Trouble in the alps, p.20
Trouble in the Alps, page 20
Or was it because Dieter wasted too much money playing cards and Margot wanted to keep an eye on him and his spending?
The woman said, “I am needed no more. She is throwing me away like a used handkerchief. Not even an extra month of wages. No, just dismissal as soon as the current book is done. I feel helpless. Desperate.”
“You also stole jewellery in this hotel a few weeks ago. The maid and her boyfriend were accused.”
“They vanished. They aren’t in prison or suffering for what I did.” The woman tried to keep her chin up but her lips were wobbling. “I didn’t hurt anyone. Rich people have so much. Their jewels are well insured. They suffer no loss. And I must have something to provide for myself.”
“My box really does contain nothing but papers – just old postcards and magazine clippings. I want it back. Please?”
The woman eyed her and then leaned down with a sigh to extract something from a bag she carried with her. “Here it is.”
Atalanta accepted it and opened it to let the woman see inside. “There, you see, it is as I said. It holds nothing of monetary value. Just a lifetime of dreams.”
“Dreams,” the woman scoffed. “They are worth but little. They don’t pay bills. I need money. And lots of it.”
“Did Eva find out what you’ve been doing? Did you kill her for it?”
The woman blinked. “Eva? What does she have to do with it?”
“You put something in my cocktail last night. To ensure I slept deeply so you could come into my room with the passkey you had taken earlier. You wanted to go through my things while I slept and steal something valuable. But Theresa drank the cocktail and your plan was thwarted. You were forced to improvise.”
“It was only a harmless sedative.”
“But Eva died of it.”
“No, I never wanted to steal from Eva. She was too shrewd. I was worried she would work it out and… I didn’t put anything into her drink, I swear.”
“I have heard enough.” Tobias Tanner appeared at the door that Atalanta had left open so he could overhear the entire conversation from the outside. He said to Atalanta, “You handled the situation well. I will take her in for questioning. Who knows, if I can get a confession that she killed Eva Reuter, I can release Franco later today.”
“I didn’t kill Eva,” the woman protested. Her face had now turned a deadly pale. “I only put a sleeping draft in the cocktail to steal some jewellery but I never mixed anything in Eva’s drinks. Please believe me. I will give back the jewellery I have taken. I will make up for it as best I can. I will even go to prison for theft if I have to, but not for a murder I did not commit.”
Tanner took her arm. “You are coming with me. We will have a long talk and you will tell me everything.”
“I didn’t kill Eva! I didn’t!” The woman kept protesting her innocence all the way down the corridor.
In the lobby, Margot rose from the sofa and looked at them, perplexed.
“What is the matter? Why are you holding her arm?”
“I am sorry to inform you that your secretary has been stealing from hotel guests. She put sleeping drafts in their drinks so she could do her work undetected. We assume now that she also put something in Eva’s nettle tea to sedate her, but it went wrong and she died.”
Margot stared in horror as Tobias Tanner handed her secretary over to one of his men who cuffed her hands behind her back before taking her away to the funicular.
Dieter Bergreiter appeared with Maurizio Dulce. He saw his wife standing there in shock and disbelief and asked sharply, “What is wrong, Margot?”
“They have just arrested Karin. But surely they must be mistaken? She is no thief or murderer.” She raised a hand to her mouth as she continued in a small voice, “Or is she?”
Dieter put an arm around her shoulders. He looked at Tobias Tanner. “You can tell us all about it on the way down. We are leaving. Goodbye.” The last word was addressed to Maurizio Dulce who also looked quite stunned at the recent developments.
Tobias Tanner raised a hand. “I am sorry to say this, Herr Bergreiter, but under the circumstances I cannot permit you to leave. Not today. I must first speak with the secretary and ascertain the truth.”
“You can let us know what you find out via correspondence. We are not staying here a second longer. This hotel has not been good for my wife. Look at her. She is close to fainting.” Dieter Bergreiter pulled his wife nearer. “We are leaving and whatever the secretary is guilty of, I will support your investigation in any way I can. But we are not staying here because my wife does not feel safe here anymore.”
