Chapter 20

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."