Chapter eight: The Cry in the Maze

Back in the parlour, nearly everyone had arrived. Luise was sitting as far apart from Leopold as possible, and as close to Mahler as defensible. She modestly smiled at me as I entered through the French windows, which earned her a disapproving glare from Agnes. The old lady stood by the blackboard and marked the Japanese garden with a chalky little cross. The Graf, his son and Johann Mahler had gathered in a corner, conversing, and over it all, Sherlock Holmes held vigil with a watchful eye. On my arrival he swiftly rose to meet me.

"Any steps taken?" I enquired with a hushed voice. He nodded, and a brief smile flitted over his features.

"Mystery solved. I have the key to the solution here, in my pocket", he confided in me, talking in a blur, too rapidly for a non-native speaker to catch on. "My only concern is how certain people will take to it." His pensive glance roamed the room and came to rest on the group of gentlemen, next to the fireplace.

"Perhaps you should do as Frau Mahler advised you. Just retrieve the items, no matter who took them, and restore them to their rightful owner."

The stubborn man raised a scornful eyebrow. "I think I shan't."

"But Holmes, surely…"

My words came to a dead stop when I realized I was talking into the void. Holmes had moved over to join the other gentlemen, and as my only other options were Agnes, who keenly envisaged me, clearly over-eager to communicate her latest findings to me, and the silent lovebirds on the settee, clandestinely entwining hands, I chose to follow him.

"…should play another rubber tonight", the Graf just told everyone who cared to hear, stumping his Tripolis cigarette into an ashtray. "No more dancing or running around. It has been hard on my health…"

For some reason, he threw a glance at my poor friend that was nearly murderous.

"Sure father. If you are feeling gouty…" Leopold acceded.

"Well, but let's not play some child's game", Johann Mahler demanded with a sneer. "In the first instance, let's play for money, otherwise, what is there to gain? Which reminds me", he grinned hideously, "you're in my debt still, Leo. Hopefully you intend to pay before I return to Wilhelmshaven?"

Leopold's girlishly pretty face first blanched and then suffused with a shameful hue of red. I almost pitied him when I observed Luise's lenient smile, which demonstrated her depreciation only too well.

"Of course you will get your due", he replied hurriedly. "It's no matter at all. The sum can easily be raised, only I haven't had occasion to see my bankers yet, since father insists nobody is to leave the castle."

His Highness the Graf eyed him with a frown, but made no comment. I thought what an indiscreet, unfeeling sort of a chap Johann had to be to expose his alleged friend to such embarrassment, when female laughter suddenly became audible. Her Highness swept in with Margarete Mahler, both of them in twin sets of skirt and jacket in autumnal tints, and appareled with wide straw hats and walking sticks.

Beholding her adulterous husband and his mistress, that had hastily moved apart, Frau Mahler's cheerful laughter died on her lips and she followed the example of Gräfin Wilhelmina, who passed them without a word and made her cross on the blackboard.

"Very well", Her Highness said and the conversation of the men faded. "Here we are, at last. And everyone's given an alibi, as far as I can see…Oh! No, someone hasn't."

She compared the chalk crosses and the little scrawled names with the persons present. Sweat started to break from my forehead as she beckoned me to come forward and add my alibi. I considered forging one, but was aware it would be to no avail, for Holmes would know somehow where I had been, by some splash on my trousers most likely. Thus, I awkwardly stepped to the board and gingerly made a mark on the green house, which already bore the signatures of Leopold and Luise.

The boy did not seem to notice at all, taking little interest in the progress of the game I reckon, but Fräulein Luise's eyebrows climbed her even front and I felt her gaze rest on my back almost painfully.

"Well, well, now everybody's given an alibi and for all that I can see, I have been widowed. My Friedrich has met his maker by the border of the lake, I perceive." The Gräfin smiled indulgently at Agnes, who hampered on her seat, clearly thrilled by the fact a murder had taken place, even if it was not quite genuine. "Any ideas, anyone?"

If I may be so bold, it is beyond doubt the Freifrau Agnes committed the deed", Sherlock Holmes remarked, and everybody groaned in annoyance.

"Mr. Holmes! That is not fair. You've ruined the round for the others!" Agnes complained. "The fun is gone. How did you even know it?"

