BooksBarbecue
Back The Woman on the Stairs Save as PDF
Chapters (83)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by Bernhard Schlink
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Part One
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. Part Two
  33. 1
  34. 2
  35. 3
  36. 4
  37. 5
  38. 6
  39. 7
  40. 8
  41. 9
  42. 10
  43. 11
  44. 12
  45. 13
  46. 14
  47. 15
  48. 16
  49. 17
  50. 18
  51. 19
  52. 20
  53. 21
  54. 22
  55. 23
  56. 24
  57. 25
  58. Part Three
  59. 1
  60. 2
  61. 3
  62. 4
  63. 5
  64. 6
  65. 7
  66. 8
  67. 9
  68. 10
  69. 11
  70. 12
  71. 13
  72. 14
  73. 15
  74. 16
  75. 17
  76. 18
  77. 19
  78. 20
  79. 21
  80. 22
  81. Author’s Note
  82. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  83. What’s next onyour reading list?

He laughed. “Let that be my concern. I know her. When she left we were going through a bad patch, and she thought she’d find true love not with me but with him. After the swap, she’ll know better.” I said nothing. “Hello? You don’t believe me? You’re asking yourself what happens if she still doesn’t get it? Don’t worry, I won’t put her in chains and lock her in the cellar. If she wants a taxi, she’ll get a taxi.” His tone became imperious. “So draw up the contract, have Schwind and me sign it, and set up the meeting.” He hung up.

Put her in chains and lock her in the cellar? No, not like that. But what if he kidnapped her and took her somewhere? To his country house or his Aegean island? If he drugged her, and she woke up on his yacht or in his jet, and because she had no choice but to grin and bear it, she would write me a postcard, saying she was enjoying a second honeymoon with Gundlach?

I imagined the conversation, the struggle, and the drugging. Would Gundlach do it alone? Or would the butler hold her down while Gundlach pressed the chloroform-soaked rag to her face? Would they carry her to the car together? Would Gundlach himself drive? Then I imagined a different scenario. What if Schwind tricked Gundlach? If he told Irene everything? If she helped him get the picture back, then ran away with him? Gundlach would not tolerate that, he would have people hunt them down, punish Schwind and kidnap her. Or would he be so furious that he would have her not just kidnapped, but also punished? Beaten, raped, mutilated? No, Schwind had to know that he couldn’t betray Gundlach. The exchange would take place.

15

Gundlach retired only a few years ago, passing the reins of the company to his daughter. He was a skilled businessman who had successfully expanded into Eastern Europe, America, and China, had advised Kohl and Schröder on the economics of German reunification. Had he wanted to, he could have become President of the Federation of German Industries. We occasionally crossed paths socially. His promise to keep me in mind, if I brought him and Schwind together, came to nothing.

Yes, I did the deal between Gundlach and Schwind, just as they wanted. I drew up the contract, setting out the exchange according to Gundlach’s suggestion, and had both of them sign it. The exchange was scheduled for five o’clock on Sunday.