(Next Chapter!! I hope this is as good as the ones from yesterday. FYI a
handy is what Germans call cell/mobile phones.)
Dylan stood outside the door just looking at the smooth polished wood surface trying to figure out what happened. Her legs felt like jelly, weak and wobbly, her lips burned like fire, and her heart was pounding. Not even Seamus O'Grady at his best could do that to her. Anthony's words echoed in her ears. "Don't doubt me angel," he had said. She was tempted to knock on the door and go back in tell him she loved him, but she stopped herself. If she did that she might not ever want to come back out and she had to help stop Katja from killing Andreas. Instead she went to her room to try to calm down and go talk to Michael at the jail.
Inside his room Anthony sat on the bed. He could still smell Dylan, she was all over him. He didn't want to make her leave but he had too. He didn't know what would have happened if he hadn't pushed her out the door. Part of him was tempted to open the door and bring her back, to kiss her again. He had thought about their kiss the year he was in recovery from the fall off the rooftop. He never dreamed he would once again have the chance. He had never thought that maybe a woman would love him. Anthony knew many found him attractive but his hair fetish put them off, frightened them, before he could get close. Dylan was different, unique; she was beautiful and perfect and she seemed to want him like he wanted her. He still needed to complete his assignment. He took the mailing tube out from underneath the bed and selected a new sword and started to leave for the hospital.
Dylan heard the door to Anthony's room open then close. She walked over to the window and watched him climb into the racing green jaguar. Smiling she grasped the medallion in her hand. With him going she didn't have to worry about him following her to the police station. She turned grabbed her jacket and purse left.
The police station wasn't what she was used to; of course Buchholz wasn't a big city either. The station consisted of a reception desk, four cubicles that we decorated to reflect the personalities of the officers who normally sat there, and not much else, especially criminals. Had it been LA she wouldn't have seen anything but people giving statements and people being arrested. The chief, Kommissar Kamp, who she had met the other evening at the party saw her as he was finishing up a phone call. He waved her over to him as he hung up the receiver. "Frau Sanders, what can I do for you," he asked approaching her with a smile.
"Good afternoon. I was hoping you could let me talk to Michael."
"Michael? Why would you want to do that? Come," he said leading her to an office in the back, separate from the main room, "he has been charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, he won't be free for quite awhile. It is my understanding that the Graf is well and will be released tomorrow. I don't see what you need Michael for." He motioned for Dylan to have seat.
"Thank you," she said sitting. "Like you said when you arrested Michael, he isn't smart enough or rich enough to hire killers like Mills to remove the Count. We suspect someone else was involved as well."
"Really," he said looking intently at her, "and just who might that be. We haven't found any evidence of a second person and Michael certainly hasn't named any names."
"It's a theory but we think Katja James is involved." Dylan shifted uncomfortably in her chair, the chief's gaze made her nervous, like a child sent to the principal's office.
"Katja? Katja James? What makes you and your friends think that? I have never seen a woman love a man like Katja loves Andreas," he said with a laugh. "Of course I have heard worse theories."
"Like you said when Michael was arrested, that he wasn't smart enough or had enough money to hire killers like Karl Mills," saying Karl's name caused a lump to rise in her throat, she continued by presenting Kommisar Kamp with the information they had once again carefully leaving out any reference to Anthony. As she finished her presentation a young obviously green office ran in, he whispered something in the Kommissar's ear and left.
"Well Frau Sanders, you no longer need to protect the Count."
"Why? Was someone caught," Dylan asked standing.
"No but he is dead; murdered in his hospital bed. He was stabbed through the chest with what the doctors suspect was a sword." Dylan had to sit again. The room started to spin and the world was going fuzzy. "Frau Sanders?" She could hear the Kommissar's voice but it sounded as though it was in a far away tunnel. The Kommissar went across the room and filled a paper cup with water from the water cooler in the corner. He placed the cup in her hand and Dylan absently took a sip. The cold water helped bring her back, and everything came back into focus. "Frau Sanders are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm sorry it just surprised me. I guess I don't need to speak to Michael anymore," she said standing again to leave. Dylan was still wobbly and the Kommissar steadied her with a hand.
