Missing

Chapter Twenty-Five

As they crested a small rise, David pointed ahead. "There's the lorry driving up the lane." He chuckled. "Seems her passion for me is cooling." He looked at his watch. "It's past eleven."

"They could have driven over to visit with Greta when she learned you were in town," Jacob said. "Let Bethia look at Sonnenhang."

"True." David grabbed the seat rail to brace himself as Jacob steered the horse from the relative smoothness of the road and into the lane. "Deceptive coming along in the lorry yesterday, around all the bends on the ridges. Just riding, not navigating, I paid no attention to our direction, so I completely lost my feel for the lay of the land. I was surprised to find the Frisch estate adjacent to yours."

"You're not the first, by any means." He let out a deep laugh. "The best one..." He paused to chuckle. "A few years ago we were visited by an arrogant proselytising zealot who seemed not to understand the meaning of the word no. Finally, I had to forcefully evict him. Forceful verbally, not physically, though I was sorely tempted. I'd not before, nor have I since resorted to such blue language, but he got the message."

Jacob laughed again. "But here's the point I was making. I had just begun heading up the trail to visit Franz and Greta when I saw the Bible-thumper driving up the lane, so I descended to greet him. As soon as he left, I crossed the ridge and was talking with Franz in his courtyard when we saw the zealot's carriage coming toward us. I told Franz the story, then we quickly created a short skit as the carriage approached." He burst into laughter.

"I hid behind a tree, and Franz stepped toward the man as he made to descend from the carriage. He pointed at the zealot's face, and in a loud, angry voice, he said, Didn't God tell you to leave?"

David roared in laughter. "Too funny."

"There's more. The poor man looked befuddled, then I stepped from behind the tree and stared at him. I stretched my arm out and looked down it as if I were aiming a gun between his eyes. Then I shouted. Begone Satan. How many times must I tell you? The man screamed and fell from the waggon, his horse bolted, and we last saw him running after his carriage. He never called on us again."

David's laughter shook his whole body, and he was still laughing when Jacob reigned the horse to a stop in the courtyard as Maria ran toward it. "What's so funny?"

He jumped down and swept her into his arms. "I've missed you."

"That's not funny." She tilted her head up to receive his lips, and their mouths merged in a lingering kiss. She lifted her hand to his cheek, broke the kiss and said, "You've been crying, your cheeks are wet. What's going on? Laughing, crying?"

"Laughing so hard at Opa's story, it brought tears to my eyes."

"What's the story?"

"He'll have to tell it. He has a magical way." He pointed to the back of the carriage. "Come, there are baskets to carry in. Meat, cheese, vegetables and field strawberries."

As they carried the baskets toward the kitchen door, Maria said, "Bethia fell in love with the place from the roadway as soon as it appeared when we approached."

"How could she not? It's enchanting from there. And later? How was she as she saw its condition, its dereliction?"

"She viewed everything as projects. Funny, it seemed to make her happier seeing so many things to keep her busy. We both had to take her aside and tell her not to be so enthusiastic."

"I'm delighted. That's exactly my perception, many projects to do, but each one decreasing the value of the estate. Decreasing it a fair bit further than the cost to repair or restore. The place has great bones, but the body's gone too lean, and the clothes are in tatters."

They set the baskets on the counter where Maddie pointed, then David hugged her, Bethia and Rachel in greeting. "So Maria tells me you like the estate."

"Not like, Sweetheart. I love it. It has so many wonderful possibilities, there's so much that meshes with my dreams. Will you help me purchase it?"

"I've already started. While in town, I compiled information from the municipal records of property transactions the past eighteen months. Rural homes, farms, bare land, planted vineyards and two wine estates."

"So you knew I'd love it..." She paused and nodded. "Yes, I'm sure you would. We have a similar aesthetic appreciation. What's our next step?"

"I need to get further information on many of the properties." He nodded toward Jacob. "Opa can likely provide insight on some of them, on their condition when sold, the quality of the land."

"I can certainly do that. I've been closely watching the decreasing values as neighbours sell and move to Schaffhausen, to Zürich and to other expanding centres." He looked at Bethia. "No others have allowed their properties to decline like the Friths."

"That's a great starting point, then," David said. "The sales prices will reflect value. A baseline from which we can calculate the erosion of value through deterioration. We know there was an offer of one forty last year. Did that offer accurately reflect the value at that time? How much has the property's value declined since then? Many questions." He looked at Bethia. "We want to give both you and Frau Frith fair value."

"I'll leave you to it. Don't be compelled to do as well with this as you did with the slaughterhouse. I'm in love with the estate. I want it, and I don't want to risk not getting it."

"Speaking of the slaughterhouse, your settlement is due tomorrow. I think it wise you deposit it directly into Swiss Francs here. I opened an account this morning in town and received almost eight and a half percent exchange bonus on my small deposit. You'll likely receive close to ten percent premium on your two hundred and thirty thousand. It should yield a quarter million, maybe a bit more. The accountant said it would take three or four banking days."

"But I'd have to pay your commission first, so there'd be —"

"Pay my five percent after the exchange. That way I'll benefit from your higher rate." He smiled at her. "It would give me fifty or sixty Francs more that way and cost you nothing."

"I like your way of doing business."

"It's nothing but applying logic to knowledge, understanding the systems and procedures, and then using them to best advantage."