A Walk Among the Dead

by Fanning, Fred

  “I need to go to the U.S. Consulate over on Clay Allee to get the visa taken care of.”

  “If they asked too many questions, give them my card.”

  “Thank you, but I have lectured in the U.S. before so I don’t think I will have a hard time. But let me have your card just in case.”

  “Here you go. Good luck. I hope you are able to find something.”

  “I will take a cab over to the consulate. I will call you later.”

  “Leave a message on the answering machine if I am not there.”

  Most fall days in Berlin have gray clouds and moist air. Today was no different so Johann hailed a taxi and asked to be taken to the U.S. Consulate on Clay Allee. Maggie drove back to the police station to speak to the forensic unit. When she got to her office, she found a note in her chair. The note asked her to stop by and talk to another detective. She walked down the hall and knocked on the open door.

  “Hello, Willy you left a note on my chair.”

  “Yes, I have a kidnapping victim that we think was taken from the building where the murder of Hans von Manntoell took place.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The victim is a journalist that was found in an alley behind the Oskar-Helen-Heim Clinic. She had a reporter’s notebook on her and it listed notes on the Hans von Manntoell fire.

  “Are you saying she might be involved?”

  “No, no not at all. I’m just saying that she had some notes that indicate she was investigating the fire.”

  “Did you check that out?”

  “Yes, she had some editors listed in the notebook too. I called them and found one that put her onto the article about the fire.”

  “Can I talk to her?”

  “No, I am afraid not, she has not regained consciousness.”

  “Can you call me when she does?”

  “Sure I’ll give you a call or drop a message in your chair.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Maggie drove to the Oskar-Helen-Heim clinic. She took the stairs to the 4th floor and stopped at the nurses’ station.

  “Hello, I would like to know the status of Inspector Werner Albrecht.”

  “Are you a relative?” The nurse raised an eyebrow at Maggie. Maggie showed her badge to the nurse.

  “Sorry Deputy Inspector, I didn’t recognize you. Let me check his chart for you.” The nurse pulled the chart and quickly thumbed through it.

  “According to his chart, he is stable but in danger. He is responding well to treatment but remains in a drug induced comma to speed the healing.”

  “Is his wife here today?”

  “Yes, she is in his room.”

  “May I show you the way, Deputy Inspector?”

  “No, I remember where his room is, thank you for the help.” Maggie walked down the hall to the room where she found Ute Albrecht. Ute had been at her husband’s side since the shooting.

  “How are you doing Ute?”

  “Maggie, it is good to see you.”

  “I just got an update on Werner.”

  “Maggie, I am so afraid.” Her face was ashen and she wore a deep frown.

  “He is a healthy man I really think he is going to pull through.”

  “Thank you, Maggie. I really needed to hear that.”

  “Do you need anything?”

  “No, I am fine. If you could find the person who did this, it would be great. He will want to know as soon as he wakes up. If you don’t find him, Werner will want to.”

  “Ute you and Werner can count on me. I’ll leave you with him for now.”

  Maggie stopped in the coffee shop of the clinic to call the forensic department. The shop smelled of pork frying on the grill. She was given an update on the Albrecht shooting. She grabbed a hot cup of tea and drove back to the police station.

  In her office, she had a crazy idea to compare Albrecht’s shooting with the Manntoell murders. She got a second blackboard from the office next door and sat down to go through the Albrecht file. Every now and then she stood to write something on the blackboard. After two hours, she sat down and looked at both boards. She went back and forth looking for connections. She didn’t see any obvious connections and leaned back in her chair and fell asleep. She was awakened by a knock on the door. It was Werner’s neighbor, Dr. Wilhelm Braun.

  “Hello, I am Doctor Braun. You asked me to stop by today to answer some questions.”

  “Oh my goodness, I did, didn’t I.”

  “Please, come in Doctor.”

  “Thank you, Inspector.”

  “You live in the house right next door to Werner and Ute Albrecht.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “On the night of the shooting, you responded to calls for help from the street.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Did you hear or see anything unusual leading up to the incident?”

  “No, it seemed like an ordinary day.”

  “When you responded to someone calling for help did you notice anything unusual?”

  “No, I mean except for a person lying on the sidewalk.”

  “Did you notice anything unusual the next day or two after the incident?”

  “Sorry, no.”

  “Do you have anything else you would like to add?”

  “Yes, I have another neighbor that walks about the same time as Werner. I think you should speak to him.”

  “What is his name?”

  “Fischer. His name is Wilhelm Fischer. He lives at Rehkitzsteig 27.”

  “Well, thank you, doctor, it was very kind of you to stop by to answer questions.”

  “You are welcome. We don’t need this sort of thing in our neighborhood.”

  Maggie showed the doctor to the door. She would contact Wilhelm Fischer. She no sooner returned to her office when Chief Inspector Wagner appeared.

  “Just wanted to stop by, Maggie, and let you know that I’ve got the whole forensic team on the Albrecht case for the next 24 hours. I have asked them to double check everything. I hope that a surge like this can get us some new leads.”

