Missing

Chapter Sixty-One

David drove Bethia and Maria into Unterhallau on Friday afternoon, and they left the lorry in front of Schmidt's office while they went on a slow amble looking in the shop windows until it was time for Bethia's meeting with the lawyer.

Herr Schmidt greeted them, and they sat in his office. "We found a clear title with no liens. All we've left are the financial details." He turned the page toward Bethia and explained the entries. "For the land, the title search, the registration tax, my fee for services rendered, and here at the bottom, the total. Shall we go to the bank?"

Bethia turned the paper toward David and saw his nod.

In the bank, after the transfer was drafted and Bethia had signed it, Schmidt said, "The last thing is to take the documents to the town hall to have the changes added to the register."

Bethia asked, "Is it necessary I accompany you?"

"No, there's no need. The deed will take a day or so and I'll bring it out to you at Sonnenhang when it's been drafted, signed and stamped." He extended his hand to shake. "Always a pleasure."

After the farewells, David motioned to the accountant. "I need to make some changes to my account."

"I can help you with that, Sir. What do you require?"

"I want to add my wife, Maria, to it so she can also have access to the funds."

"We can set it up as a joint account." He motioned to a space along the counter. "Please, wait over there while I get the forms."

Maria blotted her tears as she looked at David. "You trust me with your money?"

"You've trusted me with your heart, your soul, your life. Money is so insignificant compared to those. Actually, it's nothing at all."

She slowly nodded as she continued to dab her eyes. He took her hands in his. "Money for the sake of itself is of no value. Its value is as a tool, as a means to an end. Think of how different it would have been for us the past week had I not had money with me."

She nodded.

"It's wise for you always to have money with you in case you need it for emergency lodging, food, transportation." He leaned and kissed her. "For chocolate when you want it. I think fifty to a hundred Francs would be a good amount for you to carry. Don't let it fall below fifty."

The accountant came back and filled the forms, then passed them to David. "I'll need your signature here authorising this, and then both your signatures here on all three copies and on these cards."

David read the first form and signed it, then read the second one. "It says here both signatures are required for withdrawals. I want either of us to have access. Individually, without the other."

"The need for both signatures is standard, Sir. I don't know if there is a form for individual signatures. I've never seen it done."

"During my schooling in banking procedures, it was an option. Check with your superior."

After the accountant had left, Bethia said, "Aaron and I had to maintain individual accounts until our bank found a way for us to share access."

"Maybe the necessity for two signatures is so the bank isn't seen as a party to fraud if one signatory depletes the account. It would have prevented Franz from defrauding Greta. That's why he did their banking in his name only."

"I think it's more than that, David," Bethia said. "It's part of the continuing refusal to recognise a woman as a person."

"I was surprised in Bern when most of the women were introduced to us as Missus. We never did learn the names of some of them. It seemed so strange to me. I cannot imagine Mamère allowing anyone to call her Missus Gerald Berry."

A while later, they sat in the manager's office while he drafted a contract. "We must create a form for this. This is the third time I've been asked for an account of this sort now." He passed the piece of paper to David. "Does this say what you require, either you or your wife to sign?"

David read it through and nodded. "Simple, succinct. Shall we sign this?"

"No, I'll have it typed. We need carbon copies of it, anyway." He stood. "I'll be only a few minutes."

"While we're waiting, could you arrange a withdrawal of three hundred Francs? Ten of each, Twenty Franc and Ten Franc gold pieces."

"I'll see to that, Sir."

After the manager had left the office, Maria said, "I still have the change from buying your satchel. I forgot about it."

"You keep that. Some things are difficult to buy with larger pieces. Smaller change is useful to have on hand. I'll give you another hundred to provide you with a proper purse."

"But I'd feel unsafe carrying that much."

"You needn't carry it all, not all the time. Sew hidden pockets in your skirts, and take with you amounts appropriate to what you're doing or where you're going, Always think of what might happen that you would need money for. You can prepare in advance, but you cannot prepare in hindsight."

"I've always travelled with a twenty Mark piece buttoned in my waistband," Bethia said. "These days I should do more than that, the way prices are rising." She fingered her waist and smiled.

Maria nodded. "So much I've not thought..."

The Manager came in with papers and two envelopes and handed a page to David. "Read this through to ensure it's been transcribed correctly."

David read it, looked up and nodded, then took his pen from his pocket, signed beside his name and passed the page and pen to Maria. The Manager laid the two copies in front of Maria to sign, then David completed.

He gave them each a passbook. "The balance reflects this three hundred Franc withdrawal." He slid the Tens from one envelope and the Twenties from the other into two rows on the leather desk pad, then he gave David the withdrawal slip to sign. "Please keep in mind my offer of employment, Mr Meier."

As they walked back toward the lorry, Maria asked, "Will you both allow me to buy you some tea and pie?" She smiled at each of them. "It's so wonderful to be able to offer instead of always receiving."