Tanglewood Grotto

by Susan Finlay

  Another groan stopped him in his tracks. What was that? Where was it coming from? He inched forward and his foot bumped into something, and he let out a small scream.

  “Wh . . . what happened?”

  He froze. Somebody else was here. He was no longer alone.

  “Is anybody here?” the voice asked.

  “Max? Dad? Is that you?”

  “Tobias? Oh thank goodness. I’ve been worried sick about you.”

  Tobias bent down, his hands searching in the dark. Within seconds he wrapped his arms around Max’s reclining body and held on tightly.

  “I didn’t think I’d ever find you,” Max said, hugging his son back, “but I wasn’t going to give up. Only I didn’t expect to find you this way. What happened? Where are we?”

  “Somebody opened the door to this place—whatever it is—and must have pushed you down here. Are you hurt?”

  “My head and arm hurt like hell, but I think I’m just bruised. Can you help me get up?”

  Tobias grabbed Max’s shoulder. “Is this arm okay, or should I grab the other one?”

  “It’s the good one.”

  Tobias tugged, while Max struggled to a sitting position first, rested a moment, then turned over onto hands and feet to raise himself up. Tobias pulled as hard as he could, helping Max struggle to a standing position.

  “Are you okay?” Tobias asked.

  “Yeah. Just feel a little dizzy.”

  “Where are we?” Tobias asked. “Are we in a cellar in Riesen?”

  “No. Well, probably not in Riesen. Not sure where this place is.”

  Tobias scratched the top of his head. “We’re not in Riesen?”

  “Konrad and I went there to look for you, but couldn’t find you. I found out Gramps had taken Anneliese to her parents’ farm and, well, I got the crazy idea to go there and find out if you went with them looking for farm animals. Guess I was right.”

  “Huh? No, I didn’t go with them. I remember walking to Riesen. That was a really long walk. My legs were hurting and I was thirsty, but I really wanted to see Gramps about getting the farm animals he promised us. Somewhere between the town’s gate and Gramps’s house—or maybe at Gramps’s, I don’t seem able to remember that part clearly—someone must’ve hit me over the head, because I woke up here with a headache and a giant bump on my head. I don’t know how long I was unconscious or how I got here, wherever here is.”

  “Okay, now I’m really confused,” Max said.

  “Me too. So what happened to you? Who dumped you in here?”

  Max sighed. “This is very weird. We were at Anneliese’s father’s farm. Gramps and Konrad were putting together a search party to look for you. Raimund—Anneliese’s father—was in the barn and he was really angry. He apparently didn’t like us being there and got extremely angry when Gramps tried to get Raimund’s sons to help with the search for you. We didn’t understand his anger, so while Gramps and Konrad went to find search party volunteers, I watched Raimund to make sure he didn’t go crazy wild.” He ran his hand threw his hair. “It’s hard to remember exactly what happened. I left the barn, because Raimund was giving me the evil eye. Went and sat in the grass underneath a tree to wait. The rest is a blank and now I’m here.”

  “I’m sorry you are stuck here, too, but glad I’m not alone anymore.”

  Max stroked Tobias’s hair. “I think I must have fallen asleep.” He paused for a few seconds. “Wait. I remember now. Someone screamed. I got up and ran toward the house. That’s the last thing I remember until I heard your voice a few minutes ago. I guess I blew it as the watchman, huh?”

  “Do you think Raimund killed his wife or Anneliese? When you ran toward the house, maybe he hit you and then dragged you or carried you to wherever this place is.”

  “That seems a good possibility, though I don’t know why he would do that.”

  They stood in silence for a few minutes.

  “Dad, why would Raimund kidnap me and bring me here? Does he even know me?”

  “That, son, is a damned good question.”

  “Will Konrad and Gramps find us?”

  “I’m sure they will,” Max said, sounding optimistic and patting Tobias on the shoulder, which made Tobias look up at him and smile.

  After a few moments of silence, Max said, “Hmm . . . .” and then he hesitated, as if thinking. “If Raimund did this to us, he could say I left the farm searching for you and then mislead Karl and Konrad. And if he killed or injured someone, others might still be in danger.”

