TS 2 Part VI Chapter 22

Chapter 22

May 17^th, 2012

Zurich

Friederich looked at the young Serb standing in front of his desk in awe. “Do you affirm that Guntram is here?” he asked very slowly, still unable to believe the news.

“Yes, he arrived this morning but you must keep the secret. He's convinced that somebody in the house has targeted the princes. We need to search the castle thoroughly. I have the Duke's permission,” Mirko said with a firm voice.

“That's impossible! People work with us since several years! We have checked them all,” Friederich protested. “I vouch for these people.”

“Please, Mr. Elsässer. Do not interfere now. Where is the butler?”

“Dieter? He's in Zurich with the cook. They went to visit a wine merchant.”

“Good, we start with their rooms. Ask all the servants to stay in the guards hall. They should remain there. You also, Mr. Elsässer.”

“This is impossible!” he shouted. “What about Mr. Guttenberg Sachsen? He's writing in his room. He was the last who joined us...”

“I'll take him downstairs myself,” Ratko growled and left the group of five men standing in the old man's office.

* * *

Without any kind of ceremonies, Ratko literally dragged Eberhard to the cellar without giving him any kind of explanations.

“I'll complain to the Duke!” the young man shouted as he was shoved in a separate room from the other servants. “This is an insult! If someone stole the silver, then you should call the police!” he yelled but Ratko only slammed the door on his face.

“Asshole,” he mumbled and sat on the thonet chair. “I'm resigning tonight. I had enough of this.”

* * *

“Anything?” Mirko asked one of his men, still busy turning the young teacher's bedroom upside down as other man was looking into his small computer.

“Nothing sir. This is all clean.”

“Mirko,” a voice called him from outside. “You should check this.”

The young Serb left the room and met Fedérico in the hallway. The Argentinean bore a serious expression in his face and held a small white vial between his gloved fingers.

“Bach Flowers essences?” Mirko asked astonished when he read the bottle's tag.

“Not really. Smell it,” Fedérico replied, uncorking the vial and almost pressing it to the man's nose.

“It... reminds me of something. Like almonds.”

“Bitter almonds would you say?”

“It could be the medication's flavour.”

“These things are odourless and tasteless. Just water from the tap and a few magical words over it. It's a placebo,” Fedérico smirked. “This is something else.”

“I think these concoctions really smell,” Mirko retorted.

“Do I have to spell it out for you? This is arsenic trioxide and it was in the nanny's room. Well hidden.”

“Maybe she doesn't want the children to play with it. This woman has been here since 2007,” Mirko protested. “I know her. If someone is guilty, is the teacher. He's the last who came here, well after Guntram was kidnapped.”

“Was she hired when the boys were so nasty that nobody wanted the job until Guntram returned? We have our moll, now.”

“We'll take it to the lab. How can you tell it? You're not a pharmacist!”

“No! Why wasting money and time? She should drink it. If it's only astrological flowers, nothing happens and we continue to search. If I'm right, we save a bullet.”

“Sometimes, you're scarier than Goran,” Mirko mumbled but took the vial in his hands. “Usual place?”

“Of course.”

* * *

“You are a crazy Serb!” Eberhard shouted to Ratko when he opened his bedroom's door and saw the debris. “I swear that if you messed with my papers, you're dead! My clothes and books all over the place!”

“The room is a bit in disorder, but you won't notice the difference. Reminds me to my eldest son's lair,” he answered with a snarl.

“You are going to help me to put all my things back in its place!” the teacher roared but Ratko was already walking away.

“I can't bend my back. I have an ulcer,” he shouted from the distance.

* * *

“Where is Mrs. Mayers, Mr. Elsässer?” Mirko asked very politely to a still fuming with the “house assault” Friederich.

“She left when you all arrived.”

“Did you let her go?”

“She had an appointment with her doctor! She informed me about it a week ago!” Friederich protested. “Have you finished playing James Bond? May I send the people back to their duties? If they still want to work here, that is.”

“Where's the doctor's office?”Fedérico asked, unimpressed by the old man's belligerent attitude.

“In the Altstadt, if I see correctly.”

“This woman is fired from now onward,” Fedérico stated and Friederich huffed in disbelief at the man's audacity of giving orders to him. “How did you hire her?”

“Through an employment agency recommended by the one I normally use. After the previous nanny resigned, not even after one week, they ran out of candidates for us. Mrs. Meyers had very good credentials and I checked them all.”

“A very good cover, that's all.”

