Time Heals No Wounds (23 page)

Hannes stared at him in amazement.

“What? You think I don’t read the paper?” said Fritz, somewhat miffed. “I may be out for the count, but I still pay attention to what’s happening around me. Anyway, continue!”

“Well, most of what’s out there on the Internet is about the drug scandal in the nineties. The most interesting thing, however, is that both Ternheims were responsible for the drug’s release. It was called Xonux and was supposed to be some miracle drug for anxiety disorders. However, it was quickly suspected to be responsible for heart attacks and strokes, some of which were fatal.”

“I know plenty about the scandal. It was in the papers for weeks. I still remember it. More interesting is what you possibly found out about the company’s involvement in the Nazi era.”

“Back then it was the North German Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works, or NGCP. What was on the Internet was circumstantial, and there was no evidence of cooperation with the Nazis.”

“So you’re saying you didn’t find anything?”

“No, I actually did because I then found a very competent source.”

Fritz was unimpressed when he learned who that source was. “Did you talk to Ben again about our investigation? I thought I made myself clear!”

“No, I didn’t tell him anything about our work. He already knows we’re dealing with Lagussa. All I said was that I was having trouble finding anything out about their history.”

Fritz grumbled but became more attentive the more Hannes told him about the contents of the forum and archive.

“The photos were really the most difficult. It’s unbelievable that Heinrich Ternheim and his father collaborated with the Nazis when you see that old man today.”

“Just look at all the guys brought to trial for war crimes,” said Fritz. “Most of them are pretty feeble, yet they committed crimes against humanity. You can’t just look at people—you have to imagine them at the time they carried out their deeds. That’s the only way you can remain objective.”

“Could it be that Anna found the same documents in Ms. Ternheim’s bag?”

“You mean that someone leaked these documents to Ms. Ternheim? It’s possible. But I don’t see her being particularly active on this forum.”

“The only way to find out would be if we had Anna take a look at the content of the website.”

“Ah,” said Fritz with a smile. “So you’re on a first-name basis with Ms. Executive Assistant . . . I must say, you seem to have great people skills. Or is there more to it?”

“It’s possible that this Mark von Wittenberg, the man who was recently in contact with Ms. Ternheim, is also a member of this forum,” Hannes said, ignoring the banter. “Maybe he forwarded the documents to her or tried to blackmail her with them? And maybe it was he who warned Mr. Ternheim about the protest tonight.”

“Why would he do that? If he’d wanted to blackmail Ms. Ternheim, why would he warn her brother about a demonstration?”

“Maybe he didn’t blackmail her. Maybe he tipped her off in order to get Lagussa to do something.”

“Maybe, maybe, maybe,” said Fritz. “That’s a few too many maybes for me. Christian Ternheim is probably the only one who can shed light on this, but he’s bought himself another night to think. Look and see if von Wittenberg was active on the forum, then we’ll know if we can change these maybes into certainties.”

“You may read the paper, but you don’t know your way around the modern world. You usually use a screen name on a forum. Anonymity on the net—heard of it before?”

“You see? That’s why I have you. We complement each other,” Fritz joked.

“Have you found anything out yet about Mr. von Wittenberg?” asked Hannes.

“Not yet. Our boss put a rookie on it, but so far, he hasn’t found a lead.”

The terrace had now filled. Fritz looked at his watch. “This shindig gets underway in fifteen minutes. It’s best you make yourself scarce, otherwise you’ll have to walk through the packed hall during the ceremony. You should spare yourself the looks you’ll get . . .”

Hannes nodded. Together they went up the stairs, and Fritz put his hand on Hannes’s shoulder.

“I’m going to treat myself to a beer at the bar, otherwise I won’t be able to take the speeches. Have fun out on the water! Incidentally, don’t think you’re off tomorrow just because it’s Saturday. Let’s meet at nine”—Fritz glanced at the bar—“say ten at the office. Steffen’s already threatening to assign us backup. We desperately need a break in the case!” He gave Hannes a gentle nudge in the direction of the glass door and snaked his way to the bar.

As Hannes walked through the ballroom to the exit, he saw many famous faces. In one corner he saw the governor, who was excitedly chatting with Christian Ternheim. He wondered if Ben was there mingling and grinned at the thought.

“We’ve come together here tonight because we’re united in the same goal: the fight against childhood leukemia!”

Christian Ternheim walked away from the podium. A short film played on the screen behind him, showing the emergence, spread, and symptoms of the disease. When the film was through, there was a collective stunned silence in the hall. Some guests wiped their eyes. Mr. Ternheim stepped back up to the podium.

“As you know, Lagussa specializes in psychiatric drugs, so we’re unable to contribute actively to the fight against this terrible disease. But as a modern company with deep roots in the community, we believe it’s our duty to get involved.”

Applause broke out, while a camera moved closer to Mr. Ternheim.

“Many of you have supported us in this commitment for years. I therefore wish to extend a special thanks to you. Without you, none of our successes would have been possible!”

There was more applause.

“Thank you . . . I would also like to thank another person who is sadly not with us tonight. A woman whose commitment to the fight against childhood leukemia was the impetus for this evening’s event. My sister unfortunately passed away a few days ago in a tragic accident. She would have been proud of this evening and seen it as encouragement for her tireless efforts. Now it’s up to us to continue her legacy. I . . .” He paused for a moment. “I ask that you rise from your seats and quietly commemorate my sister for a moment.”

Chairs were noisily pushed back and flashing cameras recorded the silent crowd.

