The Secret Healer (24 page)

Chapter Thirty

The news that Matthias Trauenstein was back in town and that he’d handed over the woman responsible for the death of his wife spread like wildfire. Agathe, Kilian, and Johannes had already been in town for two days and went to Madlen’s father, Jerg, to ask him whether anything had been done in regard to Matthias. Jerg said no, appearing rather surprised by Madlen’s husband. But neither Madlen’s husband nor Agathe’s arrival meant much to Jerg. Since Madlen had escaped and the arranged marriage to Heinfried had fallen through, Jerg had barely left the house. He’d spent the money before he’d gotten it and couldn’t pay back his debts. “Nobody’s helping me,” he said sullenly, then went back to his woodshop and simply left Johannes, Kilian, and Agathe standing. The three decided to stay in a tavern. Kilian wanted to pay a visit to Irma.

The next morning, they awoke to the rumor of Madlen’s return. Agathe, Kilian, and Johannes sat in the tavern, trying to figure out what to do next.

“The dungeon walls are impenetrable,” said Kilian. “The best thing to do is to try to free her when she’s brought over from the courthouse.”

Johannes shook his head. “Even if that were possible, we’d need more than a few of your friends. And she would spend her whole life on the run. Is that what you want?”

“It’s better than seeing her hang from the gallows.”

Johannes took a deep breath. The picture that Kilian’s words painted made him shudder.

“Who was the fellow that represented Madlen before? I’ve forgotten his name.”

“Andreas von Balge. He studies law here in the university.”

“I have to speak to him. Can you arrange it? And can we rely on him again?”

“I'm sure of it. He helped us distract the guards so that Madlen could escape from the city. The sheriff held us for days to find out where Madlen had gone. Finally, Andreas insisted on our rights and threatened to report his conduct to the count unless he released us immediately. He’s done a great deal.”

Johannes had to smile. Kilian had already told him how Madlen escaped the city. The plan was as absurd as it was simple. No wonder the sheriff had been so annoyed.

“Who has been given jurisdiction?”

“That is currently in question. The last hearing was led by the sheriff, and the members of the jury were noblemen. The ongoing city wars have weakened applicable judicial laws. Whoever wins and rules the Hanseatic League will create a council and award new political offices. The Bavarian dukes will more than likely prevail. But until then, we must contend with the sheriff and the noblemen again. Why?”

“It would be better if we could find a way to move the trial to Trier. I have influence there.”

“Do you think that’s possible?” Agathe asked, sounding hopeful.

Johannes shrugged. “We should try anyway. The archbishop could be convinced to take on this matter, of that I’m sure. Do you think that you can convince the sheriff to dispose of the matter?”

Kilian shook his head. “No. He thinks Madlen deceived him.”

Johannes pressed his lips together. “I’ll send a message to the archbishop and hope that it gets there in time. But I don’t want to give you too much hope; he wants to punish the secret healer, too.”

“For healing, yes, not for a murder she didn’t commit.”

“That’s exactly what we need to prove.” Johannes rubbed his chin. “Kilian, bring this Andreas von Balge here as quickly as possible. And what was the name of the witness at that time, the maid?”

“Barbara? She’s terrified of her master. We can’t expect any help from her.”

“We have to speak to her nevertheless. We must leave no stone unturned.”

“What can I do?” Agathe asked. “I would like to help.”

“You can. Try to get permission to see Madlen. You can say that you want to examine her because of her pregnancy; they won’t deny you that.”

“Good. And what should I tell her?”

Johannes looked at Agathe intently. “Don’t promise her anything that we might not be able to do. But tell her that we’re doing everything we can. Encourage her so she doesn’t lose all hope.” He looked at Kilian. “Be sure to make it clear to her that we’re all in this together. Tell her that I love her.”

“I will.” Agathe stood up. “She must be dying from fright.”

The thought was hard for Johannes to bear. He sincerely hoped that on top of everything Matthias Trauenstein hadn’t beaten her, too. He clenched his hand into a fist. If this cur laid a hand on her, his life wouldn’t be worth a pfennig; Johannes would take out that bastard himself.

“What’s the matter?” Agathe looked at him worriedly.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I just want her out of there as quickly as possible.”

