The Secret Healer (26 page)

“What is it that you want?”

“We are friendly people; our only desire is to take our seats at the trial,” Elsbeth called out.

“All of you?”

“Why not?” She gave him her most charming smile.

“You can go, but we don’t want any trouble.”

“We don’t want any trouble, either,” Elsbeth assured them.

“So many people for a trial?” The guard scratched his head.

A man from the crowd shouted, “We want to bring back our healer. You Heidelbergers haven’t been good to her. But we Worms citizens will take her off your hands.” With that he continued to walk, singing a happy tune, which his companions took up as well.

Chapter Thirty-Three

“Mother?” Johannes couldn’t believe his eyes.

Elsbeth hugged him and kissed his forehead. “I found out immediately where the archbishop’s legal counsel was staying.” She smiled at him.

“Were you able to find a witness?”

“One witness?” She beamed at him. “Go to the door, and you’ll see what people really think of your wife.”

Outside, Johannes immediately took a step back. “That’s . . . it can’t be . . .”

“At a loss for words?” she teased. “You?”

“How in the world did you do this?” His words poured out quickly.

“I didn’t do it. Madlen did. She helped many people.”

“But she could never have cured all these people.”

“No, of course not. But all of them want to speak on her behalf.”

“I’m overwhelmed.” Johannes caught sight of Roswitha in the crowd and nodded. She returned the gesture with a smile.

“You were able to convince Roswitha?”

“Truth be told, Otilia did.” Elsbeth moved aside, and Johannes and Otilia greeted each other. “We’re here to support Madlen. Now you must use your legal skills to save her life.”

“Indeed, I will.”

It proved quite difficult to accommodate so many out-of-towners in Heidelberg. Some well-to-do gentlemen stayed in taverns, and some stayed in private houses, for which they paid a pretty penny. Most of the people went to the meadow right below the castle, where they settled down in the evening, eating and drinking and trying to outdo each other with outrageous tales of adventure. Tomorrow morning, the trial would begin.

Earlier in the day, the man arrived whose presence Johannes hadn’t dared to hope for: Archbishop Werner III, the archbishop and prince-elector of Trier, who took over the office from his great-uncle Kuno II von Falkenstein. He was accompanied by an entourage of a dozen men riding into Heidelberg. He’d been consecrated a couple months prior, but Johannes had been introduced to him shortly before his duties as a Church lawyer had been conferred to him. Johannes didn’t know whether Werner shared his great-uncle’s determination to convict a supposed wonder healer. He sincerely hoped that he could steer this man away from such a desire, but he certainly didn’t want to tarnish the memory of the archbishop’s deceased relatives. Werner III von Falkenstein was famous for his many feuds. As far as Johannes knew, he’d successfully repelled the claims of other surviving Falkenstein relatives in line to inherit the family fortune. Only time would tell what he could get past him. At least for now, it seemed that the new archbishop was a firm believer in Johannes’s abilities. Whether he was clever would remain to be seen.

Johannes had done everything possible to accommodate the archbishop’s men in an appropriate manner. The archbishop himself felt at home in the church’s magnificent building, where six of his security guards stayed. In the meantime, Johannes had met with Andreas every day. When it came to Adelhaid’s murder, they were, as always, standing on shaky ground. Barbara had disappeared, and Matthias’s cook was a gray-haired, surly hag who had dismissed Andreas’s request to testify in court with a flick of her hand. Whatever kind of person Matthias was, Andreas didn’t believe for one moment that he’d done anything untoward to the cook. Even if Matthias tried to get close, Johannes guessed that she would sooner clobber him with a big fat wooden spoon than let him lay one hand on her.

Trying to get in touch with the guards in the Trauenstein household had been futile. There wasn’t a single guard or servant that had worked for him longer than a week. Evidently, Matthias had thought of everything; he’d replaced his entire domestic staff. Initially, Andreas thought that former employees might be angry at Matthias and would be only too willing to give information about what had played out between Adelhaid and her husband. But none of the former servants seemed to live in Heidelberg anymore. Andreas had been unable to track any of them down.

“I have no idea how we’re going to be able to refute this murder charge,” he said to Johannes, who had come to visit him at the university. They were careful not to be seen together in public. Their only public meeting had been at the tavern, but no one could fault them for that. It was common for defense attorneys and prosecutors to speak about defendants and the charges against them; no one would suspect any kind of conspiracy over one public meeting.

“Kilian was there when the guard came and asked Madlen to come to Adelhaid.” Johannes rubbed his tired eyes.