“Thank you,” Ternheim said into the microphone. “But we should also not forget the heroes who are the stars of this evening: the countless children suffering from leukemia all over the world. We have already achieved a great deal! Last year, for example, we opened a treatment center in South Africa and . . .”

Fritz’s thoughts began to wander, and he glanced around the room. While the majority of the audience listened attentively, a famous actress whispered with a soccer player, a television presenter yawned, two business leaders were quietly chatting, and the hottest C-list celebrity couple was staring googly-eyed at each other. The cameras were trained on every person of note in the room, all of whom tried to appear both dignified and concerned as the shot was taken. Fritz shivered and hoped the evening would end soon.

At that moment there was a loud bang. Some guests shouted.

Fritz carefully scanned the room. The blast had sounded like a cannon, and it was now followed by the rhythmic sounds of an army marching with heavy boots on asphalt. This was clearly not part of the presentation. A sharp whistling gave the impression that bombs were being dropped. Fritz knew these sounds from wartime documentaries. A loud explosion was followed by the rhythmic steps growing closer and closer.

On stage, the screen lit up, and white text moved slowly across a black background.

Lagussa

Multinational

Long-Standing Tradition

Supports Mental Health

Committed to the Fight Against Leukemia

Several-Time Winner of
Employer of the Year
Award

But do you have all the facts about Lagussa?

The whole truth requires a look back to the Nazi era.

Financially Supported the Nazi Party

Used Forced Labor

Conducted Medical Experiments on Concentration Camp Prisoners

War Profiteer

Never Brought to Justice

The cover-up is over!

For evidence of Lagussa’s dark past go to:

www.truth-about-lagussa.de

The room filled with rumblings and whispers. The photographers jostled at the edge of the stage and photographed like crazy. People took out their smartphones and typed in the web address. Fritz noticed frantic activity behind the tinted windows of the control room. He commended the protest and could not explain how Ben’s group had managed to do this without being noticed.

Suddenly everything fell silent, and the screen went black.

A moment later, a visibly shaken Ternheim reappeared on stage and grabbed the microphone. He cleared his throat several times and waited for silence.

“Distinguished guests, we ask your pardon for this incident, which was apparently engineered by a group of troublemakers. It’s shameful that a charity event would be disrupted in this manner! Our security team has everything under control. We ask that you continue to enjoy the evening. We will take a short break. Please, take this opportunity to find refreshments at the bar. We will continue with the program in a half hour. I thank you for your understanding.”

“What about the allegations surrounding Lagussa’s past?” shouted a journalist. “Is it true that Lagussa was in cahoots with the Nazis?”

Ternheim visibly wrestled with the question. “Tomorrow we’ll hold a press conference to discuss the incident. This evening honors our fight against childhood leukemia. Let’s not provide a forum for the actions of a few rebels.”

Murmurs of both approval and disapproval could be heard. Fritz got up and left the room. The stairs to the control room were blocked by two security guards, prompting Fritz to pull out his badge. The two men moved aside. He seemed to arrive at the control room at just the right time. A young man with horn-rimmed glasses was being held in a headlock. Mr. Ternheim was also in the small room, heatedly talking to an employee who was apparently in charge of the audiovisuals, while Ms. Stahl stood next to him, her face pale. The man in the headlock was gasping for air.

“Are you trying to squeeze him to death?” Fritz said to the muscular security guard.

“You stay out of this. He’s the one responsible for this mess!” He grabbed the young man by the hair and yanked his head back and forth.

“That’s enough,” Fritz said and pulled out his badge. “Let go of him now! Mr. Ternheim, call your rabid dogs off!”

Finally, they let the man go. He rubbed his neck and breathed deeply.

“Damn, it wouldn’t have taken much more! What are you? Vigilantes?” said Fritz as he knelt down next to the young man. “Everything okay?”

The young man gave a strained nod.

“Get him a glass of water,” Fritz said to one of the security guards, then turned to Ternheim. “I have to say, you should be glad I barged in here. That could have been bad! How did the boy gain access to the control room?”

“He tricked us,” said the AV guy. “Somehow he got a fake ID. He lied to me and said I was wanted downstairs to be informed about a change of program. He claimed it was just a small detail, so I quickly ran downstairs. There was, of course, no one, and when I tried to get back into the room again, the door was locked and the guy launched his thing!”

Fritz nodded and glanced over at Ternheim, who looked completely distraught, his face wet with sweat. “Mr. Ternheim? How would you like to proceed? If you’d like to press charges, I’ll call a couple of colleagues.”

“Yeah . . . no . . . I don’t know!” He shrugged in despair. “That would probably be best, I suppose. What do you think?”

“Well, it depends. Maybe you should talk to your PR department. If the allegations are true, then it might not be worth it. But you also don’t need to decide now. We should take down the man’s details as a precaution.”

“Then let’s do that. But could you maybe take care of it? There’s already been enough turmoil. I don’t want our guests to be upset by the presence of uniformed police officers.”

Fritz shrugged. “That’s not really my job, but okay.” He turned back to the young man, who had been given a glass of water, and pulled up a chair. “I suppose you don’t deny being responsible for this incident?”

“Responsible? Responsibility is a good word. Lagussa must finally take responsibility for the crimes committed during the Nazi era. Do you know that this company and the Nazi Party—”

“I didn’t ask you about the history of Lagussa. What’s your name?”

“Frank Richter.”

“Do you have an ID on you?”

Frank pulled a wallet out of his pocket and fumbled for his ID card.

“Can I have a pen and paper?” Fritz asked the AV guy and took down Frank’s information. “Did you pull this thing off by yourself? Are any of your fellow activists still in the building?”