"Are you sure you are ok?"
Dylan nodded, picked up her purse and left the room, through the general office area and outside. The Kommissar watched her from the door as she walked down the street trying to get a grip on herself. As she walked down the street towards the inn she was glad it was within walking distance. She didn't think she could handle driving a car in her state. She passed a small park near the church in the center of town. It had a children's play area, several benches, most of which were occupied by people feeding pigeons, and a lovely grassy area where young couples lounged enjoying the summer day together. Dylan sat on one of the benches and enviously watched the couples enjoying the normal summer day. How she longed to one of them with a nice normal non-dangerous boyfriend. Why wasn't that possible? "I can't think about that now. I have to let Natalie and Alex know if they don't already."
She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Natalie's number. Natalie answered on the second ring, "Pete? Is that you?"
Dylan rolled her eyes, "No Nat it's me."
"Dylan, are you okay, you don't sound too good," the blonde said with concern.
"I'm not. Do you know where Alex is? I need to talk to the two of you"
"I thought Alex was at the hospital, have you tried calling her? What is going on?"
"I don't want to tell you right now. I'll meet you there. Stay put," with that Dylan hung up and collected Bosley and the third rental car from the inn and drove out to the Schloss. On the way her cell phone rang. Bosley answered it, "Dylan's phone."
"Bos, its Alex. I went to talk to Natalie at the house and she said that Dylan was upset what is going on?" Dylan could hear her even though Bosley had the handy.
"Tell her we'll be there in a few minutes," she said not taking her eyes off the road.
"Dylan says to tell you we'll be there soon. Hang on to your britches." Bosley flipped the phone shut. "Are you sure you're okay Dyl," he asked.
"Im fine," she snapped. She hadn't meant to but today was taking its toll on her. She had found out her long lost father was Karl Mills, assassin and dead man. She thought she had found love for a moment with Anthony, no she took that back, with the Creepy Thin Man. That is all he would ever be, an assassin. She wondered if she and her mom were more alike than she would ever know. Did her mom love Karl Mills although he was an assassin or was he a normal guy when her mom knew him that went bad? Maybe making bad love choices was a genetic thing. That would explain a lot, she thought to herself, O'Grady, McCadden, the Chad, the Creepy Thin Man. Hmmm maybe she just needed to stay away from men with apostrophes in their names and articles the idea of which made her giggle. Bosley gave her and odd look but didn't say anything.
About ten minutes later she pulled up into the circular driveway of the Schloss. Helmar waved to her and Bosley as they got out of the VW Golf. With the way he waved she was fairly certain that he didn't know about the Count yet and therefore neither did anyone inside except maybe Katja, if she was home. Dylan had a sick vision of Katja and the Creepy Thin Man holed up in a bar drinking to the success of killing the count and making her and the other two Angels look like idiots. She blinked it away, no time for that; they needed to catch the Creepy Thin Man and Katja James.
"Dylan, Bosley," called Natalie from the sitting room as the two crossed the dimly lit manor foyer. "What is going on?"
Dylan and Bosley went into the sitting room. "Don't have a clue," said Bos sitting on the arm of the sofa on which Natalie and Alex were perched. Dylan looked at her three friends and took a deep breath. "The Count, Andreas is dead."
"What," exclaimed Alex, "I just left him not an hour ago. He was fine. He didn't want to believe me about Katja but he was fine."
"It's my fault," said Dylan sinking into the chair facing the group on the sofa. Her three friends looked at her puzzled. "I went to the police station. I wanted to question Michael; I had hoped that maybe he would admit that Katja was behind the whole thing. So I was talking to the Kommissar and while we were talking another officer came in and told him that Andreas was dead."
"I don't see how that is your fault, Dylan," said Alex walking over and putting her arm around her friend.
