Fatal Lies by Frank Tallis (novels in english txt) 📗

finding this act quite difficult to sustain, agreeableness not being one of his natural endowments. After some preliminary and somewhat strained courtesies, he announced that von Bulow's assignment had ended rather badly—and that von Bulow was currently indisposed and receiving medical care at a sanitarium. It seems that my esteemed colleague was engaged in the pursuit of a Hungarian spy—a woman, known in nationalist circles as the Liderc.”

“If my memory serves me correctly,” Liebermann interjected, “that is the name that Haussmann overheard, is it not?”

“Precisely. Well, von Bulow managed to find her hideaway—at an address in Landstrasse—and actually had the woman at gunpoint when someone came up behind him and struck him on the head. He lost consciousness instantly, and when he woke up, his bird had flown… However, next to him he discovered the body of a gentleman known as Lázár Kiss—a man connected with the nationalists and whom Brügel and von Bulow had asked me to follow, when I had wanted to continue the investigation at Saint Florian's. Well, since von Bulow's debacle in Landstrasse, the commissioner has received some extremely discomfiting intelligence. Kiss was indeed a very high-ranking agent. Not one of theirs, however, but one of ours! He was in the Austrian secret service and had infiltrated a nationalist cell. He was on the brink of finding out the identities of several spymasters. As you can imagine, all this places Brügel in a very difficult position: he authorized von Bulow's assignment, and this may have resulted, ultimately, in the failure of Kiss's mission.”

“So Brügel fears an investigation?”

“Without a doubt—which is why he is being so civil. I am sure that when the time comes he will expect me to answer questions in such a way as to deflect blame from himself. The old rogue actually had the audacity to say that he had always considered von Bulow a headstrong fellow and wasn't I inclined to agree?”

Liebermann turned his glass. “What actually happened in Landstrasse? Who shot Lázár Kiss?”

“How ever did you know he was shot?” asked Rheinhardt. “Was it something I said? Another of your Freudian slips?”

“Never mind,” said Liebermann nervously. “Please continue.”

“It might have been her—the Liderc—or it might have been someone else who arrived at the scene after her departure. And as for who struck von Bulow, who can say? It might have been Kiss—or, again, it could have been someone else entirely.… We simply don't know.”

Liebermann swallowed. His mouth had gone quite dry.

“Tell me… was any attempt made to collect any forensic evidence? Dust particles, hairs, footprints?”

“Yes, of course,” Rheinhardt replied. “But nothing of any significance was found. On Friday, you will recall, there was a storm. Everything got washed away.”

The young doctor sipped his brandy and settled more comfortably into his chair. “Do you know anything more about this… Liderc woman? She sounds fascinating.”

“Fascinating but extremely dangerous,” said Rheinhardt, throwing his head back and expelling a column of roiling smoke. “The commissioner mentioned that she is a very competent violinist and had begun a modest concert career. She traveled widely under the auspices of a respectable cultural initiative, which—can you believe—received state sponsorship with the emperor's approval! Such brazenness!”

“Where do you think she is now?”

“I suspect that she has gone south. Italy, perhaps. But she will return—when she thinks she can journey home in safety.”

Liebermann set his glass aside. “But how does all this relate to von Stoger?”

“Good heavens, Max, isn't it obvious? It was the Liderc who stole the documents from the general's safe—and it must have been her too who murdered him in cold blood.”

“She might have had an accomplice?”

“Well, that's possible… but what does it matter now? She got away.… There will be no trial. She will not be called to account.”

“What do you think was in those stolen documents? Did the commissioner give you any idea—any clue?”

“Military secrets, I imagine. But if Brügel knew more, he wasn't very forthcoming.” Rheinhardt paused, twisted the horns of his mustache thoughtfully, and continued: “Of course, it is possible that the Austrian secret service intended the Liderc to acquire von Stoger's documents so that she would, in the fullness of time, lead Kiss to her masters. Thus, von Stoger's death might have been the result of misadventure—an accident. Whatever, one thing is certain: their plans went horribly wrong—and most probably because of von Bu -low's meddling.”

Liebermann allowed himself a half smile. “You must be quite satisfied with the way things have turned out.”

Rheinhardt appeared flustered for a moment. He coughed and produced an embarrassed mumble.

“Von Bulow wasn't entirely at fault. I'm sure that some of the confusion must have arisen because of bureaucracy. I suppose the various departments concerned were simply too occupied filling in forms and registering reports to talk to each other. Von Bulow should have been better informed about Kiss. Even so, if—after his recovery— von Bulow is not invited to resume his duties at the security office, you are quite correct: I will not spend very much time lamenting his professional demise.”

The inspector lit another cigar—and he looked, that instant, more like a man at a wedding or some other grand celebratory occasion. Seeing his friend so happy went at least some way toward mitigating Liebermann's feelings of guilt. Von Bulow had been the bane of Rheinhardt's life at the security office. And now, at last, he was gone.

“It is truly remarkable,” Rheinhardt continued, “how close we came to the perilous world of espionage and counterespionage; still, I am glad that we were not drawn in any further. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that I am grateful for von Bulow's vanity, grateful that he excluded us from the von Stoger investigation. Otherwise we might have strayed onto some very treacherous and dangerous ground. I must say, I am uncomfortable with that world—the world of spies—with its deceptions, double deceptions, feints, and ruses—its fatal lies. It is a world where nothing is as it seems, and nobody can be trusted.”

Liebermann stared into the flames and