Dylan looked around the room she was shown. It was decorated with
heavy dark wooden furniture. The bed was a canopy and draped with a
dark velvet material which was tied with large matching ribbons to
each of the posts. She sat the candle down on the small commode and
located the window which was draped with curtains similar to that of
the bed. She threw open the draperies and coughed as great clouds of
dust fell around her. Then she sneezed and wondered how long it had
been since they had been opened.
The windows were actually French doors that lead out to a small balcony overlooking the back of the house which possessed an ornate hedge maze. Dylan turned to survey the room; with light it didn't look nearly as dismal. The sun showed off the polished pine and revealed pictures on the wall which couldn't be seen before. One of the portraits was that of a young woman with an empire waist dress in a rose color and hair a deeper darker red than her own. Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door. She crossed the room and opened it.
"Your luggage, Miss," said a man in his late twenty's - early thirty's, with sandy brown hair and kind green eyes.
"My god you are cute," thought Dylan but instead said, "Thanks. You must be Michael."
"Yes and your friends said you are Dylan. You look surprised to see me."
"I supposed I expected the butler to be an older more rigid man."
"Most do but I too can be rigid," he said flirting.
"My god he is actually flirting," she thought. "Well thanks for bringing my stuff up."
"Not a problem, it's my job. You should get ready lunch is soon," he said turning and heading back down the stairs. From the doorways of their rooms Alex and Nat giggled then went to Dylan's room. She had already opened her suitcase and removed and red t-shirt and pair of black pants.
"Well that's it we can go home now," said Alex simply, leaning against the door frame.
"What do you mean," asked Dylan.
"You like him, he likes you; ergo he is the bad guy. Case closed."
Dylan laughed and threw the shirt in her hand at Alex. "I do not like him."
"You know he is cute," said Nat sitting on the edge of the bed. "It is okay to like cute guys. Gosh your room has such character," she added looking around.
"Yeah like Frankenstein's monster," said Dylan sarcastically.
They each lit a candle and headed downstairs. They followed the sound of voices and came upon the dining room; Bosley, Katja, and Karl were already seated. "Please girls, take a place," said Katja waving her hand, "Andreas will be down shortly he is on a business call to New York. I hope you found your rooms suitable. I had forgotten that Bosley was coming," she laid a well manicured hand on Bosley's arm, "so I'm afraid that on of the rooms was made up at the last minute."
"Katja, will you introduce me to our guests?"
They all turned to see a man standing in the door way. Other than his pallor he looked very healthy and while not as handsome as Michael the butler there was something about him that made him very attractive. "Andreas, Id like to introduce my friends this is Alex, Natalie, Jimmy Bosley, and Diane."
"Dylan," Dylan corrected extending her hand, which the Count kissed as he had the other women's.
"I am so pleased to meet friends of Kat's from the states. It isn't very often I have guests and now this week I have five new friends."
"Five," asked Alex.
"Yes, Mr. Mills came just a few days ago from the states. So how do you all like Germany so far?" Michael came around and severed soup as the talked.
"Well," said Natalie, "we haven't seen much so far but it looks lovely."
"Kat will have to correct that. She must take you into Hamburg and let you look around; there is much to be seen. It is summer; do they still do the cruises on the Alster, my love?"
Lunch was over and the angels decided to wander about the grounds and the house to check if there were any security problems. Michael went with Alex to show her the house alarm system, Natalie went off to check out the stables and Dylan to check out the grounds.
*-*-*-*-*
He decided to nap since he had time to kill. The flight in combination with still healing chest wound had worn him out. It had been a year but the internal damage was extensive especially to entrance and exit wound to his right lung. The lung still gave him problems when he exercised and practiced, the doctor had told him to stop smoking and that would help with the healing. He had given them up for awhile but started up again as though there had never been a pause.
