“It did.”
“Is there anything else you can tell me?” Gage asked.
“Certainly. If you’re working for Claudia Vogel, the woman who sued us for libel, then I will tell you the following even if it gets me sued or killed.”
“Yes?”
“Go to hell.”
-click-
Gage rode in silence the rest of the way to the Vogel estate.
CHAPTER EIGHT
It was after 8 P.M. when Gage finally made it back to Friedberg. The roads were clear, yet plenty of snow still remained on the grass and shrubs. He’d just pulled into the outer area of the main estate driveway when his mobile phone rang. At that very moment, Gage heard sirens and saw the flash of lights on the road behind him. The gate guard hurried from the guardhouse as Gage held up his finger while he answered the call. It was the day nurse. She sounded alarmed.
“Gage, when will you be back? Something’s happened.”
“What is it?”
“It’s Frau Vogel. About an hour ago, she started slurring her words and acting strange; then she fell unconscious. We’ve called for an ambulance.”
“I’m at the gate. Be right up.”
Gage hung up the phone and yelled for the gate to be opened. The ambulance pulled in and the gate guard instructed the paramedics to follow Gage. When they reached the manor house, Gage saw that the nurse and Thomas had wheeled Claudia down in her hospital bed, courtesy of the elevator. They stood with the front door open, gesturing to the paramedics to pull forward. The severe blue emergency lights reflected off of the snow and illuminated the buildings in the courtyard, creating a supernatural atmosphere as Gage exited the Audi.
Sheriff stood on loyal alert beside Claudia’s mobile hospital bed.
While the nurse spoke to the paramedics, Gage spoke to Thomas. “What exactly happened?”
“According to the nurse, Frau Claudia was fine all day. About an hour ago, she started speaking with a slur. She said she was sleepy. But when she couldn’t sleep, her speaking grew worse and one of her eyes began to droop. That’s when the nurse called for an ambulance.”
Gage shook his head in frustration. “Anything else?”
“That’s all I know.”
“And she was well today?”
“Very well. The nurse told me that earlier Frau Vogel summoned two of her lawyers. She said she was quite energetic and was on her feet more than normal. The lawyers stayed through lunch and left around three. That’s all I know.”
By this time, the paramedics had readied Claudia for transport. The nurse walked over to where Gage and Thomas stood. She repeated virtually the same story.
“What do you think it is?” Gage asked.
“I don’t want to speculate. Hopefully it’s nothing serious.”
“Tell me about what happened when she first began slurring her words.”
“It was very sudden. When it first occurred, she believed she was just exhausted. She tried to nap but couldn’t. Then, when she elevated her bed, she seemed to come around a bit. She was talking better and seemed to be getting her wits about her. She even made a joke. Then…” The nurse winced. “She threw up. I caught most of it with the plastic tray that’s beside by her bed. After that, she waved me off and I assumed she was sick with a stomach bug, which was concerning enough.”
“Go on,” Gage said.
“I called Thomas and we watched her as she dozed in and out. I guess about twenty or thirty minutes ago, she woke up completely. By that point, she spoke gibberish and had trouble with one of her eyes.”
“Thomas mentioned that. Tell me about it.”
“Only one eye was fully open. And her mouth drooped.”
“On the same side as they eye?”
With a knowing expression, the nurse nodded.
“Is that it?”
“That’s it. We called the ambulance and brought her downstairs, then you showed up.”
Gage turned, watching as the paramedics locked their medical litter into the ambulance. He walked to them and asked if they had any indication of what was going on.
“Hard to say,” the older of the two paramedics replied.
“A stroke?” Gage asked.
While neither paramedic answered, their knowing expressions spoke volumes.
“She’s supposed to go to the Bürgerhospital in Frankfurt if there’s time,” Gage said.
“She’s stable. That’s where we’re taking her.”
“Okay, don’t let me slow you down. Thank you.”
As the paramedics finalized for transport, Gage appraised Claudia. Her eyes were closed but she seemed to be breathing normally with the help of an oxygen mask. The paramedics had secured her and covered her body with a gray blanket. One medic sat beside her as her head lolled sideways. For the first time since Gage had met her, she looked quite old.
The younger paramedic hopped down from the vehicle and closed both doors. In seconds, the ambulance crunched away on the pea gravel, the blue lights continuing to flash. Gage eyed each of the large homes beside the manor and across the way. The two Vogel daughters stood on their porches, watching.
Gage asked Thomas to stay on the estate in case anything was needed. Gage then thanked the nurse and sent her home. Finally, he shut Sheriff inside the house and reentered Karl Vogel’s car.
As Gage wheeled around the courtyard, Katja and Ina stopped him. He explained what had happened. “You should come with me.”
Surprisingly, the daughters agreed. After hurrying back to their houses to get cellphones and jackets, they climbed into the Audi before Gage sped away.
Following a more detailed explanation of what he’d heard from Thomas and the nurse, no one spoke.
Twelve minutes later, Gage caught up to the ambulance on Autobahn 5. He fell in behind the emergency vehicle, wringing his hands on the wheel. Though Gage was no doctor, he’d undergone extensive medical
