April 2nd
With Steve in hospital Mathilde found herself at a loose end. She had thought that the most natural place for an aunt would be at her nephew's bedside, reading him stories and bringing him homemade cookies and other titbits. To her surprise Mike Stone explained, that American hospitals had very restricted visiting hours and that Steve, as a police officer injured while on duty had to be chaperoned by another member of the police when he had visitors, even close relatives. She was happy enough that Steve's nice boss accompanied her. She wouldn't have liked a stranger sitting in on the visits, brief as they were. And the poor child seemed to be asleep most of the time!
She did a bit of sightseeing and shopping, but what she really missed was a young person to take care of. So she remembered the polite young man that Steve had brought home for dinner. The old lady still was mortified that she had accidentally ruined a good pair of trousers by shortening them. So she decided to ring up Ed and ask him to come shopping with her to replace the trousers for him. She also wanted to buy a decent suit for little Stevie. She had checked his wardrobe and found nothing suitable for formal wear, all these colors and patterns!
With a determined expression on her face she picked up the phone and dialled the number the nice young man had given her. Hadn't he told her to ring her any time she needed him? And now she really needed some company and someone to look after in the absence of her Stiefelchen.
To her surprise a different voice answered the phone and she grew a bit flustered, trying to explain who she was and what she wanted.
Ironside, who had picked up the phone, immediately understood that he was talking to the old aunt who was visiting Stone's assistant. "Ed Brown? Unfortunately he is out for an hour or so, but I am sure he will be very happy to accompany you on a shopping trip."
Mattie was delighted and thanked the nice man profusely. So polite and well mannered, just like her nephew Herbert!
When Ed returned from his trip to the courts, Ironside informed him about his shopping date with the old lady. "Don't worry about the time, you can work it up over the next few nights." He generously added. "We must arrange a date to have her over for some Chili. We couldn't let her go back to Germany and miss out on the experience."
And what an experience that would be, Ed thought…
Ed and Mattie, as he called her by the end of the day, were about to return home, when the Sergeant suddenly kept the old lady back.
"Please wait here. This will only take a minute," he asked her and dropped the bags he was carrying right where he had been standing.
Mathilde's heart skipped more than one beat, when she saw the young man cross the street with his long stride and approach two young women in unmistakable clothing. They had to be... her brain refused even to think of their profession or rather occupation. Could she be such a poor judge of character? Had she been so wrong about this man? And thinking of her dear Stiefelchen... that he had been out at night with this sergeant Brown... what if he had been in contact with these women too?
And now the Sergeant even sprinted after one of the women, who had started to run away! He outran her and then directed her back to her companion. Enraged Mathilde crossed the street, fidgeting with her umbrella, threatening the policeman.
For a second the serious young man was stunned over this fierce attack, then he managed to grab the umbrella before it hit home. He straightened up to his full height of six ft two and ordered, "Later, Madam. This is police business."
There was an unexpected authority behind his words, and she backed off immediately, retiring to her left abandoned bags.
Two uniformed policemen approached. Sgt. Brown seemed to explain something to them. The two women climbed into the black and white and where whisked away. Sgt. Brown came back to Mathilde, who addressed him, all strict, "Sergeant Brown, your behavior is absolutely unheard of. I have to admit that I am almost glad that my grandnephew is in the hospital, where he is at a safe distance from the likes of you!"
Ed had found back to his quick-thinking self. He wasn't Chief Ironside's right hand man for nothing. "Madam – let me explain this. I'm sure your nephew in Munich, Kommissar Keller, told you about the benefits of undercover work." Most probably she would not be satisfied by the idea of Steve going undercover, and the success of having brought in two important witnesses in the Mission murder case – the prostitutes with the Tennessee accent - would hardly appease her. Therefore he quickly went on, "Sometimes we use actors and actresses for such assignments." This was the truth, although it didn't apply in this case. But the mention of Kommissar Keller directed Mathilde's thinking in a new direction. If these young women were only actresses, then there was no harm done to her Stiefelchen...