He had just gotten comfortable when the phone rang. He picked it up on the third ring. "Hello," said the sultry female voice from the other end that he recognized as his employer. "You don't have to say a word. I just wanted to give you some new information. Tomorrow you need to move to a local hotel. I'm sorry to do this to you but I want you near the target. Oh and you need to get a costume, in a few days there is a party you will need to attend. I hope you have a lot of books because there isn't much to do out there." Then the line went dead.
He sighed, put on his shoes, grabbed his room key and headed down to the lobby. The same girl from earlier was working. "Good afternoon sir, how can I help you?"
He pulled a pen out and wrote, "I need a costume."
"A costume? You are going to a party?"
He nodded yes. "Do you know what you want to go as? If you tell me that and your size I can order one to be delivered." Anthony stopped and thought a minute then wrote down on the piece of paper, "Zorro."
"I can see that, very good sir. And your size?" He wrote that for the woman as well, thanked her, and headed back upstairs
*-*-*-*-*
Dylan walked around the back yard which was larger than the park near her house. She thought of how hard it had to be on the count to have something a beautiful as his gardens yet not truly be able to enjoy them. Then she remembered the maze and headed to the location where she though she had seen it from the widow of her room.
The maze was dilapidated. It hadn't been used in years, the hedges which formed it were overgrown and almost covering the path in places. She felt like a child as she peaked around the corners checking out the paths, straight, a turn to the left, a turn to the right, left again, dead end, back track, right this time, then SNAP, she heard a twig break. She picked up her foot but she hadn't stepped on anything but the soft dirt covering the ground. She was being followed she was sure of it. She sped up and ducked behind some over grown branches. She watched the figure dart past her and look around. "Verdammt!" He turned and started down the path she was on. He approached her and she attacked, flipping him to the ground. Lying there staring up at her was Michael the butler.
Michel groaned and sat up rubbing his head. "Warum? Why?" He asked.
"Why were you following me," demanded Dylan. "The Graf, he saw from his room that you were heading here. No one is allowed in the maze. I volunteered to get you. I didn't know that you would get me instead."
"I am so sorry," said Dylan as she offered him her hand.
"No problem. I assume that with you and your friends the Graf will be safe."
"What do you mean," asked Dylan confused.
"I know about the notes that Ms. Katja has been getting. I am the only one here she confided in since I am closest to the Graf.
"Do you have any idea who would send those notes?"
"None. They are hand delivered and left on the doorstep. I did not even know what they said until Ms. Katja told me to keep and extra eye on the Graf as she was getting help in LA. Come let us go back to the house."
They walked back to the house and he stole glances at Dylan. Finally she asked, "Why is the maze off limits?"
"The young lady, the one in the picture in your room she was the Graf's sister Wilhelmina. I only know bits of the story but when she was 18 she became distraught over something and ran into the maze. In the center of the maze is a tree. She hanged herself there."
"How sad."
"Very. Tell me Dylan. This necklace around your neck," he reached over and picked up the charm from where it hung. "What does it mean?"
"It belonged to a friend of mine who died last year."
"I am sorry. That is also sad," and with that they walked into the house and he left her on her own. She was soon joined by Alex.
"Was that Michael," she asked looking at the retreating figure.
"Yeah, why?"
"He was showing me the alarm system and I lost him. He was there one minute and gone the next."
"He told me he was with the Count. He said that the count saw me go into the maze and asked him to stop me because it's off limits. He also knows who we are and why we are here."
"That is weird. He couldn't have been with the count because we were checking out the lock on the outside cellar door not ten minutes ago."
"I guess we have another suspect then. Add Michael the butler to the list with Helmar the driver."
"I'd add Karl Mills the private secretary too," said Nat joining her friends.
"Why Karl?"
"I just have a bad feeling about him. I mean Katja comes to LA to hire us and only two days before we arrive here this man happens to be hired as the new secretary to the Graf? What happened to the old secretary?"
"Good question," said Alex and Dylan in unison.
"Katja said that he was recommended by her sister. Maybe we should check the sister out too," suggested Dylan.
