Because she wanted it! Because it gave her a kick to do it in her room while that stupid twat waddled around out there in the hall!”
He stopped abruptly, shocked, and got hold of himself again. Then he continued quietly.
“I didn’t even want to; I thought it was too dangerous. But that’s how she liked it, always in strange places. In my office, in her room, at the lake with people all around, in the women’s room at the mall. She always got me into the most impossible situations, the little bitch.”
He shook his head, trembling all over, and took a deep breath.
“But you obviously enjoyed these . . . impossible situations. Otherwise you wouldn’t have gone along with it.”
Lauberts crumbled, nodding slowly. “You have no idea what it’s like,” he said, “when a girl like that comes on to you.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “So young. Like a fountain of youth, like a . . .”
He broke off. He was melting like ice cream in the sun, but neither Franza nor Felix felt sorry for him.
“She was put in your care. Do you understand that?”
He nodded.
“And you took advantage of her.”
He nodded.
“Did you kill her?”
Lauberts started as if bitten by a snake. “No!” he shouted. “For God’s sake, no! Why would I do that?”
“Well, maybe she threatened to tell your wife. Maybe she was blackmailing you. Maybe she was tired of being your—what did you call it?—fountain of youth.”
Lauberts squirmed on his chair. “I didn’t kill her! I could never do such a thing! What do you think I am?!”
Felix didn’t answer the question but posed a new one. “Where were you Monday, from ten at night until Tuesday, around five in the morning?”
“At home, asleep.”
“Can anyone confirm this?”
Lauberts shook his head slowly. “No, I was alone in our house. My wife’s on vacation in Italy, and our children are in boarding school.”
Felix nodded. “You can go now.”
Lauberts stood up, surprised and relieved. “So you believe me?”
Felix narrowed his eyes and didn’t answer right away. “We’ll see.”
Lauberts nodded, took a couple of steps toward the door, and then turned around.
“I paid her, by the way,” he said. “Just so you know. Good money.”
Wow, Franza thought, raising her eyebrows. She looked at Felix and saw he was surprised, too.
Lauberts kept talking, his voice bitter. They stared at him, wondering what would come next. “And in case you’re thinking it was just me . . . ! No, no. I don’t know how many friends she had, and I don’t know their names either, but there were a few. I’m sure you’ll find that out. And one more thing: she was worth it, she was a born whore. She could drive a man to ecstasy, if you know what I mean. Really, it’s a pity she’s dead.”
Lauberts edged his way to the door.
“Dr. Lauberts!” Felix said. Lauberts turned around again.
“That’ll cost you at least your job.”
Lauberts nodded, opening the door.
“Lauberts!”
He waited.
“Tomorrow, ten o’clock, here. Someone will take down your statement. We’ll be expecting you.”
Lauberts nodded again and left.
“Asshole!” Felix said softly.
Franza pulled out the container of cookies, fetched two coffee cups, and poured some Coke from Felix’s bottle for them both.
“Ten years,” she said. “Maybe even fifteen.”
“What?”
“That’s how much he aged in the last few minutes.”
Felix grinned. “That’s exactly what I needed now,” he said, “your sense of humor.”
He stretched out his arms heavenward and exclaimed in mock desperation: “Please God, look after my Franza and her cookies!”
Then he reached deep into the jar, pulled out a chocolate-coated gingerbread cookie, and put it in his mouth, chewing blissfully. “Do you realize this is perverse?” he asked.
“What?”
“Christmas cookies in summer. Chocolate-coated stars when it’s about ninety-eight degrees.”
“You think?”
He nodded with his mouth
He stopped abruptly, shocked, and got hold of himself again. Then he continued quietly.
“I didn’t even want to; I thought it was too dangerous. But that’s how she liked it, always in strange places. In my office, in her room, at the lake with people all around, in the women’s room at the mall. She always got me into the most impossible situations, the little bitch.”
He shook his head, trembling all over, and took a deep breath.
“But you obviously enjoyed these . . . impossible situations. Otherwise you wouldn’t have gone along with it.”
Lauberts crumbled, nodding slowly. “You have no idea what it’s like,” he said, “when a girl like that comes on to you.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “So young. Like a fountain of youth, like a . . .”
He broke off. He was melting like ice cream in the sun, but neither Franza nor Felix felt sorry for him.
“She was put in your care. Do you understand that?”
He nodded.
“And you took advantage of her.”
He nodded.
“Did you kill her?”
Lauberts started as if bitten by a snake. “No!” he shouted. “For God’s sake, no! Why would I do that?”
“Well, maybe she threatened to tell your wife. Maybe she was blackmailing you. Maybe she was tired of being your—what did you call it?—fountain of youth.”
Lauberts squirmed on his chair. “I didn’t kill her! I could never do such a thing! What do you think I am?!”
Felix didn’t answer the question but posed a new one. “Where were you Monday, from ten at night until Tuesday, around five in the morning?”
“At home, asleep.”
“Can anyone confirm this?”
Lauberts shook his head slowly. “No, I was alone in our house. My wife’s on vacation in Italy, and our children are in boarding school.”
Felix nodded. “You can go now.”
Lauberts stood up, surprised and relieved. “So you believe me?”
Felix narrowed his eyes and didn’t answer right away. “We’ll see.”
Lauberts nodded, took a couple of steps toward the door, and then turned around.
“I paid her, by the way,” he said. “Just so you know. Good money.”
Wow, Franza thought, raising her eyebrows. She looked at Felix and saw he was surprised, too.
Lauberts kept talking, his voice bitter. They stared at him, wondering what would come next. “And in case you’re thinking it was just me . . . ! No, no. I don’t know how many friends she had, and I don’t know their names either, but there were a few. I’m sure you’ll find that out. And one more thing: she was worth it, she was a born whore. She could drive a man to ecstasy, if you know what I mean. Really, it’s a pity she’s dead.”
Lauberts edged his way to the door.
“Dr. Lauberts!” Felix said. Lauberts turned around again.
“That’ll cost you at least your job.”
Lauberts nodded, opening the door.
“Lauberts!”
He waited.
“Tomorrow, ten o’clock, here. Someone will take down your statement. We’ll be expecting you.”
Lauberts nodded again and left.
“Asshole!” Felix said softly.
Franza pulled out the container of cookies, fetched two coffee cups, and poured some Coke from Felix’s bottle for them both.
“Ten years,” she said. “Maybe even fifteen.”
“What?”
“That’s how much he aged in the last few minutes.”
Felix grinned. “That’s exactly what I needed now,” he said, “your sense of humor.”
He stretched out his arms heavenward and exclaimed in mock desperation: “Please God, look after my Franza and her cookies!”
Then he reached deep into the jar, pulled out a chocolate-coated gingerbread cookie, and put it in his mouth, chewing blissfully. “Do you realize this is perverse?” he asked.
“What?”
“Christmas cookies in summer. Chocolate-coated stars when it’s about ninety-eight degrees.”
“You think?”
He nodded with his mouth
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