(I was having trouble with this chapter. I hope it is entertaining.)
The paramedics finished up with the Count and carried his still alive form out to the ambulance. Katja was torn between her lover and her dying fiancé, but she had to look out for herself. As far as she knew there was nothing but possibly Michael's big mouth, that could connect her to the poisoning of Andreas, and well if anyone asked Karl, Michael and the quiet man were all in it together; she had nothing to do with it. She wasn't about to lose her cool now, "Wait," she called to the emergency doctor, "I have to come too." The doctor agreed and helped her into the back of the ambulance. Before he shut the door she called to Helmar, "I'll be calling you later to bring me home."
Alex looked at her friends. "I'm heading to the hospital too. Someone has got to make sure she doesn't have a second chance to kill him," she said running out of the Schloss, and randomly taking one of the counts cars from the garage.
Helmar lead the police to the study. The chief, the older man who had been out at the house earlier in the day gently removed the sword from Dylan's hand. With the sword gone Michael tried to stand up, "I don't think so," the chief said and then to Dylan, "Und where did you get this?" Dylan was having a hard time thinking she didn't want the police after Anthony. Logically she knew who he was, and that he had attempted at one time to kill her friends but she also knew he was the man who saved her from her demon of an ex-boyfriend. "She got it from Karl Mills, the secretary," interjected Natalie.
"Und where is this Secretary," asked the chief.
"Dead upstairs. He attacked us and his gun went off. He shot himself in the chest."
"So this man, Karl Mills, he had both a sword and a gun? Seems like a lot of weapons for one man," the chief eyed the two women suspiciously.
"I guess he had to have that many to kill the count and us," said Natalie like it was the most obvious thing not letting the police officer's stare intimidate her.
"Der dünner Mann," said Michael from his spot on the floor. "Das Schwert gehört zu der dünner Mann."
"Who is this thin man he is speaking of?"
Natalie, Dylan and Bosley, all shrugged their shoulders.
"Sie lugen! They lie! We hired him, a tall thin man, with black hair and eyes so pale they look almost white, he liked to smoke, always had a cigarette. He attacked me in the maze and tied me up. The girl," he said pointing at Dylan, "helped him."
The chief looked again at the angels who wore expressions that said they hadn't an idea who the butler was talking about. "Who hired him Michael," asked the chief as though speaking to a child. "I know you. You aren't smart enough or rich enough to pay for hired hit men." Michael looked at the wall not speaking. "Michael?" He still said nothing. "Fine have it your way. Book him Ingo," said the chief to one of his men. The chief then smiled sheepishly at the angels, "Sorry I loved Hawaii Five-O. So where is this dead-," he checked his notes, "Karl Mills?"
"Upstairs," said Dylan. "I'll take you." She led the way up the main stair case and turned into the room where Karl had stayed. Both Dylan and the chief covered their noses upon entering the room. The smell of decay was already rising from the body but it was July and to be expected in a house without air conditioning. Flies that came in from the window Natalie had opened earlier, buzzed around the body as well. "Hmm interesant," exclaimed the chief. He looked at the gun Karl's hand. "He fought with someone," the chief said, "und who?"
Seeing the amount of blood from Anthony on her once beautiful angel costume Dylan said, "I fought with him. He was going to kill my friend Natalie."
The chief looked Dylan over, "But you are such a tiny girl and he is a big man."
"I'm a lot tougher than I look."
The chief gave a laugh, "Seeing this I believe it. After I was here this morning I checked out the detective agency you work for. It has a very impressive record. Well then, we will write the death of Herr Mills off as self-defense. There is no doubt about that. You are a very brave young lady." The chief then sat on the bed and noticed Karl's wallet. Like Anthony did before, he flipped though it. "So many credit cards, the man must have had many debts. No wonder he would kill." He continued to look. "Something is missing."
"What," asked Dylan sitting on the bed next to him.
"A picture. You can tell see. There is one missing here in the middle."
"Maybe Mills didn't like it."
"Perhaps. Well," said the chief standing, "I will call the coroner - Again," he said stressing the word 'again'. By the way now your friends are not here would you like to tell me about the maze?"
