Under Suspicion, page 4
The bailiff stared at her. After a long pause, he was able to speak again.
“Well, that’s what they had, each and every one of them. And here I was believing that this was a kind of fashion for women!”
Liv held her breath. “Then they were witches after all! This changes the whole matter!”
Everybody knew what she meant: that one of the Ice People could well have been involved. Apart from Tengel the Good, the relatives who had inherited the gift had never been able to resist the temptation of using their witchcraft.
Liv looked around the room. Are? No, he was not the least bit interested in supernatural things. What about those who had married into the family then? Eli, poor little thing, who had a loving home with Kaleb and Gabriella? No, she was scared of her own shadow. Yrja? Oh, no. Liv knew her daughter-in-law just as well as she knew herself.
She hardly knew Matilda, but the stout farmer’s wife was even more down-to-earth than her husband, Brand.
The bailiff gave them all a stern glance. “Of course, everybody knows that there’s always been something peculiar about your clan. So I for one am in no doubt – one of you is behind these atrocities. And I’ll find out which of you it is!”
Liv got up.
“No,” she said. “No, no and once again no! Before you came, bailiff, we discussed this possibility because we know very well that our family has talents which other people don’t have. However, none of those present here have the talent for magic. And, more importantly, none of us could have done it because we didn’t have the opportunity. You can ask as much as you want. You’ll soon discover than none of us has been alone long enough to have murdered four women. These murders weren’t just a case of running up to the edge of the forest and killing the first woman who happens to come by. There’s no road up there where you can meet people at random. Unless you’re a werewolf that kills senselessly at each full moon, you’d have to have met these women somewhere else. So when were we supposed to have met these women?”
“We’ll find the answer to that one, Baroness,” said the bailiff sternly.
“Well, you just go ahead then,” answered Liv and sat down once more.
Mattias coughed gently. “Excuse me,” he said, looking gently at the bailiff. “As a doctor, I’d like to take a closer look at the deceased. Maybe I can establish how those women lost their lives?”
“Ah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you now!” barked the bailiff. “They were witches. Those types should be burned as quickly as possible. So it’s already been done.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” groaned Andreas and got an angry glance from the bailiff.
“I know that they didn’t die of natural causes. They had great scratch marks on their clothes and body. Magic and ghosts have killed them, which is all that can be said on the matter!”
Now Brand was irritated. “Before you become too certain that one of us committed the crime, you should take other people into consideration as well.”
The others in the family knew that Brand’s anger with the bailiff would never fade. The bailiff had attacked Brand’s beloved family – which would never be forgiven!
“I won’t forget anybody,” said this churl of a public figure. “Joel Night Man and Jesper Klaussøn are under observation.”
“Joel Night Man is dying,” said Mattias softly. “He was assaulted by people from the village last night, so you may need to solve another murder.”
The bailiff mumbled something or other which they couldn’t hear and began cross-examining them. Half an hour later he left the farm in an angry mood. He hadn’t found one single hole in their wall of proof for their innocence. When he had left, they all agreed that the bailiff was a fool.
“What a lot of stupid questions he asked!” exclaimed Andreas. “Even I could have done it better.”
“Yes,” said Are. “I couldn’t agree more. The man hasn’t a clue what he’s talking about. If we have to put our trust in that fool of a bailiff, it won’t be long before we’ll all be dangling from the gallows. Andreas, you must carry out your own investigations. You’re smart enough to do that.”
“Thank you,” smiled Andreas. “Well, it’s quite a tempting offer. I’ll get started straightaway: Granddad, where were you when these women were killed?”
“Wait, who’s taught you to interrogate? The bailiff?” laughed Are. “I want to solicit the assistance of Kaleb. He’s quite knowledgeable about law and order.”
“Certainly,” answered Kaleb.
“Splendid,” said Are. “Then I think you should hurry to Jesper’s hut, before the bailiff arrives there. Brand, you must go along, too, because Jesper’s your old friend.”
Brand promised and they soon left. Many of them wished that Cecilie and Alexander had been there. Nobody could solve complicated matters with the same authority and efficiency as those two.
Chapter 3
Now and then, Jesper would help as a stable lad at Graastensholm. But he had also set up his own small farm, which was quite productive. Tarald had once given him a calf and a foal as his salary, and these animals were now grown and very useful. The cow had had three calves so Jesper was well established on his farm. But he had never married.
Andreas, Brand, Kaleb and Mattias were walking up to the small farm in the forest to see Jesper. He was out ploughing and waved to them. Seeing the plough cut through the soil sent a shiver down Andreas’s spine. He was about to shout: “Careful of the corpses!”
“Brand, old boy!” shouted Jesper and walked over them. “And you’ve brought along the lad. And the doctor. And Mr. Kaleb. My word!”
Andreas winced slightly from being called a lad.
“I think you’re getting a bit grey on top, Brand,” said Jesper tactlessly and without considering that age was bound to catch up with him, too.
He invited them into his living room that was a typical one for a bachelor – and smelled like one, too.
