by Dora Heldt
I turned down Kalli’s invitation to join them, especially since my father had informed me with a disgusted face that my perfume was giving him a headache.
“For some reason you smell really overpowering. Have you eaten something funny?”
I’d refrained from answering and made a dignified exit.
Hearing the shed door slam, Marleen came to meet me. “I’ve put on some tea. Would you like a cup?” She looked at my shopping bags. “I thought you were planning to go to the beach. That’s what I told Herr Thiess, anyway. Did you run into him? He’s back.”
“I know.”
With the bags over my shoulder, I followed Marleen over to the lounge chairs. She poured tea and pushed a cup toward me, then gave me a look full of expectation.
“So? Tell me. Did he find you?”
I sat down next to her. “Yes, he did. But I was about to head off to see Heinz and the twins.”
“Okay, and?”
“No ‘and.’ You were in the Shark Bar too when Gisbert and my father came up with their theory that Johann is a con man. All because of his deceitful eyes.”
“Well, the thing with the address was a little strange too.”
“Marleen, there could be a thousand reasons for that. I’m meeting up with him later, so I’ll ask him then. In any case, I really don’t want to believe some conspiracy theory just because of wild speculation. So until I’ve spoken to him, I’d really prefer to avoid having Detective Heinz and Johann run into each other.”
“You’re already pretty smitten with him, aren’t you?” Marleen smiled at me.
“I think so, yes. But that doesn’t mean that I’m losing all my common sense, so don’t worry. Oh, by the way, I ran into Gisbert with Weidemann-Zapek and Klüppersberg in town. They’ve come up with some new theories already. Our observant journalist allegedly spotted the con man at the reception desk of the Georg Hotel.”
“But he never even met Thiess.”
“I know, but someone’s going to get nailed down from the very vague description they have. Johann was on the beach at the time, and why would he be at the Georg Hotel?”
“Besides, he’s staying here again,” said Marleen thoughtfully. “Anyway, whatever’s going on, I’ll try to calm Heinz down. I really regret telling him about Thiess taking all those photos. And that I thought he was a little strange. I’m sorry.”
I finished my tea and stood up. “It’s fine. You can help me limit the damage. I’m going off for a shower now, to pamper myself a bit. I’ve bought a really expensive dress for tonight so nothing else goes wrong this time. I just can’t figure out how to manage my rendezvous so the detectives don’t follow me.”
“Oh, come on.” Marleen waved away my concern. “I’ll help you as a way of making it up to you. I’ll distract the boys somehow.”
I was just gathering up my bags when something occurred to her. “They’re getting reinforcements tomorrow, by the way. Hubert called earlier. He’s coming earlier than planned.”
“Why? What about your aunt Theda?”
“Theda’s best friend, Agnes, is having her seventieth birthday and has two days of celebrations planned. Hubert has decided not to join in, so he’s dropping Theda off and then coming straight to the island.”
“So what’s he going to do here by himself?”
Marleen looked at me with resignation. “Guess.”
“Ah, I see. He wants to help out. So everything is ready for Saturday?”
“Exactly. So now there’ll be five of them: Heinz, Kalli, Onno, Carsten, and Hubert. Did I tell you that Carsten was carping on about Nils’s design plans? He said his son fudged a few things, so he wants to tidy them up a bit. And by the way, Onno is a baby at sixty-four, the rest of our workmen have a cumulative age of…two hundred ninety-five. Isn’t that just great?”
“Marleen, I hope you’re not breaking the law. I wouldn’t want you to get into trouble with the retiree support fund. Anyway, I’m heading over now. When Heinz arrives, try not to look surprised. He’s gotten himself some new clothes, looks like a disco king, and is depressed because of the dying penguins in the Antarctic.”
As I walked off I glanced back over my shoulder. Marleen had sunk down in the lounge chair, and I couldn’t tell from her blank expression whether she was despairing over the age of her workmen or the death of the penguins.