“Yes, but Kilian is her brother and wants to save her life,” Andreas asserted.

“That’s what the court will think. Nevertheless, you should let Kilian speak.”

“I will. But his testimony won’t carry much weight.”

“We’ll see. What motive would Madlen have for killing Adelhaid?”

“Madlen wanted to silence her before she testified in court about losing her child.”

“The trial was over. The sheriff decided that interrogating Adelhaid was no longer necessary.”

“Some might argue that Madlen could have still been terrified that the truth could come to light.”

“The truth.” Johannes spit out the words with bitterness. “If only Adelhaid could have appeared in court to tell the truth, the whole truth.”

Andreas nodded. “Maybe she could . . . ,” he muttered. “At least in spirit.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve spent a great deal of time trying to find witnesses who could exonerate Madlen.”

“Yes. So?”

“We need to put our entire attention on Matthias.” Andreas attempted to remember the trial. “Matthias and the sheriff.”

“Why the sheriff?”

“When Madlen was acquitted, the sheriff said that he would interview Matthias to explain his wife’s injuries, which ultimately led to the death of their child.”

Johannes didn’t understand. “But it’s not about the child’s death at all.”

“No, but why did the sheriff drop the matter?”

“When Adelhaid was killed, Matthias became the poor widower.” Johannes completed the thought.

“Exactly. But it was the sheriff’s job to investigate the beatings that may have led to the death of Adelhaid’s child. Madlen had been acquitted of all charges. Matthias, however, had every reason to get his wife out of the way. After all, the sheriff had announced there would be an investigation. Matthias could have brutalized his wife further, but he still would have run the risk that she would open her mouth and he would be convicted for his crimes. The rapes and beatings weren’t all; a child was killed and an innocent woman accused. Other charges against Matthias should have been pursued.”

“You really want to attack the sheriff? And you want to do it as he presides over the trial?”

“That’s exactly what I want to do.” Andreas nodded. “What can we expect from the archbishop’s side? Will he intervene?”

“No. I’ve already talked to him. He’s only here as an observer. However, I’m hoping his presence will ensure that no one will want to show their ignorance.”

“What do you think he’ll do?”

“I don’t know. He’s power hungry. Since he took over office, much has changed.”

“So you had been working on behalf of the old archbishop?”

“Yes, four months before Archbishop Kuno replaced himself with his great-nephew. But both men were united on taking action against the secret healer.”

“We’ll see whether he’s holding tightly to those views or whether we can do something to convince him to rethink everything.” Andreas stood up. “I need to go see Madlen for one last conversation before the trial begins.”

“How I would love to be by her side.” Johannes pressed his lips together. “I miss her so much sometimes I can barely breathe.”

“I’ll tell her you’re thinking of her. But when you see each other in court tomorrow, you have to hide your true feelings. Imagine that you’re talking to Matthias Trauenstein when you question her. If the court or the archbishop gets wind of your relationship, all will be lost.”

“I know. I’ll conceal my emotion.”

“Good-bye, my friend.” Andreas left the room. To eliminate any danger of being seen together on the street, Johannes waited until Andreas was far enough from the building before he left.

“Is this the dress you’ll be wearing tomorrow?” Andreas pointed to the gown draped over the back of the chair.

Madlen nodded. “Agathe brought it over for me. She thinks it will be most suitable.” She placed the gown over her belly. “It will only fit for a short time longer.”

“Despite the jail food, you still seem to have some meat on your bones.”

“Agathe’s been bringing me something to eat every single day.”

“And the guards allowed this?”

Madlen smiled. “You don’t know Agathe. She not only brought food for the guards, she slipped them a couple of bottles of schnapps, too.”

“Schnapps instead of money.” Andreas smirked. “Women certainly know how to make men do their bidding.”

“She’s such a warm person with such a good heart. I’d like to be more like her.”

“Half of Worms is coming to support you, and you’d like to be a better person?”

“How are . . .” She hesitated. “The others?”

Andreas smiled. “Your brother and Irma are doing well.” He went to the door to see whether anyone was listening. But the guards were somewhere else. “Kilian and I”—he winked at her—“will do everything we can to get you out of here.”

“Please don’t tell Agathe or the others that I’ve lost all hope.”

“Madlen, you must believe with all your might that it will be all right.”

“You know,” she said pensively, “even though I’m still young, I have the feeling I’ve seen it all. I’ve experienced generosity and warmth as much as I’ve known hate and lies. I’ve found true love and lost it again.”

