The Day After Tomorrow_ A Novel - Allan Folsom [205]
“This Karolin Henniger,” McVey said, as Remmer pulled the Mercedes up in front of the expensive antique gallery on Kantstrasse. “I don’t think we can assume she’s a direct connection to Lybarger. She could be a relative of Salettl’s, a friend, even a lover.”
“I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?” McVey opened the door and got out. The plan was his and McVey let him run with it. He was an American doctor trying to locate a Dr. Salettl for a colleague in California. Remmer was a German friend, along to translate if Karolin Henniger, did not speak English. Whatever she said, they’d take it from there.
McVey and Noble watched from the Mercedes as they went into the building. Across the street, backup BKA detectives kept surveillance from a light green BMW.
Earlier, as Remmer had-run down Karolin Henniger’s name and address, McVey had called an old friend in Los Angeles, Cardinal Charles O’Connel. Scholl, McVey knew, was Catholic and a major fund-raiser for both the New York and Los Angeles archdioceses and therefore would know O’Connel well. This was the one area where Scholl was like any other Catholic. If a cardinal made a personal request, it was granted, graciously and without question. McVey was in Berlin, he’d told O’Connel, and asked if the cardinal could arrange a late-afternoon meeting between himself and Scholl, who was also in Berlin. It was important. O’Connel did not ask why, only said he would do what he could and get back.
“It’s important to understand,” Remmer said, as he and Osborn climbed up the narrow stairs to the apartments on the gallery’s top floor, “this woman has committed no crime and is under no obligation to answer questions. If she doesn’t want to talk, she doesn’t have to.”
“Fine.” Legal restrictions were something Osborn didn’t want to think about. They were running out of time; getting some kind of a step up on Scholl was all that mattered.
Apartments 1 and 2 were immediately right and left at the top of the stairs. Apartment 3, at the end of a short hallway, was Karolin Henniger’s.
Osborn reached the door first. Glancing at Remmer, he knocked. For a moment there was silence, then they heard footsteps, the dead bolt was thrown and the door opened to the chain lock. An attractive woman in a business suit looked out at them. She had short salt-and-pepper hair and was probably in her mid forties.
“Karolin Henniger?” Osborn asked politely.
She looked at Osborn, then past him to Remmer. “Ja—” she said.
“Do you speak English?”
“Yes.” She glanced at Remmer again. “Who are you? What do you want?”
“My name is Osborn. I’m a doctor from the United States. We’re trying to locate someone you might know— a Doctor Helmuth Salettl.”
Suddenly the woman went white. “I know no one by that name,” she said. “No one, I’m sorry. Auf Wiedersehen!”
Stepping back, she shut the door. They heard the dead bolt fall and she shouted someone’s name.
Osborn pounded on the door. “Please, we need your help!”
From inside, they heard her talking, her voice trailing away. Then came the distant thud of a door slam.
“She’s going out the back.” Osborn turned for the stairs.
Remmer put out a hand, restraining him. “Doctor, I warned you. She’s within her rights, there’s nothing we can do.”
“Maybe you can’t!” Osborn pushed past him.
McVey and Noble were in an exchange about the likelihood that “Salettl himself might be the surgeon responsible for the headless bodies when Osborn came out the front door on the run.
“Come on!” he yelled, then cut a corner and disappeared down an alley.
Osborn was going at full speed when he saw them. Karolin Henniger had unlocked the door to a beige Volkswagen van and was hurrying a young boy inside.
“Wait!” he yelled. “Wait! Please!”
Osborn reached the car just as she fired the engine.
“Please, I have to talk to you!” he begged. There was a screech of tires and the car accelerated forward. “Don’t!” Osborn was running alongside. “I won’t harm you—”
It was too late. Osborn saw McVey and Noble jump back as the car reached the end of the alley. Then it fish-tailed onto the street