Agathe touched his hand. “That’s what we all want. Don’t lose faith.” With that, she said good-bye and left the tavern.

Shortly after she left, Kilian went to find Andreas von Balge, and Johannes went to his room to write the archbishop. Then Johannes hired a messenger to bring the message to Trier as quickly as possible and promised to double his fee if the messenger went straight through without stopping. The messenger took the letter and set out immediately. Hopefully, he’d reach the archbishop before it was too late.

Although Madlen heard somebody open her cell door, she didn’t move a muscle and kept her eyes closed. Agathe stepped in closer. “Madlen, my dear. Are you awake?”

She opened her eyes with effort and blinked several times. “Agathe?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Agathe.” Madlen stood up. “It’s really you.” She stumbled slightly before falling into her aunt’s arms.

“Oh, my sweet Madlen.” Agathe hugged her niece tightly and kissed her tenderly on her forehead. “Everything’s going to be all right, my child. It’s all right.”

Tears poured down Madlen’s cheeks; she sobbed as her legs gave way. Agathe managed to catch her and bring her over to the bed before she crumpled all the way to the floor.

“You’re all right,” Madlen whispered as she put her head on her aunt’s shoulder.

“Kilian is doing well, and so is Johannes.”

Madlen sat up. “Johannes?”

“Yes. He knows the whole story. He asked me to let you know that he will do all he can to get you out of here. And”—she held Madlen’s chin—“that he loves you.”

Madlen broke out in tears again. “He loves me? Did he say that?”

“Yes, he said that.”

“But what about Worms? And the healing?”

“He wants to try to convince the archbishop of your innocence.”

“The archbishop? But what about the sheriff? I’m here on murder charges.”

“Johannes is going to talk to Andreas to find out exactly what happened.”

“It will come to nothing.” Madlen sighed. “I saw the sheriff’s face. To him, I’m guilty no matter who represents me.”

“You must have faith.” Agathe tenderly stroked Madlen’s back. She took a deep breath to prepare herself for the next question. “Did Matthias do anything to you?”

Madlen shook her head slowly. “He didn’t touch a hair on my head.”

“Thank God!” Agathe sighed with relief.

A guard walked past the cell, glanced at the women, and disappeared from sight.

“I’m afraid for my child.” Madlen laid her hand on her stomach. “There won’t be much time until the court passes judgment. My child will never breathe, laugh, or cry. It will die, without ever having done anything wrong.”

“You also haven’t done anything wrong,” Agathe reminded her. “And you shouldn’t give up hope. Johannes loves you more than anything, and he’s a lawyer. Working with Andreas, he’ll think of something.”

“Time’s up,” a deep voice said outside the cell door. The women flinched.

The guard held the key in his hand, unlocked the door, and pointed at Agathe to come with him. She nodded.

“Never give up hope, my child. We’re doing what we can to prove your innocence. Stay strong.” She hugged her niece, and Madlen clung desperately to her aunt.

“That’s enough now,” the guard called out harshly.

Agathe let go and stood up. “I’ll be back.” She bent over and kissed Madlen on the forehead. “We’re all going through this together.” She straightened up, fixed her dress, and walked to the cell door. She heard Madlen whimpering softly, but she didn’t turn around. She knew that the sight of her niece crying would break her heart.

“What made the sheriff and the members of the jury believe you?” Johannes looked at Andreas von Balge intently.

“It was the maid, this Barbara,” the advocate explained. “Everyone could see that she said exactly what her master ordered her to say. The web of deceit became more and more tangled until she was backed into a corner.”

The two legal experts sat with Kilian at a table in the tavern. Johannes had Andreas tell him everything. Every little detail counted, including every word of each witness’s testimony. Thoughtfully, Johannes stroked his chin. “I think that might be the key to everything.”

“I don’t follow, my lord,” Andreas said.

“Call me Johannes.” He stroked his chin again.

“And please call me Andreas.”

Johannes nodded absentmindedly; he was completely lost in thought. “You will take over her defense by yourself.” He looked at Andreas, a smile playing on his lips.

“But why?”

“You just answered the question yourself. The court wasn’t convinced by intercession on your part or Madlen’s testimony, but by the witness’s contradictions.”