  Tobias didn’t know how to respond.

  Max suddenly became a little wobbly, appearing like he might fall over, and Tobias held on to help steady him. “Thanks, buddy. Is there a place to sit down in here?”

  “Well, there’s empty crates. I stacked them up and have been sitting on them. I don’t know if they’ll hold you. You’re heavier than me.”

  Max chuckled. “Yeah, I would probably bust them. Guess I’ll sit on the floor.”

  “Uh, maybe you shouldn’t. I think there are animals in here. Like rats or something.”

  “While I don’t like the sound of that, I think I better chance it and sit. Can you help me again?”

  “Sure.” As he helped Max sit down, he thought of something. “Hey, Dad, do you think you can reach that window over there or lift me up high enough? I can’t reach it, even standing on the crates.”

  Max walked over to the window and stared up. “Nope. I can’t reach it myself. Not unless there’s something strong I can stand on. As for lifting you up, I don’t think so. My arm is really sore from my fall. Sorry, Tobias.”

  “That’s okay. I hope you’re arm stops hurting. My head still aches some after getting hit.” He rubbed the bump out of habit. “Dad, are you sure whoever kidnapped you didn’t cart you away to a different place, too?”

  “Well now, I didn’t think about that. I suppose it’s possible. Don’t know how long I was unconscious.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  AS SOFIE FOLLOWED the three men out into the street to go see the Feldgendarms, she couldn’t stop thinking about the cloaked man she’d seen outside last night. No one else seemed to think there was anything untoward about the sighting, but she couldn’t shake the idea that it might have been Vikktor. Whether it was woman’s intuition or just paranoia, she couldn’t say.

  In this part of town, where Helmut had lived with his father-in-law for years, the houses were not connected and their yards had grass, flower pots, and shrubbery, evidencing a more affluent area. During the journey to Dinkelsbühl, Helmut had told them the house had belonged to Johan. Apparently, carpentry was a good business to be in. Helmut told them he wasn’t sure if he would inherit it, or if Johan’s oldest brother would.

  They strolled past several of those houses and, as if drawn by a magnet, she immediately focused on the space where she’d seen the dog run between two of the houses. Hmm. Last night, the mysterious man must have been standing just about in the spot where she now stood. She stopped, glanced ahead to see if the men were watching, then turned around and faced the direction from which they’d just come. Helmut’s house was clearly visible, as was the front porch where she’d stood. The house was the last one on the street. Next to it was the town wall, and across the street was the large clump of bushes, in which she’d first heard the dog. Could the man have been staring at the wall instead of at her? Possibly.

  She turned more toward the houses, craning her neck to get a more thorough look. She’d purposely chosen to stay in the rear of the group, giving some privacy from the others and to allow herself a chance to do some snooping if need be. So far, her plan was working. They hadn’t turned around once to see if she was keeping up.

  After a few moments of staring into the yards of the houses, she sighed. No one—neither the man nor the dog—was around. Was Werner right? Did the man live in one of those houses? Was he there now, going about his daily routine, eating breakfast or getting ready for work? She wished she had
n’t let her foolish fear chase her indoors last night. If only she’d stood her ground and waited for the man to get closer, she might not have to wonder and might not have to worry about what her companions thought of her.

  She glanced back at the group of men. They were rounding a corner and she was about to lose sight of them. She rushed forward and caught up to them. Maybe it was time to forget the mysterious stranger. People were already milling about in the market square, waiting for the merchants to open their stalls for business. Vikktor, if he was in town, wouldn’t likely be in this area. She pictured him skulking around in some cellar. More realistically, maybe he was staying with a friend. Could he be staying in one of those houses they’d passed? Oh, hell, weren’t they supposed to be looking around town for Max and Tobias? Going to see the Feldgendarms was a good idea, but couldn’t they split up and be more effective?

  She stepped up her pace so that she was walking alongside Werner and the others. “I think we should split up temporarily. We can cover more area and get this done quicker. Vikktor might have my son. That’s why we came here, to find Tobias, isn’t it?”