"It is of little importance", my friend replied smugly, but neither Agnes nor the rest of the party would be satisfied with that. Feeling everybody's eyes on his person, the detective uncrossed his legs and got up from the seat he had resumed, slowly pacing the room. "In all probability, I wouldn't have known, had I not myself encountered the 'corpse' by the lake side."

The corners of his mouth twitched. I observed the German aristocrat's mimic was corresponding in a way, only he was gnashing his teeth. The humiliation he would have derived from such an encounter was easily imagined. The noble Graf obliged to lie on the ground, and endure Holmes' careful examination no doubt, not even able to verbalize his protest, for I had remarked my friend's linguistic capacities had a tendency of diminishing in the degree it was convenient for him.

"Applying the rules of deportment I would have applied in a real case, the first thing to do to examine the ground", Sherlock Holmes elaborated. "I was able to distinguish a pair of footprints that doubtlessly stemmed from a woman's shoes. The prints were remarkably small, consequently the murderess was either very young or very much aged, which left me a choice between Fräulein Luise and Madam Agnes. I decided the latter would probably be the more likely choice, as I could see she had stood conversing with His Highness for a while, long enough for him to smoke a cigarette of the Tripolis brand."

I admired my friend for the tact with which he avoided mentioning his conclusion was founded on the fact that the Graf detested his youngest guest. His train of thoughts was perfectly clear to me, even if it still left some of the auditors bewildered.

"Um – well!" Her Highness nervously clasped her hands in front of her waist. "Very well done, Mr. Holmes, I'm sure. I would only ask you to give your less accomplished game partners a chance when we embark on the second round."

Holmes quickly drew breath, smiled and with a suave wave of his hand acknowledged her admonition.

"Thank you. But before we continue – would anybody perchance care for tea?"

Our hostess amiably smiled at everyone. Nobody wanted for tea. Frau Mahler and Agnes, the only ones who really enjoyed the game, desired to go on. Fräulein Luise and her amour clearly sought an opportunity to elude our company, and the gentlemen accepted their lot, wanting to get over with it.

oooOOOooo

Thus, we emerged from the parlour once more, fanning out over the premises. Relenting to my first impulse, I made my way back to the Apollon temple, of which the pinkish sandstone could be seen from the green house already.

It was a most unusual edifice, with playfully designed corridors tunneling the ground floor, and on top of it, the dome I had admired beforehand. Panting heavily, I ascended it and stood next to the statue of the musical deity, which afforded me a wonderful view, almost as far as the castle.

To the right of the temple, I overlooked a maze of box hedges, tamed by secateurs and framed by a high sandstone wall. To the left, a small maple grove hindered the sight, only the roof of some smallish house peeking out from between the treetops.

Musingly, I stepped out onto the vast terrace stretching behind the dome. I was quite alone, and had the leisure to observe the beauty of the dying nature around me. Leaves had long started to turn yellow and red, and also the grass was dotted with little splashes of colour which I knew to be corn flowers and meadow saffron. In one corner of the stone bannister, a spider had weaved her silken web. It slightly shivered in the light breeze. The garden land beneath me breathed of peace and of humid earth. Dandelion sent their parachute seeds flying.

I swirled my cane idly and wondered wither to proceed. There were two sets of stairs branching off the temple, one reaching down to the entrance in the wall surrounding the maze, the other trending to the left, to the maple grove. I chose the latter possibility, descended the steps with my cane still swirling, and, to my own surprise, singing aloud.

"Early one morning/ just as the sun was rising/

I heard a maiden singing/ in the valley below…"

Whilst I strode between the narrow growing tree trunks, I gained more confidence and warbled my song. To be honest, I had always fostered some little pride in my baritone, but had taken care to hide it from Holmes, who deemed himself my superior in everything and was regularly furious when I dared to prove him wrong.

Oh, don't deceive me/ Oh, never leave me/

How could you use a poor maiden so?"

The trees thinned out and I stood in front of the house whose roof I had seen from above, surrounded by a new-mowed lawn. It was the sprucest little white house I had ever seen, and I wondered about its purpose or if it served one, for it was no sanctum.

"Gay is the garland/ and fresh are the roses/

I've culled from the gardens/ to bind on your brow…"

I advanced with slow strides. Sun had again become very forceful and I considered sitting on the lawn for a while.

