The Robber Princess

Chapter 24. Returning the Favor

Chapter 24

The trek down Jitchu Drake was not much less grueling than the climb up it. The high winds and darkness made it that much more difficult for Regina to keep her footing. However, she could not simply overnight on the mountain because the winds also made it impossible to set up a tent and keep it from blowing away. Returning to the base camp was the least bad option. On the up side, she knew her way better and the five-kilometer hike going down did not take as long.

Upon reaching the base camp and shelter, there was nothing to do but ponder her situation. Her only remaining option was to seek refuge with Mosi Mbiti. He was the only other Marcelista that Brickelstein had not mentioned, therefore, Regina reasoned, he must still be at large. She decided not to waste her time and money going to his house in Dar es Salaam; but instead journey directly to his retreat in Lake Manyara National Park. This prospect was not especially appealing; although the two had worked well together, Regina had so little in common with Mosi that she had never really felt a connection with him like with the others. She also was not looking forward to the heat and the bugs.

The trip back to Paro the next day was uneventful, if slow. But it was nice to get back her deposit on the moped; she would need the cash. Regina got a flight to Kathmandu that evening and from there, departing at two in the morning, to Arusha via Doha and Dar es Salaam. She did not like constantly having to present her false French passport, fearing that it had already been detected and flagged, but so far she had had no problems getting through passport controls.

*****

Folkering observed Angelica's interrogation from behind the one-way mirror. Inside the room, Major Streichwitz asked her question after question from across the table. An interpreter translated everything he said from German to French. But Angelica just sat there, her head down, her palms pressed together as if praying, but so tightly that her hands shook sporadically. She looked as if she wanted to cry, but could no longer for having cried during much of the trip from Mumbai to Eidelmark. Even in her current state, Folkering found her strikingly beautiful.

Captain Schmidt came in quietly. "Anything, sir?" he asked.

Folkering shook his head. "Not a thing. She hasn't said anything or even moved in the last three hours. She didn't even answer to her name."

"Do you think she's just being uncooperative, sir?"

"No, I think she's frightened out of her mind. Look at her ... It's the same look I saw when she arrived in Mumbai from Paris. I don't think she had traveled very often before getting caught up in this case. Then she found herself suddenly alone. Jake Johnson said she was prone to anxiety attacks. Now she's a prisoner in an enemy country, unable even to speak the language. I've never seen a suspect so terrified."

Folkering looked around the room. The harsh fluorescent lights made the gray-beige walls and décor look even more drab and depressing. They were never going to get anywhere like this, he thought to himself. In her current state of mind, Angelica could be potentially a suicide risk. The last thing Eidelmark needed was to have a member of Rochevaux's royal family die in their custody—or even be hospitalized.

Folkering opened the door to the interrogation room. "Thank you, Major, I relieve you," he said quietly and the Major silently stood up. "Leave the door open," he said as the Major exited. He sat down across the table from Angelica, put his hands on the table, and just looked at her. Angelica remained motionless, her eyes closed, her palms still pressed together, silently mouthing what looked like a prayer. But unlike Angelica's interrogators, who spoke no Russian at home, Folkering could tell that Angelica's was mouthing her words in Russian. With all the bad blood between Eidelmark and Rochevaux, Folkering had forgotten that Rochevaux's royal family had originated from Russia too. Evidently the Massimiliani-Rochevaux kept up their Russian just as the Folkerings did.