Tanner said, “If I say you are staying, then you are staying here. The doctor can give your wife a pill to calm her down, but you are not leaving and that is my final word. I will have my men watch the hotel and the cable car. No one is leaving until the matter is resolved to my satisfaction.”
“This is outrageous!” Dieter Bergreiter turned red in the face. He glared at Maurizio Dulce. “Are you allowing this to happen with guests? Important guests, I may add. Well-respected people who do not wish to be associated with crime of any kind.”
Maurizio raised both hands in the air palms up. “I am powerless to do anything when the police have decided that the guests must stay. We must adhere to the inspector’s wishes until we know more.”
“They are not wishes,” Tanner said slowly. “They are commands.”
Maurizio’s eyes flashed at this insult to his authority in his uncle’s hotel but he didn’t respond.
Bergreiter huffed. “I will not tolerate this! I will call my lawyers!”
“You do that,” Tanner said and turned away, leaving with the policeman who had cuffed Karin.
Margot said to Atalanta, “Do you know why this is happening? I can’t make sense of any of it. This morning it was said Theresa was unwell in the reading room and now my secretary is a thief?”
“I am afraid it was a mix-up. Theresa drank a cocktail last night that was meant for me. She was sedated instead of me so your secretary was unable to search my room for valuables. I caught her this morning stealing this.” She held up the box she was still holding. “I am sorry but there is no mistake. She took this from my room. She has also confessed to the jewellery theft that happened earlier, of which the maid Sylvia and her boyfriend were accused.”
“But why? She earned a decent salary.” Dieter Bergreiter looked confused. He was still holding Margot close.
Atalanta kept looking at Margot as she said, “You dismissed her, she claims, at short notice and without an extra month of salary.”
Bergreiter winced. “Is that true? You mentioned nothing of it to me.”
“I was waiting for the right moment to discuss the situation. But with all the events here at the hotel…”
“What situation?”
“I don’t want to continue writing. It has become torture for me. I can’t make up new stories. I am worn out.” Margot burst into tears.
Bergreiter patted her back. “Now, now, calm down. No one is forcing you to write. If you want to stop then you must stop. I didn’t know it was so hard on you. You always seemed to enjoy it so much.”
“I did, before. But the past year…” Margot kept sobbing.
Maurizio Dulce said, “Perhaps a glass of strong liquor will help? Do come into my office.”
Bergreiter supported his wife in that direction. Atalanta was left clutching the ivory box with her papers and sentimental trinkets. Her box of dreams. It had now played an ominous role in the mysterious happenings at the hotel. The secretary had admitted to having put the sleeping draft in the cocktail which meant that Theresa had not been poisoned. She had simply consumed the drink meant for Atalanta. But how did this all relate to Eva’s murder? Or was there no connection at all? Franco could still have killed Eva. Or he was innocent, as he claimed, and the murderer was still free?
Was it Dieter Bergreiter? He had been about to leave the hotel. He might be acting like his concern was all for his wife’s wellbeing, but what if he himself could not wait to get away?
She followed the little group to Maurizio’s office. Dieter Bergreiter had settled Margot in a chair and was feeding her sips from a glass as if she were a little child. Atalanta gestured to Maurizio to come to her in the corridor. She made certain they were not overheard when she asked, “Is it true that Herr Bergreiter plays cards here and often loses?”
Maurizio tilted his head. “That is a private matter, Fräulein Ford. I cannot go into it.”
“But there are so many strange happenings here at the hotel. One must find out how they are all related.”
“Why must one?” Maurizio held her gaze.
“For Raoul’s sake. He is supposed to be enjoying a quiet stay here but there is so much commotion. How can he ever recover this way? And your uncle… He is a decent businessman who just wants to have a quiet hotel here in a beautiful remote spot. He doesn’t deserve to have criminals use his business for their ill-gotten schemes.”
She saw the change in his features for just a flash, a brief glimpse of humour almost. He knew she was playing him. He knew more about her than he let on. He knew that she wasn’t thinking about his uncle as the injured party here, but as … a possible accomplice?
