Into the Lion's Den (77 page)

Ferdinand had not yet left his briefcase at the foyer's table when his mobile had rung loudly. He sighed before answering because he was too tired to speak with Konrad about the deal in Dallas. “Hello, Konrad. I've just arrived home.”

“Bring your wife to the house, Ferdinand. Now.”

“What has Marie Amélie done now?”

“One of your women tried to kill Guntram and I will set things right. Bring her or I will send someone for her.”

“What? Are you out of your mind?” Ferdinand roared.

“You have an hour or someone will take care of your new slut,” Konrad said in a very cold voice before hanging up the phone.

Still frozen in his spot, Ferdinand mechanically closed his phone and put it in his pocket. A cold sweat wet his forehead and he felt dead. He would not let Konrad touch his Cecilia. More determined than ever he went to fetch Gertrud and this time he wouldn't care if he had to hit her in order to drag her in front of her cousin.

“Friederich, give me the key for the small house. I need it now.”

“Dinner will be in an hour, Sire,” he protested softly but removed the key from its ring.

“Cancel it! Stay with Guntram! He should never know what happens now!”

“Is this related to yesterday's events?”

“Yes, it is. Stay out you too. When Goran arrives, tell him to meet me there. Let him say hello to Guntram.”

“Konrad, don't do anything that you might regret later.”

“If I don't stop this, I might regret much more later. Guntram has been attacked twice in a week and the source is always the same! I will not risk all what I've fought for and my greatest dream because of a woman's ambition!”

“Always rely on the physical evidence, my child. The rest is immaterial.”

“I will do what I have to do to protect my family, Friederich.”

The Serbs were nervous. To be called at this hour without any kind of explanations could only mean one thing; an execution. Milan looked at Ratko and only grunted inquisitively.

“Not the boy. He has done nothing bad. He's sick in bed.”

“Good. Where's Goran?”

“Out, looking for his lady friend.”

“Mighty one, it seems. The royal treatment.”

“Seems so, but the council has not been called. Strange.”

Still alone, Konrad sat at the large dinning table in the small lodge. He closed his eyes, utterly tired.

'Since I was born I never knew one moment of true happiness till now. I've wasted forty-seven years of my life for nothing, just to enrich the same people that want to kill me. I did my best to fulfil my duties, but it's never enough.

They want more and more from me. I'm on the limit of my endurance.'

The soft footsteps he heard could only be Goran's. He looked at the approaching man who sat next to him but said nothing.

“Guntram is unaware of everything,” Goran said.

“I prefer it that way. Whatever happens now, stays here.”

“Milan and Ratko wait for your orders.”

“My cousin Gertrud did it. She gave the tea to the girl. I want to hear her before I finish this.”

“The substance used is very rare, my Griffin. Not from here. I've asked around and it's something that comes from Repin's lands. We should also consider that he might have tried to kill Guntram. “If he's not mine, no one else shall have him”. He's unstable.”

“That's plausible, but Repin loves Guntram. He would go against me first before touching a single hair of him.”

“She has nothing to gain from his death. Her children were never in the succession and they still keep all the money. Guntram has no interests in the Order; he's just your companion and your children's tutor when they're born. They will be the next Griffins.”

“Without Guntram's presence, everything would have been passed to Albert's line and let's do not deceive ourselves; he's unable to keep the power. Georg and Gertrud could finish him in less than a year. This way, Armin will only act as surrogate Griffin in case of my death and until my children turn twenty-five. Or perhaps she was only furious that her daughter had been expelled.”

“Using the same method employed with Armin? No one could be so stupid.”

“Or bold, Goran. We finish this tonight.”

“Who will replace Ferdinand, sire?”

“I don't know. He's my best friend.”

The sulk face of Friederich when he asked Ferdinand and Gertrud to go to the far away house for the meeting raised all the alarms in Ferdinand. The five armed men standing next to his car convinced him that this time there would be no escape for him. “Come Gertrud, let's go now,” he said softly.

“Why? I'm not moving from here!”

