Liebermann lost sight of the group as Amelia and he continued their circumnavigation of the ballroom. When they had completed another circuit, he was surprised to see Else Rheinhardt standing on her own and looking toward her husband—who was now talking to Commissioner Brügel and the breathless young constable. Liebermann's observation coincided with the brassy fanfares that brought the waltz to its clamorous conclusion. The revelers cheered and applauded the orchestra. Liebermann bowed, pressed Amelia's fingers to his lips, and, taking her hand, led her toward Else Rheinhardt.
“I think something's happened,” said Else.
Manfred Brügel was a stocky man with a large, blockish head and oversize muttonchop whiskers. He was addressing Rheinhardt, while occasionally questioning the young constable. Rheinhardt was listening intently. In due course, Rheinhardt clicked his heels and turned to find his wife and friends.
“My dear,” said Rheinhardt, affectionately squeezing Else's arm, “I am so very sorry… but there has been an incident.“ He glanced briefly at Liebermann, tacitly communicating that the matter was serious. “I am afraid I must leave at once.”
“Isn't there anyone on duty at Schottenring?” asked Else.
“Koltschinsky has developed a bronchial illness, and Storfer—on being informed of the said incident—rushed from the station, slipped on some ice, and cracked his head on the pavement.”
“What extraordinary bad luck,” said Liebermann.
“Why is it always you?” said Else. “Can't somebody else go? What about von Bulow?”
“I believe he has some important business to discuss with our Hungarian friends.” The air suddenly filled with the shimmering of tremolando violins, against which two French horns climbed a simple major triad. Nothing in the whole of music was so artless, yet so distinctive. “Ah,” said Rheinhardt, “what a shame… The Blue Danube.” He looked at his wife and his eyes filled with regret.
“Oskar,” said Liebermann. “Can I be of any assistance? Would you like me to come with you?”
Rheinhardt shook his head.
“I would much rather you kept my dear wife and Miss Lyd gate entertained. Now, where's Haussmann?” The Inspector looked around the ballroom and discovered his assistant standing with a group of cavalrymen, gazing wistfully at a pretty young debutante in white. Heavy blond coils bounced against her cheeks. Haussmann, having clearly been engaged in a protracted surveillance operation, was about to reveal himself. He was clutching a single red rose. “Oh, no,” said Rheinhardt under his breath.
The inspector kissed his wife, apologized to Amelia, and clasped Liebermann's hand. Then, moving quickly, he managed to intercept the rose just before Haussmann had reached his quarry.
2
THE INNKEEPER AT AUFKIRCHEN had been pleasant enough. Knocking a dottle of tobacco from the bowl of his clay pipe, he had warned Rheinhardt of a fallen tree: It's blocking the road—you'll have to go the long way around. The directions the man had given were full of local detail and were difficult to follow. When the little Romanesque church with its distinctive onion dome and spire vanished in the darkness, Rheinhardt doubted whether the exercise had been very successful.
The interior of the carriage was illuminated by a single electric bulb, the glowing arc of which was reflected in Haussmann's eyes. Rheinhardt fancied that this flickering scintilla of light was connected with the young man's thoughts—the fading memory, perhaps, of the pretty blond debutante.
Their ascent was becoming extremely uncomfortable. The narrow track that they had chosen was riddled with potholes, causing the carriage to pitch and roll. Rheinhardt pulled the curtain aside and pressed his face against the glass. He could see nothing. Releasing the catch, he opened the window and leaned out. The air was cold and dank. Ahead, the carriage lamps shone against descending blankets of thick fog.
Rheinhardt looked anxiously at his pocket watch and called out to the driver.
“Stop, will you? We should have arrived by now!”
The carriage came to a shuddering halt.
“God in heaven, Haussmann,” said the inspector. “At this rate we'll never get there!”
He opened the carriage door and jumped out. His feet sank into the muddy ground, and he felt his best patent leather shoes filling up with freezing ditch water. Cursing loudly, he squelched up the road, grimacing as the sludge sucked at his heels. One of the horses snorted and shook its bridle. Rheinhardt peered into the opaque distance.
“Where on earth are we?”
“Left by the turnstile and left again at the old well,” said the driver gruffly. “That's what you said, sir—and that's what I did. Turned left.” Then he mumbled under his breath: “I knew it should have been right.”
“Then why didn't you say so?”
The driver had not intended his final remark to be heard. He concealed his embarrassment by soothing the horses.
They were in the middle of a dense forest. An owl hooted, and something rustled in the undergrowth. Rheinhardt knew that they were only a short distance from Vienna, but the capital—with its theaters, coffeehouses, and glittering ballrooms—felt strangely remote.
The trees looked tormented: thick, twisted boles and bare branches that terminated in desperate, arthritic claws. There was something about a deep, dark wood that held unspeakable terrors for the Teutonic imagination. Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel. Within every German-speaking adult was a child who, from infancy, had cultivated—under the tutelage of the Brothers Grimm—a healthy respect for the natural habitat of wolves and witches.
Rheinhardt shuddered.
“Sir?”
Haussmann's head had emerged from the carriage window.
“Yes?”
“What's that?”
“What's what?”
“There… Oh, it's gone. No, there it is again. Can't you see it, sir?”
An indistinct luminescence was floating among the trees—a pale glow that seemed to vanish and then reappear.
“Yes, Haussmann,” said Rheinhardt, consciously modulating his voice to achieve an even delivery. “Yes, I can.”
The light was becoming brighter.
Rheinhardt heard the carriage door opening, a splash, and his assistant struggling through the adhesive mud.
“What is it?” Haussmann repeated his question.
“I don't know,” said Rheinhardt. “But it is my impression that we will find out very soon.”
“Do you have your revolver, sir?”
“No, Haussmann,” Rheinhardt replied. “This may come as a surprise to you, but when dancing, I very rarely carry a firearm. The unequal distribution of weight about my person would make the performance of a perfect turn almost impossible.”
“Of course, sir,” said Haussmann, noting the appearance of a sly smile on his superior's face.
The advancing light was surrounded by an indistinct shadowy aura, the dimensions of which suggested the approach of something very large. The vague outline was lumbering, ursine. Rheinhardt wondered if the mist might be creating an optical illusion. Nobody could be that big! Yet twigs were snapping beneath a ponderous tread. The horses began to whicker.
“Gentlemen,” said the driver nervously, “perhaps you'd like to get back inside. Shouldn't we be on our way?”
Rheinhardt did not reply.
The footsteps became louder and the light grew more distinct.
“Well, Haussmann,” said Rheinhardt, “I suspect that in a few moments all will be revealed.”
The thick curtains of fog parted and a huge figure stepped out of the darkness, the glow of the flickering candle in his lamp preceding him like a spirit emissary. Rheinhardt heard his young companion gasp.