TS 2 Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Guntram de Lisle's Diary

June 3^rd, 2009

As expected Konrad phoned me today at dinner. I was suffering a horrible headache, but he didn't care at all. He was furious because one of Lacroix's lawyers, a woman called Margarette Rosenberg burst into his office and left him (to Monika) a copy of the requested (and granted) restraining order.

“This is how you want to play?” he shouted me. “Very well, we will play hard. I did my best to give you time to meditate but this is unacceptable!”

“Time to meditate? Try took the children away and push me till I break!” I roared. “I'm sick of you! What are you going to do now? Rape me at the Hyatt like you did in 2002? Ah no. I'm the Order's whore now, so all your men can have their fun with me!”

“Guntram you're walking on very thin ice!”

“I have enough of you! You accused me of children misuse without a single proof and hit me several times! I had a pre-infarction because you tried to rape me last July! You violate my intimacy by reading my letters, diary or listening to my talks! I had to buy an encrypted phone to get rid of you!”

“It's for your protection!”

“You used me to kill a man! I hate you and I only want you disappear from my life!”

“You were with that boy again!”

“Yes, I was! So what? I'm a free person; not your lap dog, Lintorff. You cancelled my reservations and forced me to stay here so you can control and spy on me better! This was almost kidnapping! Ah no, kidnapping was in France when I tried to leave you!”

“You will not walk away from me!”

“We will see, Lintorf. Clean the accounts from your trash or I will consign the money to a judge.”

“You are ruining our children's lives with your stupid stubbornness!”

“No, you are the bad father here. You have forbidden me to speak with them!”

“You left my house!”

“And I'm so glad I did! From now on, let the lawyers speak because I have nothing else to say to you.”

“Guntram, I'm warning you. Take the first plane back to Zurich and be home on Saturday the latest. You already know me.”

“Yes, I remember. You bought my flat, the place I was working and fired me and screw up my university papers! Will you call Goran and tell him to kill me or do you have to outsource this contract?”

“Guntram!” He shouted me and I hung up the bloody phone.

I was so nervous and feeling so bad with a chest pain -to the point that breathing was hard for me- that Heindrik had to call the town doctor and he gave me several sedatives and ordered me to stay in bed for as long as I could. I'm furious and only want out of this hell.

I'm afraid because I don't know what he's going to do to me now. When I was nineteen and “first offence”, the punishment was ruining and raping me. When I escaped because I found out the true nature of his business, it was kidnapping and threatening me with poisoning. When someone planted those hideous pictures in my laptop, it was hitting and threatening to torture me to death. Now it will be death as no one leaves or plays with him.

* * *

Unable to sleep, Guntram tossed in his bed, tortured by his anguish of the future and the certainty that he was never going to see his boys again. The fear of Konrad's retaliation didn't let him think and much less make a decision about his life. The only way out was in his eyes to bend to Konrad's will and do his best to survive the few years he had ahead of him.

Nervously he played once more with his mobile phone, unsure and fighting against the knot pressing his throat. He sighed and closed his eyes tiredly. 'Not even the dog I got out,' he thought briefly before he dialled his lawyer's number, wondering if that was not another mistake.

“Good afternoon, Michel. It's Guntram,” he blurted out the words.

“Hello, Guntram. How are you?”

“I don't know. I had a fight with Konrad. Your lawyer notified him of the restraining order.”

“Yes, I know. I preferred to speed up the process as you were 14.000 kilometres away from him. We already had several proofs of his violent character, child,” Lacroix said very gently. “Margarette has a lot of experience with such cases. She's one of the best in her field and is on your side a hundred percent. Women hate abuse more than men and they're like tigresses when it comes to this. She went directly to the judge and we had the incredible luck that we got a woman. He can't approach you less than 500 metres from you. His lawyers appealed but Margarette says that they have no case at all.”

“I have nothing against him! He's furious with me! I never went to the police.”

“We have your medical records, your old laptop with all the malicious software implanted and your old phone. The number was traced and found out to be intervened. Nicholas also testified in your behalf. I have also several talks we had recorded and you say very clearly all what he has done to you. Normally the victims never go to the police until it is too late.

“You have no right to tape our conversations! It was private! Where is your ethics as lawyer?”

“In the freezer when it's a crime what we are speaking about. Besides you were not my client but Nicholas' at the time.” Lacroix said very sternly. “This is for the best Guntram. You agreed to it and signed the papers.”

“Yes, I did and I don't regret it but I don't know what to do. He told me to be back in Zurich in two days.”

“No, you don't go back to Zurich.”

“What am I going to do?”

