Concealed II: Repay Evil with Evil, #3

By Patrizia Sabrina Prudenzi

The unbelievable has happened.

Someone has found out Julia's secret.

Is that why they tried to kill her?

Julia is on the run again, she has to defend herself against unknown enemies, both old and new. David desperately tries to help her and pushes the investigation forward. In the process, he discovers something that shakes him to the core. Someone from Julia's past shows up. Someone who knows a great deal about her and poses an enormous danger to her.

And David loses contact with her ...

Julia's adventure in London continues! 

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Oct 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9781667413297

Book preview

Repay Evil with Evil

Concealed

Part 2

Patrizia Sabrina Prudenzi

translated into English by Robert E Anderson

Concealed – Part 2 (Repay Evil with Evil Book 3)

Written By Patrizia Sabrina Prudenzi

Copyright © 2021 Patrizia Sabrina Prudenzi

All rights reserved

Distributed by Babelcube, Inc.

www.babelcube.com

Translated by Robert E Anderson

Cover Design © 2021 Timo Kümmel

Babelcube Books and Babelcube are trademarks of Babelcube Inc.

Repay not evil for evil.

––––––––

I Peter 3:9

Content

Chapter 1 – REDEMPTION

Chapter 2 – ESCALATION

Chapter 3 – FULFILLMENT

Chapter 4 - EPILOGUE

Chapter 1

REDEMPTION

There's a new development in the case of Julia Walz, the designated heiress of the Ashbury family. As our Germany correspondent ...

The gurgling of the coffee machine swallowed the last words of the radio announcer. Julia held her breath. Had the man on the radio said her name after all, or had she been mistaken? She dropped her jam sandwich, jumped up, ran to the windowsill and turned the radio up louder.

... in an interview given by Elisabeth von und zu Kornberg for the German magazine 'Reflex'. Mrs. von und zu Kornberg runs the financial empire of the Kornberg family, together with her husband Norbert. Norbert von und zu Kornberg had already at a young age ...

She sighed in relief. The usual gossip about a rich family that she already knew. Every time the media had nothing better to do, they looked for the family stories of rich or prominent people.

She went back to the table, grabbed her breakfast cup and poured herself some coffee. The announcer was now talking about how great her Uncle Norbert had been at taking over and continuing the financial empire which his father had literally built up from nothing after the war. She grinned. Nobody seemed to know that Betty was actually in charge of everything and that Norbert essentially spent his time at the golf course instead of in his office.

Where had she put the milk? She looked around.

... and now we come back to the interview. Mrs. von und zu Kornberg has told of incredible family secrets. Her niece Julia Walz, who was temporarily suspected of murder in London in recent months because of a series of brutal murders, is allegedly psychotic to the highest degree and very dangerous and ...

Something banged in front of her feet. Hot liquid splashed onto her bare legs and feet. She didn't need to look to know what it was. She almost fell over backwards. Her hands caught the window sill at the last second. She turned the radio even louder.

When asked why she was only making these disclosures now, Mrs. von und zu Kornberg replied that she had not immediately realized the full truth about her niece. She had noticed the niece's abnormal and absolutely inappropriate behavior over the years, but had believed that it was all due to the trauma of losing her parents. Her niece had tortured and killed animals in her childhood, abused other children, and had never showed even a hint of empathy for other people ...

Julia's arms and legs began to tremble. An icy coldness gripped her, as if her body was freezing from the inside out.

... her niece confessed to the murders of her parents to her many years later. The reason she had given was that she had been upset because she hadn't been given a pony for her birthday as she had expected ...

What was Betty trying to do? How did Betty know about the pony? She had only known about it herself for a few months.

Mrs. von und zu Kornberg maintained silence in order to avoid a scandal and to protect her niece. After Julia Walz's host parents died in a brutal murder similar to that of her parents, Mrs. von und zu Kornberg tried to have her niece declared incompetent in her own interest in order to place her in a psychiatric hospital. What ultimately led her to go public was the death of her only son, Vincent von und zu Kornberg, who perished under mysterious circumstances last summer on the grounds of the family castle in the Lake District. Mrs. von und zu Kornberg is convinced that this death, too, was also her niece's doing. For more details about the interview, see the online edition on the internet or the home page of 'Reflex' magazine.

Had Betty gone insane?

She stared at the radio. The announcer was now talking about an appearance by William and Kate.

'Reflex' magazine, the man had said.

She turned around and hurried out. On the stairs, she held onto the handrail until she reached the top floor. Her heart raced in her chest in an almost painful way, her throat constricted. In the study, she flipped open her laptop and turned it on. She opened the internet browser and typed in Reflex. She was sweating so much that her fingers left wet prints on the keys. How had Betty even come up with the idea of talking to that gutter paper? What was she trying to do?

The magazine's red logo appeared at the top of the page, and a bunch of ads flashed to the right and left of the text. Where was that damned article?

