The Secret Healer (8 page)

“Yes, go ahead and look. Isn’t my wife wonderful? Don’t be scared of all the blood.” He held Madlen even tighter and clutched her head so she couldn’t look away. “This is all your fault. She didn’t have to die, but you and your oh-so-clever advocate forced me to do this. Now who am I supposed to sleep next to at night?” His mouth was right next to her ear. “Unfortunately for you, you’ll be locked away until you swing from the gallows.” He pushed her forward, and Madlen landed again on Adelhaid’s corpse.

“Barbara, you know what you have to do.”

Madlen dimly recognized Barbara, who staggered over to the door and opened it. A faint glow of light fell into the room. Madlen couldn’t see what Barbara was doing. She couldn’t think clearly. She looked to the side and saw Adelhaid’s face. Blood flowed over the white linen pillow. Her eyes were still open, and Madlen had the feeling that Adelhaid was staring at her reproachfully.

“Do you know what’s going to happen now?” Matthias laughed, but it wasn’t the full, deep laugh he’d had before. It sounded high and light, as if he’d lost his mind. “Barbara has informed the guard. Now he’ll go to the street and scream as loud as he can that you’ve killed my wife.”

“Nobody will believe you.” Madlen became sick to her stomach.

“Oh, of course they will. There’s the knife with which you stabbed my wife over and over. I advise you to surrender yourself to the sheriff.”

“Why would I do that?” Madlen asked weakly.

“You still don’t understand?” Again he laughed. “I would have thought you were smarter than this. But what can you expect from a little whore like yourself? You’ve stabbed my beloved wife to death with a knife because she wanted to tell the truth that it was you that poisoned her and killed our child.”

“Nobody will believe that. Not after what happened in the courtroom today.”

“Oh, but I think they will. Our lovely Barbara will swear that she got money from you to lie in court.” He tapped his head. “I figured it all out.”

“You’ll never get away with it. When the sheriff arrives, he’ll believe me, not you. And where would I have gotten enough money to pay Barbara? No, nobody will believe you.” Madlen looked desperately for a way out. There had to be a way to convince him that his scheme would fail.

“You were able to pay that expensive advocate.”

“From the money that Adelhaid gave me in thanks for saving her life,” she sobbed.

“Or that you stole after you poisoned her and killed our son.”

Madlen realized that he had indeed considered everything. Every little detail. She looked down. Her dress and hands were tainted through and through with Adelhaid’s blood. She had to flee. She acted as if she wanted to get up, then she raised her arms and shoved Matthias away with such a powerful push that he staggered backward in surprise. She stumbled to the door, where she almost ran into Barbara. The frightened woman pressed herself against the wall and cleared the way for Madlen’s escape.

She ran to the stairwell. The guard was nowhere to be seen. She ran as fast as she could down the steps.

“Stop, you whore!” she heard Matthias yell from above.

She jumped down the last few steps, ran over to the front door, and raced out. Outside, people were already gathering thanks to the guard’s racket. Some screamed in terror as they saw Madlen’s blood-soaked dress. She ran like a hunted animal as she sped away from the house and Matthias Trauenstein’s cries. Nobody made a move to stand in her way, when suddenly someone grabbed her hand. She saw Kilian’s face pop up in front of her as he pulled her away with him. No one ran after the siblings. The good citizens of Heidelberg were too stunned to comprehend what they saw.

They both ran from the marketplace until they reached Ingrim Street and turned into a small alley. At first, they thought they heard footsteps, but they seemed to be alone.

“You’ve got to hide,” Kilian gasped.

“But I don’t know, I can’t . . . ,” Madlen protested.

Her brother dragged her farther. “We don’t have time to argue. Come on!”

Madlen could not have said how long they ran. “Let’s go to our old cave. Nobody will find you there. I’ll run back and pretend that I lost you and am trying to find you, too. Maybe I’ll learn what’s going on at the same time. You stay there until I come back. Do you understand?”

Madlen didn’t react, unable to comprehend. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. “Madlen! Come now! Keep yourself hidden. Do you hear me?”

She nodded and followed his instructions. He hurriedly turned around and ran back to the marketplace, calling loudly for his sister in the neighboring streets.