“You should find yourself a wife, Jesper,” said Andreas.
“But then I couldn’t see other girls any more and that won’t do!”
They found somewhere to sit by pushing aside some clothes and other things and sat down.
“Have you heard what Andreas came across yesterday, Jesper?”
The innocent, blue eyes gazed at them under the blond fringe.
“What?”
“I found four murdered women interred in the small meadow right down below. The bailiff is bound to turn up soon and he’ll ask you whether you’ve done it. Do you know anything about it?”
Firstly, Jesper gaped at them. Then he exclaimed angrily: “Are you implying that I’ve killed someone? What would be the point of that?”
“Well, the bailiff might think that the women didn’t want to do what you wanted them to, which made you angry.”
Jesper fumed, “Didn’t want to do as I wanted? Honestly, I don’t have to urge the womenfolk because that’s never been necessary.”
“Now, now,” said Brand in a kind tone of voice. “Maybe you’re not quite as irresistible as you once were.”
Actually, there wasn’t much left of Jesper’s old charm. It looked like he trimmed his beard with shears because the stubble was always so long. He had also lost a couple of teeth and his clothes could do with a wash.
Jesper’s confused laughter seemed to reveal that he was pretty much aware of it himself. “True, the girls aren’t quite as keen any more. But I haven’t killed anybody. I’m not like that.”
“We know that. But the bailiff’s stupid. He’s the type who sticks to one particular train of thought and then expects everything to fit his preconceived notions. You must see to it, Jesper, that he doesn’t get the upper hand,” said Kaleb. “I know one or two things about the law, and I’ll see to it that he doesn’t treat you unjustly. Ask to speak to me first because he can’t refuse that.”
Jesper wanted to offer them food but they quickly said no – they had just had something to eat. And that was a fact.
When they left, Brand urged Jesper once more: “You ought to get married, old boy. Just think of all the many old spinsters and widows yearning to cater for a man.”
“Old spinsters and widows? Doesn’t sound too pleasant. I want them young.”
“Could be that the young girls think likewise. You’re not getting any younger yourself, are you? And the mature ones are much better. Do give them a chance!”
With a resigned look on his face, Jesper looked around the room. “That might be a good idea. Besides, I can’t go on bothering the maids any more. Many other young fellows, greenhorns some twenty years old, have turned up. They’ve got no idea how to tackle a girl, but they’re persistent so I don’t have as much success as I used to.” He tilted his head to one side and thought for a moment.
“I happen to know someone who might ... Do you think I should ask her?”
“I think the girls would prefer a decent proposal instead of a single night in the bedstraw,” retorted Brand.
“True,” said Jesper. “And if the first one says no, there are many others, aren’t there?”
“Don’t you ever fall in love, for God’s sake?” asked Kaleb.
Jesper’s eyes were wide open. “Oh, sure! With every single one of them!”
The others smiled.
“Incidentally,” said Mattias with a twinkle in his eye to Jesper, the libertine. “Haven’t you been saddled with children while you’ve been jumping from bed to bed?”
“Nope,” answered Jesper cockily. “My Dad got a piece of advice from your Sol. All you do is mix up a special mixture of flowers and herbs and there won’t be any children.”
“I bet there are many families who could use that recipe,” said Mattias. “I’m worried for a farmer’s wife who’s expecting her eighteenth child.”
“Well, then it’s bound to be her last child, isn’t it?”
“Yes, according to all laws of nature. If she survives, that is.”
“One should tie her husband into a knot,” said Andreas wryly.
Mattias smiled and turned towards Jesper once more. “If you do get a wife, I suppose you’ll put the flowers on the shelf for a while? Just imagine how thrilled your Mum, Rosa, would be at having a grandchild.”
Jesper’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Yes, by Jove,” he exclaimed. “But she got to see my sister’s eldest daughter. She loved that kid to bits!”
Mattias was upset that he’d made Jesper sad. “Oh, I bet your Mum, Rosa, and your Dad, Klaus, sitting on a cloud, will someday look down at the two of you. ‘Have you seen the fine children that Jesper’s got, Rosa?’ ‘Yes, that’s what I’ve been saying all along: That lad has a mind of his own!’”
Jesper smiled nervously and was deep in thought. The others started to leave, but Mattias turned back.
“Move down to Graastensholm for a few days,” he said to Jesper. “And bring along the animals. You’re much too lonely here!”
Jesper waved them all off. “Thanks for the invitation!”
They didn’t dare mention the werewolf. Sooner or later, he would be scared.
The day was drawing to a close and twilight was setting in as they were walking towards the farms. Mattias stopped.
“How about visiting Joel Night Man’s house to see how he is?”
“You’re right, we should,” answered Andreas.
Hilde had just finished milking the cow for the night. She took the pail of milk and with the cat at her heels she walked out of the tiny shed, firmly closing the door as she left. She hoped that the kind gentlemen who had visited her in the morning had managed to spread the rumour that her father was fatally wounded. She was still frightened to death that the furious villagers would come during the night.