"Anthony killed him," said Dylan emotionlessly. "The Kommissar said that Andreas was killed by a sword. Every time I talked to Kommissar Kamp I never said anything about the Creepy Thin Man being involved. Had I said something Andreas might still be alive especially since I was with him right before he killed the Count."
"Explain Dylan," said Alex noticing that Dylan had reverted back to calling him Creepy Thin Man instead of the name the nuns at the orphanage had given him. She told them about her encounter with him in his room the sword to her throat, she told them about the photograph of her mother Rhonda Zaas, and Karl Mills, she told about her leaving and left out how she had kissed him. She left out how she was sure until she heard how he killed the Count that she loved him and that they might have a chance.
Then they heard a voice, "My God." The angels turned to see Helga in the door way, collapsed onto her knees.
"Helga," said Natalie as she ran to the older woman's side.
"I heard. Tell me Frau Cook that is isn't true. Tell me my son isn't dead."
Dylan, Alex and Bosley looked at Natalie with astonishment. Natalie looked at the kind maid on the floor and put her arms around her and said, "I'm sorry Helga its true." Once the maid had stopped crying Natalie helped her to the couch.
"So," said Helga. "That nasty woman hired another man to kill my boy. Now he will never know." The maid started crying again.
"He'll never know what," asked Alex.
"That she is his mother," Natalie explained. "Before she started working for the last Graf von Buchholz she was a young woman working in a bar in town. It was one night and she became pregnant with the man's son. He was married to the then Gräfin von Buchholz and she wasn't going to let it be known that the Count had impregnated the barmaid so she hired Helga as the maid and when the baby was born she adopted him."
"I was allowed to work here so I could be close to my son, Andreas but wasn't allowed to ever let him know I was his mother," said Helga
Alex placed her arm around the older woman as well. "That is terrible."
"It wasn't so bad. The Gräfin, never had much time for the boy. She doted over her daughter Helene, so I substituted for her. He probably considered me more the mother than Giselle was even though he never knew he was my true son," the maid continued. "I will just never have the chance to tell him." Helga stood and walked over to the window and pulled the heavy draperies open. "I suppose we don't need these closed anymore."
Dylan stood outside the door just looking at the smooth polished wood surface trying to figure out what happened. Her legs felt like jelly, weak and wobbly, her lips burned like fire, and her heart was pounding. Not even Seamus O'Grady at his best could do that to her. Anthony's words echoed in her ears. "Don't doubt me angel," he had said. She was tempted to knock on the door and go back in tell him she loved him, but she stopped herself. If she did that she might not ever want to come back out and she had to help stop Katja from killing Andreas. Instead she went to her room to try to calm down and go talk to Michael at the jail.
Inside his room Anthony sat on the bed. He could still smell Dylan, she was all over him. He didn't want to make her leave but he had too. He didn't know what would have happened if he hadn't pushed her out the door. Part of him was tempted to open the door and bring her back, to kiss her again. He had thought about their kiss the year he was in recovery from the fall off the rooftop. He never dreamed he would once again have the chance. He had never thought that maybe a woman would love him. Anthony knew many found him attractive but his hair fetish put them off, frightened them, before he could get close. Dylan was different, unique; she was beautiful and perfect and she seemed to want him like he wanted her. He still needed to complete his assignment. He took the mailing tube out from underneath the bed and selected a new sword and started to leave for the hospital.
Dylan heard the door to Anthony's room open then close. She walked over to the window and watched him climb into the racing green jaguar. Smiling she grasped the medallion in her hand. With him going she didn't have to worry about him following her to the police station. She turned grabbed her jacket and purse left.
The police station wasn't what she was used to; of course Buchholz wasn't a big city either. The station consisted of a reception desk, four cubicles that we decorated to reflect the personalities of the officers who normally sat there, and not much else, especially criminals. Had it been LA she wouldn't have seen anything but people giving statements and people being arrested. The chief, Kommissar Kamp, who she had met the other evening at the party saw her as he was finishing up a phone call. He waved her over to him as he hung up the receiver. "Frau Sanders, what can I do for you," he asked approaching her with a smile.
