The Disappearance of Alexander Schober E-Book

Veronika Bellone

• Herausgeber: BoD - Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Krimi
• Serie: The Swiss Franchise Detectives
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 130

Beschreibung

A new, exciting and entertaining crime series from the Swiss city of Zug. The Swiss franchise detectives Loretta Lombardi and Lars Van de Velde are always on the case when black sheep appear in the franchise economy. The multicultural investigators fight for justice with wit, humor and physical commitment, supported by a colorful team of assistants. An entertaining crime novel set in the franchise economy with plenty of Swiss ambience. The first case, The Disappearance of Alexander Schober, involves innovative bio-hacking and sustainable brother rooster chicks for a food franchise in Zug and Ascona/Ticino, as well as private and professional relationship entanglements.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Preface

The Disappearance of Alexander Schober

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

About the authors

German edition

Epilogue

Preview

Licensing

Preface

Loretta Lombardi, not averse to all things Italian and sensual, and Lars Van de Velde, an Amsterdam born cycling and Japan enthusiast, are the partners of the Swiss detective agency Lombardi International Franchise Investigations AG, in the city of Zug. Both detectives fight for the good in franchising on behalf of clients, track down black sheep and solve mysterious cases. More than once, they have to make use of their fighting skills. They are supported in their battle against the dark side of franchising by Regula Rhyser from Aargau, Carmen Cadruvi from Graubünden, Morita Miramoto from Japan and Sara Antić, who was born in Schwyz.

In this first volume of the franchise crime series Alexander Schober, the former owner of a family business, disappears without a trace in Ticino. His successor, newly active in franchising, calls in detective Loretta Lombardi to find him. Schober had previously landed an important coup. He has developed new recipes that are crucial for the expansion of the franchise. Loretta plunges into a sea of entanglements.

The Disappearance of Alexander Schober

1

“The hands are trying to hold on to the rock wall.

To no avail. The feet slip away. Branches whip against the face. A small desperate stop. Free fall...loud crash.”

2

“Shit!” Blood mixed with the puddle of water. The shards of glass were as sharp as carving knives. Loretta dug a handkerchief out of the bedside table where a glass of water had just been standing. With a makeshift thumb, she turned on the coffee machine.

“It's slowly getting enough. First this disgusting guy who tried to dump me. And now this horror in the dream. What's that supposed to mean? Hopefully this isn't prediction. And now I’m talking to the coffee machine too.”

She opened the shutters and then there it was, the look that made up for everything. Blue sky, sun and a polished mountain panorama reflected in Lake Lucerne.

From this distance, Lucerne looked like a lovingly designed toy town. A perfect spring day. Maybe something could come of the day after all.

3

“Buongiorno Signora Lombardi, would you like to try Sardinian pomodori? Freschi e sodi!”

“No grazie Luigi, today I just need fresh herbs,” Loretta gestured with her hand to the opposite side of the market stall.

“Didn't you hear, Luigi, she doesn't want tomatoes or your dachshund look! That's four francs fifty, Mrs. Lombardi, and one franc for your thoughts,” Elsie laughed harshly, as she had learned to do after almost thirty years of marriage to Luigi, and passed two lush bouquets of rosemary and thyme over the vegetable and herb displays.

“Elsie, you're lucky today! You rhymed,” and Loretta murmured more to herself, “and honestly, you don't want to know my thoughts” because she wanted to forget them herself. Maybe a homemade herb quiche helped over the last, massively disturbing case.

Luigi still stood there grinning. However, his grin was less aimed at the fleshy, plump tomatoes in his hands than at Loretta's shapely figure, who appeared very sexy in a casual jeans and sweater outfit on this spring Saturday.

Actually, in her mood, she would have liked to hurl a sharp remark at him, but something loosened within her and she had to laugh. A liberating laugh. It was like someone clapped his hands and woke her up. Luigi, even at about fifty, with gapped teeth and a developing belly, was a daredevil and admirer of female charms.

He may not have been the awakening that an attractive woman dreamed of, but he still had that Italian charm that simply couldn't be beaten and that had such an invigorating effect on Loretta.

“Oh, Mrs. Lombardi, I could use some luck. My sister lost her husband. So not actually lost - but she doesn’t know where he is. He disappeared in Ticino.”

Elsie's mood changed in a flash and she looked seriously at Loretta, who was still slightly amused putting the herbs at the top of the shopping basket, but then asked incredulously:

“Disappeared in Ticino?” Secretly she thought:

“Well, that could easily happen to me too. Bella Ticino.” She refused to suspect anything threatening at that moment: “The Italian part of Switzerland was known for its wildly romantic landscape, for its Romanesque churches and excellent cuisine, but not for atrocities,” she thought.

