Diamond Crime

"Kati! Kati! Where the hell have you been?! You're no good at all! What have you been reading again?! The trained maid has been found. She's picking up the laundry right now, because a storm is starting! Come on! What are you waiting for!

Laundry, laundry... She could do it herself. Don't let it bother her that I've learned to read and I'm smarter than she is. It's not my fault she can barely put letters together. The great housekeeper has been found.

It's so dark it hurts my eyes, the dogs are barking, thunder is constantly thundering, and I have to run after some sheets. I'm soaked through!

Who threw any wood in my path?! All the laundry has gone to waste. Hilda will probably throw me out into the rain now and I'll have to look for another job. What kind of stupid jokes are you?! Wait, that's not wood... It's a person...

" "Diamonds... Lucy..." he wheezed, and then his head fell to the sodden ground.

It's the Margrave of Hintenhofen. He... he's dead! I stood there for a moment, staring at the limp body. Rain streamed down my face, then soaked into my clothes. Finally, I made my way to the manor. I entered through the front door and immediately encountered Countess Adela Hintenhofen. She glared at me. I'd finally entered where I shouldn't have. But before she could scream, I told her the Margrave was dead.

"What?! Take me there! Come on!"

She hurriedly threw her cloak around her shoulders, and we went outside. She looked at the body, then at me.

"Did he say something?" he asked sharply. "Answer me! Did he say something?

" "Two words. Diamonds and Lucy," I stammered, surprised by her behavior.

The Countess remained calm throughout, more nervous than distraught.

"Don't tell anyone. Forget he said that. Do you understand?" I nodded. "Old fool. He finally got it," she said to herself. "I'll deal with the police myself," she snapped at me.

Through all this, I'd forgotten about the laundry, which was now useless. I gathered up the muddy sheets and headed for the servants' entrance.

Hilda reprimanded me for all the time and then some. However, when I finally managed to get a word in edgewise and mention the margrave's murder, it was as if she'd stopped caring about the laundry. She sank into a chair, which buckled under her weight, and began begging for mercy.

Meanwhile, the storm continued. The margrave's body was finally removed. The doctor determined that death was due to loss of blood, after two gunshot wounds. Everyone agreed unequivocally that they wouldn't have heard a cannon salute because of the constant lightning strikes.

The inspector interrogated me in the company of the countess, who never took her sparkling gaze off me. I had to smoothly ignore the margrave's last words, which still didn't earn me even a shred of sympathy.

Soaked and freezing, I sat by the stove, sipping hot milk. Then I had to spend half the night cleaning the muddy laundry, because when Hilda finally recovered, she said she wouldn't let me.

I began to wonder what the countess was so desperate to hide. The margrave owned a diamond mine in an African colony. He also had a residence there. That might explain one word, but the other? Lucy... That's a woman's name. But was it really about a woman?

Besides, who could want him dead? The margrave's brother, Hermann, is here now, having just returned from Africa. He oversees the business there. He's an energetic and very handsome man of forty-eight. Besides him, there are two other young lords of Hintenhofen, Rudolf and Maximilian, who arrived two days ago. Both are studying at the University of Göttingen. The Countess's poor cousin, Brigitta, also lives here, as does the Margrave's grandmother, Thekla, with her lady companion, Hester.

Suddenly, I heard a bang and a commotion. It came from somewhere upstairs. I thought it might be a thief, so I cautiously and quietly made my way towards the stairs. The manor was pitch black. I could barely make out the contours of the walls and furniture. The stairs creaked softly, and I preferred not to look back.

Finally, I reached the second floor. The noise came from the Margrave's study. It was at the end of the corridor. A faint light seeped through the half-open door. Listening, I began to wonder what I should do. Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me. Someone else was coming up the stairs. I was frightened. If he saw me here, it could end badly for me.

I walked a few meters to the opposite side of the corridor. The thick carpet muffled all sounds. I hid in the darkness, staring at the emerging shape, heading toward the Margrave's study. When the light fell on it, I was certain it was Mr. Hermann. I hadn't heard any screams or other suspicious sounds, so it couldn't have been a break-in.

I got as close as possible. I managed to make out that the Countess was in her husband's study, clearly searching for something. All the drawers were pulled out, their contents scattered haphazardly on the floor, along with all the books and papers.

