Deadly Communion

55

LIEBERMANN AND RHEINHARDT MET mid-morning for coffee and proceeded directly to Frau Vogl’s salon. On entering, they found the vestibule empty. They waited a few moments to be received but no one came to greet them.

‘What do we do now?’ asked Rheinhardt. Liebermann pointed to an electric bell push mounted on the wall and pressed it.

A faint ringing emanated from somewhere within the building.

In due course, the door at the rear of the vestibule opened and a young woman with blonde hair entered. They both recognised her from their visit to Frau Vogl’s house.

‘Inspector,’ said the young woman.

‘Fräulein,’ Rheinhardt responded, bowing.

‘Was Madame expecting you? She didn’t say—’

‘No,’ Rheinhardt cut in. ‘Frau Vogl wasn’t expecting me; however, I would be most grateful if she would spare us a few minutes of her valuable time.’

‘What shall I tell her?’

‘That I wish to speak with her.’

‘In connection with …?’

‘A matter of utmost importance.’

‘Madame is upstairs with the machinists. I’ll let her know that you’re here.’ Then she curtsied and excused herself. The sound of her footsteps — remarkably heavy for a young woman — could be heard as she made her ascent.

Several minutes later the figure of Kristina Vogl appeared in the doorway. She was wearing a blue dress which complemented her eyes and her dark hair had been skilfully arranged in a bouffant wave. A few loose strands hung down past her ears: a hint of dishabille which softened her features and carried with it a suggestion of the bedroom. Above her heart was a large brooch. It was square-shaped, partitioned into quadrants by a silver cross, and each of these quadrants was filled with colourful semi-precious stones.

‘Inspector,’ Kristina said warmly. ‘What a surprise.’ She advanced and offered Rheinhardt her hand, which he took and kissed. When he lifted his head, he took a step backwards, as if he could not tolerate standing so close to such a radiant being.

‘Frau Vogl,’ he said, unable to conceal his admiration.

‘May I get you some refreshment, inspector? Some tea, perhaps?’

‘No, thank you.’

Kristina addressed her assistant: ‘Wanda, is the reception room ready?’

‘Yes, madame,’ replied the young woman.

‘We’ll continue when I’ve finished with Inspector Rheinhardt and Doctor Liebermann. Run along now.’ Liebermann was surprised that Frau Vogl could remember his name — particularly as she had not taken the trouble to acknowledge his presence. ‘This way, please, gentlemen.’

She led them to a large room which so overwhelmed the young doctor that he found himself surveying his surroundings in a state of blissful enchantment. Being a devotee of all things modern he was almost incapacitated by the white lacquered walls and the long mirrors, the glass lamps and the elegant simplicity of the furniture. The cuboid table looked very much like the one he had purchased for his smoking room.

‘Beautiful,’ said Liebermann. ‘Is the decor by Moser?’

‘Moser and Hoffmann: if you are interested, there are some examples of their jewellery-work displayed in the vitrine.’ Liebermann looked through the tilted window at the treasures displayed within. His attention was immediately captured by a bracelet, made from coral salamanders. ‘Please,’ the hostess continued. ‘Do sit down, inspector.’

Rheinhardt waited for Kristina to settle before lowering himself onto one of the hoop-backed chairs.

‘Herr doctor …’ said Rheinhardt, looking up at his friend. ‘Would you care to join us?’

‘Of course,’ said Liebermann, a little embarrassed. ‘My apologies.’

With some difficulty, he pulled himself away from the vitrine. Taking one of the vacant places, he addressed Frau Vogl: ‘Delightful. I am very fond of Moser. I have a table just like this one.’

‘By Moser?’

‘Yes.’

Kristina’s expression showed that she was impressed; however, she did not enccourage Liebermann to elaborate. Instead, she turned to face Rheinhardt.

‘Inspector, I must congratulate you. When I saw the headline on the front page of the Wiener Zeitung … well, you cannot imagine my relief. My dear husband was so worried for my safety he would not let me leave the house without an escort! It is wonderful to be free of fear once again.’

‘Frau Vogl, you are most kind, but I did not catch Sprenger alone. Much of the credit for his capture must go to my colleague here — Doctor Liebermann — who, for professional reasons, prefers his police activities to remain unreported in the newspapers.’

Kristina glanced at Liebermann, somewhat uneasily.

‘You wanted to speak to me concerning a matter of utmost importance. I presume it has something to do with poor Selma.’

‘Yes,’ said Rheinhardt. ‘That is correct. There are some aspects of Fräulein Wirth’s circumstances which require clarification. You may be able to help us.’