"Good afternoon. I was hoping you could let me talk to Michael."
"Michael? Why would you want to do that? Come," he said leading her to an office in the back, separate from the main room, "he has been charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, he won't be free for quite awhile. It is my understanding that the Graf is well and will be released tomorrow. I don't see what you need Michael for." He motioned for Dylan to have seat.
"Thank you," she said sitting. "Like you said when you arrested Michael, he isn't smart enough or rich enough to hire killers like Mills to remove the Count. We suspect someone else was involved as well."
"Really," he said looking intently at her, "and just who might that be. We haven't found any evidence of a second person and Michael certainly hasn't named any names."
"It's a theory but we think Katja James is involved." Dylan shifted uncomfortably in her chair, the chief's gaze made her nervous, like a child sent to the principal's office.
"Katja? Katja James? What makes you and your friends think that? I have never seen a woman love a man like Katja loves Andreas," he said with a laugh. "Of course I have heard worse theories."
"Like you said when Michael was arrested, that he wasn't smart enough or had enough money to hire killers like Karl Mills," saying Karl's name caused a lump to rise in her throat, she continued by presenting Kommisar Kamp with the information they had once again carefully leaving out any reference to Anthony. As she finished her presentation a young obviously green office ran in, he whispered something in the Kommissar's ear and left.
"Well Frau Sanders, you no longer need to protect the Count."
"Why? Was someone caught," Dylan asked standing.
"No but he is dead; murdered in his hospital bed. He was stabbed through the chest with what the doctors suspect was a sword." Dylan had to sit again. The room started to spin and the world was going fuzzy. "Frau Sanders?" She could hear the Kommissar's voice but it sounded as though it was in a far away tunnel. The Kommissar went across the room and filled a paper cup with water from the water cooler in the corner. He placed the cup in her hand and Dylan absently took a sip. The cold water helped bring her back, and everything came back into focus. "Frau Sanders are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm sorry it just surprised me. I guess I don't need to speak to Michael anymore," she said standing again to leave. Dylan was still wobbly and the Kommissar steadied her with a hand.
"Are you sure you are ok?"
Dylan nodded, picked up her purse and left the room, through the general office area and outside. The Kommissar watched her from the door as she walked down the street trying to get a grip on herself. As she walked down the street towards the inn she was glad it was within walking distance. She didn't think she could handle driving a car in her state. She passed a small park near the church in the center of town. It had a children's play area, several benches, most of which were occupied by people feeding pigeons, and a lovely grassy area where young couples lounged enjoying the summer day together. Dylan sat on one of the benches and enviously watched the couples enjoying the normal summer day. How she longed to one of them with a nice normal non-dangerous boyfriend. Why wasn't that possible? "I can't think about that now. I have to let Natalie and Alex know if they don't already."
She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Natalie's number. Natalie answered on the second ring, "Pete? Is that you?"
Dylan rolled her eyes, "No Nat it's me."
"Dylan, are you okay, you don't sound too good," the blonde said with concern.
"I'm not. Do you know where Alex is? I need to talk to the two of you"
"I thought Alex was at the hospital, have you tried calling her? What is going on?"
"I don't want to tell you right now. I'll meet you there. Stay put," with that Dylan hung up and collected Bosley and the third rental car from the inn and drove out to the Schloss. On the way her cell phone rang. Bosley answered it, "Dylan's phone."
"Bos, its Alex. I went to talk to Natalie at the house and she said that Dylan was upset what is going on?" Dylan could hear her even though Bosley had the handy.
"Tell her we'll be there in a few minutes," she said not taking her eyes off the road.
"Dylan says to tell you we'll be there soon. Hang on to your britches." Bosley flipped the phone shut. "Are you sure you're okay Dyl," he asked.