  “I really appreciate the extra help.”

  “It is the least we can do for Albrecht.”

  “Can I run something past you, Chief?”

  “Sure, Maggie. What is it?”

  “I have a gut feeling that the Albrecht shooting is related in some way to the Manntoell murders.”

  “Do you have a connection?”

  “No, I guess you could say it’s a gut feeling.”

  “I’m not against gut feelings; however, we need a connection.”

  “As part of this surge will the forensic team compile a list of Albrecht’s old cases?”

  “Yes, that is one of the tasks I gave them. The files may provide you with a list of people from those cases that might want him dead.”

  “I am hoping that a name on that list will give me a connection to the other cases.”

  “I like the way you’re thinking. If we find a connection that way, it would be a great help.”

  “Thanks, Chief. I really appreciate all you’re doing.

  Maggie returned to her chalkboards. She went back through the files, double checking the notes she had on the boards. She was interrupted by the phone ringing.

  “Hello, Deputy Inspector Hoffmann speaking.”

  “Maggie, this is Johann. I got everything I need at the consulate and I have a flight to New York tomorrow.”

  “That sounds great. I hope you are able to get some answers.”

  “I hope so too. I will call you after I meet with the director.”

  “Thank you, Johann. Speak to you then.”

  After a couple more hours’ work, she called it a night. This was the first time in three days she was able to sleep in her bed.

  Maggie thought about her late father. She hoped he would be proud of her. He was a military policeman with the U.S. Army. She wondered what things would be like if he had not been killed in a traffic accident. What a change it was when she
and her mother moved back to Berlin. One thing for sure she remembered he smelled of Old Spice when he would pick her up and hug her.

  She couldn’t help but be concerned with the stress she was now under due to her previous injury. She was shot last year in a raid on an armed drug warehouse. As a result, she had become addicted to pain medication while recovering from the gunshot wound. She was off the pills now, but the experience made her second guess herself a lot more. Eventually, she was able to drift off to sleep.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Johann von Manntoell took a breath as he stood at the door of the Theosophical Society. He pushed the door open and was greeted by the receptionist.

  “Good morning, Sir. May I help you?”

  “Good morning. I have an appointment with Dr. David Alex.”

  “Your name please.”

  “Johann von Manntoell.”

  “Yes, let me see if he is ready for you. Please, have a seat.” The receptionist spoke to Dr. Alex over the phone.

  “Dr. Alex will be right out.”

  “Thank you.”

  As he waited, Johann felt angst over the meeting. He was hoping to get some information to solve his father’s murder, but nothing that further damaged his father’s reputation. Dr. Alex walked into the room and introduced himself to Johann. They both moved back to a small conference room.

  “David, I want to thank you for speaking with me.”

  “It is my pleasure, Johann. I have done some research into the Berlin Society of Theosophy in preparation for our meeting. What I found was that our board, at that time, was aware of the Berlin Society.”

  “So the Berlin Society actually existed.”

  “Yes, it did. We have documents that show the Berlin Society was discussed at several meetings.”

  “That actually answers my first question.”

  “The discussions that occurred here in New York revolved around concerns with the Berlin Society’s close ties with the NAZI Party. Even though the Berlin Society was never part of the international organization, there was thought that any connection would negatively reflect on it.”

  “It sounds as if your people thought the society may have been an arm of the NAZIs.”

  “You could say that. The Berlin Society was involved with the German Ahnerbe to develop a history of the German people that fit the narrative of the Aryan race.”

  “I see, so the whole purpose of the Berlin Society may have been a front.”

  “The documents didn’t say that, but I got that impression.”

  “Did the two societies ever communicate?”

  “No, I did not find that any contact was ever made between the two organizations. The final decision was that the Berlin Society was no threat to the International Society.”

  “Does your Society have anything on the officers of the Berlin Society?”

  “I didn’t find anything that addressed the names or talked about the officers of the society.” Johann was very disappointed with the results of this visit. He had hoped for something and found nothing.

  “Johann, I have this folder for you with copies of all the papers I could find.”

  “That is very kind of you. I have just one more question. Is there another place or organization I could contact that might have more information?”

  “I have thought about that too. The one place that might have something is the National Archives in Washington, DC.”

  “Thank you, that sounds interesting. Well, it has been a pleasure and I want to thank you again for this meeting.”

  Johann ran this information through his head as he rode the elevator down to the ground floor. On the ground floor, he saw a café and took a lunch break to review the documents provided by Dr. Alex. The documents were exactly what David said they were. As he read through them, Johann felt the desperation of not being able to solve this mystery. His life might depend on it.

  Johann thought about the National Archives. He got the phone number of the operator and called to see how to get access. He was surprised to find that access was open and that as long as he had his visa, he would be able to search. He took a taxi to Grand Central Station then caught a train that would get him into DC later that night. He was also able to get a room reservation at a tourist hotel near the archives.