I was carefully removing the price tag from my new dress when I heard the key in the door, then my father’s footsteps shuffling across the hallway. It seemed the trampoline hadn’t managed to reduce his sadness.
“Christine?”
“I’m in the kitchen.”
He came in and sank down slowly onto the kitchen bench.
“What a day!”
“Were the twins really that demanding?”
“The twins? No, that was easy. It’s not like they’re the first children I’ve ever taken care of.”
“What then? Have the penguins really upset you that much?”
“You should have seen it! Someone has to do something. It’s scandalous.”
“Dad, it’s nature. Survival of the fittest.”
He was horrified.
“Christine! I really don’t know where you got this brutal nature from. It certainly wasn’t me, that’s for sure.”
Maybe I got it from Scooby-Doo, I thought, pulling the last threads from the sewn-up skirt pocket.
“So,” I said, holding the dress up. “Ready.”
My father had propped his chin on his hands and was studying the dress.
“Did you buy that today?”
In the face of his bonbon shirt I was almost afraid to answer. I nodded cautiously.
“It’s lovely. And such a pretty color, it matches your eyes.”
He really wasn’t himself. I sat down next to him and rested my hand on his back.
“You know what? I’m sure there’s some kind of Antarctic or penguin foundation. I’ll have a look online. Now, though, let’s get changed and go out to eat.”
He looked down at himself. “Why do I need to change? These are all new things.”
“Yes, I know they are.” I tried to be diplomatic. “But I think that you look a little more, well…respectable in jeans and a plain shirt.”
“Respectable? For Kalli and Marleen? Or Onno? By the way, I’ve invited Carsten to dinner. He’s part of the team now.”
I was sure Marleen would be thrilled. Our cozy evening meals were gradually turning into full-scale dinner parties.
“Carsten. Okay. I hope you’ve already let Marleen know.”
My father nodded, a little too energetically.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll call her then. I’ve laid out your things on your bed, so we can make a move in a bit once you’re ready.”
Before I could dial Marleen’s number, she called me. She informed me that Carsten was already there, that he had passed on his wife’s apologies, but she already had plans to go bowling. Gisbert had canceled because he was in the middle of a surveillance operation. She’d also advised Johann to get out of the line of fire of the old guys as quickly as possible, and that I’d explain that to him later. And that we should hurry because the sausages were ready.
My father, looking elegant in jeans and a light blue shirt, polished off three helpings of sausage and potato salad, despite moaning that that particular dish should only really be eaten on Christmas Eve. He leaned back contentedly.
“Delicious, but it’s not long before you feel bad afterward.”
He loosened his belt by a notch.
Carsten was sketching out his ideas for the interior design on a piece of paper and trying to convince Onno to abandon Nils’s instructions.
“Trust me—the lamps have to be central above the tables so people can see what they’re eating. My son just isn’t thinking practically.”
Marleen rolled her eyes. I smiled at her reassuringly and tried to figure out the time by peering at Kalli’s watch. It was just before nine. I jumped as my cell
phone vibrated in the thin pocket of my new dress. Earlier, I’d texted Johann about meeting up, and I was anxious for his reply. My father was watching me.
“You seem nervous. Do you realize you keep twitching for no reason?”
“Really?” I reached for my glass indifferently. “Maybe it’s just muscle reflexes from swimming.”
I counted to ten, then stood up. But it seemed my father wasn’t just sensitive to penguins today, but daughters, too.
“Where are you going?”
“To the toilet.”
“Well, go on then.”
“Thanks.”
Once I got to the toilet I read the text message that had just arrived: “I’ll be waiting in the Surf Café. For as long as it takes. Looking forward to it.”
I felt dizzy with anticipation. “I’ll be there in the next hour. Looking forward to it too.”
I still had no idea how I was going to pull it off, though. When I rejoined the others, the mood had clearly changed, even though I’d been gone just a couple of minutes. My father looked peeved, Kalli hurt, Carsten puzzled, and Onno helpless. And they were all looking at Marleen.