“You haven’t lost your true love. Your husband is waiting for your release.”

She shook her head. “He won’t be able to get me out of here. Not this time.”

Andreas wanted to try to convince her otherwise, but the right words eluded him. Was it some awful premonition that led her to say this?

“Can you remember what I told you at the first trial?”

She looked puzzled.

“Smile. You need to smile when you come into the courtroom tomorrow to acknowledge all those who came to support you.”

“I don’t believe that I can do that.”

“You have to do everything in your power to save your life.” Andreas looked at her intently.

Tears welled up in Madlen’s eyes. “Please, don’t tell anyone, but I’m afraid that my baby’s not doing well.”

“Do you need a doctor?”

“No, he couldn’t do anything anyway.”

“Why? What do you need?”

“I’ve been bleeding.”

“And you tell me so calmly? We have to get help.”

“No.” She sounded harsh. “I’ll stand trial tomorrow and accept my conviction with dignity. If I’m executed, then let it happen while I’m carrying my child in my womb.”

Ice-cold shivers went up and down Andreas’s spine. Madlen’s voice had an air of finality to it. He sincerely hoped that she was wrong.

Chapter Thirty-Four

There was no courtroom in all of Heidelberg remotely large enough to accommodate so many people. The decision was made to move the trial to St. Peter’s Church, but there were still concerns that there wouldn’t be enough seats.

Johannes had submitted a long list of Worms citizens available to testify in court. He explained to the court that with the help of these witnesses, he would be able to uncover the activities of the secret healer. The sheriff took a peek at the list with a satisfied nod.

Madlen wouldn’t be able to wiggle her way out of this one. He was still annoyed that he’d allowed himself to be deceived at the last trial. He had believed her. He had seen Adelhaid with his own eyes. She was weak and had left her bed briefly when the sheriff told the guard that he wanted to speak to her. Her dress covered most of her body, but the sheriff could see obvious signs of physical abuse on her face and neck. Of course, she could have taken a bad fall down the steps, but the sheriff didn’t believe it. Still, the most telling thing was the general impression that Adelhaid had made on him. She was a very frightened woman who had given up all hope. Although the miscarriage had occurred a few days before, the sheriff didn’t believe that her fall was the only reason for it. Her end was profoundly cruel and deeply repugnant. But Matthias couldn’t be responsible here, of that the sheriff was absolutely sure. Too many witnesses had seen Madlen flee the house in a blood-smeared dress. No, that wasn’t Matthias’s work, and the sheriff would make sure that justice would be served for Adelhaid Trauenstein.

In front, chairs were set up for the spectators. Agathe sat in the first row. She wanted to be as close as possible to Madlen. Kilian sat on her left, and on her right sat Elsbeth. The Wormsers on the witness list that Johannes presented to the court had to wait outside. Guards were posted around them to protect them from curious stares. No one was allowed to speak to the witnesses before they made their statement in court.

The archbishop was the last to enter the church; he walked down the center aisle, graciously nodding to the people on either side. With great ado, he took a place especially reserved for him, away from the spectators.

The sheriff and the members of the jury sat in a row in front of the spectators. On the left stood a table for Matthias Trauenstein and, a bit farther, a second one for Johannes Goldmann. In the middle was the witness seat. Madlen sat at a table with Andreas at a table on the right.

The sheriff stood and held up both his hands so he could be heard. Almost instantly, the people ceased their whispering.

“Greetings to all! I want to urge you to behave as you would at any trial,” he warned them as he raised his finger. “Otherwise, I will be forced to throw you out of the courtroom and prevent you from taking further part.”

Very few whispered; most took the threat seriously. Nobody wanted to miss whatever was going to happen in the courtroom today. The sheriff glanced at the jury for a moment. These were the same men who had presided over the first trial.

“And I must make all aware of another peculiarity. There are two different indictments, proffered by different men. Both charges will be handled here at this trial, one after another.”

Many of the spectators nodded; most seemed to understand the procedure.

“I urge both the prosecution and the defense to speak as loudly and clearly as possible so that even the last rows can understand.” With that, he sat in his place and turned to Johannes. “Prosecuting Counsel Goldmann, please take the floor.”

Johannes nodded, stood up, and walked around the table. “Honorable Heidelbergers. The defendant is being charged with a heinous crime. You all know what’s at stake. This one here”—he pointed at Madlen—“is a liar of the worst sort.”

