A few minutes before ten the next morning, Johannes, Rummy and Helen pulled up in front of Compagnie Schellen´s offices. Inspector Semmel, vigilantly scanning the area as he did so, opened the car door for Helen, who stepped out and waited on the sidewalk for the two men. Today, she was dressed in a conservative suit with a skirt just above the knees. The jacket and a mandarin-collar blouse hid the traces of her vest.
The three entered the building, where they met another man, short and stocky, clad very much like a middle-rank official.
Johannes introduced him. “M Ferrol, the magistrate in this case.” The little man nodded stiffly to each of them. By this time, the young woman who was Schellen´s receptionist had appeared, and was ready to take them into the office.
Schellen was waiting for them, standing in front of his desk. Once Ferrol had been introduced, Schellen went to a door at one side of the office and showed them into a small conference room next door. The table was set up with glasses and bottles of juice and water.
“Please take seats, Mme Wallace, gentlemen. I am sorry we have to meet at all, but I hope we can resolve all the issues simply and quickly.”
Johannes took a small recording device from his briefcase and began. “M Schellen, as you know, attempts have been made in the last weeks on the lives of Mme Wallace, M Harms and your employee M Dumont. We have made some investigations in this case, and we now require you to answer some questions for me and M Ferrol. I have asked Mme Wallace and M Harms to be here in case they can offer any additional information. As you can see, I am recording this conversation for the record. Please, each of you, state your names and that you understand this meeting is being recorded.”
Everyone did as he requested, and he went on. “M Schellen, please tell us the whereabouts of M Dumont.”
Schellen rested his forearms on the edge of the table. “M Dumont, with your knowledge and permission, is on a short leave of absence which he is taking at home with his family. At his request, I have removed him from the Freiburg project and will introduce a replacement, a M Villion, shortly.” Schellen looked at Helen as he said this, and then continued, “Dumont has told me in detail about the requests and offers made to him by M Sauter and informed me that he will have nothing to do with M Sauter or with his company in the future. Either that or he will leave my company, which I do not desire. I consider him quite competent.”
The man sat back in his chair. “Major Selig, Magistrate Ferrol,” he said and turned to the others, “Mme Wallace and M Harms, I am most disturbed about this entire affair. I intend to cooperate with your investigation as fully as possible. I do not tolerate the kind of things that have been happening here.”
Johannes responded, “M Schellen, at this time, we have no indication that you or your company are directly involved in the incidents that have occurred so far. I am aware, however, that M Sauter has a considerable investment in your company…”
Schellen raised his hand and interrupted Johannes. “Forgive me, Major. Raul Sauter has an interest in the company. He has no investment.” Johannes raised his eyebrows; Ferrol scribbled in his notebook. Schellen continued, “Sauter is my brother-in-law. When he married my sister, I gave him, as a wedding gift, a 15% interest in the company. He is the beneficial owner of the shares, but he cannot sell them or obligate them with loans. He cannot vote them. My intention was that, should his own affairs not prosper, there would be enough income there to maintain his wife – my sister – if necessary. Sauter has no investment here.”
“Did you have reason to believe,” Ferrol responded, “that his affairs would not prosper?”
Schellen reached for a bottle of sparkling water and poured a glass, which he held before him on the table. He looked down at it briefly before taking a sip. “I did not – do not – trust Sauter. You will note that he is neither on my supervisory board nor on my management board, despite his interest. As you know, he, or rather, his company is in considerable difficulty due to possible involvement in criminal activities.” He looked at Helen with a grim smile. “Mme Wallace went so far as to point this out to me when we met and stated that she would not accept a proposal from someone in his position.”
Johannes asked the next question. “We are aware of several meetings with you that are of interest to us, M Schellen. Three, at least. Two before the signing of your contract, and one afterward. Can you tell us how the latter one came about?”
Schellen nodded and glanced at Helen before responding. “Sauter came to me and asked me to arrange the meeting. He told me at that time that he wanted me to ask Mme Wallace again to consider a proposal that he would make through me. I was not sure about that, but he was persistent, and I arranged the meeting, rather against my better judgment, especially when I heard that he had been found trespassing on my work site. I should say that I did not know about the incident with the excavators until M. Wallace told me about it at that meeting.”
