Chapter 21

The reformed harridan came back soon. "Sir, the gentleman asks you to wait here. Says he won't be long."

I did not mind a little time to rest and think over happenings so far. We had to be extremely careful now. Neither Helmut and Karla nor the attorneys could ever hear about this visit. And we dare not tell anybody what we did. And to whom!

Alfred told me later that the girls were not allowed to use the common rooms. Their meals were brought to them. Their quarters, a suite actually, were then locked up. All windows were securely locked. "The rooms are quite decent, though," he said. "And the two are bearing up well, all considered. They get home schooling; they are allowed to watch a little TV every day. Their parents used to visit often. Too often in fact, Elvira felt pressured. They now come only twice a week, more often if their attorney insists on 'strategic planning'. They are strong children. I like them.

"Bert, that lawyer is hellbent on staging a big show trial. He is not at all evil, just rather dull and vain. And exceedingly greedy. Elvira says she is ready to accept whatever punishment the court will come up with. Charlotte agrees, but both are very much afraid, really. They told me that their father is stupefied and close to despair; Karla apparently is a nervous wreck, and not able to say or do anything constructive. But they all stick together. That at least gives me some hope."

He asked for their cooperation, asked them to tell nobody about his efforts and promised to do everything he could to get them back where they belonged. I took it as given that he also had put tabs on them once more.

"Elvira is the stronger of the two. She told of the relief she felt after the deed, insists that the sixth commandment cannot be an absolute for all situations. Still, I am afraid that she may break once she fully faces up to her crime. The consequences might be too much for her. I told her of my concept to argue justifiable homicide with the prosecutor, using Kamilla's statements as well as the recording of the church elder.

"Bert, that lawyer is next. But we will go about it properly by making an appointment with him again. He will see the light. I will make sure of it." His ferocious voice told me enough. It had taken him a long time, but by now he was cheesed off in grand fashion.

How little we knew of the real workings and effects of the Heavy Matter! When Alfred phoned for an appointment with the attorney, the secretary was friendly beyond reason, the lawyer ready to see him at short notice. I acted as driver only, no leash needed for Alfred.

He rejoined me after little more than half an hour. "Bert, this was embarrassingly easy. The man phoned the prosecutor for me. We can go see him now."

All legal offices, court rooms, prosecutor's offices, notaries and the like, were nearby. We would walk there. There was some minor hassle with security, when Alfred's gadget as well as the recorder were closely scrutinised. Since the full-body scan didn't reveal any dangerous weapons we were finally allowed to go see the prosecutor in case.

He was a middle-aged man, tall with a solid paunch, full dark-brown hair tinged with grey, intelligent eyes in a rather hard face. A Spartan office. After introductions, we all sat down. No refreshments or small talk were offered, Alfred came straight to the point.

"Mr. Schubert, we are friends of the Baumann family. We are aware of the facts as told to us by their aunt Kamilla. We do know the family history as well as the background of the slain grandfather. We would like you to listen to an interview given by a fellow elder of his faith. It should make the actions of all concerned more understandable. It will also allow you to view this whole bad mess in a different light. May I?"

The prosecutor just nodded and Alfred started the recording. We all listened closely, and it was easy to see that the prosecutor was just as disgusted by all that drivel as we had been. Without mention of marital conflicts, Alfred told of Karla's grave illness, the near destruction of the family caused by the mindless zealot. Her bleak, oppressed childhood, her struggles to raise her children free of those religious constraints yet within the Christian faith. He stressed that the victim had forced his way into the house, had in fact attacked Karla verbally, Kamilla and Charlotte physically.

"Sir, of course I cannot suggest any particular way of action to you or the courts. I plead, however, to spare Elvira and her family the additional ordeal of a trial. They have all suffered so much already."

The prosecutor shook his head slowly, rubbed his eyes with both hands and went up to the window.

"I understand how you feel, mr. Richter. All of this makes me just as sick as it does you. If the decision was up to me, there would be no trial. But we have strict guidelines governing procedures. A man has been killed, a felony committed. For me, there is no option but to prosecute. None at all, I am sorry." He lifted his hands. "Please, mr. Richter, hear me out. I said, I have no option. But the lawyer for the defence can and should appeal to the investigating judge. With what you told me and what we have listened to, the judge might then decide to drop the case. In fact, I wonder why the defence hasn't done that. It's the route I would have chosen."

Even watching him closely all the time, I nearly missed the interrupted time line, a fraction of a second only, when Alfred must have applied his tab. Otherwise the results surely would have alerted me. The prosecutor was sincere in his opinion that a trial should be avoided. We also learned that he considered the defence lawyer a complete nincompoop. Obviously, there was some bad history between the two.

Since we couldn't approach the judge directly, we would have to deal with the lawyer once more. Back in town, Alfred was determined to go it alone. "Bert, let me handle him. I'm getting tired of being danced around."