Otilia elbowed Elsbeth’s side and looked at her questioningly. Elsbeth smiled knowingly, though she understood Otilia’s concern over Johannes’s threatening tone.

“She may have the face of an angel, but inside this woman is the playmate of the devil. I will prove it to you.” He grimaced contemptuously then gave Madlen a cold, hard stare. Mortified, she looked at the floor.

Johannes took a step forward, until he stood in front of the rows of spectators. It was difficult for him to find the right words to say next. “From the beginning, I’ll demonstrate to you the extent of her vile lies.” He lifted his head and looked at Madlen again with disdain. “She fooled so many people, but not as much as she fooled me.” He stomped over to the table where Madlen sat, and bent over, his face inches from hers. “I married this she-devil,” he roared as Madlen flinched.

“Kindly keep your distance from my client,” Andreas snapped as he jumped up. “If you are not in the condition to conduct yourself properly in this trial, then you should let a colleague do so.” The two men faced each other antagonistically. Finally, Johannes turned away from him abruptly. “I apologize to the court.” He nodded in deference to the archbishop. “My hatred for the defendant is not as large as my will to represent the case for the prosecution”—he turned and pointed at Madlen—“to prove that this woman has committed these heinous crimes beyond a shadow of a doubt.”

“I didn’t know that this was your wife.” The sheriff looked at the jury members; all of them shook their heads.

“Believe me when I say that I’m not proud of it.” Johannes took a deep breath. “But for me, all is not lost. I was lied to and betrayed and will do everything I must to annul this marriage.”

“She has a souvenir from you, too,” Matthias Trauenstein added contemptuously.

“You were so unaware when you married her that you didn’t know she’s the exact woman you were looking for on behalf of the archbishop?” asked the sheriff.

“No.” Johannes shook his head helplessly. “I had no idea; she blinded me. You can imagine the shame I felt once I figured it all out.”

“All this does not bring us any further,” the sheriff stated. “We’ve come to understand that you are charging the defendant with a heinous crime. Please present it to the court.”

It took Johannes considerable effort to gather himself. “Yes, may it please the court.” He took a look at the document. “I would like to describe what happened and what the defendant is accused of.” He sat on the edge of the table. “Many months ago, it came to the attention of the late Archbishop Kuno II that there was a secret healer in our land who worked with the devil. Because my family lived in Worms, he gave me this task, which was later confirmed by our revered new archbishop.” He nodded deferentially to the archbishop. “So I returned to Worms and started hearing stories. I didn’t want to believe these stories at first.” He pushed himself away from the table and walked toward the first row of spectators. “Unfortunately, I can’t say with certainty whether the defendant deliberately sought to distract me from my actual purpose or whether she simply intended to hide out in the home of a respected citizen.”

“Could we please get to the point, or must we endure your entire life story today?” Andreas von Balge said sarcastically.

“Has she also put you under her evil spell?” Johannes spit back. “Is the child she’s carrying actually yours?”

“I beg your pardon, sir,” Andreas said indignantly.

“Gentlemen, please,” the sheriff intervened. “This matter is not relevant to our proceedings.” He pointed to Johannes. “Please, Master Goldmann, tell us what concrete charges you have against the defendant.”

Johannes exhaled audibly. “In the name of Archbishop Werner III, prince-elector of Trier, I charge this woman with healing in the name of the devil.” He waved his hand. “I will prove that she took advantage of people’s fears and forced them to take part in unspeakable deeds. And this wasn’t the first time she did such things. She also called the dark powers to her side here in Heidelberg.”

“Many words but very little to say,” Andreas commented.

Madlen lifted her head; her eyes met Johannes’s. He looked at her angrily, full of hate and scorn. Had Andreas deceived her? Was Johannes waiting for her final death knell? She was shattered.

“What is this?” Otilia hissed in Elsbeth’s ear.

“Believe me, I know my son. He knows exactly what he’s doing.”

“Shall we start with the first witness?” the sheriff asked.

“Yes, may it please the court. I have tracked down people who can confirm that she is the secret healer. The list lies before you.” Johannes seemed exhausted as he went back to the table and sat in his chair.

“Will the maid Roswitha be the first to take her place as witness?” the sheriff called out to the guards next to the doors. A woman walked past them and entered the church. Roswitha went up the entire length of the aisle shyly, her head lowered.

“Please, come to the front and take a seat.” The sheriff gestured.

Roswitha followed his orders, nodded to Madlen, then sat down.

Johannes stood up and went around the table again. “Roswitha. We know each other, isn’t that right?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“In whose service are you?”