Madlen crept deep into the cave, until she couldn’t go any farther. She crouched, leaning against the wall, then moved her legs to her chest. Her whole body shivered, unable to absorb what had happened in the last few hours. Only her sticky bloodstained hands and the smell of blood on her dress convinced her that this wasn’t a bad dream.

Chapter Ten

It was ice-cold in the cave. After a while, she cried herself to sleep. Outside was as dark as it was in the cave. Not even one small ray of light. When she woke, Madlen’s whole body trembled. She sat up and blew into her freezing-cold hands, then rubbed her arms. She’d only stayed overnight in the cave one time before. She’d been seven or eight years old and hiding from her father because of some trivial thing she’d supposedly done. He had been drunk that day and had beaten her with a willow branch. Kilian hadn’t been around to protect her. Madlen didn’t dare go home before Kilian’s return. So she’d huddled on the ground and finally fallen asleep. Just like now. Except now she was holed up here for a much worse reason. Slowly, her thoughts cleared and she pondered the day’s events. All the terrible things that had happened in the last few hours came rushing back. The horror of being tricked, Adelhaid’s death, the blood, the realization that Matthias Trauenstein had planned everything to the smallest detail.

“Madlen? Are you here?”

It wasn’t her brother’s voice, so Madlen pressed her body even closer to the wall. She hardly dared to breathe.

“Madlen?” the voice repeated. “It’s me, Andreas. Are you in here? Kilian sent me.”

Madlen’s heart was in her throat; blood rushed in her ears. What should she do? Was this yet another trap? Had the advocate been spying on the siblings and waiting until Kilian went away? But why? What were his intentions? Madlen sighed. Either way, he would find her in the cave; she might as well reveal herself. “I’m here,” she said, her voice trembling.

She heard footsteps as Andreas moved farther in. “Thank God. I thought I might have gotten the wrong location.” Madlen could still only hear him.

“Where are you?” he asked in a tone of concern.

“What do you want?”

“What do you think?” He groaned from the stress of crawling on all fours. “I want to help you.” He got so close that Madlen could feel his breath when he spoke.

“I’m right here.” She reached out her hand and touched his arm.

“You can’t even see your hand in front of your face. Good thing. From outside, nobody would ever guess there was a cave here at all.” He sat down to make himself a bit more comfortable. “How are you?”

“What do you think? I fell into Matthias Trauenstein’s trap, and I’ll probably end up swinging from the gallows.”

“I wish I could say something reassuring, but it doesn’t look good for you. Over two dozen witnesses saw you flee in your blood-smeared dress.”

“Should I tell you what really happened?”

“Your brother pieced together what happened from talking with some of the other witnesses and has already filled me in.”

“Where is Kilian?”

“He’s probably already back at your cottage, where guards are stationed, waiting for you to come home. They’ll be waiting a long time.”

“But where should I go?” A bit of hope germinated in her breast. “Are you here to show me the way out? Do you have something that can be used against Matthias Trauenstein? Did Barbara confess? Or the guard?”

Von Balge sighed. “I am so very sorry. Things look bad for you. After your brother notified me, I went directly to the sheriff.” He shifted. “Nobody is ready to believe our side of the story. The maid testified that you paid her off. And the guard swears up and down that you and your brother showed up uninvited at the Trauensteins’, longing to talk to his mistress. When you arrived, your brother went to the tavern to leave you and Adelhaid alone to sort things out. A short time later, the guard heard screaming. When he stormed in from the hall, the guard swears he saw you repeatedly stab Adelhaid with the knife. She was already dead, so he was unable to help his mistress.”

Madlen felt sick. For a moment, she thought she might throw up, but she was able to suppress it. Lucky, since this cave would undoubtedly be her home for some time.

“But they’re lying, they’re all lying,” she cried.

“I know.” He would have loved to take her into his arms but forced himself to maintain a professional demeanor.

“The guard told the sheriff that he was trying to wrest the knife from your hands when his master came home. As he stormed by to save his wife, you tried to escape. Matthias Trauenstein held you tightly as the guard ran outside to call for help. You finally succeeded in freeing yourself from Trauenstein’s grasp and fled. You know the rest.”

“He really thought of everything,” Madlen said flatly.

“There’s very little we can do about that.”

