“How can you be so sure it was really the Stechlin woman?” asked Simon without raising his tankard.
Semer took a hearty swig of the dark beer and wiped his beard.
“We have witnesses who’ve seen her celebrate satanic rites with the children. And on the rack at the very least she’ll confess her sins, I’m sure of that.”
“I hear there was a brawl with the Augsburgers in your inn,” Simon replied. “Old man Grimmer supposedly gave a few of them a good beating…”
For a moment, Karl Semer looked irritated, then he snorted disdainfully.
“Nothing special. Happens every day. You can ask Resl here. She was waitressing that day.”
He beckoned to the girl to come to the table. Resl was about twenty and not really a stunning beauty with her big round eyes and her crooked nose. She lowered her head bashfully. Simon knew that she had often looked at him dreamily. The maids still considered him one of the most desirable men in town. Besides, he was still a bachelor.
Karl Semer invited the maid to sit down at the table with them.
“Tell us about that brawl with the Augsburgers the other day, Resl.”
The maid shrugged. Then she produced a shy smile, while she regarded Simon from the side.
“It was a couple of men from Augsburg. They were drinking too much and started criticizing our raftsmen. That they didn’t tie down the goods properly and damaged them. That they drink liquor while they’re working, and that Grimmer lost an entire cargo owing to that.”
“Well, and what did Grimmer say to that?” asked Simon.
“He kicked up a fuss and whacked one of the Augsburgers right in the face. And then the dust started flying here. Our men threw them all outside. Then there was order again.”
Karl Semer smirked at the physician and took another swig.
“As you see, nothing special.”
Suddenly Simon had an idea. “Resl, on that day, did you happen to see a tall man with a feather in his hat and a scar on his face?”
To his astonishment the maid nodded.
“Yes, there was such a one. He was sitting back there in the corner with two others. Gloomy-looking men. I think they were soldiers. They had sabers, and the tall one, he had a long scar that went all across his face. And he limped a little. He looked like the devil had sent him here…”
“Were they involved in the brawl?”
The maid shook her head.
“No, they only watched, they did. But after the fight they left pretty quickly. They did—”
“That’ll do, Resl. You may go back to work,” the burgomaster intervened.
When the maid had left, he looked at Simon angrily.
“What sort of questions are those? Where does that get us? It was the Stechlin woman, and that’s that. What we need is peace and quiet back in our town, and you and your questions will only cause further anxiety. Keep your hands off that business, Fronwieser. That’ll only lead to more problems.”
“But we can’t even be certain—”
“I said, keep your nose out of it.” Karl Semer tapped Simon’s chest with a plump index finger. “You and the hangman, you are only causing unrest with your questions. Drop it, do you understand?”
With these words the burgomaster rose to his feet and, without a farewell, withdrew to the upstairs rooms. Simon finished his beer and made ready to leave.
As he was about to step outside, someone tugged at his overcoat. It was Resl, the maid. She looked around anxiously to see if they were being watched.
“I have to tell you one more thing. The three men…” she whispered.
“Well?”
“They didn’t leave. They just went upstairs. They must’ve met someone up there.”
Simon nodded. Anyone in Schongau who had business to discuss would go to the Stern. And anyone who wanted to do that unseen would rent a room on an upper floor. There were side doors that saved one from even having to set foot in the bar. But whom could the three men have met up there?
“Thank you, Resl.”
“There’s something else…” The maid looked around furtively. Her voice was barely audible as she continued, her lips almost touching Simon’s ear.
“Believe me or not, but when the tall one with the scar paid for his drinks, I saw his left hand. It was just bones. I swear to God, the devil is here in Schongau, and I’ve seen him.”
The maid jumped when she heard her name called from the bar. With a last yearning glance at the young physician she turned away.
When the girl left, Simon’s eyes wandered up the magnificent facade of the inn with its glass windows and painted stucco.
Who had the men met here?
Simon couldn’t suppress a shudder. It looked as if Sophie had told the truth with her story after all. Maybe the devil really had come to Schongau.
“It’s time now, Martha. You’ve got to get up.”
Unnoticed, the hangman had stepped into the little cell. He was pulling at her coat, which she had thrown over herself as a blanket. Martha Stechlin had her eyes closed and was breathing quietly. A smile was on her lips. She seemed to be in a world that was free of fear and pain. Jakob Kuisl was sorry he had to call her back to this grim reality. Here, there was going to be a great deal of pain very soon. She had to remain strong.
“Martha, the aldermen will arrive soon.”
This time he shook her. The midwife opened her eyes and looked around in bewilderment for a moment. Then she remembered where she was. She brushed her matted hair from her face, and looked around like a hunted beast.
“My God, it’s going to start now…” She began to cry.
“You needn’t be afraid, Martha. Today I’ll only show you the tools. You’ve got to hold out. We’ll find the murderer, and then—”
He was interrupted by a squeaking sound. The gate of the keep was opening and the light of a late afternoon sun came in. Four jailers entered and took their places along the walls. They were followed by the emissaries of the council and Johann Lechner, the court clerk. With consternation Kuisl saw the three aldermen. The prisoner was only to be shown the torture instruments today. The torture to follow needed approval from Munich, and the Elector’s secretary had to be present. What if the court clerk really dared to commence the painful interrogation on his own?
Johann Lechner seemed to notice the hangman’s hesitation. He nodded at him encouragingly.
“Everything’s in order,” he said. “The three aldermen will appear as witnesses. The faster we get this matter taken care of, the faster peace will return to our town. His Excellency, Count Sandizell, will be grateful for that.”
“But…” Jakob Kuisl began. The court clerk’s eyes made it quite clear that there was no point in protesting. What should he do? If nothing unexpected happened, he’d have to torture Martha Stechlin today. Unless…
Unless the witnesses arrived at a different verdict.
Kuisl knew from experience that aldermen, when they were invited to interrogations, often couldn’t refrain from intervening themselves. Occasionally they cut short the interrogation if they had the feeling that there was no result to be expected in spite of the torture.
He glimpsed at the three aldermen. He knew the baker Michael Berchtholdt and young Schreevogl as well. But who was the third man?
Johann Lechner, the clerk, followed the hangman’s eyes. “Alderman Matthias Augustin, the third witness, is sick,” he remarked casually. “He’s sending his son Georg.”
Kuisl nodded as he eyed the three witnesses carefully.
Michael Berchtholdt was a great zealot before the Lord. He loved to see people tortured and was convinced that Martha Stechlin was a witch who should be burned at the stake. He was already looking her up and down with eyes full of hate and fear, as if the midwife could cast a spell over him even from a distance and turn him into a rat. The hangman grinned inwardly as he contemplated the small, wizened man, whose eyes were red-rimmed from all