“Yes, that’s right. But why can’t you represent Madlen?”

“Because I will act as a prosecutor on behalf of the archbishop.” He smirked. “And you, my dear Andreas, will bring me to my knees.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Johannes waited a full day before he went to the sheriff and introduced himself as the Church’s lawyer, sent by the archbishop. The sheriff was shocked, unaware of the archbishop’s investigation. Johannes enlightened him about her crimes as a secret healer.

“Would you consider having the case transferred to Trier?” Johannes noticed the sheriff’s interest.

“What? Why?”

“Well, so that the charges can be tried at the same time.”

The sheriff seemed to think it over; Johannes believed he already knew what his answer would be.

“Would you have anything against having both offenses being tried here?”

Johannes was surprised. “I had not thought of that,” he lied. “But you’re right. Whether the trial is set in Trier or in Heidelberg, it doesn’t matter. The main thing is for her to be tried for her crimes.”

The sheriff nodded. “Your insight speaks volumes.”

“I’ll send a message to the archbishop that you here in Heidelberg are in the position to try the secret healer. When do you intend to begin the process?”

“Well, as quickly as possible. Why?”

“If the trials occurs here instead, I’ll need some time to prepare my case. I’ll have to ensure that the witnesses can come here to testify on the woman’s activities. In addition, we should wait for an answer from the archbishop to ensure he agrees with our approach.”

“I agree with you. How long do you need?”

“Five days should be enough.”

“I’ll give you six. Seven days from today, the trial will begin.”

Johannes bowed politely. “Thank you. I’ll send you the indictment on behalf of the archbishop in the next few days.”

“Where can I find you if there are any questions?”

“I’m staying at the tavern. But I will only be there today; I’ll leave early tomorrow to gather witnesses.”

“I hope your trip is successful.”

Johannes nodded. “As soon as I’m back in Heidelberg, I’ll contact you. Farewell, Sheriff.”

“Farewell, prosecutor.”

Johannes left the sheriff’s office feeling conflicted. He had to be clever to keep this game a secret. Above all, time was of the essence. First thing in the morning, he would head out to Worms. The messenger he’d sent to the archbishop would be unable to find him upon his return. Johannes sincerely hoped that the archbishop would feel compelled to come to Heidelberg once he got the message. This was the only way that Johannes could succeed in getting all the charges against Madlen tried in one procedure. He’d never experienced fear at the thought of failure. His self-confidence had always held him in good stead. But now, fear for Madlen and their child threatened to crush him; she must be exonerated at all costs. He took a deep breath as he left the house and walked onto the street. There were six days remaining to think through even the smallest detail; he had to anticipate his opponent’s each and every step. He said a silent prayer to God for help. There was no way he would allow himself to fail; his wife and unborn child depended on him.

The next day, Johannes headed out before dawn. He’d met with Andreas von Balge the day before to discuss everything. He wanted to speak with Barbara, the maid, but both of them were doubtful that he could get through to her at all. She was the only one besides Madlen and Matthias that knew what had actually happened the night that Adelhaid Trauenstein died. They didn’t even know the guard’s name. In fact, nobody seemed to know the man; Johannes and Andreas doubted whether he was even one of Trauenstein’s guards. He may have even been a paid thug who’d been sent away by Matthias after doing his dirty work. However, he was crucial for the defense, but only if he could be persuaded to tell the truth.

Johannes reached Worms in the afternoon. He rode to his parents’ house, got off his horse, and knocked on the door impatiently. The guard had barely opened the door when he stormed in. “Is my mother here?”

“My lord, Johannes, greetings to you!” The guard bowed. “Your mother’s in the office.”

“And my father?”

“Him, too.”

“Good. Fetch my mother. Tell her that it’s Otilia.”

“Otilia?” repeated the guard.

“That’s correct.”

The guard nodded and left; a few minutes later, he came back with Elsbeth. She rushed over and hugged Johannes. “I’m so relieved to see you,” she whispered so that her husband, still in the office, couldn’t hear them.

“Come.” Johannes led her into the dining room.

“Did you find her?” Elsbeth sat down and looked at Johannes expectantly.

“Yes. And there’s much more to the story than I first thought.” He explained it all, starting with his wife’s real name.