"Ok," said Alex, "I'll work on the handwriting and the notes in general. Nat, you do some checks on Michael and Helmar and Dylan, you get Mills and the sister." And with that the angels went their separate ways never noticing the figure watching them from behind the tapestry.
The windows were actually French doors that lead out to a small balcony overlooking the back of the house which possessed an ornate hedge maze. Dylan turned to survey the room; with light it didn't look nearly as dismal. The sun showed off the polished pine and revealed pictures on the wall which couldn't be seen before. One of the portraits was that of a young woman with an empire waist dress in a rose color and hair a deeper darker red than her own. Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door. She crossed the room and opened it.
"Your luggage, Miss," said a man in his late twenty's - early thirty's, with sandy brown hair and kind green eyes.
"My god you are cute," thought Dylan but instead said, "Thanks. You must be Michael."
"Yes and your friends said you are Dylan. You look surprised to see me."
"I supposed I expected the butler to be an older more rigid man."
"Most do but I too can be rigid," he said flirting.
"My god he is actually flirting," she thought. "Well thanks for bringing my stuff up."
"Not a problem, it's my job. You should get ready lunch is soon," he said turning and heading back down the stairs. From the doorways of their rooms Alex and Nat giggled then went to Dylan's room. She had already opened her suitcase and removed and red t-shirt and pair of black pants.
"Well that's it we can go home now," said Alex simply, leaning against the door frame.
"What do you mean," asked Dylan.
"You like him, he likes you; ergo he is the bad guy. Case closed."
Dylan laughed and threw the shirt in her hand at Alex. "I do not like him."
"You know he is cute," said Nat sitting on the edge of the bed. "It is okay to like cute guys. Gosh your room has such character," she added looking around.
"Yeah like Frankenstein's monster," said Dylan sarcastically.
They each lit a candle and headed downstairs. They followed the sound of voices and came upon the dining room; Bosley, Katja, and Karl were already seated. "Please girls, take a place," said Katja waving her hand, "Andreas will be down shortly he is on a business call to New York. I hope you found your rooms suitable. I had forgotten that Bosley was coming," she laid a well manicured hand on Bosley's arm, "so I'm afraid that on of the rooms was made up at the last minute."
"Katja, will you introduce me to our guests?"
They all turned to see a man standing in the door way. Other than his pallor he looked very healthy and while not as handsome as Michael the butler there was something about him that made him very attractive. "Andreas, Id like to introduce my friends this is Alex, Natalie, Jimmy Bosley, and Diane."
"Dylan," Dylan corrected extending her hand, which the Count kissed as he had the other women's.
"I am so pleased to meet friends of Kat's from the states. It isn't very often I have guests and now this week I have five new friends."
"Five," asked Alex.
"Yes, Mr. Mills came just a few days ago from the states. So how do you all like Germany so far?" Michael came around and severed soup as the talked.
"Well," said Natalie, "we haven't seen much so far but it looks lovely."
"Kat will have to correct that. She must take you into Hamburg and let you look around; there is much to be seen. It is summer; do they still do the cruises on the Alster, my love?"
Lunch was over and the angels decided to wander about the grounds and the house to check if there were any security problems. Michael went with Alex to show her the house alarm system, Natalie went off to check out the stables and Dylan to check out the grounds.
*-*-*-*-*
He decided to nap since he had time to kill. The flight in combination with still healing chest wound had worn him out. It had been a year but the internal damage was extensive especially to entrance and exit wound to his right lung. The lung still gave him problems when he exercised and practiced, the doctor had told him to stop smoking and that would help with the healing. He had given them up for awhile but started up again as though there had never been a pause.
He had just gotten comfortable when the phone rang. He picked it up on the third ring. "Hello," said the sultry female voice from the other end that he recognized as his employer. "You don't have to say a word. I just wanted to give you some new information. Tomorrow you need to move to a local hotel. I'm sorry to do this to you but I want you near the target. Oh and you need to get a costume, in a few days there is a party you will need to attend. I hope you have a lot of books because there isn't much to do out there." Then the line went dead.
