The Secret Healer(98)

Madlen tried not to focus on Matthias’s threats. She breathed deeply and evenly, trying her best to relax her shoulders. She thought about the candlelight that she’d used so often to calm her patients. She silently prayed and recited psalms and verses, humming a little song in her mind. She imagined she was far away from this place, safe and secure in Agathe’s house. Shortly before she fell asleep and her mind wandered, her fear returned. Did he want to kill her? Madlen doubted it. For some reason, he still needed her. She thought she knew what his plan was. He wanted to take her to Heidelberg, bring her to trial, and get a conviction for the alleged murder of his wife. Escape was impossible. They’d been on the road for a few days so far; they hadn’t even stopped once at an inn, preferring to stay in the protective cover of the forest. She didn’t know how much longer it would be until they reached Heidelberg.

She wondered how badly Kilian’s blow had injured Johannes. He’d surfaced in Emmerich out of the blue and tried to protect her from Johannes, only to be beaten down by Matthias’s thugs. Even Agathe had been beaten unconscious. And how were they now? Had they survived those vicious attacks? But they’d only been unconscious when the henchmen dragged Madlen away. At least that’s what Madlen believed.



They rode three more days, staying close to the forest; hiding themselves whenever people approached in the distance. Matthias wanted to make sure that nobody saw them, especially that Worms woman or the little bitch’s brother. It was absolutely necessary that Matthias kept his prisoner intact so he could quietly hand her over to city leaders in Heidelberg. He couldn’t be reckless and risk damaging his image as an honest, upstanding citizen—a broken man who wanted nothing more than justice for the murder of his beloved wife.

He imagined in vivid detail how he would ride across the Neckar River bridge and announce to the guards that he’d finally captured the devil’s daughter as his prisoner. People would want to check to see whether he’d harmed or violated her right away. He had acquired a certain reputation over the years, which he had to repair by any means necessary. Certainly, the sheriff, miserable cur that he was, would ask her ever so sympathetically if Matthias had harmed her. Now she couldn’t say anything about him, if she didn’t want to lie. And he knew she wouldn’t.

He rubbed his hands together at the thought. Before now, he’d never been able to exert self-control, but he had learned from his past mistakes, although he still refused to admit that he’d gone too far with Adelhaid and made her lose another child. No. The woman had talked back to him and more than deserved the punishment. But that had always been his flaw: once he’d become enraged, nothing could stop him. Whimpering and begging provoked him even more. Adelhaid should have known that after so many years; no, she just had to keep on appealing to him to think about their child. She had provoked him until he’d completely lost control.

Now, however, he was very pleased as they finally reached the bridge over the Neckar; he couldn’t have been in a better mood. He reined in his horse and turned around. Madlen rode with one of his henchmen directly behind him. She looked up timidly. “Well, aren’t you happy that you’re finally back home?” He laughed throatily, baring his teeth. “Oh, it’s a shame that I couldn’t take you. A real shame. But I tell you what: when the trial is over and you’re waiting in your cell for your execution, I’ll pay you a little visit, and we can make up for lost time.” He grinned and laughed. “We want you to have a smile on your face when you go meet your maker, right?” He turned around and drove his horse forward, laughing louder and louder until they finally reached the first guard post.

“Halt! Who’s there?” the tower guard called down.

“Matthias Trauenstein and companions. Open up.”

“The city gates are closed. You’re too late.”

“Then open them again. And then you can accompany me directly to the sheriff, because I have a prisoner to hand over to him. I’m sure he will commend you for bringing us directly to him.”

The guard briefly consulted with his colleagues. Finally, the city gate opened just wide enough to let the little group ride through. Matthias nodded obligingly as he passed.

“Come, guards, accompany us and receive your commendation. This is the woman who killed my wife. The sheriff’s been looking for her for a long time.”

“The she-devil?” the guard asked, his eyes popping wide open.

“Look at the mole over her upper lip. She’s the one, no doubt about it.”