“Woman, move if you don't want to be shot in the middle of the courtyard! This way your sons still stand a chance!” Ferdinand whispered and took her by the arm with force before pushing her inside his car. Without saying one more word, he drove to the lodge, parking in front of the house. Milan opened the door for Gertrud as Ratko placed at Ferdinand's side.

“The Duke awaits for you, madam,” Goran said from the door and advanced toward her, taking her by the arm.

“Remove your hands from me! I'm a Lintorff.”

“We're aware of this, therefore you will be judged under the Code.”

Gertrud ignored Goran and entered the house with her head very high. She walked purposely toward the dinning room, the only lit room in the house. Inside, Konrad was sitting at the head of the table, wearing a blank expression in his face.

“This is outrageous! How dare you to accuse me of this?” she shouted. “Your little whore feels sick and you believe that I had something to do with this?”

“Sit down, Gertrud. No need to be vulgar or forget your upbringing. Ferdinand, sit next to your wife as this also concerns you.”

Ferdinand took his place and pulled Gertrud down so she would obey her cousin. Goran sat next to Konrad.

“We found a potent drug in the Consort's blood which endangered his life. Had it not been by the wrong dosage, it would have killed him.” Goran used his sternest voice.

“Nice story, Serb. What else?” Gertrud answered.

“You're accused of poisoning our Consort, Gertrud von Lintorff. You will be judged and punished according to our laws,” Goran continued to speak, ignoring her retort.

“Your laws? They are useless and I do not recognise them! You're only a band of lunatics, brandishing swords around! If you have any accusations against me, go to the police, Pavicevic! Your little whore provides drugs to my daughter and Armin, overdoses and you blame me, Konrad? I'm your own blood! Can't you see that he plans to take all for himself! You're like a zombie, following his every command!”

“Shut up, woman!” Ferdinand shouted, enraged and afraid now for his sons' fate as he knew where all this was leading he and his family.

“I will not be quiet like all of you! You're a mockery of your titles! You, Ferdinand do nothing more than follow my cousin's orders without questioning and flatter him all day! Pavicevic, you kill whoever is in your path and Konrad, you're nothing more than a sociopath, egocentric, hedonist, megalomaniac control freak!

“You poisoned Guntram de Lisle. You used a child to bring the poison to him!” Goran exclaimed, his patience wearing thinner.

“I was not even near the boy! I wouldn't waste my time and credentials by coming near him!”

“Mind your words, Gertrud. He's my Consort, therefore your superior,” Konrad said emotionless.

“Another joke! He's nothing more than your Catamite! Consort! What an insult to our traditions! You run like a pathetic old man after a boy who could be your son, if you were able to produce offspring, but nature is wise and never allowed it! You're a pervert throwing your money after the former whore of a Russian!”

“Guntram's reputation is much better than yours, woman!” Ferdinand roared.

“He's just a little slut. At eighteen he was jumping into the man's bed and took all the money he could from him! I've investigated him. One luxurious flat in Buenos Aires, another in Paris, several good paintings and a very long list!”

“He has nothing of those!” Konrad roared. “He had the decency of returning them after he broke up with Repin!”

“He destroyed that man's marriage! He destroyed your engagement with poor Stefania! She's heartbroken! She gave you her best years and you threw her out like a useless thing!”

“Did you or did you not give the cup of tea to Guntram?” Konrad asked seriously.

“Of course not! I'm not a maid!”

“Cecilia Riganti affirms that she asked you to do it.”

“Never! Can't you see that it's a lie from another whore? Ferdinand's whore! I've tolerated his repeated infidelity with that woman, right under my nose, to avoid a scandal and she accuses me of murdering? Konrad, that woman wants me dead to get rid of me!”

“Another witness said that you gave the cup to her telling it was from Cecilia Riganti,” Goran said.

“Who? It's a lie!”

“Claudia zu Löwenstein.”

“Are you accusing me on the testimony of a six-year-old little girl? Children lie all the time!”

“Her father would not lie to me,” Konrad said.

“What more proof do you have beside some gossips and a little girl's word? Fingerprints of mine? The poison I used? Did someone see me pouring the arsenic? Any videos from the party?”

“The drugs found in Guntram are similar to the ones your daughter supplied to Armin von Lintorff,”

Goran stated.