I had picked up on his dark thoughts in the safe house. He had my blessing to create havoc where and however he liked.

"Do what is necessary. You know how I felt in that freaking restaurant over there! I will have a drink in the pub across the road. Enjoying the view and gloating most probably, if the place is isn't closed up already."

Alfred made me wait a long time. Switching time had been easy but had made me hungry again. Hungry enough to choke down a less than mediocre meal, stringy meat, bland veggies smothered in soy sauce, for God's sake. Rather than suffering this cheerless place any longer, I went for a stroll up and down the pedestrian mall. The weather wasn't all bad. It would be difficult to miss Alfred in any case: a mere 500 metre stretch of shops was all it offered. I soon got into the thrill of modern window shopping. Opticians, pharmacies, hearing aids and healthcare supplies, clothing outlets selling the newest rags which were extensively treated to look tatty. And odd. From food to cellphones I didn't find a single store not part of a national chain and they all seemed to cater for either the very young or the extremely old. Not quite fitting either class, I settled for watching people instead. At least they weren't mass-produced. Yet.

"Bert, I watched you walking up and down twice now. Surely there is nothing that might hold your attention for so long. Let's go for a drink and some food, please."

Things must have turned out right for Alfred to be so chipper all of a sudden. More food I didn't need, but he would have to work for his. I told him about my bad experiences and walked him a few blocks to a more than decent restaurant. "You eat and enjoy, Alfred. My appetite has been ruined already. I shall stick to liquids."

The place was up-scale, quiet, with polite and efficient service, and Alfred visibly enjoyed his fare. Over coffee and brandy he told me that the judge didn't need much persuasion after all.

"He was more than ready to drop the case and was surprised that the defence seemed to insist on a trial. I left my recording with him. After all, he needs to justify his actions before his superiors. But he is certain. There will be no trial. It's over.

"I shut up the attorney. He wasn't hot for it, but has now seen the light. He had nothing to gain by being stubborn. He cheered up when I told him that he could book the outcome as the result of his clever lawyering. An idiot if ever there was one. Cheers."

"And of course you did not bolster his coffers, did you?"

Alfred's feral reaction took me by surprise. "Bert, I did not hand over a single one of your funny Euros. I don't sponsor fools. His improved reputation must suffice.

"I'm still surprised over the number of miserable people we had to deal with throughout our dealings. I did not expect this at all. My previously high opinion of Germany, and Germans, is shot to hell. Do you have an explanation? Am I missing something?"

What could I say? Wherever there are helpless, exploited people, vultures of all kinds will gather. Even more so with money about, The greedy ones are easiest to deal with. They can be bribed or cut off altogether. The predators on flesh and soul are more difficult to handle. They hide behind their fancy titles, their fat institutions, haughty words. And they love to show a lofty air of humane care and charity. Doctors, welfare officials, priests of all persuasions: they are more often entirely off the rails than on the track. Sod them all.

"You have to understand, Alfred, that today's Germans are not the people we have once been. Two disastrous wars, indoctrination by various so-called leaders with their ill-conceived ideologies, plus re-education by the victors have wreaked havoc with morale and character of an entire nation. One of the main pillars of German successes in many fields, awareness of individual social responsibility, is gone. Now it's everyone for himself, firstly and almost exclusively. All this waffling about democracy and the virtual rape of the people in its name has taken its toll. Look at the folk here. They diddle their smartphones forever, they have their gadgets stuffed into their ears and couldn't care less about the next man.

"Manners have disappeared. All this trash talk about gender mainstreaming, political correctness, the wholesale destruction of our educational system, the concept of mind crimes as a weapon to dominate or stop discussions entirely. What can you expect? I am fed up to my gills with that rubbish. But what can we do? Except to remove ourselves, the few sensible people left, from all politics, withdraw from commercialism and restrict our social interactions to family and a few well-selected friends? You will find small isolated clusters of independent people all over the country. Much hated and decried but thriving in their quiet ways.

"Where will it lead to? In my most bleakest moments I feel that my nation is doomed. Our so-called elite, political and spiritual, seem to work towards this goal. 'Europe' is the new utopia. Forgive me, I could go on and on about this topic. I shall stop here, before I break out in snot and tears. Or start smashing things and people."

Alfred was shocked but had no answers either.

"Bert, we will have lots to tell our mates. We shall leave Helmut and company well alone from here on. Let's have a bash at the Island, a big one. We need to close this sordid mess in proper style. But first, let's go home."

At home, Elise was eager to cater for us, drinks mostly, while Alfred told his story.

"You make it sound so simple, Alfred. Why then was it so very difficult to come to that logical conclusion?"

He just shrugged and didn't waste time to try and uncover the motives of all concerned, their hidden agendas. He didn't care any longer and was overcome by weariness of all our scheming and, I suspected, especially of my inept meddling.

But there had to be another reason, too.