“But the guard came to my house! It was he who wanted me to come to Adelhaid. Kilian can swear to it.”

“He’s your brother and wants to save your skin. Nobody will believe him.”

She suppressed a sob. “And Barbara?”

“She confirmed exactly what the guard and Matthias said.”

“Then all is lost.”

“I would love to be able to disagree with you. But you’re right.”

“But doesn’t anybody wonder, even the sheriff, why on earth I would want to kill Adelhaid?”

“Barbara lied, and Adelhaid wanted to make clear that it was you that killed her child? It doesn’t make any difference. The sheriff told me it would do no good to discuss it further. In his and Heidelberg’s eyes, you’re guilty of the death of Adelhaid Trauenstein.”

“They’ll hang me.”

“That would be the most merciful punishment you could hope for.”

Madlen sobbed.

“As much as I might wish that I could defend you, there is nothing I can do. Matthias Trauenstein planned everything out. You have only one choice now: run for your life!”

“But where should I go?”

“Somewhere where nobody knows you.”

“The only people who know me are in Heidelberg.”

“Then it should be easy.” Andreas seemed confident now. “We’ll smuggle you out of Heidelberg, and you’ll need to get as far away as you can.”

“But the city walls. The guards will be expecting me.”

“Well, of course. Nobody said you should march out of the city in your bloodstained dress.”

“But—”

“I’ve spoken to your brother. We’ve got a plan. But you’ll need to hide out here for a little while longer. The constables are keeping an eye on Kilian. They’re hoping that he’ll get careless and lead them to you.”

“He isn’t in custody?” Her voice trembled.

“No, he’s safe at the cottage. He asked me to bring you this.” Andreas held out a bag, but Madlen couldn’t see it. “There’s enough food and drink to last you a few days.”

“Thanks.” She felt his sleeve brush against her arm and grabbed it. “Why are you doing this?”

Andreas pondered for a moment. “It’s just my nature. I’ve always wanted to help people. This is why I’m here in Heidelberg studying with the great thinkers and professors of our time. Gone are the days where anyone can just take what he wants. There are laws now. And I want to defend and protect innocent citizens to the fullest extent of my knowledge of the law.” He paused. “And if all my knowledge of the law can’t help someone, I’ll do whatever else I can. It’s simple.”

“You’re a good person.”

Von Balge laughed throatily. “There are some in my hometown of Bremen who would certainly contradict that statement.”

“Do you have many enemies there?”

“I wouldn’t call them enemies. More like jealous and miserable fellows who were born rich and couldn’t compete with someone who worked hard to get what he wanted.” He laughed again, this time cheerlessly. “I left many bad memories behind.”

“Was it worth it?”

“To leave it all?” He thought it over again briefly. “To be able to study here and one day be called
syndicus, corpus iuris civilis
—a real attorney? Then to be able to return to Bremen and flaunt it under everybody’s nose? Oh yes, it’s worth it. It will all pay off in the end.”

They talked for a while longer. The advocate was able to give Madlen a feeling of security, although she never forgot the severity of the situation she was in, hiding in a dark cave wearing a bloodstained dress. But Andreas’s views, his wishes and dreams and the confidence with which he bore them, finally calmed her. As he left, she had to pull herself together so as not to show how much she feared being alone; she could not beg him to stay. As he crawled out of the cave on all fours, dawn announced a new day.

Outside, daylight came then turned into night without a soul discovering Madlen. She nibbled on the remaining crusts of bread that Andreas von Balge had brought her the night before. She wasn’t hungry, but she wanted to keep up her strength. She didn’t know what Kilian and her advocate had dreamed up to free her from her desperate situation. Were they able to think up anything at all? And when would this happen? Tonight, tomorrow, or next week? She didn’t know. She didn’t know anything more since she’d been tricked by Matthias Trauenstein. Life as she knew it two days ago was a thing of the past. Clara had always said that everything happens for a reason. Was that really true? And what sense did it make if she’d been blamed for a murder she didn’t commit? What about all her effort to convince Heidelberg of her innocence? Had all that been blown away like dust in the wind?