He said, “Your concern for my uncle is commendable, but you need not worry. He has always been able to take care of his own business. He is a man who knows what he wants and usually gets it. No matter who stands in his way.”
That sounded rather ominous.
Maurizio continued, “Herr Tanner has enough suspects to choose from. He can solve the matter whichever way he likes. The hotel has now been rid of a malicious bartender and a thieving secretary. I am sure we will all be very safe.”
He leaned closer to her and said softly, “Isn’t there an English saying that it is better to let sleeping dogs lie? Well, I am certain that after today’s arrest, the dogs will go back to sleep again and we ought to let them enjoy their slumber.”
She wanted to respond but before she was able to, Maurizio continued. “Raoul is doing much better now that you are here, Fräulein Ford. I can see that your company revives him. I would hate to harm his recovery by taking him away from here, but I might be compelled to do so if the peace and quiet of this place doesn’t return. You understand?”
He was threatening to remove Raoul from her influence. And she knew he could. He could take him somewhere she would not be able to find him. For all his improvement, Raoul was still in no condition to escape the Dulces’s clutches on his own. She had to be very careful what she did here, both for Raoul’s sake and her own.
“I am certain,” she said with more calm than she felt, “that Inspector Tanner is more than capable of solving this case to your satisfaction. I just want to enjoy my holiday with Raoul.”
“Then we are agreed.” Maurizio smiled at her, but his eyes were guarded. “I will go back in to see if Frau Bergreiter is feeling better. It seems we must entertain her as a guest a little longer.”
Chapter Nineteen
Later that day, Atalanta was pleased to learn that Theresa was recovering steadily from the sleeping draft that had been administered to her. At least there was no new murder to deal with.
But it was daunting to think that the draft had been intended for Atalanta. It could have been her lying in bed. She felt lucky to be walking about and at the same time she knew she was far from lucky as the case was not solved. The secretary had insisted that she had not killed Eva and Atalanta was inclined to believe her. Her gut feeling told her that the puzzle pieces fit together in a different manner. If only she could understand the connections.
She caught up with Dieter Bergreiter as he was walking through the lobby. “How is Margot?” she asked. “Is she still very upset? It must have come as such a shock to her that her trusted secretary was stealing from people.”
“Yes, she had no idea Karin was capable of anything like that. Margot is too gullible. She always thinks people have her best interests at heart.”
“People like Eva?” Atalanta queried softly. “I had the impression that their friendship was a little … unequal? It was mainly Eva profiting from Margot’s fame.” This was not at all how the relationship had struck her, but she wanted to draw him out and see how he reacted to this suggestion.
Dieter Bergreiter sighed. “Margot will never suspect anyone of having bad intentions. She enjoys meeting new people and spending time with them. I never liked Eva. She always seemed … predatory somehow. Perhaps this was a hasty judgment on my part because I knew she had married a much older man and acquired his fortune but…” He shrugged.
“Eva was also unpleasant to you, wasn’t she? I couldn’t help but notice that there was tension between you.”
Dieter Bergreiter’s eyes became guarded. He said, “Why would you say so?”
Atalanta shrugged. “I can’t really explain it, but … perhaps it was my own feeling that Eva was a little manipulative? She told Margot that she really liked you and it made Margot feel insecure.”
Dieter Bergreiter huffed. “I can assure you, Fräulein Ford, that there was absolutely nothing romantic between Eva Reuter and me. I considered her a leech and I was determined to stay far away from her.”
“Oh, I believe you.” Atalanta did her best to sound convincing. “I wish Margot had been as determined but she was easily fooled by Eva’s charm. She could turn it on whenever she wanted.”
Dieter Bergreiter nodded pensively. “Yes, she could be very friendly. I assume it is only natural that people act a certain way around a celebrity. That’s what Margot is really. People want to get into her good graces and—”
“Into her good graces or into her chequebook? Did you believe that people were taking advantage of her?” Atalanta waited a moment to place the next question. “Her sister?”