‘Oh?’

‘You will recall that during our prior interview, you suggested that Fräulein Wirth might have found an admirer.’

‘I …’ Kristina hesitated and shook her head. ‘I really don’t know. I pitied Selma. Her life was never easy and she seemed to be the recipient of more than her fair share of bad luck. I was always hoping that she would meet someone. I think in my eagerness to see her happily married I rashly overestimated the significance of the small changes I observed in her dress and manner.’

‘Frau Vogl,’ Liebermann ventured. ‘What were these small changes?’

‘Oh,’ Kristina replied. ‘I can’t remember, precisely. She smiled more: I suppose one would say she was … I don’t know, more girlish.’

‘And her dress?’ Liebermann pressed.

‘What about it?’

‘How was it different?’

‘She had bought a new … no.’ Kristina looked flustered. ‘No. She looked more groomed — that’s all …’

Rheinhardt leaned forward in his chair.

‘Frau Vogl, you said that you saw a man waiting outside Fräulein Wirth’s apartment.’

Kristina looked confused — but then, quite suddenly, her face brightened with recognition.

‘Yes, that’s right: a man with a bowler hat.’

‘Please, Frau Vogl. Think very carefully. Can you remember anything else about him?’

‘No. He was just … a man.’

‘Is it possible that this gentleman could have been Fräulein Wirth’s admirer?’

‘Inspector, on reflection, I do not think that Selma had an admirer.’

‘But, let us assume — for argument’s sake — that your early suspicions were correct. Is it at all conceivable that the gentleman who you saw might have been Fräulein Wirth’s lover?’

‘I couldn’t possibly say.’ A note of irritation had crept into her voice. ‘With respect, inspector, I don’t understand why you’re asking me these questions. What difference does it make if this man was or wasn’t Selma’s lover? Indeed, what difference does it make if she did or didn’t have a lover at all?’

Rheinhardt leaned forward.

‘I regret to say that the answer to these questions may be of considerable importance, Frau Vogl, because we now have good reason to believe that Markus Sprenger did not kill Selma Wirth.’

Frau Vogl’s expression hardened.

‘What?’

‘I am sorry. I appreciate that you will find this news most distressing.’

Kristina breathed deeply and her bosom rose and fell.

‘I don’t understand. What are you saying, inspector?’ The pitch of her voice rose hysterically. ‘Sprenger … it was in all the newspapers. Markus Sprenger.’

‘I am afraid that some new evidence has come to light.’

‘New evidence?’

‘Yes,’ said Rheinhardt. He did not reveal more, even though Kristina’s expression communicated an urgent appeal for more information. Some moments passed before she straightened her back and recovered her composure. ‘Do you think then,’ she said in a lower, more controlled register, ‘that I am still in danger?’

‘Possibly,’ said Rheinhardt.

Kristina raised a trembling hand to her temple.

‘Oh, this is dreadful. Quite dreadful. Are you sure, inspector? Are you sure it was not Sprenger?’

Rheinhardt nodded solemnly.

‘Frau Vogl, we are very much in need of your help. Think very carefully. Did Fräulein Wirth give you any reason to worry about her safety? Did she say anything that might be pertinent?’

Kristina looked from Rheinhardt to Liebermann — and back again.

‘Yes.’ The word was tentative, experimental. ‘Yes, she may have …’

Rheinhardt took out his notebook and pencil.

‘Please …’

‘Selma despised the landlord’s agent.’

‘Shevchenko?’

‘Was that his name? I only knew him as the landlord’s agent.’

‘Why did she despise him?’

‘She said he was ill-mannered — uncouth — an animal — and…’ Kristina touched her colourful brooch as if the stones were magical and might endow her with the strength to continue. ‘I think he once presented her with an obscene proposition.’

‘I am afraid you must be specific, Frau Vogl.’

‘He offered to cancel her debt, if she …’

‘Submitted to him,’ Rheinhardt offered helpfully.

‘Yes. If she submitted to him.’

‘I see.’

Rheinhardt made a few notes.

‘Frau Vogl,’ said Liebermann. ‘You say that you think Shevchenko made an obscene proposition. Why think? Surely, if Fräulein Wirth told you this, it is not speculative.’

‘I’m sorry … The agent did make such a proposition. Yes.’

‘Selma told you this?’ asked Rheinhardt.

‘Yes. She did.’

The inspector bit the end of his pencil: ‘Frau Vogl. Why did you not mention this before?’