I looked first at her, then the others.
“What’s going on here?”
“You’ll have to ask Marleen.” My father glared at her angrily. “It seems we’re not enough for her.”
Marleen shrugged. “All I said was that Hubert’s coming tomorrow and wants to pitch in a bit.”
Carsten leaned forward. “And where is he planning to stay? The island’s full.”
“Hubert is my aunt’s partner. They’ve got their own apartment above the guesthouse. For heaven’s sake, all the furniture’s coming on Friday, so we need all the help we can get.”
My father snorted. “Right. Kalli told me he’s seventy-six. What will he be able to help with?”
“Dad, come on, you’re not exactly a spring chicken yourself.”
“I didn’t ask you. Right, thanks for the meal, I’m going to bed. Good night everyone.”
He stood up and went toward the door. I felt the impulse to go after him. As he got there, he turned around again. “Christine, don’t stay up too late, we’ve got lots of work to do tomorrow morning.”
The impulse disappeared. I stayed in my seat and watched the door fall shut behind him.
“He doesn’t mean it.” Kalli was standing up for my father, as always. “He had a difficult day. First the twins, then the penguins—it was too much for his gentle soul.”
“It’s fine.” Marleen got up and started to clear away the plates. “Christine, could you give me a hand?”
“Of course.”
As we cleared the table, the three men finished their drinks and then slowly started to make a move. We heard them speaking quietly to one another, then three voices saying, “Night, thanks, see you tomorrow.”
Marleen took the plate from my hand and then looked at me encouragingly. “Well, what are you waiting for? Go on, go and have fun.”
I took a deep breath. “Thanks, and…”
“Go on, hurry. And by the way…”
“What?”
“Don’t make too much noise in the hallway when the two of you go back to his room.”
“Marleen, the things you say…”
I could still hear her whistling as I pulled the bike out of the shed.
A Night to Remember
* * *
Hours later, as the first light of dawn broke through, I turned the key to the apartment door, holding my breath in the process. I opened it carefully, inch by inch. Inside the apartment, everything was completely still. A gentle snore emerged from my father’s room; he was sleeping with the door open. I prayed that he wouldn’t wake up. My shoes in my hand, I paused for a moment, then tiptoed into the living room. On my way, I started hiccupping, so suddenly and so loudly that I had to press my hand over my mouth and stop in my tracks. The snoring didn’t stop, and a wave of tenderness for my father and his tendency to sleep heavily swelled within me. I smiled, realizing how silly and emotional I was being. Once I reached the guest bed, I sank down onto it in the darkness, shoved my bag and shoes under it, undressed, and crept under the duvet. Relief washed over me, along with a feeling of unbridled happiness. What a night! I tried to make out the time on the alarm clock: 5:20 a.m. It was only an hour until I had to get up, but I was wide awake. I could still smell Johann’s scent, hear his voice in my ear, and feel his hands on my body. And now my father was sleeping peacefully just two doors away.
I turned onto my back and sighed. I didn’t want to fall asleep; I wanted to relive the whole evening over again, scene for scene like in the movies, with the camera pointed on Johann, everything in close-up.
I’d spotted Johann’s green shirt as I approached the Surf Café. My pulse raced quicker and quicker the closer I got. He looked so handsome. I chained up my bike slowly, needing every second to steady my nerves. After all, I didn’t want to rush up to him like some lovesick sixteen-year-old. He didn’t need to know that I would happily have pounced on him and ripped his clothes off right away. We had a few things to sort out first. When he spotted me coming toward him, he stood up with a smile.
There was a bottle of white wine in a cooler in front of him on the table, and next to it, a bottle of water and four glasses.
“Or would you like something else?”
I shook my head, so he picked up the bottle and poured. I liked how strong his hands looked.
“So?” He waited, his glass raised, for me to say something. I tore my gaze from his hands and stared at him instead. My throat was dry.
“Christine? Is everything okay?”