She had to think of Kilian. The cottage was only a stone’s throw away from this cave. She longed for him so much that she could hardly breathe. Should she dare come out of these confines and quietly sneak out in the hopes that the constables had grown weary of waiting? Carefully, she crawled toward the mouth of the cave, choked with fear. It had already gotten so dark that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. She knew this area very well, a lot better than the town’s constables, who spent most of their time standing guard in the marketplace to keep thieves at bay. Of course, they’d notice immediately if somebody stood close to the cottage. She crawled forward until the cold night air hit her. Madlen shivered but breathed deeply. The fresh air did her good. Yes, she would sneak to her cottage to see Kilian and tell him that she was doing all right. Just as she was about to take her chances and crawl all the way out of the cave, a thought held her back. Her father. He’d be there also, very close. Did he understand what had happened? Today was the day that Heinfried was supposed to come to Heidelberg and take her with him. How would her father react when he found out that Heinfried would no longer go through with their business deal? Above all: What would her father do when he laid eyes on Madlen? He’d gotten a deposit from Heinfried. Of course, Heinfried would either demand to be paid back or demand that Madlen herself be delivered to him. Her heart beat quicker. She’d certainly been gullible in her short life, but she wasn’t stupid. Madlen could only imagine her father’s reaction, and there wouldn’t be much that Kilian could do about it. Her father would drag her to the sheriff himself, maybe even enjoy the sight of her hanging after all the aggravation she had caused him.

Carefully, she pushed herself back a bit into the cave. Yet, she didn’t like the idea of not seeing Kilian. Her heart sank deeper and deeper every second. As she inhaled deeply, she recognized a smell. She stuck her head outside the cave for a moment. She had always loved snow, as it brought a beautiful stillness over the land and left her feeling peaceful and calm. Snowflakes fell onto her nose, her cheeks, and her forehead. It was the first snow of the year. She wondered for a brief yet horrible moment whether this would be the last time in her life that she would see, feel, and taste the snow. A layer of snowflakes covered her lips, and she licked them off, careful not to miss any. She blinked into the darkness. Far away, she saw the faint glow of a tallow lamp, clearly lighting the way for someone. She immediately slid all the way back into the cave, turned around, and crawled on all fours into the corner. She huddled there for a long while. With a sigh, she rolled over and listened for anyone approaching the cave. She hoped that it was Kilian holding the tallow lamp, sneaking over to the cave to visit her under the cover of darkness. She listened intently as her limbs trembled, but there wasn’t anything out there but silence.

When the new day broke, Madlen took a drink and crawled to the mouth of the cave. It was still very early, and the snow had laid a white blanket over the land. She was tempted to take some snow from outside of the cave, but decided against it. It was too dangerous. Someone might notice. She craned her neck but couldn’t see anybody. Although she wore only her dress and cloak, it wasn’t cold inside the cave. Yet here the harsh wind stung her face and she shivered violently. She took a deep breath once again and crawled back inside. Where was Kilian? Was it possible that her brother had forgotten her? She shook her head angrily. What nonsense. He would never do that.

The hours dragged on endlessly. Every now and then, she poked her head out of the cave to see if someone had come for her. But there were no tracks. Some distance away, she could see a few figures, but nobody approached the massive stone face in which Madlen hid. She remained sitting until it got too cold. Then she crawled back and crouched down. This time, she didn’t fall asleep. Her heart beat restlessly, and every noise frightened her. A faint glow illuminated the cave; it seemed to be very weak as she listened. Was there something at the mouth of the cave? She sat up soundlessly. There! Someone was there. She held her breath and held her hand in front of her mouth; it was the crunching sound of footsteps in the snow.

“Madlen, it’s me, Andreas,” she heard him whisper.

“Thank God!” She sighed in relief.

“Shh. Be quiet and come to me. Do you still have something to eat?”

“A little.”

“Good. Bring it with you.”

Madlen picked up the linen bag and crawled toward the mouth of the cave. She could clearly see his outline and was relieved to finally see another person so close to her.

“We don’t have much time,” he said. “Kilian’s prepared everything. You must do exactly as I tell you.”

She nodded eagerly.

“Good. And take this.” He handed her a little pouch that Madlen recognized immediately. “You’re going to need it for your escape.”

“But that’s the money I paid you for defending me in court. It’s yours.”

“You need it more than I do now. Hide it. Who knows? Maybe one of these days, you can return it to me. I won’t miss a coin or two.”