Dylan was caught off guard by his question. Instead of trying to lie she sat back down on the bed and explained what had happened between her and Michael carefully leaving any mention of Anthony out of it.
"Very impressive. I suppose we can put Michael away for awhile, we have him for four counts of attempted murder outside the study and an extra one for the assault in the maze." The chief sighed, "It's been a long day now I can only hope that Andreas won't be joining his sister and Herr Mills in the morgue." Together they left the room and headed downstairs.
*-*-*-*-*
Anthony went straight to the small bed and breakfast and snuck up the back stairs. He wanted to pack his things as quickly as possible. Everything, in his opinion had gone wrong, he lost his trademark control. It should have been a simple job in do the assassination and out three hundred thousand richer. Instead he killed the Counts sister, killed the man who was supposed to be his partner and didn't kill the angels. He never had problems with morality before, killing had been easy as long has he had gotten paid he didn't care who the target was or how difficult the assignment.
Everything had been fine until two years ago and he then his priorities had shifted as did his control. It was a gradual shift not a landslide. He felt the first pieces of his control roll away like grains of sand when she jumped on his back, eyes flashing fire and hair glowing like burning embers. He could smell her shampoo and the scent of whatever made her Dylan Sanders lurking below it. He supposed science would call that smell pheromones he just called it temptation. Then he had stood smoking in McCadden's living room watching her as she found out the man who was his boss, who she had taken for a lover however briefly, was the man she was working against, he had felt another few grains roll away. He didn't know why only that she stirred something inside of him. Then when they met again at the Coal Bowl, he hadn't thought about her in the year or so between RedStar and HALO but seeing her there started the grains rolling again and on the rooftop more of his priorities changed and control slipped further from his grasp. Now here they had met again and he lost it all.
He reached into his pocket for his cigarette case and his fingers brushed against thick paper. He removed it from his pocket and realized it was the photo he had taken from Mills' wallet. He didn't know why he did that either, maybe to give himself a stronger connection to her. He now had a piece of her she didn't have and it gave him a feeling of regaining his tentative grip on his priorities and control.
He sat down on the bed and rested his forehead on his hand, the photo still in between his fingers. He decided he would hold onto the picture, that it might come in handy in the near future and slipped it back into his pocket. This time he took out the cigarette case and removed one of the sticks of tobacco lying inside. He placed it between his lips, lit it and inhaled deeply the smoke filling his lungs. He was feeling better already.
*-*-*-*-*
Natalie and Dylan arrived at the hospital a little after ten in the evening. Bosley had stayed behind at the Schloss to thank the guests for coming and inform everyone that the wedding was being postponed until further notice.
It didn't take the two women long to find Alex in the nearly deserted building. "Alex," called Natalie. The pretty dark haired angel turned around, walked over to her friends and hugged each of them.
"How's he doing," asked Dylan.
"Stable is all the doctor said. He hasn't woken up yet but they say he isn't in a coma which is good."
"And Katja," asked Natalie.
"If she did it she is a better actress than I am," answered Alex. "She is at his bedside. I couldn't stop the doctor from letting her see him. I only hope that she doesn't try something here."
"Are we even sure that she is guilty," asked Natalie looking at her friends.
"Anthony said she hired him."
"That isn't much to go on. Look Dylan, I know that you two have some weird thing going on and I can respect that but he isn't really known for being a good guy." Dylan started to say something but Alex kept talking. "The night of the premiere was an exception, okay."
"I think we should check out Katja a bit more," said Natalie. "There is a chance that Anthony wasn't lying."
"Well we do have a problem. The last thing Katja said to me was, 'You're fired'," said Alex. "Sounds like it time to call Charlie."
"Time to call Charlie," said Dylan and Natalie in unison. The three girls left the hospital together. Natalie called Bosley on her cell phone, "Hi Bos, It's me. We're on our way back to the house now, can you set us up with a phone call to Charlie. We really need to talk to him..You will? That is terrific. Thank you Bosley."
