It was a warm, late spring morning, and Helen decided to pick up her mail early and have breakfast at a café near the pool beside the Port Nature Collines, the tall row of terrace houses that line the center of the Heliopolis site. She sat in the sunshine with her coffee and croissants, watching the naked children play in the pool. Soon, brushing the crumbs aside, she began to go through the mail.
There was a large envelope from her lawyers in Stuttgart, but this no longer gave her shivers, as they were handling her legal matters on the Freiburg project. The covering letter was from Franz Lieber, the handsome fellow who was now her lead attorney. After the usual pleasantries, Lieber wrote:
In the course of examining our files on your account, I took the liberty of going through some of the earlier material we have. I discovered some material I think is of some importance, and I discussed it with Herr Rebus who was involved with your files at the time of your husband´s death.
I found, mixed in your late husband´s papers and some other notes, a sheet of memo paper with a handwritten message of disturbing content. I also found two audio tapes of the type used in answering machines. After consulting with Herr Rebus, we listened to both tapes. One was certainly the one that was in the machine when Herr Brechstein died. We were astonished to find that the message Herr Brechstein left on the tape was identical with the handwritten message we also found. We were unable to imagine why he might have written such a message before recording it.
In addition, the other audio tape had messages on it that were date-stamped immediately prior to the messages on the first tape. This second tape was not full.
Because of these facts, I have made a photocopy of the handwritten message which you should find enclosed. Since this discovery, I have taken great care to avoid handling the original (the tapes as well) and have placed all the relevant materials in our secure files.
I am certain that this information will be of great importance to you. I would strongly recommend that you look at the photocopy and advise me whether the handwriting is indeed that of your former husband. I must tell you that it does not appear to be the same as samples we have here.
In the event that there is a discrepancy, I believe we should advise the Landeskriminalpolizei as soon as possible.
Stunned, Helen set the letter aside and turned to the attached sheet. On ordinary copy paper, she could see that it was a copy of a sheet from a typical quadratic notepad such as she and Theo had always had handy. The handwritten text was almost identical to the message Theo had left on the answering machine and that she had heard the day after she found his body.
The handwriting was not Theo´s.
Helen sat for long moments in the sun, her breakfast forgotten. Finally, she pulled her mobile from her bag and called Franz Lieber.
Franz? Helen Wallace. The handwriting is not Theo´s handwriting.”
What would you like me to do?”
Please get in touch with the Kriminalpolizei I´m sure you know who to contact. Tell them what you´ve found and let me know what they say.
There´s one other thing, Franz. I don´t know if you noticed, but the tape doesn´t quite match the script you sent me.”
It doesn´t? In what way?”
The script says ‘clear evidence´, then goes on. Franz, after he said that, Theo said, ‘You have always been totally loving for me.´” Her voice shook slightly, and she swallowed, then went on, calling the words from her eternal memory. And the tape ends, ‘I´ve always loved you, Helen. I always will´. That´s not in the script, either.”
I can tell you are certain of that. I´ll check the tape again, of course, but that may mean something.”
You know how to reach me.” Helen expressed her thanks at some length and hung up.
She dialed Rummy´s number.
Rummy, I need you. Here. Where? Here in Heliopolis. Get a flight to Montpellier and drive down here; there are directions on the web: capdagde.com. There´s a gate at Heliopolis, call me when you get here Yes, there´s a gate so we don´t get as many voyeurs.” She paused as a thought struck her, then went on, Oh, and bring Doris, if she´ll come: I need her, too. Yes, as soon as you can. Let me know when. You´re a love.”
She dialed Sandy. My place. Hurry. I need you.”
.oOo.
When Sandy arrived, a bit out of breath, Helen was just opening her apartment door. They went in and she handed him Lieber´s letter, then tossed the other mail on a table near the door.
Read this. Tell me if you need more.” He followed her onto the balcony. She sat down at the table on the balcony and put her head in her hands; he sat opposite her. The orange cat jumped onto the table and rubbed his cheeks on Helen´s hands. Absently, she stroked his silky fur.
After he had finished reading, Sandy rose, went around the table and touched the back of her neck, running his hand across her shoulders.
Okay, tell me about it.”
Helen looked up, her eyes dry. Sandy pulled over a chair and sat down close beside her, and she leaned into him.
It´s not Theo´s handwriting, Sandy.” She looked into his eyes. You won´t believe this.”
Try me.”
I feel as though I´ve taken flight. Like I´m flying.”
I think you´ve given up a big load of guilt, of anger. Shame?”
Well, I´m not sure about all of that, Sandy. But I´m pretty sure, now, that Theo´s death wasn´t my fault, that it never was. I may be wrong, but that´s how it feels. I´m horrified even more angry than before. After all, I never was guilty, even though I´ve felt that way; as though somehow I was responsible. But a lot of that´s gone.”
I take it you think what´s on that paper was a script someone made Theo read into the answering machine.”
Don´t you? But there´s more.” She told Sandy about the added sentences expressing Theo´s confidence in her love. That makes me certain. He wouldn´t have ad-libbed at a time like that if he hadn´t meant to tell me something. I mean, I think he was trying to tell me he loved me no matter what.”
She put her forehead in her hand for a moment, still rubbing the orange cat, then looked back at Sandy. Can you imagine what that took? He must have known they were going to kill him, but he made sure he told me. He cared that much.” Her eyes dripped tears, unheeded. Sandy came to her again and pulled her into his arms, holding her until she turned aside and rose slowly to look out over the balcony wall for several long moments.
When she turned back, her eyes back in focus, Sandy said, Well, it certainly looks like he was forced to read that script, but by whom? Why? Motive? What are you doing about it?”
She shook herself. I´ve had Franz Lieber ” she saw the query in his face, my lawyer who found this. I´ve told him to call the Kriminalpolizei and get them into it. I´ve told Rummy Harms he´s my partner, you´ve heard me talk about him I´ve told him to get down here so we can get some sense into this. And then I called you because you´re closest, and I need you.” She looked down at the papers on the table momentarily, then back at Sandy. I need you because I know you care. About me, I mean.”
Sandy bent forward and kissed her cheek.
Thanks. As it happens, I do.” He paused for thought. Do you have a theory, anything?”
Not a thing. Except that I can´t see anyone writing out a script like that and then recording it himself. And I´m certain the handwriting isn´t Theo´s. Someone else was there.”
Someone else was there. The gun that killed him wasn´t Theo´s or yours. He didn´t kill himself. And you feel great.”
Her grin was wry and fleeting. In a sense, yes. I can really think it may not have been my fault, may not have had anything to do with me.” Her eyes grew wider. But then, I´m horrified. That something like that happened in my home. And that the people who did it knew that much about me, about Theo.” She looked at Sandy in horror. Christ, do you suppose they know where I am now?”
Can´t say. But I´ll tell you what. Let´s get out of here. Bring your phone and let´s go down the beach. The lawyer will call when he´s got something, and Harms will call when he gets organized. In the meantime, sitting here isn´t going to do you any good. Have you got anything laid on for this morning that can´t wait?”
No. Just some routine stuff.” She glanced at him ruefully. Routine. Just stuff that could mean whether we finish on time or not. Only a few hundred thousand euro.”
Sandy smiled and pulled her up from her chair, held her close. Right. Routine. It´ll wait a couple of hours, anyway. We´re going for a walk.”