"Oh, in that case... I'm sorry for interfering!"
Ed was relieved. "There was no harm done," he answered peaceably. "Let me take you home now, you must be rather disturbed by the events you witnessed."
He dropped her off at Steve's apartment and carried the load of bags upstairs for her and wanted to take his leave.
"Oh no, you must stay for dinner, I insist! It will only take a few minutes, just a quick Schnitzel with a few fried up dumplings… ", she started getting busy in the kitchen and true to her word reappeared within twenty minutes with two heaped plates, and a little side of Sauerkraut…
"And now you must allow me to let out the trousers you bought, I noticed in the shop that they were a little bit short." She giggled. "After all, it is my fault that you needed new pants!"
She rummaged through her bags. "Do you think Stevie will like the suit I bought him?"
Ed almost choked on a piece of cake – not chocolate, this time, fortunately for him, since he didn't like chocolate, not even combined with cabbage.
"I'm sure he will. The suit is certainly different! "
She sighed. "I'm not too sure about the shirt I bought for my nephew in Munich. Maybe it is a little bit too colorful for a man in his position."
Once more Ed had to use a lot of diplomacy and a straight face to get his answer right, when he looked the purple and orange patterned shirt over. "I'm sure that's what he would expect from San Francisco."
"What I am absolutely sure of though, is the pant suit I bought for myself."
Ed's smile was genuine when he thought of the vibrant orange and magenta garment that so fitted the vibrant personality.
The following ten days of Aunt Mathilde's visit were calm in comparison to the beginning. To her great amazement Steve's release from hospital happened to be right on the day he and Ed were needed in court to give their statement for the arraignment of their assailants.
Mike faced a problem of a different kind- he wouldn't let Steve with the cracked rib sleep on the sofa, but Steve's aged aunt couldn't possibly give up Steve's bed either. So he ended up bringing both of them home with him and settled Steve in the spare room and Mattie in Jeannie's room, where Mathilde had a great time looking through Jeannie's magazines and glean some valuable fashion ideas.
Having both of them right under his nose made life much easier for Mike in many ways. So he could make sure that Steve, though he had been pronounced fit to work, wasn't subjected to auntly hugs and kisses.
"A hug could prove deadly for a man with a cracked rib," he explained the cruel restrictions on her display of affection for her beloved grandnephew.
Although Mike really liked the old lady, he was getting exhausted from playing referee and covering up for Steve, so he was happy when the visit came to an end and Mattie was supposed to go to Modesto and help Ruth, who had come out of hospital, around the house.
The last big event was the Chili Dinner that Ironside had promised to host. Ironside was looking forward to meeting the eccentric lady who had the grapevine of the Bureau going.
April 11th, Chief Ironside's office
When the door opened a group of three walked into Ironside's quarters. The first person who caught his eye was an old, white haired lady dressed in a very fashionable orange and magenta pant suit with floral pattern, several strings of beads dangling on her ample bosom. It didn't take any detective skills to assume that she was the famous grand aunt. Not exactly what he had expected but… On the other hand Stone's Kid Detective was not his usual self, either. He was wearing an ill-fitting dark blue and very conservatively cut suit that made him look even younger. The corners of Ironside's mouth twitched ever so slightly but when he realised that the steamed up young man was only reined in by Mike Stone's steely glare, he couldn't suppress a smile. The evening might even turn out even more pleasant than anticipated.
Mike and Steve were both carrying bags and bowls, as Mathilde Keller had insisted on making a little contribution towards the meal. "Unfortunately we have run out of Sauerkraut." She explained as she unpacked her bags, "but I made some real Bavarian delicacies, radish salad, a cheese dip and some homemade bread. Of course there will be a nice crumble cake for desert!" She smiled lovingly at Steve, who looked very sullen.
Mark declined all offers of help in heating up the Chili, so the group sat down at the octagonal table. Ed complimented the old lady on how well she looked in her new outfit.
