Read Fatal Inheritance for Free Online

found it very hard to believe that I would discover anything of significance, however. As the hostess, she had spent the larger part of the evening near Sebastian and heard whatever people had to say to him. Music was much discussed; the young man’s studies, his professor, his musical preferences, his concert experiences, his future plans, and his instrument. She could not remember any other topics; she had heard nothing that struck her as the slightest bit unusual. Of course, there were necessarily many things that she had not heard. And I, who knew Sebastian personally, might perhaps pick up some allusion, some reference that others had not noticed, although she could not even imagine what it might be. She really could not believe it possible that the fatal knowledge acquired by the poor young man before his death could have been learnt at her soirée. No, truly she could not. For if it had been, why would he not have committed suicide that very night, at the Pension Limmat, where she herself had organised his lodging. What a horror that would have been; a horror and a scandal! All the more so because she knew the lady who ran the Pension Limmat quite well. It was a very proper place, and Frau Dossenbach would not have liked a suicide there. She, Frau Bochsler, would never have lived it down. It was indeed fortunate that it had not occurred thus. The mere idea made her feel faint. Well, in any case, she quite saw how important it was for the family to try to understand why he had felt that he had to die. A true tragedy. Although Frau Bochsler had many engagements, she was free the next morning, and, if I wished, we might begin our round of calls then.
    In the meantime, she recommended me to the Pension Limmat. It was right on the Limmatquai, a short and pleasant walk over the bridge from the Tonhalle. If I did not yet have a room somewhere, I should certainly go there. It was short notice, but she would write a letter of recommendation to Frau Dossenbach, which I could show her directly I presented myself there. It was not extremely far, and very easy to find; I need only walk straight down the Kirchgasse to the river and then turn along the quay. I could go there by foot if my bag was not too heavy.
    I thanked her, took the missive which she sealed with a large ring, and left, feeling a slight relief, in spite of all her kindness, at leaving the plush and pillowy surroundings of her parlour behind and emerging into the crisp, sunny air.
    I was in a hurry to reach the pension, but my eyes and my feet had other desires, for the daintiness of the streets, the fresh colours of the houses, the old beams and the bright flowers at every window constantly distracted my attention so that I found myself pausing on my way, staring about me in delight. When I reached the river, instead of turning left along it, I walked onto the Quaibrücke and spent an enchanted moment hanging over the edge. A solid mass of black ducks, many dozens of them, was wedged into the corner formed by the river and the old bridge, reposing or simply socialising, and amongst them, two enormous white swans were etched out against the black background. I forgot momentarily where I was in the contemplation of this astonishing spectacle of Nature, then suddenly remembered Sebastian. Had he also paused on this bridge, on his way to the Tonhalle which lay just a short distance from the other end? He must have, surely. It was so beautiful, and he had loved beauty.
    Sebastian was still a mystery to me. His feet had probably trod the very same bridge; his smile had lit up the very same parlour in which I had just now been offered some overly sugary tea, his music had blended with that of my darling Rose whom I had known since her childhood. But human beings are mysterious enough to one another even face-to-face. And those who had known Sebastian best had not understood why he had done what he had done. How could I hope to penetrate his secret?
    What was most