  “Of course,” Werner said. “But we need to be careful. We don’t want Vikktor to get word that we’re here and give him a chance to run off and take your son with him.”

  She pursed her lips, thinking. He had a point. “Well, I’ll just have to be careful. If I look around and pretend I’m shopping, I won’t draw too much attention. I’ll meet you back at Helmut’s house.”

  Werner sighed loudly. “Fine. I cannot stop you. It’s your son at risk.”

  Sofie clenched her jaw. He might have been her adopted grandfather at one time, but that didn’t mean she had to like the guy. “I’ll be careful.”

  After walking around the shops for a while, coupled with her explorations on their previous visit, and having been to the town as it was in the future, Sofie believed she had a decent knowledge of the town. She’d stopped at almost every shop, feigning interest in their wares, all the while studying the people in and around the shops, looking for any sign of her son or husband, but there was none. Occasionally, she engaged a likely person in conversation and asked if they had seen a blond boy around age ten who wasn’t from town, or two strangers—her husband and his half-brother. No one had.

  Stopping to rest on a nearby merchant bench, Sofie thought about her conversation with Werner last night. She’d asked if he knew anyone in this town, someone who might know Vikktor. He said that he knew someone who had helped Mathias, and that he may be in contact with Vikktor or others who came through the portal. Other time travelers. Others might be here from the future.

  Wait a minute! What if this town was Vikktor’s headquarters? She shook her head. Not likely. Helmut has lived here for years and supposedly hadn’t seen Vikktor. She tapped her chin with her index finger. Of course, Helmut could be lying, though she hadn’t sensed any subterfuge from him.

  Hmm. Originally, when they’d first heard about Johan’s murder, they’d guessed that Vikktor had discovered they were in town and had killed the man to implicate Ingrid and get her arrested. But that supposition had not panned out, as nobody had come after Ingrid. Maybe Johan’s murder had nothing to do with Ingrid. Helmut had told them that Johan and Vikktor knew each other. That they’d worked together. Could Johan have been a time traveler, too?

  Oh my God! What if Johan was the man that Werner was talking about, the man who had helped Mathias years ago?

  Sofie leaned back against a wall and nervously glanced around at the people milling about, as if they could read her thoughts or see the concern in her face, but no one was paying any attention to her. She was just another stranger in town. Calming, she wondered what else the town’s people did not pay attention to. An alternate thought occurred to her. Perhaps Johan had been oblivious to the time travelers, assuming they were just out-of-towners. He might have just been going about his every day work and accidentally discovered what Vikktor was doing. If he had discovered Vikktor’s activities, perhaps he threatened to turn him over to authorities, resulting in his demise.

  Yes, that made sense, too.

  “Oh, there you are,” Ryan said, appearing in front of her and sitting down. “We’ve been looking for you.”

  Sofie waved her hand in recognition, as the other two companions made an appearance, stopping several yards away. She looked at Werner. He was staring off in the distance, perhaps something on his mind. Helmut wiped sweat from his brow and nodded to her.

  “What did you find out from the Feldgendarms?” she asked Ryan.

  “They said they don’t know anything,” Ryan said. “Bunch of incompetents, if you ask me. I mean, I could be wrong and misunderstood some of the conversation, but it didn’t sound like they knew anything more now than they did when we spoke with them last.”

  “You weren’t talking to the Feldgendarms the whole time, were you?”

  He nodded. “Most of it. Then we were looking for you.”

  “Why were you waiting for me? You could have gone to see Werner’s contact without me.”

  Ryan shrugged. “I dunno. Nobody tells me anything.”

  Sofie nodded, then whispered, “Even when they tell us something, I’m not sure we’re getting the truth.”

  “Nope.” He glanced over at Werner, who was still staring off and acting as if he didn’t know they existed. Leaning in closer to Sofie he said, “Funny thing, though. While Werner and Helmut were talking to the Feldgendarms, and the name Johan Stumpf came up, I could have sworn Werner’s face went white for a moment. I’m probably wrong, but it struck me as odd, and then he was quieter for quite a while afterwards.”