‘It had slipped my mind. You must understand — this conversation — we had it almost a year ago. And Selma never referred to it again. I naturally assumed that after Selma had refused him the landlord’s agent had refrained from making further advances. Nor did I imagine that Shev — … Shev —…’

‘Shevchenko,’ said Rheinhardt.

‘That Shevchenko would perhaps — one day — force himself upon her. If I had thought such a thing I would have demanded she leave the apartment — whatever she said, however she objected — and made appropriate provision.’

Rheinhardt looked up from his notebook. Liebermann sighed as he saw the flame of admiration reignite behind his friend’s melancholy eyes.

They found a coffee house close to the cathedral.

‘I’m going to telephone Haussmann,’ said Rheinhardt. ‘I’ll get him to locate Shevchenko and call me back here if he has any success.’

Rheinhardt went to find the telephone booth and on his return Liebermann saw his friend talking to the head waiter. A few coins changed hands and the waiter bowed obsequiously.

‘Ah,’ said Rheinhardt, delighted to see that their order had arrived. ‘I’ve been looking forward to this.’ He sipped his Türkische and cut through the plum flan with the edge of his fork. It was a generous portion: a slab of moist pastry, covered in crescents of purple fruit and sprinkled with icing sugar. He chewed slowly to prolong his first moments of pleasure. ‘Excellent. What did you order?’ He looked at Liebermann’s nondescript white wedge.

‘Cheesecake,’ said Liebermann.

Rheinhardt shrugged, took another sip of his coffee and resumed eating. When he had consumed roughly half of his flan he remembered his companion and said: ‘Well. What did you think?’

Liebermann stirred his Schwarzer and stared into his cup as if the answer he should give was written on the spiral of light brown froth.

‘Something isn’t right.’

Rheinhardt stopped chewing.

‘You thought she was, what? Lying?’

Liebermann put down his spoon.

‘From the moment she saw you, she seemed anxious to disarm you. She offered her hand, flattered you, and smiled like a coquette.’

‘Perhaps she saw in my person an admirable figure of manhood — and was unable to contain herself.’

Rheinhardt smiled into Liebermann’s surly visage.

The young doctor considered his friend’s remark and proceeded as if it had never been made.

‘She said that Selma Wirth had looked different and was about to say that Wirth had bought a new dress; then, on remembering that Wirth was in no position to make such a purchase she changed her mind and opted for an innocuous comment concerning the woman’s grooming habits.’

‘You are not a psychic, Max. That is pure supposition.’

‘She seemed bemused when you first mentiond the man with the bowler hat, and I strongly suspect that this was because she had only the faintest recollection of having claimed to have seen him. When you announced that Wirth’s killer was still at large, her reaction was most interesting: she was more concerned about how you had come to that conclusion than her own safety: and when you pressed her for more information concerning Fräulein Wirth’s circumstances, she seemed to pluck the Shevchenko incident out of the air. The way she was speaking sounded to me like … like an improvisation. Particularly when she pretended that she couldn’t remember his name. In fact, she has a very good memory for names.’ Liebermann picked up his fork but the utensil halted before reaching its destination. ‘Frau Vogl said that Wirth had told her about Shevchenko’s proposition almost a year ago — without the slightest hesitation. Most people, when recalling an event in the past, pause or slow down so that they can calculate the time that has elapsed. The absence of a pause suggests that no calculation was necessary.’

‘Which means?’

‘Contrary to appearances, she had already given the matter of Shevchenko’s indecent proposal much consideration, or …’

‘What?’

‘She was making it all up.’

Rheinhardt pushed the remains of his plum flan around the edge of his plate.

‘You know, Max, I am in danger of being persuaded.’

The inspector finished his cake and took some cigars from his pocket. He gave one to Liebermann, lit it, and then lit his own. Liebermann turned his head and gazed out of the window. Rheinhardt wanted to ask his friend what he was thinking but knew there would be little point. The young doctor had retreated into himself.

If Rheinhardt had asked the question and Liebermann had responded candidly, the answer would have taken Rheinhardt by surprise. Indeed, it would have shocked him. For at that precise moment Liebermann was thinking of Miss Lydgate inserting her fingers into Bathild Babel’s sex. This image — which had previously disturbed Liebermann — was suddenly no longer prurient, but expressive of certain possibilities …

They smoked their cigars in silence and passed the next hour in desultory conversation. The only topic which moved them to fluency was the music of Karl Goldmark — in particular, the early songs, and his opera Die Königin von Saba. In due course the head waiter came to their table. He bowed low and said: ‘Inspector, your assistant is on the telephone.’