“Mr. Martiarena, you will not tell me how to run this house,” Friederich started to energetically protest but a plastic bag containing a vial inside it dangled in front of his eyes. “What is this?”

“Arsenic... but we didn't find the old lace,” Fedérico sneered. “Get some samples of the children's hairs and give them to their doctor. Have they been suffering from the stomach in the past days?”

“We still don't know...” Mirko began to say but he shut up when Fedérico's gaze fulminated him. “Take them from their brushes, Mr. Elsässer but say nothing to them or their teacher. We will speak with the Duke.”

“How can you make such an accusation?” Friederich began to ask but the next words died on his lips as he remembered both boys had been sick the past week and the doctor had ruled it out as a virus.

“Think the worst of the world and you'll get it right,” Fedérico said simply. “Just as a precaution, this woman should stay away from them. Was the teacher also sick in the stomach?”

“A couple of days ago, but he said it was something he ate.”

“It's logical to assume he also got part of this. He eats with the boys, right?”

“Yes, he does,” Friederich muttered and had to grab the wall to remain standing. “The cook takes great care with their food, but Mrs. Meyers occasionally takes the tray to them.”

“Our people will analyse the this bottle's contents, but in the meantime, don't let anyone eat anything of what is in the house. Buy everything new but don't throw away the old food.”

Friederich waited for the men to leave his office before he sat in his armchair and covered his face with his hands. 'Poor animal, maybe this explains why she passed away from one day to the next. The boys are always feeding her under the table and Guntram loved that dog.'

He picked up the phone and made an urgent appointment with the paediatrician for that same afternoon.

* * *

“Should we not speak with her first?” Mirko asked. “What if we got it wrong?”

“If I would have sat on my ass to wait for a judge to sign the order to tap a phone, the Russians would have already smuggled nuclear warheads through our border since long time ago.”

“This is jumping to conclusions, Fefo.”

“I have a hunch and did I ever miss one? I know my trade.”

“Never, but this could be serious. This woman is not a reckless Komtur or a guerilla.”

“No, this is old KGB or Stasi, if she's really German. We can smell each other.”

“How can you say that?”

“There was nothing personal in that room. The teacher had photos of his family, letters of friends, photos of his boyfriend, books but she had nothing at all.”

“Maybe she has no family.”

“Mirko, if you're going to be difficult, go home, will you? The children had been sick in the past weeks, since Guntram escaped Repin. It's logical to think she has been slowly poisoning them. Arsenic is undetectable in an autopsy unless you're specifically looking for it. The dog died six days ago and the boys were always feeding it.”

“I still have a bad feeling.”

“She should drink it. If we are wrong, we apologise and she gets a generous bonus from the Duke,” Fedérico said with a shrug. “No harm done.”

“The Duke will want to speak with her and Goran also,” Mirko said. “We can't make her drink it!”

“She's not at the doctor's, Mirko. She saw all of us and ran away. I doubt we will ever catch her,” Fedérico said very frustrated. “Repin is always two steps ahead of us. Ask Goran for orders.”

* * *

Goran sighed very tired when his smartphone rang. Watching how Guntram was feeding his son with a purée made of boiled potatoes, chicken, carrots and peas, had been a test for his nerves. He had refused to let Nicoletta feed the child and he had tried the food first. 'We can add paranoia to the symptoms. Does he think we have drugged it?'

He heard to Mirko's story and only said in Serbian, “get her and take her to where you know. Wait for me. Said nothing to the Griffin till we have the medical results,” and switched it off.

'The Duke is going to kill us all. Guntram was right all the time. He's not crazy. How can we be so blind? The crazy Argentinean is much better than we all think.'

“Guntram, after the doctor sees you, I have to go out for a few hours. Can you stay here with the baby?” he asked with a gentle tone as he sat next to Konrad to pet his blond head.

“What happened?” Guntram asked with his voice loaded with fear.

“Nothing, it's just routine. Don't worry about the boys. They're fine and Friederich is with them now. You will see them soon.”

“Did you find out who's working for Constantin?”

“Not yet, but we are close. The children are perfectly fine and well protected.”

“Are you sure? Constantin was always so sure that he could kill them within minutes if I was nasty to him.”

“He was only bluffing, Guntram,” Goran lied convincingly. “Tonight the Duke will arrive from London and you can go home with him.”

“I don't want to go to the castle,” Guntram said evenly. “I'm not the same person. What if I hurt the boys like I when almost killed my son? What if Constantin finds out that I'm there?”

“Little brother, trust in me. I will not let that anything happens to you or my godson.”