The Zurich Conspiracy

lost the most precious thing in my life; now I want to protect my family’s reputation. I want there to be some people in Zurich who believe in my integrity. People like you, Frau Rehmer. I’ve no other task in life—this is my only mission.”
    Josefa turned her glass around and around in her hands. Something didn’t add up, something was being left unsaid. With all due respect to Van Duisen’s mission, what was the subtext?
    He leaned forward. “I hope you understand that this conversation is proof of my trust, Frau Rehmer. I have taken some not insignificant risks to come here; you see I need bodyguards.”
    Suddenly she got it. Van Duisen was not being driven to confess out of pure sympathy. It was out of fear. He still had something to lose besides his reputation: his life. And she was supposed to spread the word. Van Duisen is innocent, Van Duisen has nothing to do with it. Anybody who valued her opinion at all was to get the message. Any person she was in contact with. Anybody in her closest circle. It wasn’t the general public that Van Duisen was aiming his mission at. It was a small group of people. Of potential murderers.
    She was bowled over. She couldn’t look Van Duisen in the face anymore, she was in such turmoil.
    “Herr Kündig, do you think the murderer is someone I might know?” she asked crossly, giving the detective a start.
    Kündig shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “That’s one of the options we must consider, Frau Rehmer. I don’t think I’m telling you anything new. We follow up every clue that might shed light on the murders. We’re trying to do everything to prevent another one.”
    “Am I in danger? Or maybe even more, now that I’ve met with Herr Van Duisen?”
    Kündig didn’t answer right away. He seemed to be choosing his words with care.
    “Let me put it this way, Frau Rehmer. Suppose you come across a potentially dangerous dog. If I don’t say anything about his treacherous character, you’d probably walk past it, relaxed and with no inhibitions, and this self-assured behavior would keep him from attacking you. On the other hand, it could bite you because you’ve come too close. But if I warn you about it, and you meet up with that dog, then you’re prepared and can look out for yourself. On the other hand you might be afraid now, and when a dog smells fear, it bites. My job is to catch the murderer or murderers. We’re doing our utmost to achieve this as quickly as we possibly can. And by coming here you’ve made a contribution to this end.”
    “How so?” Josefa asked, perplexed.
    “Unfortunately we can’t tell you that.”

Josefa rushed out of the hotel. She was mad, and most of her anger was directed at the giant of a man waiting for her at the hotel entrance. When she saw the contrite expression on his face, her rage grew.
    “You deceived me,” she yelled. “You betrayed me! Lied to me!” It didn’t bother her that passersby turned around and stared. Paul started to explain, but Josefa cut him off. “You’ve abused my trust, and that’s the second time,” she shouted in his face. “You’re ruining my life!” She’d have accused him of worse if her cell phone hadn’t rung at that very moment.
    “Josephine?” It was Kelly, Joan Caroll’s agent. Josefa had to get a grip on herself.
    “What’s up, Josephine?” the American lady asked. Oh, of course—she’d left a message for Kelly. When did I do that? She’d lost all sense of time.
    “Kelly, I got a gift from Joan and would like to thank her personally.”
    “Best to write her a card or an e-mail. Joan’s very busy,” was Kelly’s brusque reply.
    “No, I’d like to speak to Joan in person. Please tell her that.”
    “I’ll do my best, but I can’t promise anything. Joan’s traveling a lot, got very little time. OK? Bye-bye.” And she hung up.
    Josefa felt like throwing her phone in front of a car. Paul was still standing next to her. Before she could launch into a new tirade he blurted out, “Joan Caroll has backed out of her contract with Loyn, by the way.”
    “How the hell do you know? Have you got a mole at Loyn?”
    “A what? No, I got it from a business partner in the US Joan’s negotiating with Prada because she wants to fill the vacuum as fast as she can.” Josefa looked at him in astonishment, and Paul exploited the moment to justify his previous actions.
    “Josefa, the police asked me to arrange this whole business. That’s the only way