“You stay in Buenos Aires and return for the trial. Never before. You have to leave that house as soon as possible. Go to a hotel or rent a flat.”

“I don't know, Michel.”

“This is not the time to falter. What did he tell you today?”

“He shouted me but I shouted more. I had to see the doctor afterwards, but it was just the bloody angina, nothing to worry about.”

“Do you see, child? One argument and you need to see a doctor? You can't be in the middle of this. The money in your account was consigned to a judge and Lintorff has 30 days to claim it and explain its origins.”

“Michel!”

“You can't have that money under your name.”

“I don't want to keep the money! I was expecting he would remove it from my accounts on his own. He can do it! I authorized him.”

“Guntram, this is not the first time I deal with Lintorff in Courts. I know his legal team very well. We met for the Bansky case in 2002. There was this poor woman I represented. She was the daughter of a very rich German Jewish banker and he deposited all the artworks he had at Lintorff Privatbank in 1932, just before the Nüremberg laws were passed. The family had to flee the country and all their money was seized by the Nazis. Clara had two brothers and they were sent to concentration camps along with her father. She never knew what became of them. Her mother took her to America but died shortly after they arrived and she was sent to an orphanage. The only thing she had from his family were some photos and nothing else. I met her at an old people's home and swore to get what was rightfully hers. Lintorff didn't want to return the money as he said that she had no proofs of what was inside the safe box or if she was the legal heir to her father. I had to raid his office to sit him to the negotiation table and I got 75 million euros out of him, a good settlement that saved me a ten years process and she was already ninety years old.”

“Why did he pay so much if you had nothing?”

“I had many photos and descriptions of the works and I could have organized a huge media scandal. She sold the box -valued in more than 130 million- and he can open it in 2020 if I remember correctly and keep all what's inside. There is a Leonardo drawing and a portrait by Donatello. Her father was a very known collector. The list was impressive. ”

“Leonardo?”

“Yes, the artists not the turtles,” he chuckled and Guntram joined him and sighed tiredly. “Why don't you come to Brussels? I have a spare room in the flat and my housekeeper will feed you well.”

“You didn't want to have lunch with me and now you invite me to your home?”

“I have a house I use in the summer in Aschaffenburg. You can stay there and Fairuza will find someone to take care of the house. My housekeeper rules my life.”

“I can't do that, but I will like we speak face to face in Brussels when I return to Europe.”

“Leave that house tomorrow morning. It's not safe for you.”

“I can't and Konrad wouldn't hurt me.”

“Guntram,” Lacroix sighed.

“I invited some friends next week.”

“Send them home.”

“I can't, she is the fiancé of a friend of mine and he wants to take her to Sweden to meet his family.”

“Guntram this is serious.”

“All right, I'll fly on Monday to Brussels.”

“Very well. I'll send you the ticket.”

“Konrad is going to be furious with me,” Guntram said, his heart filled with doubts. “Maybe I should speak with him first.”

“NO. This is over. Come to Brussels,” Lacroix said and hung up the phone.

* * *

June 4^th, 2009

The sound of a incoming SMS broke the polite talk over Economics Guntram and Heindrik were having after dinner. The young man excused himself and checked his smartphone to find the data for his flight to Brussels with Air France on Monday at 7:30 p.m. 'Lacroix also pampers me. Business class.'

“Heindrik. I'm afraid you will have to stay with Pilar alone. The house is yours for as long as you want,” Guntram said seriously as he put his phone back in his breast pocket.

“I beg you pardon?” Heindrik asked incredulously.

“I'll take a flight back to Brussels on Monday.”

“What?? Are you nuts?”

“Didn't your boss tell you that there's a restraining order against him? Five hundred metres. Brussels is a bit farer than that.”

“Come again?”

“I asked for a restraining order against Konrad von Lintorff. Clear enough?”

“Restraining order as if he comes close to you the police takes him away?”

“That's the concept, Heindrik.”

“Does he know it?”

“Why do you think I had collapse yesterday?”

“Shit, Dachs! You can't do this!” The man shouted very agitated. “This is impossible! What's going to be next?”

“I don't know. He must be thinking on how to retaliate for the 700 sleeping at a judiciary account.”

“Seven hundred thousand?” Heindrik asked very slowly, laboriously breathing.

“Millions, Heindrik, but they belong to the boys. Not mine and I gave him a fair warning. I'm sick of his ways. Look, you were sent here to baby sit me.”

“Guntram, you are perfectly aware of the security risks your position entails.”

“Entailed, Heindrik. I quitted some weeks ago.”