Helen looked at Johannes before asking, “At that meeting you told us that the proposal you insisted on could prevent ‘disputes or misunderstandings´. I took that as a threat.”
Schellen gave a wry grin. “Mme Wallace, Sauter suggested I use such a phrase. I did not consider it a threat, although I understand why you did under the circumstances. To my mind, it was intended to assure you that you would simply face fewer obstacles. I was surprised, given your forthrightness at our earlier meeting, that you agreed even to consider his proposal. Since then, M Dumont has given me the unopened proposal that you had returned to him. I am no longer surprised.”
“Did you discuss these alleged threats with M Sauter?” Johannes asked.
“After Mme Wallace and M Harms left, I realized that they had taken my remarks amiss. I asked Sauter what he meant by that phraseology. He, of course, said it meant nothing. I told him he was never to suggest such things again in my presence or in Compagnie Schellen. I was sufficiently concerned that I also told him I would not consider any further work with his company, Constructeurs Sauter. He has never done good work, and I have rarely contracted with him.”
“M Sauter is currently in my custody, M Schellen,” Ferrol said quietly. “We have evidence that suggests he may be involved in attempted murder.”
Schellen´s face went white. “Do you mean that Sauter was involved in the attacks on these people and on Dumont in Freiburg?”
“I do. Including a further attempt at the airport yesterday.”
Schellen sat up straight in his chair. He looked at Helen and Rummy. “I want you to understand some background here. Raul Sauter was the one who suggested the Wald Sauna project to me. It was a good idea, and one I am still committed to.” He gestured at one of Helen´s renderings of the project, now framed and hung on the wall. “He also recommended M Dumont as project manager.
“When I set up the design competition, I deliberately specified extremely high quality, custom construction throughout. I did this because I knew that Constructeurs Sauter could not meet such standards. In fact, they did not even enter the competition, which was, as you know, M. Wallace, open to both architects and contractors. Only one of the finalists in the competition took the view that the project was not viable at the level it would cost. That, of course, was you, Mme Wallace, and that was why you got the job. That, and the excellent presentation you made to show how the project could be made viable.”
Schellen turned to the two officers. “M Magistrate, Major, I want to assure you that I did not have any knowledge of the activities of Sauter. If I had, I would have informed you myself.”
Johannes replied, “Thank you for your assurance, M Schellen. We will be pursuing our investigations, but at this time, I see no further reason to take up your time.” He rose from his chair, gathering his recorder and switching it off. The others stood as well.
Schellen said, “May I have a moment or two with Mme Wallace and M Harms before you take them away?” He grinned slightly at the implication that they were somehow in Johannes´s custody. Johannes simply nodded and indicated he would wait outside.
When they were alone, Schellen turned to Helen. “Mme Wallace, please accept my sincere apologies for exposing you to this situation, however unknowingly.”
“Of course, M Schellen.”
“I hope you are willing to continue with and finish this project.”
“Oh, yes,” Helen replied, smiling. “We´re on schedule and a bit ahead. I´m aiming for that completion bonus.” Her smile took on a wolfish air.
Schellen relaxed visibly, smiling slightly. “Good,” he said, and then seemed to have an idea. “I am already in the process of removing Raul Sauter from any interest in my company. I can assure my sister´s well-being in other ways.” His face became grimmer. “It appears that Sauter will not be around much longer in any case.”
He looked down at his desk, then back at Helen. “Since I will undoubtedly be using your services in the remaining two Wald Sauna projects, could I interest you in becoming a part of our organization? In your case, it would certainly mean a place on the supervisory board.”
Helen chuckled and shook her head. “That´s kind of you, M Schellen. However, just as I don´t do business with people who are in court, I don´t take ownership positions in the companies of my clients. I just don´t think it´s good business. I always work at arm´s length. But, I appreciate your offer.”
Schellen laughed, a broad smile on this face. “Always subtle, Mme Wallace. In any case, I hope that, in the future you will both call me Hans. I hope we can be less formal, now that we have eliminated some of the problems that have kept us quite so much at arm´s length.”
Helen extended her hand. “Of course, Hans. And in a few days, when we are through with this mess and come back for our next review, let´s plan to get together and drink friendship as it should be done.”
Schellen shook both their hands and opened the door so they could rejoin Johannes and M Ferrol.