What was I supposed to say? Should I just blurt it all out and confront him about Pookie? Ask him about his interest in Marleen? About the false address in Bremen? Or about the photos he’d taken of the guesthouse? He’d think I was some hysterical cow, and I’d end up ruining everything. No, I had to seem like I was in control; my first question had to be a cautious one. Interested, but not distrustful; intelligent, but not nosy; affectionate, but not too intimate. My mind was racing, and it took a moment before I realized Johann was talking to me.
“Christine? Hello, earth to Christine, have you lost the power of speech?”
I took a deep breath. “My father thinks you’re a con man—that you propose marriage to women, then take their money.”
God! It seemed my brain had completely abandoned me. Intelligent and mysterious; affectionate and interested. Great. And, to top it all off, it hadn’t even been a question. Christine, master of rhetoric. Inside, I was writhing with embarrassment.
Johann stared at me, at first perplexed, then disbelieving. He had incredibly long eyelashes. Enviably long. I wanted to reach out and touch them. What on earth had I just said? And why wasn’t he reacting? Suddenly, I came to my senses. I sat up straight. Johann’s eyes were glistening. He put his hand in front of his mouth and started to laugh. Softly at first, then more and more, until his entire body shook. For minutes on end. Eventually, he wiped the tears away, looked for a tissue in his pocket, and blew his nose with great gusto. Then he looked at me for a second before starting to laugh again.
“Oh, Christine.” He could barely speak, still holding the tissue against his face. “That’s great.”
I didn’t understand and felt like an idiot. It seems he thought I’d made a joke. Apart from the fact that it wasn’t one, even if it had been, it was such a bad one that I really didn’t get the outbreak of hilarity. What kind of sense of humor did this man have?
“Erm…Johann?”
“Yes?” He looked completely spent.
“It wasn’t a joke. My father meant it seriously. And he isn’t the only one.”
“Yes…I can see that.” Johann gasped for air. “I’ll be okay in a moment. Can you pour me some water please?” He held his glass out. “So, a con man.”
“Yes. And what’s so funny about that?”
I had to wait until he had finished his
drink before he answered. Or tried to, anyway.
“Well, I just think it’s funny given that I’ve neither proposed to you, nor am I broke, both of which would be the case if your father was right. But somehow I’m relieved, because I was starting to feel like I had a persecution complex.”
I still didn’t understand. And it must have been obvious from my expression.
“Ever since I got back I’ve had the feeling I’m being followed. When I got back from the beach, that friend of your father’s, the blond guy, you know…”
“Kalli?”
“I think so. The one that’s helping out in the restaurant. Anyway, he was riding his bike behind me, then alongside. For minutes on end. He didn’t say hello and was taking great pains not to look at me. But he was a few feet away at most.”
“Well, did you try speaking to him?”
“Yes, of course I did. I asked him what he wanted. But he didn’t answer. And when I stopped he rode on, whistling.”
“And then?”
“After that I had some redheaded moped driver on my heels. I couldn’t shake him, either. And when I stopped off for lunch, he sat on the railing of the restaurant terrace and stared at me. Through binoculars.”
Gisbert von Meyer. The secret service’s top spy.
“Why didn’t you just go up and confront him?”
Johann shrugged. “Oh, what was the point? I just thought it was probably some crazy guy.”
He wasn’t that far from the truth. But it was time to explain things to him. I didn’t want him to think we were all crazy. So I told him, in detail, about Gisbert’s report about the press conference and my father’s theories. When I got to the part about Gisbert’s friend in Bremen, Johann shook his head in disbelief.
“You could have just asked me. I can explain it all: I worked in Sweden over the last year and only came back in mid-May. My things were stored at my aunt’s place in Cologne; I stayed with her for a bit because I’d rented out my place in Bremen until the beginning of June. Most of my clothes are already in Bremen. The building manager is supposed to be hanging a nameplate on the door for me, and he’s already assured me he would, so I’m not sure why it isn’t up yet.”