*-*-*-*-*
While the girls traveled back to the house from the hospital Bosley set up the speaker phone, with help of Helga the maid. "So is this going to work now," he asked Helga looking at the phone.
"It should the cords on our phones are different than yours. I'm sure that the count doesn't mind you using his speaker phone since you are working to find out who tried to kill him. I have my suspicions but I will not say."
"Who do you think did it," asked Bosley.
"Well.," began Helga but was interrupted when the angels entered.
"So Bos," said Dylan, "are we ready to go?"
He looked at his watch, "Nine hour time difference girls, think he'll be home?"
"That makes it 2PM in California, let's give it a go," said Natalie. Bosley dialed the number as the girls sat down on the couch. The phone rang.and rang.and rang, just as they were about to give up a voice came out of the speaker box, "Good afternoon Angels, or should I say good evening."
"Good evening, Charlie," chimed the three young women.
"How's the case going?"
"We've been fired," said Dylan.
"Fired? What happened?" The angels explained going into detail about the attack on Natalie in the stable and in Mills' room, and Michael attacking Dylan in the maze as well as the intervention of the Thin Man on all three occasions. They told him about the choking incident at the fox hunt dinner and the Count's whereabouts at the hospital as well as their suspicious that Katja was behind it describing her disapproval at them informing Andreas after he almost choked, of their real purpose at the schloss.
"So I suppose the question is do you girls believe that the Thin Man is telling you the truth," inquired their boss.
The girls looked at each other then Natalie spoke, "Regardless of our past with the Thin Man, yes, we think we can trust him."
"Good, you have excellent intuition rely on it and you won't go wrong. Continue working on the case, Ill cover the expenses. Bosley, make arrangements for yourself and the girls in bed and breakfast in town. Good luck angels"
"Thanks Charlie," they said in unison and the call was disconnected.
"I have to go upstairs and get cleaned up," said Dylan looking at her dress.
"I think we can all use a good night's sleep," said Alex and with that they all headed upstairs to rest for the next grueling day.
(Das Schwert gehört zu der dünner Mann = The sword belongs to the thin man. Meine Gute= My Goodness
The paramedics finished up with the Count and carried his still alive form out to the ambulance. Katja was torn between her lover and her dying fiancé, but she had to look out for herself. As far as she knew there was nothing but possibly Michael's big mouth, that could connect her to the poisoning of Andreas, and well if anyone asked Karl, Michael and the quiet man were all in it together; she had nothing to do with it. She wasn't about to lose her cool now, "Wait," she called to the emergency doctor, "I have to come too." The doctor agreed and helped her into the back of the ambulance. Before he shut the door she called to Helmar, "I'll be calling you later to bring me home."
Alex looked at her friends. "I'm heading to the hospital too. Someone has got to make sure she doesn't have a second chance to kill him," she said running out of the Schloss, and randomly taking one of the counts cars from the garage.
Helmar lead the police to the study. The chief, the older man who had been out at the house earlier in the day gently removed the sword from Dylan's hand. With the sword gone Michael tried to stand up, "I don't think so," the chief said and then to Dylan, "Und where did you get this?" Dylan was having a hard time thinking she didn't want the police after Anthony. Logically she knew who he was, and that he had attempted at one time to kill her friends but she also knew he was the man who saved her from her demon of an ex-boyfriend. "She got it from Karl Mills, the secretary," interjected Natalie.
"Und where is this Secretary," asked the chief.
"Dead upstairs. He attacked us and his gun went off. He shot himself in the chest."
"So this man, Karl Mills, he had both a sword and a gun? Seems like a lot of weapons for one man," the chief eyed the two women suspiciously.
"I guess he had to have that many to kill the count and us," said Natalie like it was the most obvious thing not letting the police officer's stare intimidate her.
"Der dünner Mann," said Michael from his spot on the floor. "Das Schwert gehört zu der dünner Mann."
"Who is this thin man he is speaking of?"
Natalie, Dylan and Bosley, all shrugged their shoulders.
"Sie lugen! They lie! We hired him, a tall thin man, with black hair and eyes so pale they look almost white, he liked to smoke, always had a cigarette. He attacked me in the maze and tied me up. The girl," he said pointing at Dylan, "helped him."
