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discuss the Archduke’s visit, and it was the first time Gabriel had been inside the imposing redbrick mansion. Four huge ionic columns supported the front of the building, and the heavy oak entrance door – approached by a flight of white marble steps – was guarded by two impressive stone lions. Gabriel and the chief had been ushered into the governor’s office; Potiorek was sitting behind his desk, simultaneously speed-reading and signing a stack of letters. But what really caught Gabriel’s attention was the ink-stained human skull resting on the desk. The top half of the skull had been removed and the interior filled with ink; watching Potiorek dip his pen in and out of it was most unnerving, almost grotesque. ‘It’s the head of an anarchist,’ Potiorek had joked, confirming that the skull was indeed that of the Bosnian youth who had tried to assassinate the previous governor, two years earlier. It still sent a shiver down Gabriel’s spine to think that the remains of a man, even a criminal, could be desecrated in such a manner…
    The pinging of the entry bell broke his reminiscing and Gabriel looked up to see a man with the upright bearing of a military officer standing in the café entrance. Dressed casually in a dark green felt-edged hunter’s jacket and trousers, he had neatly trimmed grey hair and beard, and intense eyes which scanned the room before they fell upon Gabriel and broke into a smile of recognition. As Chief Fischer walked towards Gabriel, he briefly turned towards the back of the café. ‘A large coffee please,’ he called across to Moritz at the counter. Gabriel had already begun to rise from his chair, but the chief waved a hand to indicate he should stay seated. ‘I thought I might catch you here,’ the chief said as he sat opposite Gabriel. ‘Did you have an interesting evening?’
    â€˜It was fascinating, Chief…but first; has Frau Fischer recovered?’
    â€˜Oh, she’s fine, Gabriel – just one of her migraines. She gets terribly nauseous and they affect her vision, so I prefer to be with her when they start.’
    â€˜Well it was good of you to suggest I attend the banquet in your place.’
    The chief shrugged. ‘I find these formal occasions tedious if I’m honest, so I wasn’t too bothered to stay away. Anyway, I knew it would be a good experience for you. A successful career in surgery isn’t all about books, you know.’ He glanced at the open journal on the table. ‘In Austria, in any professional field,
who
you know is much more important than
what
you know if you want to get on.’
    The chief had often made this point, which Gabriel knew to be true, yet felt so wrong. ‘Well, thank you for the opportunity, chief.’
    The older man slipped a hand inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a smoker’s pipe. ‘So, did you talk to anyone of importance?’ he asked, pulling a pouch of tobacco from the other pocket.
    â€˜I sat next to Colonel Merizzi, Governor Potiorek’s adjutant.’
    The chief nodded, looking suitably impressed. ‘Good man Merizzi.’ He began to fill the pipe with tobacco.
    â€˜And Colonel Harrach, one of the Archduke’s advisors.’
    The chief frowned. ‘Mm, can’t say I’ve come across him before. What was he like?’
    â€˜A very interesting fellow, but quite concerned about the Archduke’s safety…’ Gabriel stopped talking as Gudrun arrived at the table.
    â€˜Thank you, Gudrun,’ the chief said, as she placed a cup of coffee and glass of water on the table in front of him. She smiled at him and turned away from the table, but not before throwing a quick half-glance towards Gabriel. The chief appeared to have noticed this, because as she walked back towards the counter he looked across at Gabriel and grinned.
    â€˜Pretty young thing, isn’t she?’
    Gabriel shrugged and