He sighed, put on his shoes, grabbed his room key and headed down to the lobby. The same girl from earlier was working. "Good afternoon sir, how can I help you?"
He pulled a pen out and wrote, "I need a costume."
"A costume? You are going to a party?"
He nodded yes. "Do you know what you want to go as? If you tell me that and your size I can order one to be delivered." Anthony stopped and thought a minute then wrote down on the piece of paper, "Zorro."
"I can see that, very good sir. And your size?" He wrote that for the woman as well, thanked her, and headed back upstairs
*-*-*-*-*
Dylan walked around the back yard which was larger than the park near her house. She thought of how hard it had to be on the count to have something a beautiful as his gardens yet not truly be able to enjoy them. Then she remembered the maze and headed to the location where she though she had seen it from the widow of her room.
The maze was dilapidated. It hadn't been used in years, the hedges which formed it were overgrown and almost covering the path in places. She felt like a child as she peaked around the corners checking out the paths, straight, a turn to the left, a turn to the right, left again, dead end, back track, right this time, then SNAP, she heard a twig break. She picked up her foot but she hadn't stepped on anything but the soft dirt covering the ground. She was being followed she was sure of it. She sped up and ducked behind some over grown branches. She watched the figure dart past her and look around. "Verdammt!" He turned and started down the path she was on. He approached her and she attacked, flipping him to the ground. Lying there staring up at her was Michael the butler.
Michel groaned and sat up rubbing his head. "Warum? Why?" He asked.
"Why were you following me," demanded Dylan. "The Graf, he saw from his room that you were heading here. No one is allowed in the maze. I volunteered to get you. I didn't know that you would get me instead."
"I am so sorry," said Dylan as she offered him her hand.
"No problem. I assume that with you and your friends the Graf will be safe."
"What do you mean," asked Dylan confused.
"I know about the notes that Ms. Katja has been getting. I am the only one here she confided in since I am closest to the Graf.
"Do you have any idea who would send those notes?"
"None. They are hand delivered and left on the doorstep. I did not even know what they said until Ms. Katja told me to keep and extra eye on the Graf as she was getting help in LA. Come let us go back to the house."
They walked back to the house and he stole glances at Dylan. Finally she asked, "Why is the maze off limits?"
"The young lady, the one in the picture in your room she was the Graf's sister Wilhelmina. I only know bits of the story but when she was 18 she became distraught over something and ran into the maze. In the center of the maze is a tree. She hanged herself there."
"How sad."
"Very. Tell me Dylan. This necklace around your neck," he reached over and picked up the charm from where it hung. "What does it mean?"
"It belonged to a friend of mine who died last year."
"I am sorry. That is also sad," and with that they walked into the house and he left her on her own. She was soon joined by Alex.
"Was that Michael," she asked looking at the retreating figure.
"Yeah, why?"
"He was showing me the alarm system and I lost him. He was there one minute and gone the next."
"He told me he was with the Count. He said that the count saw me go into the maze and asked him to stop me because it's off limits. He also knows who we are and why we are here."
"That is weird. He couldn't have been with the count because we were checking out the lock on the outside cellar door not ten minutes ago."
"I guess we have another suspect then. Add Michael the butler to the list with Helmar the driver."
"I'd add Karl Mills the private secretary too," said Nat joining her friends.
"Why Karl?"
"I just have a bad feeling about him. I mean Katja comes to LA to hire us and only two days before we arrive here this man happens to be hired as the new secretary to the Graf? What happened to the old secretary?"
"Good question," said Alex and Dylan in unison.
"Katja said that he was recommended by her sister. Maybe we should check the sister out too," suggested Dylan.
"Ok," said Alex, "I'll work on the handwriting and the notes in general. Nat, you do some checks on Michael and Helmar and Dylan, you get Mills and the sister." And with that the angels went their separate ways never noticing the figure watching them from behind the tapestry.