  At Grand Central Station, he grabbed a cup of tea and waited for the train. The station was crowded and hot. Body odor was nearly overpowering, which made the wait that much longer. As the time approached for his train, he used the restroom and purchased a magazine before walking to the platform. He could barely understand the announcement for the train departure over the intercom. He moved to the platform and saw people boarding. He boarded the train and found a vacant seat near the aisle. The train left on time and Johann relaxed as he opened the magazine.

  As he tried to read, he kept wondering about the history of the society and why it was hidden. He pulled his bag back down from the overhead storage rack and removed the file folder. He sat there reading through the papers from Dr. Alex.

  He was struck by something Dr. Alex had said. “The Berlin Society was involved with the German Ahnerbe’s efforts to develop a history of the German people that fit the narrative of the Aryan race.” Was the society merely a front? That could make sense and could explain why money was provided to them to conduct research. If so, was the money actually for research or was it for the officers of the society? That would also explain why the director’s son was appointed when his father passed.

  Before he realized it, the train was near Union Station in Washington. When he got off the train, it was a frigid and cloudless night. The smell of auto exhaust hung in the air. Johann took a taxi to the hotel. Once there, he took a long, hot shower and called Maggie’s office. When the answering machine picked up, he left a short, but informative message. In the morning, Maggie would receive the message and be up-to-date on his progress or lack of progress. Afterward, he went to bed to get a good night’s sleep.

  He awoke early and ate a good breakfast at a restaurant next to his hotel. It was a small little place that smelled of bacon. He went back to his room and gathered up his folder and grabbed paper and pen from the hotel desk. Although it was a cold, brisk morning, he walked the short distance to the National Archives. He waited in line, but it moved quickly. He appreciated the heat when he entered the building. Johann walked into the lobby and up to the help desk where a young girl greeted him with a smile.

  “Good morning, my name is Johann von Manntoell and I would like to review any archive files on the Berlin Society of Theosophy.”

  “Yes, I have a note here that you called. There are desks to your right. At those desks, there are cards for you to fill out with as much information as you know about the topic you are looking for. Once completed, return the card to me here and we will see if we have any records on your topic.”

  “Thank you.”

  He walked to the desk and completed the card. He dropped it off with the archivist and returned to a waiting area. After about an hour, his name was called.

  “Mr. von Manntoell. Please, come to the desk.” He quickly walked to the desk.

  “We have a few documents on your request. Here is a microfiche with information on it. If you go down the hall to room 016, there are microfiche machines for you to use.”

  “Thank you.”

  Johann took the flexible 6x9 microfiche and quickly walked to the room. He had done a lot of research with microfiche at the University for his course work where he would spend hours sitting in front of the machine scrolling through the material.

  He quickly reviewed the files. The documents noted that the Berlin Society of Theosophy was implicated in the work done by the Ahnerbe for the NAZI Party. This was a second confirmation that the society did exist. Also, in the documents were several receipts showing money granted to the organization for research. A final report came from an auditor that believed that the money sent to the group was for fabricated research to meet the Ah
nerbe’s needs. Johann sat there at the desk thinking. He was trying to put the pieces together to complete a story. Unfortunately, he didn’t have all the pieces yet. He returned to the research desk and asked if there was a way he could get copies made.

  “Yes, Mr. von Manntoell. Copies can be made for 10 cents a page.”

  “Wonderful, can I have two copies of each page?”

  “Yes, give me the specific number of each document and we can have them for you shortly.”

  Johann gave the archivist a sheet of paper with the record numbers on it, then returned to the waiting area. After about twenty minutes, his name was called.

  “Mr. von Manntoell, your copies are at the research desk.”

  He walked to the research desk and paid for his copies. He thanked the archivist for her help and proceeded to the door. He made the brisk walk back to the subway station that went to the Washington National Airport. At the airport, he made reservations for a flight to Frankfurt, Germany at 6:00 pm that evening. He then took the subway back to the archives station and walked back to his hotel.

  He had a few hours before his flight and decided to call Maggie. She didn’t answer her phone, but he left a second voice mail with what he had discovered that day. He made a second call to the clinic to check on his aunt.

  “St Marienberg Clinic.”

  “Hello, may I speak to the nurse’s station on the fourth floor, please.”

  “Just a moment please.”

  “Fourth-floor nurses station may I help you?”

  “Hello this is Johann von Manntoell and I was calling to check on my aunt, Käthe Woolwine.”

  “Hello, Herr von Manntoell. There is no change and she appears to be resting comfortably in her coma.”

  “Thank you, I will be there tomorrow to be with her.”

  “I will let her doctor know.”

  “Thank you.”

  Johann rested in his room until it was time to go to the airport. It was still frigid and he was glad to be at the airport, where it was warmer. He cleared customs and had a short wait at the gate. He boarded the flight on time, and after a glass of wine fell fast asleep.

  On the train ride to Helmstedt the next morning, he enjoyed another glass of wine while he thought about his future without his mother and father. He always knew they would both eventually die, but to lose them to murder so close together was a shock. His only hope now was that his aunt would somehow pull through and that the Berlin Police would catch the murderers before they killed him.