“Her sister?” Bergreiter seemed genuinely surprised by the suggestion. “Why would she? Johanna has a successful career as a travel writer. She doesn’t need Margot’s money. Or her approval of her lifestyle.” He grimaced a moment. “Despite their good relationship when they were younger, they grew apart over the years. People always assumed they were very alike because of their almost identical looks, but they were at heart very different. Margot was always quieter, perhaps because of her lung condition. Johanna is the opposite: lively and adventurous. A real risk taker.”
“That means she probably also takes risks with money. Perhaps she is not as well off as you assume and she needs money to sustain her lifestyle? To pay for the travelling?” Atalanta waited a moment and added, “Margot seems very sad that they have become alienated. She pretends the letters are still coming, but … you must know the truth, after you bumped into Johanna at that Christmas party last year.”
Dieter Bergreiter stared at her. “Margot confided in you about that?”
“It has been a very stressful time for everyone here.” Atalanta put her hand on his arm. “You need not worry. I can assure you I will be very discreet about this. Until I came here, I had not heard of your wife or her novels. I have no intention of speaking about what I have learned here and ruining her career. I am just sad for her that the basis for her books, the information her sister provides her with, seems lost. I assume that is also why she wants to stop writing. Not so much because she is worn out but because her source is no longer delivering what she needs.”
Bergreiter sighed. “Margot has been distraught about it for quite some time. In fact…” he fell silent a moment and then continued. “I lied to her about meeting Johanna at that Christmas party. I never met her. But I wanted to give Margot some reason for the alienation, the lack of letters. I wanted her to believe it was because Johanna was drinking again and all that so Margot would not blame herself. It’s hard enough for her that the letters stopped coming and she has to make things up for her books.”
Atalanta nodded. “She was showing people photos with dates scribbled on the back and Eva was able to figure out that these were not accurate because the places depicted had changed since then. You must persuade her to stop. Once people realise and rumours start flying, she could lose her reputation entirely.”
Bergreiter nodded with a serious expression. “I will talk to her about it. But as she has already decided to quit writing, this won’t be a problem anymore. We can do more travelling together. I am actually glad she wants to leave this place. She has been badgering me for so many years to buy it for her and now she is not at all interested in it anymore.”
“The murder must have deterred her. It is not nice to live somewhere with a shadow hanging over it.” Atalanta wondered whether she could address the other matter with him – his spending, the losses in the card games. But Maurizio’s warning had been very clear. She should not poke around, because if she did, he would take Raoul away from her.
Dieter Bergreiter said, “Now that we have to stay here for a few more days, until the matter about the thefts is settled, we might as well make the best of it. I am glad you are such a good friend to my wife, Fräulein Ford. She needs all the support she can get.”
Atalanta felt a twinge of guilt. She had not been honest about her identity or her reasons for asking so many questions. Did she really have Margot’s best interests at heart? Or was she, in a way, just like Eva, acting purely with her own needs in mind? For a commendable reason – to solve the crimes committed here – but still… Would that make a difference to Margot once she discovered that yet another person of her acquaintance had been dishonest?
Atalanta caught sight of Renard making eye contact with her as if he was signalling. She took her leave of Bergreiter, wishing him well in getting Margot over the recent shocks, and met Renard in the dining room. He led her outside so they could be private.
Once they were removed from the hotel in the crisp mountain air, he said, “I have been able to learn a bit more about Margot’s sister. Johanna Laub is a well-known travel writer. She has been published in major magazines on the continent and across the Atlantic. She used to work with an agent in New York to get her assignments but a year ago she suddenly ended the partnership, arguing that she could do better on her own. Since then, things have been going downhill for her. She has been published a few times but in less important magazines and she has not had a new piece out for quite some time now. Her agent admitted that sadly she had always had a weakness for alcohol and he feared she had become so addicted that she is no longer able to deliver quality material. He could not tell me where she is living now or how I might reach her. I did think it could be worthwhile to talk to her, to get more insight into her relationship with Margot.”