The chief looked again at the angels who wore expressions that said they hadn't an idea who the butler was talking about. "Who hired him Michael," asked the chief as though speaking to a child. "I know you. You aren't smart enough or rich enough to pay for hired hit men." Michael looked at the wall not speaking. "Michael?" He still said nothing. "Fine have it your way. Book him Ingo," said the chief to one of his men. The chief then smiled sheepishly at the angels, "Sorry I loved Hawaii Five-O. So where is this dead-," he checked his notes, "Karl Mills?"
"Upstairs," said Dylan. "I'll take you." She led the way up the main stair case and turned into the room where Karl had stayed. Both Dylan and the chief covered their noses upon entering the room. The smell of decay was already rising from the body but it was July and to be expected in a house without air conditioning. Flies that came in from the window Natalie had opened earlier, buzzed around the body as well. "Hmm interesant," exclaimed the chief. He looked at the gun Karl's hand. "He fought with someone," the chief said, "und who?"
Seeing the amount of blood from Anthony on her once beautiful angel costume Dylan said, "I fought with him. He was going to kill my friend Natalie."
The chief looked Dylan over, "But you are such a tiny girl and he is a big man."
"I'm a lot tougher than I look."
The chief gave a laugh, "Seeing this I believe it. After I was here this morning I checked out the detective agency you work for. It has a very impressive record. Well then, we will write the death of Herr Mills off as self-defense. There is no doubt about that. You are a very brave young lady." The chief then sat on the bed and noticed Karl's wallet. Like Anthony did before, he flipped though it. "So many credit cards, the man must have had many debts. No wonder he would kill." He continued to look. "Something is missing."
"What," asked Dylan sitting on the bed next to him.
"A picture. You can tell see. There is one missing here in the middle."
"Maybe Mills didn't like it."
"Perhaps. Well," said the chief standing, "I will call the coroner - Again," he said stressing the word 'again'. By the way now your friends are not here would you like to tell me about the maze?"
Dylan was caught off guard by his question. Instead of trying to lie she sat back down on the bed and explained what had happened between her and Michael carefully leaving any mention of Anthony out of it.
"Very impressive. I suppose we can put Michael away for awhile, we have him for four counts of attempted murder outside the study and an extra one for the assault in the maze." The chief sighed, "It's been a long day now I can only hope that Andreas won't be joining his sister and Herr Mills in the morgue." Together they left the room and headed downstairs.
*-*-*-*-*
Anthony went straight to the small bed and breakfast and snuck up the back stairs. He wanted to pack his things as quickly as possible. Everything, in his opinion had gone wrong, he lost his trademark control. It should have been a simple job in do the assassination and out three hundred thousand richer. Instead he killed the Counts sister, killed the man who was supposed to be his partner and didn't kill the angels. He never had problems with morality before, killing had been easy as long has he had gotten paid he didn't care who the target was or how difficult the assignment.
Everything had been fine until two years ago and he then his priorities had shifted as did his control. It was a gradual shift not a landslide. He felt the first pieces of his control roll away like grains of sand when she jumped on his back, eyes flashing fire and hair glowing like burning embers. He could smell her shampoo and the scent of whatever made her Dylan Sanders lurking below it. He supposed science would call that smell pheromones he just called it temptation. Then he had stood smoking in McCadden's living room watching her as she found out the man who was his boss, who she had taken for a lover however briefly, was the man she was working against, he had felt another few grains roll away. He didn't know why only that she stirred something inside of him. Then when they met again at the Coal Bowl, he hadn't thought about her in the year or so between RedStar and HALO but seeing her there started the grains rolling again and on the rooftop more of his priorities changed and control slipped further from his grasp. Now here they had met again and he lost it all.
He reached into his pocket for his cigarette case and his fingers brushed against thick paper. He removed it from his pocket and realized it was the photo he had taken from Mills' wallet. He didn't know why he did that either, maybe to give himself a stronger connection to her. He now had a piece of her she didn't have and it gave him a feeling of regaining his tentative grip on his priorities and control.
