At Dusk

The streets of Zurich

The news came in German, a language she was far from mastering. Quickly, she grabbed the remote control and switched on the subtitles.

A great scandal involving one of Brazil's leading pharmaceutical complexes had gone public. Bribings, money laundering, kidnappings and blackmail, unsanctioned experiments, grooming of young women, the list went on and on. The founder, who had died three years ago, was also implicated, as were his two sons and numerous associates. 

Linda wasn't mentioned, but she would soon find out if she had been arrested along with Amadeus and Augustus. All of the family's properties had been blocked by the federal police. The house was being searched. They could end up escaping justice, but money and status were something they valued and the river was finally drying up. 

A former, unnamed, employee had collaborated with the investigation. She knew it was Hector. It had taken a while for her to locate him, but her troubles had been rewarded handsomely.

She reached for her mobile and looked for news websites from Brazil. They all reproduced the story. Her story. It elevated her spirits and she felt like going for a walk.

Niederdorf was calm at this time of year. The air was acquiring a chilly texture, as if in preparation for the first snow drizzles. She could not help but think that it was a beautiful place, a beautiful place that successfully accommodated the past and the present in its avenues and buildings.

As usual, thinking about beauty and good cities to live in reminded her of Mathias, of what they did not have. It reminded her that she had the opportunity to recover and discover new things, new life, an opportunity he would never have.  

She visited their last moments together often. Now that she could not visit his grave, those memories were her only source of peace, of contentment even. That and the fact that the Professor had managed to bring Isabel, giving her the opportunity to live out the rest of her days far from the family's reach.

She sighed and made it back to the house, a two-story apartment not far from where she was. Almost as soon as she arrived and started grinding coffee beans to prepare fresh coffee, the doorbell rang. 

She walked up to the door she just closed and opened it. A woman and a little boy were standing outside. They were holding hands. She was tall, with hazel eyes and dark blonde hair braided into a low bun. The boy was pink-faced from the cold. As far as she could tell, he had green eyes and dark brown hair. 

"Hello sister," the woman said in a familiar voice as her world spun around once more. "This is Elias."