“I was Agathe’s maid.” She turned and pointed at Madlen’s aunt. “But now, I serve my lady, Otilia.”

“In Worms, that might mean something to people. They are only names here. Tell me, what is the relationship between Agathe and the defendant?”

“I thought that Agathe was a friend of her mother’s. Now I know that Agathe is her aunt.”

“So, the defendant lied to you.”

Roswitha turned red. “I might have misunderstood.”

Johannes lifted an eyebrow. “Roswitha, back there”—he pointed—“is where the archbishop is sitting. Think about what you say very carefully. Let’s try this again. Did the defendant lie?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Good. What kind of work did the defendant do?”

“She was a seamstress, just like my mistress.”

“A seamstress? And did she do anything else?”

Roswitha looked over at Madlen, who kept her head down.

“Don’t look at the defendant, look at me,” Johannes ordered harshly. “Now answer the question.”

“Could the prosecutor please clarify?” Andreas said as he stood.

“If it so pleases the defense.” He looked at Andreas arrogantly. “Roswitha, to your knowledge, did the defendant work at something else besides sewing?”

“No, my lord.”

“No? You must tell the truth.”

“She didn’t do any other work,” she insisted.

“Didn’t she also heal people?”

Roswitha looked over at Madlen as she bit her lower lip.

“Well, I’ll make it a little easier for you,” Johannes said. “Who is Sander?”

“He’s . . . he’s my husband.”

He sounded condescending. “And your husband was sick?”

Roswitha kneaded her hands together. “Yes, my lord. He had a terrible cough. There was hardly a family in Worms that was spared.”

“And did people die?”

“Yes, many.”

“But Sander was healed?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“And how did that come about?”

“Please, my lord, don’t force me.”

Johannes stepped toward her. “Answer the question.”

“Madlen helped him,” she whispered.

“Speak loud so that the people in the last rows can hear.”

“Madlen helped him,” she repeated loudly.

A murmur went through the crowd.

“Roswitha,” Johannes said in a soothing tone, “it’s obvious that you don’t want to testify. But you must. Tell us in your own words.”

Roswitha swallowed hard and looked over at Madlen, who at this exact instant returned her gaze. She smiled weakly and nodded. Roswitha’s eyes welled up with tears.

“Agathe, my mistress, got sick first. She also had the cough. Madlen gathered some herbs, and I picked up frankincense. It took several days, but in the end, Agathe was cured. I was so relieved. And then Sander got sick.”

“What happened then?”

“At first, Madlen only gave me the herbs. I tried everything. But his life hung by a thread. Then Madlen came, and from that point on, he got better. Now he’s perfectly healthy.”

“What did Madlen do that you couldn’t?”

She kneaded her fingers together nervously. “She calmed him.”

“How?”

Roswitha needed a moment. Then she described how Madlen swayed the candle to and fro and sang hymns and recited psalms and prayer. The spectators’ uneasiness was palpable. The scene she described confused them.

“Roswitha, what did the defendant get in return?”

“She didn’t get anything.”

“Nothing? But why did she do it?”

“Why did she help him though he couldn’t offer her anything in return?” Roswitha shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s simply a good person.”

Johannes smiled joylessly. “You don’t really believe that, do you? Did the defendant heal other people?”

“Yes, she healed other people. Many.”

“And what did she get for this?”

“She did it out of the goodness of her heart.”

He shook his head. “I have no further questions at the moment. Your witness, Master von Balge.” He nodded at Andreas, then he went back to his table and took his place.

“Thank you.” Andreas stood. “And how is Sander now?”

“He’s doing very well, my lord.”

“My lady, let me explain to you what my colleague was getting at with his questions about payment.” He addressed the simple maid formally. “Sander didn’t have to pay for help from my client?”

“That is correct, my lord.”

“But she helped him anyway?”

“Yes, she saved his life. I’m eternally grateful to her.”

“How wonderful is it that people like my client exist in this world?” He opened his arms up wide and looked at the crowd of spectators.

“Yes, my lord, it’s a true blessing.”

The spectators whispered to each other.

“The reason my colleague asked is simple: he wants to prove that she acted in the name of the devil and was rewarded with the souls of the healed.”

Johannes jumped up. “You cannot put words in my mouth.”

“So, that is not what you meant to imply?”

Johannes laughed scornfully. “The witness is sitting there in front of you, esteemed colleague. You should ask her, not me.” He wanted to say something else, but the sheriff held up his hand.