You didn't have to see it clearly to know she was furious. She was a woman of extraordinary fortitude. Beautiful, proud, sensible, and intelligent. Was it her husband's death that had so affected her?

"Adi, please listen to me..." Mr. Hermann's broken whisper reached me.

No one, not even the Margrave, addressed the Countess that way.

"No, Herman, you listen. He knows. He knows everything! It's over for me! Do you understand?! I'm finished! Such a scandal...

" "I'll take you away from here, Adi. We'll go to Africa. After Hans's death, I'm entitled to my share. We'll manage." Adi...

" "Someone will find out. I can't do that! Besides, they've disappeared. I've searched everywhere. The safe is empty. Do something. I can't stand it anymore." The Countess began to sob. Mr. Hermann embraced her and began whispering.

I thought I should go, because they might come out any minute and notice me. Besides, I'd already made sure it wasn't a burglary, so I really had nothing to do here. Suddenly, I sneezed so loudly that the echo echoed throughout the entire court.

The Countess immediately ran out of the office. It occurred to me that I should be looking for a new job.

"What are you doing here!? What did you hear?!" Her weakness vanished instantly; she was furious, but also terrified.

"Nothing." I knew she wouldn't believe it, but at least she could hope I'd keep my mouth shut.

"Very well. Get out of here."

That night dragged terribly. I couldn't sleep. The whole time I was wondering what had happened. Was the countess having an affair with the margrave's brother? She was a forty-four-year-old woman, and her husband was twelve years older than her. In that case, anything was possible. But was that enough of a motive to get rid of the margrave?

The diamonds were missing. That was certain. Mr. Hermann returned from Africa three weeks ago. He always brings some of the stones with him. They belong in the margrave's safe. Apparently, the murderer took them. However... It couldn't have been a stranger. That someone must have known the code, or the margrave himself had given him the diamonds. There was no other possibility.

It was only during breakfast that the countess's cousin and the margrave's grandmother learned of the murder. It could have been life-threatening for the old lady, as she had a weak heart, but the information couldn't be concealed. She enjoyed reading the newspapers, and the first reports of the event had already appeared there. Her second grandson tried to break the news to her as gently as possible, but it was still quite a shock.

It was the foolish goose Hester who had caused such a commotion that she had to be calmed down. All ladies of society are the same. Lazy and dim-witted spinsters.

I never liked cleaning Master Rudolf's room. As usual, clothes and books were scattered everywhere. The bedding was on the floor, and the thick carpet was stained with mud. A wine bottle stood on the sideboard. He had no respect for his own work or anyone else's. He had tempers like a little boy, so despite his twenty-three years, the margrave hadn't even introduced him to the business world. Besides, he is ignorant and a spendthrift.

Master Maximilian is something else. Calm, thoughtful. He's only eighteen, but exceptionally intelligent, well-read, and well-versed in politics. His clothes are always neatly folded, he makes his own bed, and he spends most of his time at his desk, diligently studying. This old oak desk belonged to the margrave's great-grandfather. It's incredibly powerful and has countless hidden compartments.

The countess's bedroom looks like a true paradise. A huge bed with a purple canopy, silk linens, Italian furniture, thick carpets, and a multitude of knick-knacks. It was the only room decorated this way, with such atmosphere and taste. Everything was custom-made. The rest of the furniture in the manor house was the work of several generations of Hintenhofens, a blend of different styles and traditions.

Then I started cleaning the study. I tried to quickly browse through the documents inside. Most of them were completely incomprehensible to me, and then the countess appeared.

"I'll handle this myself, and I advise you not to poke your nose into other people's business." It sounded like a threat.

"Fine, I'll just sweep the ashes out of the fireplace," I replied indifferently.

I left the office, wondering if the burnt scraps of paper lying in the fireplace meant anything. I removed them along with the ashes and stubs of wood. Hilda went out into the garden, so I could calmly examine their contents. Unfortunately, a few were missing. ... now everything is clear ... you have to tell me ... you know I'm not ... I'm owed ... I won't wait ... Gosh, not only is part of this letter missing, but the writing is so illegible it's difficult to read. Who was trying to blackmail the Margrave with such scribbles?! I don't even know if it was a woman or a man.