She scrolled up and down the page with trembling fingers until she spotted the headline Sensational Revelations by Elisabeth von und zu Kornberg. She clicked on it.

Sensational revelations by Elisabeth von und zu Kornberg: her niece is a dangerous murderer and must finally be placed behind bars or in a psychiatric hospital.

'She was abnormal even as a child,' Elisabeth von und zu Kornberg told our newspaper yesterday. Her niece, who is currently most likely in England, was implicated in a series of gruesome murders last summer. Her host parents and at least two other men were killed and mutilated in a bestial manner. Julia Walz fled the psychiatric facility where she was being housed at the time; she had assaulted and seriously injured her own attorney during a police interrogation. She was released on bail after her cousin Vincent von und zu Kornberg, Elisabeth's only son, died in mysterious circumstances at the family's castle in the Lake District. Thanks to the DNA traces, the presence of Vincent could be proven in every single murder. Therefore, the police are now assuming that he was a possible perpetrator in all cases. It is still unclear why the DNA of Julia Walz could be found at the sites of all the murders and why she has remained silent about that. Julia Walz is currently in hiding, although the police have suspended the arrest warrant against her.

Elisabeth von und zu Kornberg wants to have the trial against her niece reopened. In a moving interview she told us, among other things, the following: 'She has permanently destroyed our family. We took her into our midst and I stood by her, even though I suspected that she had killed her parents at the tender age of six. What else could I have done? Send a young child to a psychiatric hospital? She was below age for criminal liability and I made certain that she received the best psychiatric help possible. In return, she not only murdered her host parents and other people who had the misfortune to cross her path, but also my only son. She is a monster and needs to be locked away for life.'

Mrs. von und zu Kornberg answered the question of whether she has already been in contact with the English judiciary in the affirmative. She will soon have a hearing for her testimony before the investigating judge in London.

Please click here for the full interview.

Julia clicked on the link. A window for the login appeared. This part was reserved for the subscribers of the newspaper. She didn't need to read the rest either. She already knew enough.

She dropped into the chair behind her.

What should she do now? What? She tried all the time to put a stop to these people from 'Hot Lola' and Blue Bell Hill, and now this! They would hunt her down again, she would not be able to live with David again, she would not be able to have a future with him. No family, no children, no nothing!

They would look for her and put her in a psychiatric hospital! And there she would have to play the guinea pig for people like this Sullivan. Or for people like Harry Preston ...

She would be completely at their mercy. No one would be able to help her, not even David. Her whole life would be messed up, with no hope of ever getting free again. They would learn the truth about her, about the Warrior, Little Julia, the Voice of Reason and the Dragon.

She would henceforth be only an object of study for these people!

She clenched her fists together. The lawn mower roared over from the neighboring yard again. It had never been so loud. The sound pierced her temple as if someone were plunging a knife through it.

She slumped down in the chair.

She could not allow all this! The Warrior was a murderer, but she had only wanted to defend, nothing else! Nobody would believe her, everybody would only think that she had killed for fun.

What would become of the children in the brothel in the city? What would become of the children in Blue Bell Hill?

What would David think of her?

My God! David!

She reached up and tried to breathe through her mouth. The air cut into her throat and burned in her lungs.

What would David think of her now? Had he already heard this? Would he believe Betty? She had to talk to him right away, immediately! She had no time to lose.

She leaped up. Where was her cell phone?

She found it on the windowsill. She had turned it on in the morning and tried to call him, but his cell phone had been off.

She walked around the table. Her legs felt as if they were made of rubber, without any firmness. She stretched her hands forward to find her footing. Still falling, she touched the device. She saw it wobble slightly as if in slow motion, then fall over the edge.

She hit the ground, chin and elbows first. The air compressed painfully in her lungs. A hellish pain gripped her neck.

The cell phone fell to the floor and the back cover came off. No, the device couldn't be broken! It was the only connection to David left to her!

An animalistic scream came from her throat.

For a moment her pain was blanked out, but it then grabbed her again and took away her breath.

***

The telephone rang. David had not yet taken off his jacket. He had hoped for a quiet hour to finish his report before the daily circus started. He glanced at the display. Superintendent James Ciepley. He picked it up immediately.

Good morning, sir.

Good morning, Inspector. I'm glad you're here already. Could you come to my office right away, please?

The older man's deep voice sounded serious. The Superintendent had never called directly, but had always had someone else call.

Of course, sir.

Fine.

What was going on? His report was not yet complete; there was no point in printing it out. He unlocked the drawer and took out the notepad. He hadn't gotten all his notes in order yet, but it would have to do. If it had been about the report, Ciepley would have said something.

His stomach stung uncomfortably as he closed off his office. His footsteps echoed in the still empty corridor as if in an abandoned church. Most of the offices were still unoccupied at that early hour of the morning; through the glass walls, everything looked deserted.

As he stood outside Ciepley's door, his hands were sweating so badly that he tried to dry them on his pants. He knocked and held his breath.