"Im fine," she snapped. She hadn't meant to but today was taking its toll on her. She had found out her long lost father was Karl Mills, assassin and dead man. She thought she had found love for a moment with Anthony, no she took that back, with the Creepy Thin Man. That is all he would ever be, an assassin. She wondered if she and her mom were more alike than she would ever know. Did her mom love Karl Mills although he was an assassin or was he a normal guy when her mom knew him that went bad? Maybe making bad love choices was a genetic thing. That would explain a lot, she thought to herself, O'Grady, McCadden, the Chad, the Creepy Thin Man. Hmmm maybe she just needed to stay away from men with apostrophes in their names and articles the idea of which made her giggle. Bosley gave her and odd look but didn't say anything.
About ten minutes later she pulled up into the circular driveway of the Schloss. Helmar waved to her and Bosley as they got out of the VW Golf. With the way he waved she was fairly certain that he didn't know about the Count yet and therefore neither did anyone inside except maybe Katja, if she was home. Dylan had a sick vision of Katja and the Creepy Thin Man holed up in a bar drinking to the success of killing the count and making her and the other two Angels look like idiots. She blinked it away, no time for that; they needed to catch the Creepy Thin Man and Katja James.
"Dylan, Bosley," called Natalie from the sitting room as the two crossed the dimly lit manor foyer. "What is going on?"
Dylan and Bosley went into the sitting room. "Don't have a clue," said Bos sitting on the arm of the sofa on which Natalie and Alex were perched. Dylan looked at her three friends and took a deep breath. "The Count, Andreas is dead."
"What," exclaimed Alex, "I just left him not an hour ago. He was fine. He didn't want to believe me about Katja but he was fine."
"It's my fault," said Dylan sinking into the chair facing the group on the sofa. Her three friends looked at her puzzled. "I went to the police station. I wanted to question Michael; I had hoped that maybe he would admit that Katja was behind the whole thing. So I was talking to the Kommissar and while we were talking another officer came in and told him that Andreas was dead."
"I don't see how that is your fault, Dylan," said Alex walking over and putting her arm around her friend.
"Anthony killed him," said Dylan emotionlessly. "The Kommissar said that Andreas was killed by a sword. Every time I talked to Kommissar Kamp I never said anything about the Creepy Thin Man being involved. Had I said something Andreas might still be alive especially since I was with him right before he killed the Count."
"Explain Dylan," said Alex noticing that Dylan had reverted back to calling him Creepy Thin Man instead of the name the nuns at the orphanage had given him. She told them about her encounter with him in his room the sword to her throat, she told them about the photograph of her mother Rhonda Zaas, and Karl Mills, she told about her leaving and left out how she had kissed him. She left out how she was sure until she heard how he killed the Count that she loved him and that they might have a chance.
Then they heard a voice, "My God." The angels turned to see Helga in the door way, collapsed onto her knees.
"Helga," said Natalie as she ran to the older woman's side.
"I heard. Tell me Frau Cook that is isn't true. Tell me my son isn't dead."
Dylan, Alex and Bosley looked at Natalie with astonishment. Natalie looked at the kind maid on the floor and put her arms around her and said, "I'm sorry Helga its true." Once the maid had stopped crying Natalie helped her to the couch.
"So," said Helga. "That nasty woman hired another man to kill my boy. Now he will never know." The maid started crying again.
"He'll never know what," asked Alex.
"That she is his mother," Natalie explained. "Before she started working for the last Graf von Buchholz she was a young woman working in a bar in town. It was one night and she became pregnant with the man's son. He was married to the then Gräfin von Buchholz and she wasn't going to let it be known that the Count had impregnated the barmaid so she hired Helga as the maid and when the baby was born she adopted him."
"I was allowed to work here so I could be close to my son, Andreas but wasn't allowed to ever let him know I was his mother," said Helga
Alex placed her arm around the older woman as well. "That is terrible."
"It wasn't so bad. The Gräfin, never had much time for the boy. She doted over her daughter Helene, so I substituted for her. He probably considered me more the mother than Giselle was even though he never knew he was my true son," the maid continued. "I will just never have the chance to tell him." Helga stood and walked over to the window and pulled the heavy draperies open. "I suppose we don't need these closed anymore."