What should I do now? The Countess is definitely hiding something, probably having an affair with Hermann. Plus, someone was blackmailing the Margrave, and someone stole the diamonds. The matter becomes even more complicated, especially since the inspector has been informed that the murder is likely the work of a thief or a random bandit. Or perhaps an enemy of the margrave who came from Africa. Besides, he has no knowledge of the theft. He didn't search the manor, so he had no chance of finding the murder weapon. Does anyone here even care about this crime!?

I pondered all this over dinner. Who among those at the table had murderous tendencies? Mr. Hermann seemed the most likely candidate. He was certainly willing to do this for the countess. For money, too, in fact. Taking over the business in Africa would bring him enormous profits. It would allow him to fulfill his travel dreams. His brother's death is his ticket to money and a title. Besides, he's confident and decisive enough in his actions, but he lacks calculation.

And the Margrave's sons? Rudolf wouldn't have the nerve; he's a child who could resort to intimidation, but not murder. Maximilian, on the other hand, is a man of principle who would never disgrace himself with such an act. His weapon is his mind, not his gun.

The Countess? She's remarkably calm. She smiles, trying to entertain her cousin, who is clearly still in shock. She plays the role of the perfect housewife. However, what I heard last night clearly suggests she's hiding something.

Everyone ate afternoon tea separately. The gentlemen were in the library, the old lady with her lady companion in her own home, the Countess with her cousin in the gazebo.

I took the leftovers from dinner to Rex, but he was acting strangely. He clearly wanted to go for a walk. I thought this might be a bit of an inconvenient moment, but I followed him. He stopped every now and then to check if I was keeping up. When we left the manor grounds, I began to wonder what he was up to.

Finally, we reached the edge of the forest. There, Rex stopped. He stood still for a moment, then approached one of the trees and began barking. I listened. I noticed a rather large gap in the old oak tree. I peered in. I thought I saw a black shape, but I wasn't really willing to take any chances. Perhaps it was some unfriendly animal?

However, after making sure the shape wasn't reacting to Rex's noise, I decided to pull it out. After a few minutes, it was still standing in the same position, staring at the object carefully held in its hands. It was a revolver.

Rex, pleased with his catch, sat down and waited for praise. He must have seen someone hiding it there and thought it was a game. When I ignored him, I headed towards the manor, he was clearly offended, because he ran ahead without even looking back. I had betrayed his canine trust.

I was certain I'd seen a similar, if not the same, revolver in Master Rudolf's room this morning. However, if I saw it, it must still be there, and this one belongs to someone else. The only person who came to mind was Mr. Hermann.

I put the revolver in my apron pocket. It was a bit too small, but I had no better hiding place. I managed to slip unnoticed into my room. One of the maids had recently left, and for now, I was alone. All that remained was to hide the revolver well, along with the scraps of letter I'd found.

The manor, as usual, was quiet and peaceful in the late afternoon. Master Rudolf had gone to town, Mr. Hermann had gone horseback riding, the old lady was asleep, and the countess had gone for a walk.

I began to wonder if I hadn't gone too far with this explanation of the murder. Where was my interest in this? I was hiding evidence, but would anyone care? Who would listen to me!? The Countess was hiding something herself, perhaps even the culprit. The inspector dismissed what I had to say. An enemy from the colony was a sufficient explanation.

These thoughts haunted me constantly. As I lay down to sleep, I wondered if time would clear up all these doubts. The answer came sooner than I expected.

In the middle of the night, I was awakened by noises and rustling sounds. At first, I thought I was dreaming, but as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I realized a dark shape was moving around my room. For a moment, I wondered what I should do. I had no doubt this was a murderer searching for proof of his guilt. If only I could see who it was...

Suddenly, I jumped out from under the covers. In a single bound, I was beside him, but he refused to be surprised. He quickly turned towards me and wrapped his arms around my neck. I struggled with him for a moment, but I was no match for the man. I began to lose my breath. Finally, without thinking, I punched him in the face as hard as I could. Once, then twice. When his grip loosened, I kicked him between the legs. He only groaned, and he released my neck. I tried to turn on the lamp as quickly as possible, but he had already run out and disappeared into the darkness.

