon Dieu! Take it easy, Stefan,’ Re cautioned, his heart beginning to pound.
‘Easy? None of this is easy. Meeting Isabel, time and again, seeing her as someone else’s wife, finding out that she may be responsible for a terrible crime! Duty clashing with feelings which have weathered all sorts of situations before…this isn’t easy, Re. I know you think that this is some kind of revenge I am taking on her, but I am not. I would protect her with all my heart if I knew for sure that she was innocent.’
‘That’s it, Stefan. Your heart should know that she is innocent. That’s friendship. That’s—’ Re broke off.
‘Love! Say it. It means nothing to me at the moment. Duty calls, duty comes first.’ Stefan’s tone was bitter. ‘I can’t go against the facts which seem to taunt me!’
Re was silent for a moment, picking his next words carefully. ‘You’ve known her all your life. You saw how she risked her life in the cemetery. She’s working hard at the Trail. Doesn’t all this say something to you about her character?’
‘You seem very sure of her innocence without knowing a thing about her…about us,’ Stefan barked. ‘Be careful, man. She can weave magic around you and you’ll get caught in a web you won’t know how to extract yourself from. Don’t fall in love with her!’
Re shook his head, impatiently. ‘Stefan, I am not in love with her although I can’t deny she is extremely attractive. I agree that I don’t know her well at all, like you said. But I do know her well enough to sense what she is capable of and what she isn’t. She isn’t capable of murder. And you, mon ami, are so deeply hurt by Isabel’s hasty actions of the past, that you cannot listen to your inner voice, which will no doubt reiterate exactly what I am saying.’
Stefan stared at Re. In the light of the night lamp, his eyes looked unfathomable. A stubble lined his carved chin. What a good couple they would make, Re thought idly.
‘You may psychologically analyze me all you want, Re, in your free time,’ Stefan said, curtly. ‘Right now, would you like to come with me?’
Re nodded, and mutely followed the officer into the hotel.
***
Isabel opened the door, still fully dressed.
‘Stefan…Re?’ She glanced wide-eyed from one to the other. ‘Is anything the matter?’
‘Isabel, apologies for disturbing you this late,’ Stefan began, in a formal tone. ‘I…we…my men have found someone—’
‘Found someone?’ she broke in instantly, her voice sharp.
‘Yes, in the pond. He’s dead and—’
‘You think it is Justin!’ she concluded for him, a shrill note creeping into her voice.
‘I’m afraid so.’
She stepped back, stunned. A delicate hand sprung to her throat, as myriad emotions played across her face.
‘Why do you think it is Justin?’ she asked, her voice now a whisper.
‘We found a wallet on him and an ID.’
‘No!’ she exclaimed, losing balance.
Re was about to step forward to support her, but Stefan had already moved in. He curled an arm around her.
‘It’s okay, Bessy…breathe…breathe…’
Re stepped back promptly, surprised by the gentle note in the officer’s voice. So, all was not lost yet, he thought, a small, almost invisible smile on his face.
‘Can you come down now?’ Stefan asked softly. ‘It… won’t take…more than a minute.’
Isabel straightened and inhaled deeply. ‘If it’s got to be done, it’s got to be done. Let’s go.’
She walked out of the room, leaving Stefan to shut the door.
They walked through the dark guided by Stefan’s flashlight. The rain had ceased and the dawn seemed to be fast approaching as the sky turned a light grey blue over the dark lake. The life-like deer stood poised as if to spring off at the first hint of danger.
Isabel was quiet. Their shoes crushed the damp twigs and leaves underneath, and splashed through puddles. Stefan stayed close behind Isabel and Re followed them.
As they crossed the park and approached the dense cover of trees near the Hercules Pond, three men detached themselves from the shadows.
‘It’s this way, sir,’ one of them spoke.
The pond was matted with leaves and patches of water gleamed in the background. Hercules appeared like some ghostly apparition rising over the pond.
Re and Isabel approached the covered body that lay under the canopy of a leafy tree. Kurt flicked aside the sheet that covered the body and shone the light on it. Re gasped and Isabel clasped a hand over her mouth, stifling a scream. Tears sprung up in her eyes. For a moment, she stared at the battered man. Then, with a sudden sob, she turned and ran a short distance.
‘Cover the body up, and take it for post-mortem,’ Stefan instructed.
He threw one look at the man lying on the wet ground and hastened after Isabel.
