Imogen Robertson - Circle of Shadows

‘But how can you say the Countess was not killed here?’ Krall asked.

Crowther answered him. ‘The blood. The chair comes from this room indeed, one can see in the rug the marks where it has been moved to this position, and there is blood on it — but not such a stain as would result from a wound fresh-flowing. Only flecks that must have been dislodged when the body was brought here some time after death, when the blood had fully dried. The floor is clean. No blood whatsoever there. Where could the body have been found, that it needed to be shifted in this way? What could have been more humiliating to the court than finding one of its own slaughtered inside the palace itself? Mr Krall, I cannot believe this fooled you for an instant. Nor could you have hoped to fool us.’

Krall considered the ceiling with the contented look of a man hearing exactly what he wanted to hear, then he turned to the footman and began to speak in German. As he did, he could hear Mr Crowther whispering a translation to his companion.

‘The gentleman and lady wish to know, Wimpf my boy, where the body was first discovered. Where was it? Who ordered you to carry it here?’ The footman opened his mouth, but Krall continued, ‘I know your family, boy! I thought a couple of thalers and a few friendly words might make you my eyes and ears in the palace, but you’ve been bought already. You’ve been watching me, haven’t you, you little devil? Was she still warm when you lifted her?’

‘How-?’

‘You had red chalk on your sleeve when you woke me. Stuck out rather, that, boy — you being so clean as a rule. That picture on the wall is your work, is it not? Sure you copied it right?’

‘I, I …’ Wimpf stuttered, but Krall held up his hand.

‘Remember before you speak, lad, that I answer only to the Duke. Now tell the truth. Your parents are good people. I cannot believe they brought you up to lie.’

‘I f-found her …’ he stuttered out at last, ‘in the temple … I went to Major Auwerk and he came back with me, then he told me … He carried her. I thought he meant me to, but when I went to pick her up, he told me not to touch her. He carried her here. I brought the table. Then he went to Chancellor Swann.’

He looked very afraid. Mrs Westerman stepped forward and put her hand on his sleeve, saying in halting German, ‘Yours is not the fault. The District Officer will see you get no hurt.’

Krall doubted if he could guarantee such a thing entirely, but Mrs Westerman’s words calmed the boy a little, and he smiled up at her timidly. He seemed to have shrunk in his livery.

‘What temple, Wimpf? The Temple to Apollo in the gardens? Is that where you found her?’

He shook his head violently, blinking his lashless eyes. ‘I cannot say — it is a great secret.’

Krall had never had much use for secrets, and now his patience left him. Grabbing the servant by his gold and scarlet coat, he flung him onto the floor by the bed, then stood over him with his fists balled. He heard the silks of Mrs Westerman’s gown shift, but neither of the English moved to stop him.

‘ Now! If you want to leave this room as you entered it — tell me now!’

The boy scrambled backwards and found himself cornered between the end of the bed and the wall.

‘It’s hidden! It’s hidden! You can only get to it by the back corridor. It’s just a room with a few chairs in it, that’s all. Like a cupboard almost. I call it the temple. It was my joke.’ Krall took half a step forward. ‘I clean it. When I am told to. Maybe two dozen times over the last two years. Major Auwerk asked me to, he asked if I was to be trusted. If he puts the key in my hand, that means I am to clean it. I clean there when everyone else is asleep, and return the key.’

‘What does he pay you?’

‘Nothing! Only since I started I’ve been promoted twice. I wanted him to know he could trust me. And now I have betrayed him …’

Krall continued glowering for a second, then stepped back and rolled his shoulders. ‘He betrayed you first, boy. Major Auwerk has the key now?’

‘Yes.’

‘So you went to clean the room. How much work is that, usually?’

‘Not much. Glasses and a bottle or two. The chairs and so on to put back in place. Sweep and dust.’

‘How many?’ The German Crowther spoke was a great deal better than Mrs Westerman’s, though as he spoke Krall could almost smell the dusty air of a university lecture hall.

‘How many what, my lord?’

‘How many glasses?’

‘It changed. Never more than seven. There are only seven glasses in the case.’

‘Today?’

‘None used. All clean.’

Krall heard Mrs Westerman whisper something to Crowther, and he said, ‘Mrs Westerman wishes to know if this decanter and glass were in this temple. And if you include them in your count.’

Wimpf’s fingers were digging into the rug underneath him. ‘The decanter and glass were there — I’ve not seen them before. The seven glasses are nice. Special. Wine goblets. Countess Dieth was sitting in a chair in the centre of the room facing the door. I just came in and she was there. I thought she was sleeping, but then I saw her hand. I was scared, I ran out to Major Auwerk’s room in the barracks and told him. The decanter and glass were on a little table next to her. Just as they are now.’

‘And the picture?’ Krall asked.

‘On the back of the door like here. The chalk was still on the floor. I copied it properly. The Major checked.’

‘So, facing her when the door was shut? I see.’ He rubbed his chin. ‘Right then, Christian, on your feet and straighten yourself out.’

The boy leaned on the bed as he got up and winced. Krall realised he must have thrown him quite hard, and found he did not care. He reached into his pocket. ‘Here is paper and pencil. Draw the room as you saw it. And draw a plan of how to reach it.’ The boy hesitated. ‘Do it, Wimpf, if you want to keep that head on your shoulders.’

‘Young man,’ Crowther said, ‘how much blood was there?’

The boy shook his head. ‘Not a great deal, my lord. A few splashes under her hand. I cleaned it all up.’

They watched him as he drew with shaking fingers. After a few minutes he laid down his pen and Krall examined the sheet — clear enough. ‘Not bad. Stay out of the Major’s way today. I suppose you were asked to keep an eye on me and my English friends? Then as far as he is concerned, that is what you are doing. Avoid him until I get word to you. Now out you go.’

Wimpf paused at the door. ‘Mr District Officer?’

Krall held up his hand. ‘I don’t know, boy, what will happen to you. I can’t see into the future. But don’t despair. I doubt your fate will be any worse than the usual mix.’

They watched him leave.

‘Good God!’ Harriet said when the door had shut. ‘You knew all along, didn’t you, Herr Krall?’

‘As Mr Crowther said, madam, I am not stupid. There was the smear of chalk on his sleeve, and the maid they told me had discovered the body has the wits of a pea-hen. Can’t believe Swann didn’t spot this nonsense.’ He sat down on the bed again, well satisfied. ‘I suspect young Wimpf thought me a bit of a country cousin, as do most of the people at court, so I thought I’d make use of you and all your cleverness. He might have kept lying to me. It worked too.’

‘Who is Major Auwerk?’ Crowther asked.

Harriet was studying the symbol on the door. ‘He accompanied us from the border, Crowther, at the head of that party of Hussars. What his role is in this …’

‘We’ll find out soon enough — he won’t be going anywhere,’ Krall said. ‘Now, I am afraid you had better see the Countess.’

There was light enough now. He blew out his candle.