He sat down on the bed and rested his forehead on his hand, the photo still in between his fingers. He decided he would hold onto the picture, that it might come in handy in the near future and slipped it back into his pocket. This time he took out the cigarette case and removed one of the sticks of tobacco lying inside. He placed it between his lips, lit it and inhaled deeply the smoke filling his lungs. He was feeling better already.
*-*-*-*-*
Natalie and Dylan arrived at the hospital a little after ten in the evening. Bosley had stayed behind at the Schloss to thank the guests for coming and inform everyone that the wedding was being postponed until further notice.
It didn't take the two women long to find Alex in the nearly deserted building. "Alex," called Natalie. The pretty dark haired angel turned around, walked over to her friends and hugged each of them.
"How's he doing," asked Dylan.
"Stable is all the doctor said. He hasn't woken up yet but they say he isn't in a coma which is good."
"And Katja," asked Natalie.
"If she did it she is a better actress than I am," answered Alex. "She is at his bedside. I couldn't stop the doctor from letting her see him. I only hope that she doesn't try something here."
"Are we even sure that she is guilty," asked Natalie looking at her friends.
"Anthony said she hired him."
"That isn't much to go on. Look Dylan, I know that you two have some weird thing going on and I can respect that but he isn't really known for being a good guy." Dylan started to say something but Alex kept talking. "The night of the premiere was an exception, okay."
"I think we should check out Katja a bit more," said Natalie. "There is a chance that Anthony wasn't lying."
"Well we do have a problem. The last thing Katja said to me was, 'You're fired'," said Alex. "Sounds like it time to call Charlie."
"Time to call Charlie," said Dylan and Natalie in unison. The three girls left the hospital together. Natalie called Bosley on her cell phone, "Hi Bos, It's me. We're on our way back to the house now, can you set us up with a phone call to Charlie. We really need to talk to him..You will? That is terrific. Thank you Bosley."
*-*-*-*-*
While the girls traveled back to the house from the hospital Bosley set up the speaker phone, with help of Helga the maid. "So is this going to work now," he asked Helga looking at the phone.
"It should the cords on our phones are different than yours. I'm sure that the count doesn't mind you using his speaker phone since you are working to find out who tried to kill him. I have my suspicions but I will not say."
"Who do you think did it," asked Bosley.
"Well.," began Helga but was interrupted when the angels entered.
"So Bos," said Dylan, "are we ready to go?"
He looked at his watch, "Nine hour time difference girls, think he'll be home?"
"That makes it 2PM in California, let's give it a go," said Natalie. Bosley dialed the number as the girls sat down on the couch. The phone rang.and rang.and rang, just as they were about to give up a voice came out of the speaker box, "Good afternoon Angels, or should I say good evening."
"Good evening, Charlie," chimed the three young women.
"How's the case going?"
"We've been fired," said Dylan.
"Fired? What happened?" The angels explained going into detail about the attack on Natalie in the stable and in Mills' room, and Michael attacking Dylan in the maze as well as the intervention of the Thin Man on all three occasions. They told him about the choking incident at the fox hunt dinner and the Count's whereabouts at the hospital as well as their suspicious that Katja was behind it describing her disapproval at them informing Andreas after he almost choked, of their real purpose at the schloss.
"So I suppose the question is do you girls believe that the Thin Man is telling you the truth," inquired their boss.
The girls looked at each other then Natalie spoke, "Regardless of our past with the Thin Man, yes, we think we can trust him."
"Good, you have excellent intuition rely on it and you won't go wrong. Continue working on the case, Ill cover the expenses. Bosley, make arrangements for yourself and the girls in bed and breakfast in town. Good luck angels"
"Thanks Charlie," they said in unison and the call was disconnected.
"I have to go upstairs and get cleaned up," said Dylan looking at her dress.
"I think we can all use a good night's sleep," said Alex and with that they all headed upstairs to rest for the next grueling day.
(Das Schwert gehört zu der dünner Mann = The sword belongs to the thin man. Meine Gute= My Goodness