“Yeah, I didn't even tell you that. They have a holiday home there. Luigi and I can use that from time to time. But we rarely have time.”

“And money,” Elsie thought, but then remembered what she actually wanted to say.

“Alex left on Wednesday and wanted to stay for the weekend. But there has been no sign of life from him since Wednesday evening. He's just gone! Disappeared without a trace!”

Elsie blew her nose excitedly with a wad of tissue paper, but quickly tried to get herself under control.

There were still a few hours of work ahead of her. And although Luigi had returned to top sales form, his second spring made him unreliable.

Loretta handed Elsie a new handkerchief. She felt a little guilty for not showing concern.

“A kidnapping?” she asked quietly, because a woman next to her had apparently been looking for the ideal eggplant for a long time. Elsie shook her head and stared at a spot in the distance as if she recognized her brother-in-law there.

“Did he have problems? Withdrawal can sometimes be very healing. Loretta knew what she was talking about, privately she liked to withdraw when things got difficult. The complete opposite of her professional alter ego. She only really felt at home when an order turned out to be particularly tricky and her strong combination skills were required.

“No, niente problemi,” said Elsie firmly, always shedding her Swiss-German origins when Italian gave more pathos.

“How do you know that for sure? Have the police been called in?” Loretta had now completely switched to business mode.

“My sister is coming here from Zurich on Monday and will report what's new. If there's something new, hopefully.” The eggplant woman still hadn't found what she was looking for, but was noticeably disappointed that the conversation seemed to be over. More customers had moved forward to her right and left and were slowly becoming impatient. Loretta pulled out her business card case, the most important item in the side pocket of her handbag alongside the handkerchief, lipstick and key ring, and handed Elsie a card.

She said goodbye with a warm-hearted: “Contact me if you need help. Ciao Elsie.”

Elsie was a market woman again, catching all the customers with a look from her small, sparkling eyes, signaling that she was immediately there for them.

Beforehand, she looked curiously at Loretta's card, which she held out at arm's length and read at the back of the stand. She let out an appreciative hiss that was probably meant to be a whistle, but failed due to the mixture of irritation and amazement.

Lombardi – International Franchise Investigations AG, Loretta Lombardi, partner, had stood there. She stowed the card in her voluminous jacket pocket, wisely in the inside pocket where it was most likely to stay wrinkle-free and clean. She still couldn't figure out what that meant exactly. In fact, she had always suspected that Loretta might have worked in the fashion or art industries based on her appearance and eloquence. Or an editor for a cooking magazine. At least something that had to do with joy and enjoyment of life. She was more familiar with her health insurance franchise. But what does this mean with this investment? Maybe investigators? But what is she investigating? Elsie stared after Loretta as if she was seeing her for the first time and not as if she was serving her at the weekly market for a good 10 years.

Loretta also knew that she had crossed a line. Mrs.

Lombardi, with whom Elsie and Luigi had been able to exchange friendly words, discuss recipes and complain about the weather for years, had now mutated into the owner of a detective agency. The pleasant anonymity was gone. Elsie would now no longer interpret Loretta's lost thought, which she sometimes displayed, as a sleepy or dreamy peculiarity, but rather as the search for clues by an investigator who was currently following a lead in her parallel mental world.

“Hello Loretta, are you still working or are you already alive?” Fred Winter was amused as he strolled straight from the Chapel Bridge towards her. He stuffed the digital camera into the baggy pocket of his hoodie.

“And you, did you go among the tourists? 3,000 photos of Lucerne in the morning; 5,000 from the Ice Palace on the Jungfraujoch in the afternoon and Paris tomorrow? A trip around the world in twelve days?” countered Loretta quickly, as usual.

“It's nice to mingle with the people for once.

Lucerne is simply unbelievably beautiful in this weather!” Fred was once again enthusiastic. And he was right. The sky was shining, the panorama was unique and the Reuss was almost turquoise due to the melting snow.

“And - Mount Pilate wears a hat!” he turned to Loretta and gave her a kiss on the cheek as if in confirmation.

“Yes, yes, Fred-Baby, then the weather will stay good!” Loretta looked at the cloud formation on the mountain top, which only barely resembled a head covering, but it was all about the saying. And if it was positive, even better.

“Come on, let’s go to the Kranich and have an aperitif. And you tell me something bizarre about your life!” Fred had already linked arms with Loretta, taken over the shopping basket and was pulling her towards the Kornmarkt.