She had tried to look after her father, but she had been distracted. She had spent most of the day getting everything ready for when the men would come back tomorrow. The bread dough had been put aside to rise. The whole hut had been cleaned and looked spick and span, and her finest blouse had been put on the clothes line to dry. She had just washed her hair and she would skim the cream off the milk so that they could enjoy it with the wood strawberries she had picked.
She stopped suddenly. Somebody was creeping about in the forest. An animal maybe? She turned and looked. Oh God, some men were coming over! What could she do? How was she to defend her father and herself?
But was that not the doctor? Yes, it was the doctor... and Mr. Andreas and a few more. Why were they coming now? Here she was in her working clothes... She was overwhelmed with despair. Did she have time to change?
She started. What was that? Had somebody been in the hut while she was out in the stable? She approached carefully. Something had been placed in the middle of the farmyard. It was a big piece of rope and on top of it was a jug turned upside down. Hilde felt a pain in her heart. Who had been there, and who wanted to hurt them?
She cast a glance at the door but it seemed to be locked the way she had left it. Thank goodness the men were coming at this very moment! She ran towards them just as they opened the gate. It was not until she had come right down to them that she remembered that two strangers were with them. She dropped a deep curtsey and pulled the edge of her apron up to her face.
“What’s the matter, Hilde?” asked Mattias. “You look deeply distressed.”
“Look!” She pointed, trying to overcome her embarrassment. “Look at the farmyard. Somebody’s been here while I was out milking the cow.”
How odd! Now that there were two others with them, she felt as though the doctor and Andreas Lind were old acquaintances. They walked up to the farmyard.
“Oh, dear,” mumbled Mattias.
“What’s that?” said Kaleb.
“It’s witchcraft,” answered Brand. “Quite common.”
“And what does it mean?”
“That you want the person who’s sick in the house to die.”
“Is your father worse since we last saw him?” Andreas asked Hilde.
She felt compelled to look down. “No, I think he’s getting better.”
“Good. May we see him?”
“Yes, of course. That would be kind of you!”
Was the place nice and tidy enough? There was the newly washed underwear hanging on the clothes line! Good heavens! Hilde dashed inside before the others, tore the clothes off the clothes line and hid them in the pantry. She got her grubby apron off while the others tended to her father. Despairingly, she realised that the nice dress was hanging where she couldn’t reach it. She would have to dress into her everyday clothes.
She was extremely disappointed. Maybe they would not come again tomorrow? And she had tried to make everything look so nice! She went towards the chamber and could hear her father grumbling.
“ ... lying here all on my own while that useless girl tries to charm those fine gentlemen! Now she’s baked again! And she’s busy scrubbing the floor so that I’ve hardly had anything to eat!”
“I think Hilde’s been an absolutely splendid daughter to you,” said Andreas sharply. “What if you’d never had her!”
The executioner’s assistant fumed. “Then things would have been easier! Then I would have had a woman in the house! Who can be bothered to move into a house where a mature daughter already reigns? It would lead to nothing but envy and jealousy.
“Well. It can’t possibly be Hilde who frightens the women away,” mumbled Andreas. “But we can certainly find her a place where she can live for herself. She deserves that – and then you’ll have the opportunity to live on your own.”
“Has she been begging for that now?” asked the executioner’s assistant. “Not surprised. It’s never been good enough for her here. She’s a true replica of her arrogant Mum. She‘s literate as well, God help us. She learned from her Mum, who believed her daughter would advance in life one day. Ha!”
The four men were getting bored listening to Joel Night Man.
“Turn round so that Mattias can take a look at your back,” said Andreas coldly.
The man groaned and got himself turned round.
After his examination, Mattias assured Hilde that no major injury had occurred. Her father could get out of bed the following day.
Brand and Kaleb were introduced to Hilde and she felt embarrassed. She was actually being introduced to somebody! Just as her mother had told her that cultured people did!
She was in a terrible dilemma. Should she offer the wood strawberries to them now, maybe? But four men ...? There wouldn’t be many berries for each. Could she ask them to come again the following day?
Before she had time to make up her mind, the bailiff came plodding in. Of course, she didn’t know that it was him but the others addressed him as such.
“Well, I see that you’ve turned up in full force! Maybe you’ve come to bribe Joel Night Man to keep quiet?”
“Don’t be stupid,” said Brand, who was completely fed up with the bailiff and couldn’t even try to be polite.
“I see that there’s an evil omen in the farmyard.”
“Yes,” answered Kaleb. “Somebody put it there while Hilde was in the stable. Did you meet anybody on your way up here?”
“No, I didn’t. But it’s a big forest.”
Joel Night Man turned panicky when he heard about the evil omen. “They want the better of me! I know it. They want to kill me just because I happened to see ...”
“What did you see?” asked the bailiff swiftly.
“Nothing.”
“Come on,” said Andreas. “Tell us!”
“Now then, I’m the one who interrogates,” said the bailiff. “What did you see, Joel Night Man?”