Elsbeth listened attentively, nodding and asking questions. “But then she hasn’t done anything wrong,” she said, shaking her head.

“And that’s exactly why I have to do everything to get her out of there.”

“What’s your plan?”

“Well, what would you expect a lawyer to do when his wife is on trial?”

“Defend her,” Elsbeth stated.

Johannes nodded in affirmation. “And that’s why I’m going to do the opposite.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll prosecute her. Everyone will feel the hatred I have for her. And then I will leave room for doubt. Doubt about what I can actually prove. Doubt that she is a bad person, doubt about the alleged crimes that she’d been accused of. I sincerely hope that the archbishop comes to Heidelberg and takes part in the trial. He will see how I, as a lawyer, tried everything and yet failed miserably. Everyone will be convinced of Madlen’s innocence.”

“But your reputation.” Elsbeth pressed her lips together. “You’ll destroy everything that you’ve built over so many years.”

He shrugged. “Possibly. But I’ll save the lives of my wife and child.”

Elsbeth didn’t know what to say. She grabbed Johannes’s hand and embraced him tenderly. “What can I do to help you?”

“I’m so glad you asked. Can you go see Otilia?”

“What shall I tell her?”

Johannes flushed. “Well, because of the way I acted on my last visit, I doubt that she’d be willing to speak to me. But she’ll listen to you. To help Madlen, we need Otilia, Roswitha, and Sander. And we have to locate anyone else we can find who Madlen healed of the cough.”

“You want to summon these witnesses to help Madlen, right?”

“Exactly. I doubt they would even agree to speak to me when they hear I’m the prosecutor. I need you to convince them. If they show up in court without being summoned by me, no one will suspect anything.”

“A good idea. But what if they refuse? After all, Heidelberg is a good piece away, and the people have to work to earn their daily bread.”

“These people”—Johannes held up his finger—“wouldn’t be alive today if Madlen hadn’t helped them.”

“I’ll do everything I can, Johannes, but I can’t make any promises.”

“You can be very convincing if you want to be. And you want to be, right?”

“Of course. How can you ask me that?”

“Forgive me.” Johannes plopped down on one of the chairs, exhausted. “You’re right. I’m just so afraid for her life.”

“I’m pleased to hear that we weren’t deceived by Maria, uh, by Madlen. She’s the woman you love.” She smiled. “The woman we all love.”

“I have to save her, Mother. Otherwise, my life will be ruined.”

“I know.” She touched his hand. “But even if you successfully defend her against the accusations that she’s a miracle healer, there’s still the issue of the murdered woman in Heidelberg. How do you plan to defend her against that?”

“I don’t know,” Johannes confessed. “Not yet, anyway. But I’ll come up with something. I must succeed.”

“I’ll stand by you, son. We’ll leave no stone unturned.”

“You can start right now by going to Otilia and talking to Roswitha. She’ll be suspicious, but if you send her to Heidelberg, she’ll see Agathe. She trusts Agathe.”

“I won’t just send her.” Elsbeth lifted her head proudly. “I’ll bring her there myself, along with as many healed citizens of Worms as I can find.”

“Oh, Mother.” He kissed her forehead. “Then there’s nothing more I can do here.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I’ll ride back to Heidelberg immediately.”

“At least stay here tonight and ride out first thing in the morning. It won’t help anybody if you fall victim to highwaymen in the middle of the night.”

He wanted to argue but thought better of it. “You’re right. I’ll ride tomorrow.”

“Now I’ll tell Helene to prepare something for us to eat and inform your father that you’re here.” She looked at him thoughtfully. “I haven’t said a word to him.”

“Let’s leave it like that until the trial is over.”

Elsbeth stood up. “I’m going to Otilia’s. Wait here.”

She gave her son’s hand an encouraging squeeze. “It’s going to be all right.”

By the time Johannes left the next morning, his newfound confidence had waned a bit. After several hours, Elsbeth returned, giving him little hope that she could convince Roswitha to go to Heidelberg. She was too suspicious. Elsbeth also told him that she’d spoken to Otilia and her daughter, Reni. She told Elsbeth that they would think it over. When Elsbeth asked them whether they knew other citizens who had been healed of the cough, they replied evasively and wouldn’t give Elsbeth any names.