“Great, I come across as bizarre. Mid-forties, brunette, still pretty, feminine, quirky counterpart to Sherlock Holmes tells a story about her mysterious life.

I have to rethink my image!” Loretta teased.

“Honey, you know that you're a sharp sweeper and that makes your brilliant mind a little more worldly.”

Fred had stopped, stood in front of her, smiling, the basket casually in the crook of his arm and measuring her exaggeratedly with his eyes.

“Well, how did I say that? I deserve a little wine for that.”

“Are you all feeling spring today? Men!”

Loretta suddenly felt exhilarated. Compliments felt good. She was definitely a classy person and was in good shape for her age. And as if to confirm herself, she rushed up the stairs to the Kornmarkt, took the steps two at a time and then stood, quite out of breath but very much alive, on the historic square in the middle of the old town. Fred took it easy and sat down next to Loretta on one of those uncomfortable wooden chairs in front of the bar. But at least they had managed to get two seats in the sun, which was actually an impossibility at that time. Loretta had already ordered two glasses of Riesling, water and two portions of fish crispies.

Even though they weren't a couple, they knew each other's preferences in food, drink and more. And nicknames were common in their conversation. Fred-Baby, from Loretta's favorite film Breakfast at Tiffany's, was almost an award. The generic expressions: darling and mouse were used when Fred had to act as an extra again in order to make some situations during investigations more believable.

He never knew what it was all about, but he enjoyed being the supposed lover, co-worker, brother or whatever and thus taking on the role in a case. A welcome change and inspiration in his life as a comic artist.

Loretta was not only a long-time friend for him, but also the basis for a comic series in which she, as sexy researcher Brenda, discovered new planets and taught aliens to fear. The series was quite successful and was sold throughout German-speaking countries as well as in Japan.

Barbara, Fred's new girlfriend, found the familiarity between the two less exciting. As an architect, she was certainly a free spirit, but she sometimes gave free rein to her jealousy by providing him with scenes that were worthy of a film. Cups, pens or simply something quick to grab would fly around when words were no longer enough. He then let his inner camera run, retreated into his “money storage,” as he called it, and creatively implemented the fresh images in his memory. That gave his comic characters this authenticity.

In analogy to Scrooge McDuck's money storage, he knew that it wasn't the bath in the money that gave him pleasure, but the scene of facial expressions and postures with which he earned a handsome fee. Loretta had just eaten the last of the fish crispy with a bit of tartar sauce and was apparently relaxed, squinting into the warm spring sun.

“Fred-Baby, have you ever not gone home? So, have you ever cut yourself off for a long time and left your girlfriend - what's her name - in the dark?”

Fred looked at her from the side, the striking profile with the boldly curved nose and the full lips, both of which indicated her Italian roots and had been immortalized in a somewhat more dramatized way than Brenda.

“B-A-R-B-A-R-A!” said Fred onomatopoeically, who now let his gaze wander over the busy square again.

“What do you mean exactly? Sure, I already stayed away. You should know that best. After all, I'm your extra often enough.” Fred put on a broad smile.

“Yes, of course, that's not what I mean. But have you ever left without telling Barbara? Or did you want to?” Loretta had leaned back again, but didn't take her eyes off Fred so he had to answer.

“No, not really. It's kind of unfair when other people worry just because I can't get something sorted out!” Fred visibly enjoyed the last sip of wine and ordered two more ones. “One deci of wine is damn little. I see you feel the same way, Brenda.”

Fred realized that Loretta was messing around with a case again. Whenever he noticed this change in her, he always called her Brenda.

“What are typical reasons?” Loretta, as Brenda, could now return to her questions straight away and looked at Fred challengingly.

“Another woman. There are these guys who lead double lives. Here a woman with a child, a house and all the bells and whistles and there a blueprint of it or a lover to whom he promises a great life. And at some point, he might no longer be able to bake the “Double Lottchen”. I'm wondering how they manage it anyway.

So financially, timely, mentally – yes and somehow also potentially. You know, potency-wise.” Fred laughed at his own pun.

“Well the latter is probably the least of the problems! What else is possible besides this double life number? Fear, escape from something or someone?”

Loretta was now in her element.

“To do this, of course, I need to know what social and business environment he operates in. Maybe they have financial problems. Well, if it gets too private, I’ll have to hand over the case.”

“Brenda, darling, don’t you know anything about this man?” Fred had lost the thread a little, the moment was too beautiful. Sitting in the sun, a glass of wine on the table, pretty tourists passing by and his full-blooded girlfriend at his side - who just remembered a new Brenda episode. Life was so beautiful.