She beamed with joy, leaned towards him and whispered. "I don't think Stevie really likes the suit I bought him. I got it a little bit bigger in case he fills out, but I had to take the arms and legs up a bit." She giggled nervously when she remembered how she had shortened Ed's trousers. "But he looks so neat in it, like a German boy on his Confirmation day."
Mathilde truly bemoaned the fact that the American Kellers had so readily given up their German heritage.
Then she turned to Ironside, the old wrinkled face lit up with a genuine smile. "I am so glad to meet you at last, Mr Ironside. Your assistant has told me so much about you!"
"Good things, I hope, Madam!" He answered.
"Only the best! He is such a polite young man, a real credit to the man who trained him!" then she checked herself and turned to Mike. "You certainly do a wonderful job with our Stevie, too. It is just that he was a bit wild as a boy and lacked discipline…"
Mike put a steadying hand on Steve's arm and Ironside detected some strain within the Keller clan, either the result of the generation gap, the cultural differences or just a clash of personalities.
With the pot of chili bubbling away on the stove, Mark had joined them, curious about the strange food that Aunt Mathilde had laid out on the table. He gingerly tried some of the cheese dip on a tiny piece of fresh, crusty bread and immediately reached for a bigger piece.
"This is lovely, ma'am. Real nice!" he praised and soon everybody was digging in, except Steve who still chewed on his first piece of bread that his aunt had heaped with cheese dip for him.
Mike eyed him suspiciously and whispered. "What's wrong now? There is not a shred of Sauerkraut in sight after I got rid of the rest yesterday."
Steve sighed and whispered back "I don't like caraway seeds…"
His aunt must have heard part of the conversation and turned around. "But you need the caraway seeds; they help you to digest the radishes!"
"How about we put some caraway seeds into the Chili, Chief, they are supposed to help digestion!" Mark quipped.
"Never change a winning formula!" Ironside replied.
Steve couldn't have agreed more, for him the Chili was certainly perfect, it seemed to be the best food he had eaten in almost three weeks. Out of deference to the old lady, the Chief had refrained from putting extra chili peppers, but Mathilde seemed to find it a little bit on the spicy side, though she was too polite to say so. She and Ironside got chatting about police work in the States and in Germany and she was genuinely delighted that the famous detective Ironside had heard of her nephew Herbert Keller. "He does favour your methods, you know, using his head rather than running around and getting beaten up. He has a staff of three young men that do all the legwork and boring stuff. All very polite and well-mannered like Ed. And Herbert is so kind and generous, always buys me tickets to visit our relatives abroad…"
Steve snorted and bit back a disparaging remark when Mike's elbow dug into his ribs. This may have gone unnoticed by Mathilde, but not by Ironside.
The conversation turned to differences between the United States and Germany and Mathilde told Ironside her sad story about not being allowed to visit her sick nephew unchaperoned in hospital. "I understand that a police officer needs special security arrangements, but what harm could an old woman like myself do!"
Steve almost choked on a spoonful of Chili, Mike looked slightly embarrassed and Ed fought hard to keep a straight face. Ironside, ever the quick thinker, looked at the trio and came to a conclusion fast. To Mathilde he said: "Regulations are regulations, I'm afraid, but they are there for a reason."
A reason that Mike Stone will have to tell me someday soon… though he had a fair idea that the kid detective didn't seem to be a founding member of his aunt's growing fan club.
When the table was cleared of the Chili bowls Mathilde served her crumble cake. "It's a short crust base with a fruit filling topped with crumble." She explained the recipe to an interested Mark. "You can use apples, rhubarb, apricots."
Steve nodded appreciatively.
"Or like in this one - plums."
Steve's face fell. Mike whispered. "Let me guess- you don't like plums…"
Suddenly all the conversations around the table stopped. The reason was Ironside. Everybody was psychologically trained or sensitive enough to recognize a serious face when they saw one. And Ironside's face was very serious. They followed his glance and noticed a very shaken looking Mark, who had left to get something in his room and who was now standing in his door.
