The Luck of the Weissensteiners (The Three Nations Trilogy) by Fischer Christoph

Author:Fischer, Christoph [Fischer, Christoph]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9: Bratislava 1944

The New Year started with a terrible shock for everyone on the Estate. Early on New Year’s Eve Jonah had left home to invite his melancholic friend Visser to party with them in the cottage. Nobody should be on their own on such a big night and the Dutchman's silly sulking behaviour had to be challenged. Jonah knew that Esther and Edith had decided to have an intimate dinner to bring in the New Year and so it was likely that the Dutch painter would be drinking alone in his rooms, indulging in self-pity and misery. Jonah found Visser's door locked and was informed by the service men that he had not been seen since breakfast – something not unusual for the recently so withdrawn odd resident of the Estate. Jonah made a lot of noise banging at the door and shouting but the stubborn man seemed to ignore him.

“I am getting tired of his attitude!” admitted Edith who had arrived at the scene to investigate the sudden noise. “He is surrounded by people he can trust and who want to help him but he keeps us locked out.”

“If only life was that black and white,” contradicted Jonah. “It can take a lot of strength to accept help. Once someone lets in the devil of depression it is hard to escape. It is just like an addiction. I have seen my share of capable people succumbing to it. I fear that Visser has done something stupid.”

“What do you mean by that?” Edith asked alarmed.

“I think he might have decided to leave us. Find a partisan group and join the resistance,” Jonah guessed. “He hated being so powerless.”

“He told me himself that he was a big coward and too afraid to fight,” Edith said.

“We should get that door unlocked and see,” Jonah suggested. “Maybe he is just drunk and asleep on the sofa. In any case he should not be on his own when the clock strikes twelve. It is time he came out of that ditch he has driven himself into.”

“You are right. I will get the housekeeper to open up for us,” Edith agreed.

After a short while the correct key was found. Jonah entered the living quarters of his fellow Jew and called out his name but found both living room and bed chamber empty. Edith found Visser hanging by a rope from an attic beam in his studio. The body was already cold.

Immediately, all sense of festivity was gone. Jonah sent for the Countess who was the only one who cried at the sight of the dead painter. Edith and the housekeeper helped the weaver to cut the man down.

“Let's not waste any time,” said the Countess, who had quickly overcome her shock and was the first to think practically. “We better bury him right away. Now that he is dead it is better to get rid of all evidence that he ever stayed here. I will have a service man dig a hole in the woods and send for you once we are ready to say goodbye to our dear and foolish friend.

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