During dinner the previous night, Peter Goldmann had chatted amicably, but the conversation was one-sided; Elsbeth and Johannes replied tersely. They were too caught up in their own world.

Johannes reached Heidelberg at noon. His first order of business was to speak to Andreas.

“So you’re not sure whether anyone will testify on Madlen’s behalf?” Andreas said wearily.

Johannes shook his head slowly. “I hold very little hope.”

“Then we have to find other people willing to testify.” Andreas tapped his finger on his lips. “Like the women Madlen helped with their births.”

“We would have their testimonies but also the accusations that they were healed in the name of the devil.”

“We at least need someone who’s been healed of the cough.”

“As far as I know, that only happened in Worms.”

For a moment, neither one said anything.

“You have to take care of that then,” Andreas said finally. “I have to do everything I can to disprove these allegations of murder.”

“What kind of approach are you planning on taking?”

Andreas shook his head. “I haven’t been allowed to talk to this Barbara, though I’ve tried numerous times; Trauenstein’s guard hasn’t come forward, either.”

“And Barbara’s family or friends? What about other people who have something to do with Trauenstein’s house?”

“That’s just it. No one seems willing to step forward. I’ve talked with Kilian about it. He says that Barbara once trusted Irma unconditionally.”

“Who is Irma?”

“The young woman who wore Madlen’s bloodstained dress and helped her escape from the city. She and Kilian are together. But Barbara has become more and more withdrawn since she entered into service as the Trauensteins’ maid.”

“Do you believe that Matthias has been violent with her?”

Andreas nodded. “Kilian suggested there was some evidence of that.”

“But then she must certainly want to press charges against Trauenstein so that justice can be served.”

“Unfortunately, that does not look likely; he’s a nobleman and does whatever he pleases.”

“Then we must focus on what it will take to convict him,” Johannes said thoughtfully. “Are there more women in the Trauenstein house?”

Andreas shrugged. “I don’t know. That could be a viable approach.”

Johannes nodded. “Let’s try to find out. I’ll speak to Kilian so that he can send this Irma to Barbara. She might be able to find her.”

Andreas felt hopeless. He hadn’t heard from Barbara in a long time. Most importantly, he didn’t know how Matthias Trauenstein had treated her after she’d testified in court. He regretted never looking into Barbara’s well-being after her court appearance. He briefly wondered whether she was even alive.

“What are you thinking?” Johannes asked.

Andreas pressed his lips together. “I didn’t look into how Barbara fared. She was quite distraught when she was forced to testify in court. I saw it. Terror was written all over her face; she was deathly afraid when she looked at Matthias. But I didn’t follow up. When we won the case, Madlen was exonerated. After that, Madlen escaped, then I just left.”

“And now you blame yourself?”

Andreas nodded.

“It was your responsibility to defend your client, and you did just that.”

“But it was my responsibility as a person not to abandon Barbara; I should have offered to help.”

Johannes shook his head. “I have years more experience than you do. Believe me, this will not be the last time you doubt yourself. We’re lawyers. We stand for justice. But what is justice?”

“Doing the right thing?” Andreas replied.

“I’ll prosecute Madlen and you will defend her. Ostensibly, we’ll be on different sides, though secretly we want to accomplish the same things. We’ll craft clever, convincing speeches, but in reality, we’re nothing but jugglers trying to manipulate the system and the minds of the people. And if we do our jobs well, we’ll get what we want in the end.”

“Has this profession made you cynical?” Andreas asked.

“Maybe, but I have never felt it like I do now. The entire prosecution, which took weeks for me to prepare, the investigators I hired, the many leads I had to follow up on . . . I was completely convinced that I was hunting for a woman in whose body the devil himself resided,” Johannes said, shaking his head sadly. “I was completely sure of myself. Then I met with Madlen and found out what she’d been accused of. The law, which we have both sworn to uphold, hunted down this wonderful woman and made her suffer. Is it any wonder that I feel cynical?”

Andreas nodded. “At the end of the day, we can only do what’s within our power, in order to do the right thing in accordance with the law.”

“Well said.” Johannes smiled. “Let’s try to make everything right and save Madlen’s life.”