This must have backfired, so I caused such a commotion that the manor shook to its foundations. The red marks around my neck proved I hadn't imagined it all. Besides, there were traces of blood on my hand. I must have struck him so unluckily that I broke his nose. That way, there shouldn't be any difficulty in identifying the strangler.

The countess couldn't ignore this incident. She announced that she would summon an inspector after breakfast. She also forbade me from seeing anyone until the bruises disappeared.

I couldn't sleep for the rest of the night. I was afraid, but also excited about what would happen the next morning. I had no idea how the whole thing would play out. Would the countess intervene again and prevent any uncomfortable words from being said?

What terrified me most was the thought that the murderer would try again. After all, he hadn't achieved what he wanted. I still have the evidence of his crimes, and I'm still alive. I decided to keep watch all night. I left the lamp on and tried not to fall asleep. In the morning, Hilda almost had to drag me out of bed because I could barely stand from lack of sleep.

However, I quickly regained my enthusiasm and energy. Anna was supposed to serve breakfast, so I immediately started cleaning. Master Rudolf wasn't at home, and neither was Mr. Hermann. There were suitcases in both rooms. Were they both going somewhere?! This was all starting to get a little strange, to say the least.

I was about to enter the Countess's bedroom when I heard voices coming from there.

"You won't leave. I've thought it over. It's all gone too far," she said in a sharp, confident voice.

"You can't do this to me! Do you hear me!" a man said.

"He won't raise his voice to me in my house." The Countess was composed and clearly knew what to do with all this.

"Now in yours? Does that mean I'm not entitled to anything?

" "I'm afraid not."

"Just because he wasn't my father doesn't mean you're not my mother!" I was now certain the voice belonged to Master Rudolf. "Although now everything is clear anyway." That old hag waited for Max to grow up and didn't even consider handing over some of his business to me. And why?! Because I wasn't his son and didn't deserve it!

"Stop it! Get out this instant."

I quickly disappeared behind the nearest door. I had no desire to meet the murderer. I was sure I'd see the consequences of the night's events on his face.

Before the inspector arrived, I had time to think it all over. I also remembered a telephone conversation I'd witnessed quite by accident. I was taking afternoon tea to the margrave at the time in the library. He was very upset; I heard him say, "You won't force me to do anything. I'll disinherit you if you don't stop behaving like that." The man on the other end clearly didn't care.

At the time, I thought it was about Master Rudolf and his latest outing, perhaps some inappropriate marriage. Such less-than-glorious situations often happened to him. Gambling, fights, debts, women...

Apparently, he'd learned he wasn't the margrave's son. But who could have possessed such knowledge besides the countess? Nobody knew about it, nobody even suspected such a thing! Even now, after what I've heard, it seems incredible to me.

If Master Rudolf had learned of everything, he decided to blackmail his father and thus obtain the money. However, it didn't yield the expected results. He was threatened with disinheritance, so he decided to protect himself somehow. He probably stole the diamonds, which the margrave noticed, and the ensuing quarrel led to murder.

It even sounds logical. But will anyone believe it?

The inspector listened to what I had to say. He took the evidence I had managed to gather. He ordered a search of Master Rudolf's room, although his appearance alone, combined with my words, allowed him to draw conclusions.

The countess's interrogation provided final confirmation. Initially, she stuck to the theory that the margrave had been murdered by someone from the colony, but when the inspector began to question her directly, she had no choice but to tell the truth.

It turned out that she had hidden the revolver and had done everything to protect her son. However, when another murder attempt occurred, she realized she could no longer hide it, especially since he had begun threatening her.

She had no idea who had informed him that he was not the margrave's son. Besides, contrary to Master Rudolf's expectations, her husband knew nothing about it.

"You see, inspector, this is completely unrelated to the case, but since you insist," the countess began, answering the final question. "We had a daughter. She was our first child." When she was two years old, she fell seriously ill. Her husband went to fetch a doctor, but on the way, he stopped at an inn and got drunk. Lucy died before he returned. At the moment of his death, he was clearly seeking forgiveness.

This was true, but not the whole truth. The Marquis named a steamship belonging to his private shipping line after his daughter. He used it to travel deep into Africa to his mines. He likely also used it to transport diamonds. However, he didn't bring all the stones to the continent. No one knew what happened to the rest. Now it was known that he had either hidden them on the steamship or left a vital clue as to their location.