She was weeping silently into her palms and Re stood quietly beside her. Stefan moved to place an arm around her shoulders, waiting for her to regain her composure.
At length she glanced up, teary-eyed.
‘I—I’m sorry—it was just so startling. To see someone so brutally—’
‘I understand,’ Stefan murmured.
‘But he…he is not Justin,’ she ended on a hiccup.
Stefan flashed Re a swift, surprised glance and withdrew his arm from around Isabel’s shoulders, a perplexed expression on his face.
‘Are you sure?’ he asked. He turned Isabel to face him, his eyes narrowed and just the slightest frown between his eyebrows.
‘Positive,’ she replied. ‘He’s too thin to be Justin and although the face is…unrecognizable…it’s not the right shape. And the hands…I know Justin’s well.’
Stefan stared at her. The early light of dawn filtered through the trees, casting his face in harsh shadow. Re couldn’t guess what was going on through the officer’s mind.
‘Isabel, we found this wallet with an ID proof. We only needed your formal identification,’ the officer said.
She took the wallet and glanced at the ID card. For a moment she was silent and Re could sense her hesitation. Finally, she returned the wallet to Stefan.
‘This does belong to him, but that man is not Justin. Thank God!’
Silence reigned for long moments. Re placed a calming hand on Isabel’s shoulder. Stefan fiddled with the wallet, an impassive expression on his face.
‘I guess that’s it then, you may return to the Meierhof.’
‘I’d like to go home now. To the B&B,’ she said, her voice a little defiant.
‘Well then, I’ll ask our car to drop you off—’
‘Don’t worry. I’ll take her,’ Re cut in.
Stefan nodded. ‘Isabel, thank you. I know this wasn’t easy. I’m sorry you had to—’ he began, a little awkwardly.
‘It’s okay, Stefan. You did your job,’ she cut him off and turned away.
A pained expression crossed the officer’s face. Isabel broke into a brisk walk but instead of heading to the parking lot, she made her way to the bench by the lake. Re was right beside her as she perched on the edge, gazing out into infinity. A slow grey-pink dawn began embracing the Untersberg.
‘Are you okay?’ Re asked, concerned, as he took his seat beside her.
‘He’s not Justin, you know.’
‘I believe you.’
‘But Stefan did not.’
‘Non. Didn’t you say before that he’s a policeman—it’s his duty to disbelieve?’
‘I di
d, didn’t I? How innocent I was! Until this morning…was it just this morning? I feel like a million years have passed since Justin disappeared, since the heart disappeared.’
‘I know what you mean,’ Re agreed. ‘We are sleepdeprived.’
‘Don’t you find it odd?,’ persisted Isabel. ‘He was wearing the T-shirt I had bought Justin in Vienna. And what was Justin’s wallet doing in that man’s pocket?’
‘Worth thinking about,’ he remarked.
‘Something’s not right, Re. Why would a dead body be given Justin’s identity? And who would do it?’
‘Good questions, that the police need to be addressing,’ he said, quietly.
‘Exactly! Instead, Stefan won’t believe me. Why would I lie about Justin? He’s my husband, a guy I’ve loved for three years. I tried my best to make our marriage work. If it was Justin, I would say it’s him. Why would I deny it? Why won’t he believe me?’
Re knew why, but he dared not voice his opinion. Stefan already had his suspicions about Isabel’s involvement in Justin’s disappearance, but now they would concretize into accusations.
‘You said that he was wearing a T-shirt that you bought in Vienna. Was Justin wearing it when he disappeared?’
‘No.’
‘Was the T-shirt amongst his things at home, after he disappeared?’
Isabel’s eyes widened. ‘Why, yes, of course. I remember spotting it and holding it, feeling sad. But then, how—’
‘Precisely! How and why did the T-shirt appear on the murdered man?’ Re asked, a contemplative glint in his eyes.
‘Mein Gott! Someone is deliberately trying to create the impression that Justin is dead. That someone also stole the T-shirt from the B&B!’
Re nodded. ‘This is getting more and more obvious. But the question is why?
They were both silent for some moments. Grey and white ducks and swans ventured towards the bank, carefully, cautiously, pecking at the water and along the edge at the border of the moss-covered stone ledge, then glided away as gracefully and noiselessly as they appeared. In the distance, the black blotch of the mountain was beginning to take on definitive shape and a heavenly, fluorescent glow.
The Trail of Four Page 18