"Oh, don't deceive me/ Oh, never leave me/

How could you …"

I stopped. There was someone on the lawn already, face down. A woman. A shudder went down my spine. I took to my heels and sped towards the motionless body. Thick black hair waved from under a bonnet.

"Frau Mahler!" I ejaculated, stooping over her and touching her back with an unsteady hand. To my great surprise and relief, she turned around, issuing a silly giggle.

"Hush, doctor. I am dead, don't you see? Murdered."

"Oh." I relaxed, feeling my behaviour had been stunningly asinine. But then, my experience with Holmes had taught me to always assume the worst case. "Yes. Of course."

"I heard you singing in ze woods", Frau Mahler went on with a smile, and my embarrassment augmented. "You do it rather nicely. We must have a Liederabend one of these days."

"Certainly", I stammered, perfectly abashed. "Please, what kind of house is this? It looks newer than the other edifices in the park" I enquired in my confusion.

"Perhaps a little", she conceded. "It's ze ancient bath house. A hundred years ago, people would come here from ze castle to use ze facilities." She slightly blushed, as if taking a bath were something quite unseemly.

"I see. These premises are immensely interesting. But I must be on my way now – there are still so many things to be discovered."

"Be careful!" she called after me. "Ze murderer's on ze loose and I have an inkling he's still close by."

I tipped my hat with my cane in a demonstration of thanks for her warning, and again traversed the grove, emerging on the lawn in front of the Apollon temple. The one thing I had yet to explore was the maze, now opposite of me, and truth be told, it piqued me. I remembered how as a small lad I had been fond of the maze in the garden of Hampton Court where our nurse used to take us, although it had taken me hours to find my way out every time.

There was an opening in the wall into which exactly the stairs from the temple discharged, and by this I entered the dark green jungle of the hedges. It had countless twists and turnings, and very soon I had completely lost my compass and just fared about aimlessly. I had no idea how to get out in time for my return to the castle. Consulting my watch, I lowered myself onto a little stone bench that presented itself to me conveniently. It was a quarter to one. Perhaps if I just…

I received the shock of my lifetime when this very moment, someone leaped at me from behind and pressed a hard, spiky object into my back.

"What the…?"

"Excuse my boldness, dear doctor", Holmes responded carelessly, removing his cane from my shoulder blades and sitting next to me on the bench. "But I am quite convinced your untimely demise is inevitable."

"How could you -! Are you the murderer, then?" I spluttered indignantly.

His eyes narrowed. "A shrewd conclusion that speaks of your fine sense of observation. Now, if I may ask you, get into a lying position, on the ground please."

"Dear chap, surely you won't insist I…"

"Ah, ah, Watson. You won't argue with death itself, now would you? I must say Frau Mahler was a moribund much more acceptant of her fate."

"This game simply is ridiculous", I huffed. "Positively decadent, all of these people. Which reminds me, what about your actual assignment? You told me you held the key to the mystery."

"Ah, indeed, here it is." He blithely reached into his jacket and produced a large rusty key which he handed to me. I scrutinized it doubtfully.

"What is the matter, Watson? Do you see any problem with my results?"

"I would never permit myself to do so. Only when you said you held the key to the solution, I naturally assumed you were using a metaphor."

Sherlock Holmes snorted derisively. "Surely you know me well enough to know I am saying everything exactly as I mean it, no euphemisms, no depreciations. But we are digressing and I suspect it was your intention that we should. Now on the ground, doctor, if you will."

Sighing, I rose from my seat and returned the old-fashioned key to him, fully prepared to lie down and thereby leave this world, when suddenly a fierce cry, shrill and agonized, pierced the hedges. The voice that had produced it was male, and within seconds, my mind rushed back to Leopold's irate face in the green house, and the sweetly smiling one of Fräulein Luise, as she told him: "I will never take another man for my own as long as Direktor Mahler walks the surface of this earth."

"Mahler!" I gasped. My comrade had long jumped to his feet and swished past me, storming down the narrow corridor of even box tree.

"Come along Watson!" he yelled. "Quick!"

Hello, dear readers!

Well, at last we have touched the crucial point. The cry in the maze.

Again, I encourage you to visit my gallery (via link on my site) and view the sketch of Apollon temple & surroundings, because I know it is very difficult to picture a location accurately just by description.

Now, what is going to happen, and will the innocuous murder game take a more serious turn? We shall see soon!

Loads of greetings and hugs, Mrs.F