Betz carried her body down to a waiting stretcher. The morgue crew was already there and autopsies would be performed. But to Dresner and Betz there was no doubt what the outcome would be. After five hours on the scene, the two men climbed into their car and went back to Innsbruck.
“You’re sure it was murder?” the Chief asked.
“Positive. Someone took great pains to make it look like an accident, but there’s no doubt. The gunshot wounds on the girl laid that to rest,” Dresner said. “With it happening shortly after I talked to him about the acid theft, I am beginning to wonder if the two are related,” he said looking the Chief straight in the eyes.
The Chief caught the insinuation. “Rolf, take whatever men you need and whatever assets you need. Find who did this and make the case. Solve this one, Rolf. I have a feeling a lot will depend on it.”
Dresner nodded his head. After a few more minutes he sat at his desk and stared at the telephone. He dialed the overseas operator and asked her for a number he knew now by heart. A young voice answered the phone. “Eric, this is Rolf Dresner,” he said slowly. “You need to come to Innsbruck.”
Chapter 8
Finding Answers
The airliner came to a slow halt beside the passenger terminal at the Innsbruck airport. A very tired and distressed Eric Anderson made his way along with the other passengers down the stairs and to the terminal.
The news of his family’s death had struck him a hard blow, but he hadn’t had time to fully comprehend all of it until he had gotten on the plane. The previous 48 hours had been a whirlwind of activity. The family lawyer had taken out the will and set everything in motion so that the company and heir would be taken care of. Dietz had called three times to check on Eric and had made all the arrangements in Austria. Within the 48 hours Eric had assumed control of Anderson Construction and all the family holdings and then boarded the plane to Austria.
Eric slept most of the way across. He hadn’t realized how tired he was until he had to be wakened in Frankfurt. He was the last one off the plane. He fell asleep again on the one hour flight to Innsbruck. Walking down the ramp Eric still felt exhausted. That changed when he saw who had come to pick him up.
Anna Dietz ran up to Eric and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. When she finally stood back, the pressures of the past two days seemed to lift from him. His smile grew and he pulled her in for the kiss he needed. “I have missed you so much,” he finally said to her.
“Well, we have some time now. Come on, let’s get you home,” she said, taking him by the arm. After retrieving his luggage, Anna led him to her father’s Mercedes for the drive to the home he had not yet seen. During the drive Eric was uncharacteristically quiet, although he wanted to know everything that had happened. Anna kept up the conversation, telling him about the house, the people and finally what she knew about what happened. She couldn’t tell him much, but explained that Rolf Dresner would meet them at the house. Anna slowed and stopped at the place where the car went over the side. Eric got out and looked at where the car had been. A crew had removed the Pontiac just the day before.
Eric could not believe the house, or castle, depending on who saw it. He immediately saw what his father had seen in it. Anna pulled the Mercedes into the garage. He saw the Rolls Royce inside and hoped to get the chance to drive it. Hans came out and took the luggage and escorted the couple into the house.
Helga met them at the door and Anna introduced them. Helga curtsied then wrapped Eric in a big hug. “My poor liebchen, you do not worry about a thing. We will take care of you,” she said with tears in her eyes.
“Vielen dank, Frau Hufham,” said Eric. He blushed slightly. “I am taking the time to study German. I hope you will all help me learn it properly,” he said.
Helga began to beam with pride. “We will turn you into a nice Austrian boy yet!” she said with a widening grin. “Now come, I have made lunch for you,” she said as she whisked Eric and Anna to the table.
They had barely started their meal when Hans let Rolf Dresner in the door. He added his own welcome to Eric and sat with them while they ate. When they finished, Eric asked the hard questions.
Dresner didn’t flinch. “There is no doubt they were murdered. But that’s about all I can say. We are tracking down some things. I’ll find out the answers.” He got serious, “Did your parents use sleeping pills to help them sleep?”
Eric got a puzzled look on his face. “No. Mom and Dad didn’t really like taking pills. If it wasn’t aspirin or a prescription they didn’t bother.”
“Well, the autopsy report came in and there was a concentration of a common sleeping pill in your sister and mom’s system. It doesn’t mean much right now, but it’s noted,” said Dresner.
Dresner looked at Eric. “Do you know of anyone who might have run afoul of your father in the past few weeks or months?”
Eric thought a moment then shook his head. “Not really. I don’t know of anyone losing a job or having some confrontation.”
“Well, right now it could be anything. I recently talked to your father about some stolen acid and a possible tie to the Olympic Games. It may be linked to that. In the mean time, I have people going over the grounds and the house. We’ll try and stay out of your way.”
“Do I need to identify my parents Herr Dresner?”
Dresner smiled. “No Eric. I have done that already. We don’t need the bodies anymore and Herr Dietz has already made arrangements for their preparations for burial. They should be ready for the trip home in a couple of days. In the mean time just take care of business here and relax as best you can. We’ll take care of the more difficult things,” Dresner said warmly. “Frau Huffham, Herr Kemper and Anna should take care of anything you need.”
Eric smiled a tired smile. “Don’t worry about me. I’m okay. Right now I could stand a little walk. All that time on a plane has me a little stiff.”
Dresner stood and slapped the young man on the back. “Go ahead. Get a good look at a dream your father made. What he has done here is beyond description. I will come by again later on to check on you,” he said before making his good-byes.
Eric and Anna walked outside into the bright sunshine. It was the beginning of October and the trees had shed their leaves. Already the snow was making its way down the mountain peaks. She took him by the lake and the pier leading to a gazebo on the water. Because the tunnel was now open all the time, only a slight mist remained at the base of the waterfall on the lake. The white walls and stained wooden accents made the house look like something out of a medieval story book. Only the wooden patio furniture and colorful umbrellas on top of the concrete patio looked out of place. But somehow it seemed to go together very well. Eric could tell his mother had a blast putting it all together. Anna took the time to relate all the things she and his mother had talked about when putting it together, hoping it would ease the pain she knew Eric was still suffering inside.
They stood under the gazebo looking at everything when Eric suddenly turned and took her in his arms. “Anna, Mom told me how much she grew to like you all this time. Dad did too. She told me all the things you did to help out. You’ll never know how much I appreciate what you have done. I also know you put a lot of yourself into this place. Well, now it’s ours — yours and mine. You know how my feelings for you have grown over this time. I hope your feelings have grown for me as well,” he said softly.