“Marie Amélie never used drugs! They got them from de Lisle! He used them on himself and it was a pity they didn't work!”

“Armin said that your daughter provided the drugs. We found her fingerprints and his on the bottle, never Guntram's,” Goran pointed out.

“He was living with a drug dealer! A mobster! He threw a knife at Armin!”

“To defend himself, woman!” Ferdinand shouted. “I saw the security recordings!”

“Armin would say anything to keep his place here! He lied to fool you Konrad! Those two are in tandem! Ferdinand confiscated all the pills my daughter had! This man ruined her with his lies and now you're so blinded that you accuse me for his own deeds! This is insufferable, Konrad!

“I'm not a fool, Gertrud! For some reason, you're against him and decided to kill him to punish him for your daughter's actions! I will punish you, myself!” Konrad said without flinching a muscle in his face. “This is all your doing and I only need to see if Ferdinand was in league or not with you.”

“I swear I had nothing to do with this mess. I was in America! I didn't speak with my wife!”

“There are five calls from you to Cecilia Riganti,” Goran said calmly.

“Yes, I know. I call her every night!”

“Can't you see it, Konrad? They did it together and blame it on me so you can kill me!” Gertrud said desperately and burst into tears.

Ferdinand was speechless and could only look in disbelief at his wife, her sobs echoed in the room.

Konrad felt uncomfortable to hear his own cousin, cry so much. “They want to kill me and get all my money! She will leave my children penniless! She's from Colombia, all of them drug dealers! It would be very easy for her to get the poison!”

“That's a stereotype, woman!” Ferdinand cried. “My Cecilia is unable to hurt a fly! Konrad, I swear on my boys' heads that I had nothing to do with this! I like the boy and I supported you on the 16th even!”

“I'm aware of it, Ferdinand,” Konrad only said.

“How did I do it? When did I do it? Which were my motives? What real evidence do you have against me? If you were so sure about your accusations, the whole council would be here!” Gertrud shouted through her tears.

“It's a game that those two devised against me! It's not a secret that I don't like this boy for you! I've always told you the truth in your face, Konrad. He's not good for you! He's just an adventurer, looking to squeeze out up to the last penny from you!”

“Guntram is not like that, Gertrud,” Konrad said softly, his resolution not so strong as before. It was true.

He had not a single material evidence against her and to execute her on such weak grounds could endanger his own position. No, he would have to find another punishment that could be as horrible as this one. “Call the Executioners,”

he said and Milan and Ratko entered the room.

“You have insulted my Consort and me in front of the Council. You have been unable to educate your daughter, the same I accepted although she was born out of the established line. You do not respect our decisions, Gertrud von Lintorff and your line has been involved in attacking another line and mine. Therefore, our punishment is as follows. You will resign from your duties at the Foundation from tomorrow onwards and you will never be admitted by any of us. No member from the Order or from his family is allowed to speak with you or help you in any way. Your fortune is confiscated until your death, when your children can inherit it. You must leave Europe and never return here. This is our decision. As for you, Ferdinand von Kleist, you have proved to be a weak leader of your house, therefore you will send your mistress away tomorrow. She will return to New York and you will never contact her again. You will resign from your duties at the bank and if the Council agrees, you will resign from your position as
Magnus Commendator
. Your sons will remain with us if they want so,” Konrad said and sat again in his chair.

“Our
Hochmeister
has spoken,” Goran intoned. “Executioners! Take them away from our presence!”

Milan and Ratko took Gertrud away before she would have jumped on her cousin and Ferdinand followed them meekly.

“Is your decision final, my Griffin?”

“The Council and the Board should decide if they want to keep Ferdinand. I will not vote or say a word against him if he presents his resignation tomorrow. If he gets their support, he will continue with us.”

“And if not?”

“Michael Dähler or Adolf zu Löwenstein will take his place.”

“Ms. Riganti has nothing to do with this, my Griffin. I'm sure.”

“I know, but Ferdinand should be punished somehow; my cousin acted right under his nose. The woman is out. Elisabetta von Lintorff will take Gertrud's place temporarily.”