  “Do you think Johan was the man Werner was talking about last night?”

  “Dunno. Could be, I suppose.” He shrugged.

  Sofie nodded and rose. She strode over to Werner and Helmut. “Now that we’re all together,” she said to Werner, “I want to go talk to the man you thought might know Vikktor.”

  Werner shook his head. “Not possible. He’s no longer in Dinkelsbühl.”

  “How do you know that? We have not checked yet.” Helmut asked.

  “I spoke to one of the Feldgendarms in private. He told me.”

  Sofie couldn’t believe he would lie to their faces. “He isn’t in town anymore because he’s dead, isn’t that right? He was Johan Stumpf.”

  Helmut’s mouth dropped open, and then he turned to stare at Werner. “Is that true, Uncle?”

  “I did not know he was your father-in-law and did not know he had died.”

  Helmut paced left, then right, like an agitated horse. Apparently angry, he turned to Werner and asked, “How was Johan connected with Mathias Kimmel?”

  Werner didn’t answer.

  Sofie said, “You told us last night that you knew a man here in town who had helped Mathias years ago. Tell us everything you know about their relationship.”

  “I know only that he was working for Vikktor. That’s all. I would venture to guess they had a disagreement and Vikktor killed him. Maybe on purpose or maybe by accident.” He shrugged.

  “Nein. Johan was a carpenter. I was his apprentice for many years. I would know if he was involved with an illegal transport operation.”

  “People are good at hiding things,” Werner said. “It’s hard to really know someone. I have it on good authority that he worked for or with Vikktor.”

  Helmut gave Sofie a quick glance.

  Sofie said, “And, not knowing that Johan was dead, you thought Johan would voluntarily tell you where to find Vikktor?”

  Werner shrugged his shoulders opening his arms, palms up, and replied, “I can be persuasive. I could have offered him money.”

  Helmut paced on the cobbled street, a frown on his forehead, but said nothing. Sofie wondered what was going on in his head right now, but decided to give him a chance to sort the information out and let him talk when he was ready. Seeing that they would get nothing more out of Werner, she said, “Okay. What now, Werner? Y
ou said there were other time travelers. Do you know where we can find any of them?”

  “I didn’t keep track of the travelers I helped Mathias with. That was very long ago. The others, I thought Johan could locate. Without him, I’m afraid we are lost.”

  IN THE MORNING, after hearing the front door close and the house go quiet, Ingrid plodded down the stairs and into the kitchen, where she knew she would find her sister-in-law. While she was pretty sure that Gretchen didn’t know anything about the time travel or about Werner’s past, maybe she did know something about his ties to Karl and Vikktor. If so, she was determined to drag the information out of her, one way or another.

  “Here, let me help you clean up the breakfast dishes,” she said, pushing her way into the workspace.

  Gretchen opened her mouth to complain that guests shouldn’t work, but Ingrid waved her hand and picked up several dirty dishes. “Phooey. I expect to help out where I can.”

  “Danke.”

  While she washed dish after dish, Ingrid sneaked peeks at the elderly woman. Again, like that day in the parlor when Gretchen had brought in the tray of drinks, she seemed familiar. Pure white hair, pale blue eyes, heavy girth and tight-fitting clothes. Every bit the German hausfrau. No deception, no putting on airs, no jealousy. Maybe that’s all it was. Maybe that’s why she seemed familiar.

  Even though the woman seemed timid and mild, she might become suspicious and defensive, Ingrid thought, if asked too many probing questions. Ingrid had seen far too many people change colors fast as a chameleon.

  Deciding to approach her with caution, she started with a simple question. “Your children and grandchildren are all living in the area, but what about the rest of your family. Are any of them living near?”

  “Hmm. Well, my parents are long gone. I have a sister who lives on a farm about a half day’s ride from here and a brother who lives near Dinkelsbühl. We had a sister here in Riesen, but she died a few months ago.”