“What the hell is in Brussels?”

“My lawyer. I'm staying with him for a few days till I find a place. I always wanted to visit Belgium.”

“You are utterly crazy. I will not let you do this!”

“Should I ask the Argentinean police to remove you from this house, Heindrik? This is my property.”

“What? I don't know what you have been taking lately but you are out of your mind! I will speak with his Excellency and he will put you back in your place!” The Swedish roared, hitting the table and knocking over a glass. “Shit,” he mumbled and quickly threw his napkin over the wine to save the wood.

“Speak with the Duke if you want but I'm leaving on Monday and you or any of the men here are just guests. Am I clear?” Guntram said slowly and rose from his chair. “Good night, Heindrik. Tell the boss not to bother to call me.”

The Swedish observed still in shock how the young man left the room and didn't know what to do. 'The Duke will be furious when he hears this but there's no way to hide this from him,' he thought and walked toward the studio to phone Goran. 'How things went so wrong? Guntram was crazy about him!'

* * *

June 6^th, 2009

That Saturday afternoon the mood was no better at the Estancia. Heindrik and Guntram were not speaking to each other and he had refused to speak with the Duke or tell the number of his flight. On top Guntram had ordered him to remove four of his men and threatened with getting the police if he didn't do it. When Guntram descended the stairs -dressed in a dark suit ready to attend the wedding at eight-, Heindrik was already waiting for him, looking more sombre than usual.

Guntram didn't look at him and went directly toward the car waiting for him sitting in the back seat and ignored Heindrik when he sat next to him.

“This is very mature Guntram. Giving me the silent treatment.”

“Now is when you tell me what I have to do be nice to the Duke and that he wants the best for me?”

“You are more stubborn than an old mule, boy.”

“Takes one to know another.”

“You are risking your life with this move!”

“I have enough of threats and they don't work any longer. Try with a 33 next time,” Guntram said dryly and turned his face to watch the lights that could be seen on the highway, preparing himself for a long night of looking fine, saying polite expressions and kissing unknown old aunts trying to match him with graceless distant nieces.

* * *

“Great, you're drunk and tomorrow Pilar comes to the house,” Heindrik mumbled when he saw a dizzy Guntram coming out of the fancy place where the wedding banquet had taken place. “It's not even eleven!”

“I don't feel so well, I'm very tired,” slurred Guntram, almost unable to keep himself standing straight.

“How many glasses of champagne?”

“Just two, mummy,” Guntram mumbled upset as he got inside the van waiting for him. “Soren Larsen counted them,” he added upset while he sat, only wishing to sleep, his head almost hitting the car window, unable to keep it high.

“We go back to the estancia and you go to bed. Learn to party before you go out,” growled the Swedish.

“Always lovable, Heindrik,” Guntram said and closed his eyes to nearly fall asleep on top of his friend who only huffed at the idea of being used as a pillow.

An hour later, they reached the large house and Heindrik had to shake Guntram very strongly to get him awaken. 'Lord, how much did you drink?' He abandoned the idea of making Guntram walk to his bed by himself and grunted at Larsen to help him.

When the other man took Guntram under his shoulders, half dragging him out of the car, Heindrik said “I hope he doesn't get a heart attack. Only two glasses?”

“Plus a cocktail at the beginning, sir.” Larsen explained. “I'll take him to bed now.”

'Guntram certainly needs to go out more. Only that and he's already blacked out,' Heindrik thought but kept a professional face in front of his subordinate. “Very well, Larsen, put him in bed and let him sleep till tomorrow. I'm going to make another check.”

“Very well, sir.” 'Come Guntram, just a little bit and you will be home with people who really cares about you,' the man thought while he took the dazed boy to the stairs, asking the butler to help him.

In the ample bedroom, Soren Larsen asked the man to go for a glass of water and some vitamins to help against the hangover “he's going to have tomorrow. Too much champagne.” Once he was alone, he observed the prone form lying on the bed, his jacket and tie removed and wearing his shirt and trousers. He watched the boy deeply asleep and took out of his jacket a small medical kit containing a syringe and a vial. He locked the door and prepared the injection, dosing it very carefully. “It will make you sleep deeper, Guntram. Nothing to worry about. We will very careful with you. You're very valuable for my employer and he only wants the best for you. A new beginning. You deserve it.”

More delicately than a mother, he injected the substance and sat to wait for the team to assault the house in two hours more. Soren had more than enough time to transfer the old files he had copied from Guntram's old laptop to the new one so the authorities would find them in the morning. 'Time for Lintorff to face reality and pay for all what he did to you.'

End of part IV