Come in.

The Superintendent sat behind the desk. With his blue suit and white shirt with starched collar, he looked more like a manager of a publicly traded company than a police officer. He put the black folder down and looked at him penetratingly.

Sit down, please, Inspector.

David closed the door and walked with small steps across the room. The large windows, which offered a magnificent view over the Thames in the morning mist, did not manage to capture his attention this time.

He took a seat and put the pad on his lap. Ciepley watched him silently the whole time.

Inspector, you're probably wondering why I want to see you so early in the morning, aren't you?

Yes, sir, I am.

Ciepley leaned forward, clasped his hands together, and rested his forearms on the tabletop. Julia. His boss knew about Julia. David was sure of that now. His heart began to beat faster. Ciepley sighed slightly.

Let's make this quick. Doctor Sullivan was here last night and handed me this.

Ciepley picked up the folder again. David recognized Julia's name on the cover page. So he did know. His hands began to sweat again.

Do you have any idea why Sullivan is so interested in this case? He seems to be obsessed with it. He's determined to have the young woman committed to a psychiatric hospital.

David swallowed the liquid that had accumulated in his mouth.

Not really, sir. This has been going on from the very beginning. Doctor Sullivan has also had expert reports done on Julia Walz.

Have you read the documents?

Yes, of course, but they're just a collection of speculations. David tried to make his voice sound calm and neutral.

Do you have an explanation for this persistence?

David exhaled deeply.

My guess is that this woman represents a case of interest to him in psychiatric terms.

And what do you think? Is that so?

Ciepley's piercing eyes seemed to penetrate into his guts.

No, I don't share his opinion. He took another breath. Miss Walz saved my life. If it hadn't been for her, John Marrik would have killed me, sir. Maybe that's why I'm not the right person to pass judgment in this case.

Ciepley put the folder back down and looked at him seriously.

That may well be. This isn't the first time our doctor has gotten into something, vehemently defending his mistakes. The Superintendent gave a short laugh. That's why I'm actually ruling out a personal interest in this case, but you should check him out too, discreetly of course.

David took a deep breath. Julia after all, but not in the way he had suspected. All was not yet lost. He grinned.

Already done, sir. So far, however, we have been unable to find any evidence of personal involvement. Other than Sullivan's ambition, there doesn't seem to be anything else at play here.

Ciepley laughed briefly and immediately became serious again.

Inspector, if I were you, I would check a little more closely. Sullivan wants to request a reconsideration of the case; he will be testifying as an expert witness at Julia Walz's competency hearing next week. My impression is he wants to force our investigation in a direction that is convenient for him. I don't like that at all.

David frowned.

Competency hearings? That has already been discontinued. Julia Walz's aunt has returned to Germany and, as far as I know, has not hired an attorney. What is it that Sullivan wants?

Ciepley shook his head once.

He is not alone. Elisabeth von und zu Kornberg is coming to London next week: she has asked for a judicial hearing.

The room spun around David for a moment. His hands clawed under the chair.

Next week?

Didn't you hear the news this morning?

David tried to remember what he had done earlier that morning. He could only remember that when the alarm clock had rung, he had reached out to his left to feel Julia's warm body. Her side of the bed had been cold.

No, not yet today. Why?

Mrs. von und zu Kornberg has given an interview to a well-known magazine in Germany. She accuses her niece of having personally committed all the murders. Her statement has been given to the authorities by her lawyer.

David tried to understand what Ciepley just said.

All of the murders?

Why was he always repeating other people's sentences? He felt stupid himself.

Yes, including the murder of her parents. Her niece allegedly confessed that to her. A six-year-old girl! Ciepley pursed his lips briefly. The matter is beyond absurd, but if this woman puts statements like that on the record, the judge will order a reopening of the investigation.

David stared at the wall behind Ciepley. That would mean that Julia and he would have to wait a long time before she could show herself in public. A competency hearing! That would be a disaster!

Nyomda? Ciepley stared at him curiously. Are you all right?

David blinked a few times and forced himself to form something like a gentle smile with his lips.

Excuse me, sir, of course, I'm just a little sleepy, that's all. He took a deep breath. When is the hearing for Mrs. von und zu Kornberg?

Doctor Sullivan says that it's next Monday. Ciepley gave him an oddly sad look, then sighed. And another thing he said: He wants to arrange for internal action to be taken against you.

David stared at his boss as if he were suddenly speaking Chinese. Take steps against him? A small alarm bell rang in his head.

Against me? He suddenly found it difficult to speak. What for?

Ciepley lowered his head and exhaled deeply, then looked up at him.

For reason of bias, he says.

***

Get up and do something finally! Complaining will get you nothing and us nothing!

The Warrior knew no mercy. But she was right. How long had she been lying motionless on the floor? That didn't help either of them.

Julia tried to push herself up. A sharp pain in her right hand and a strong tingling in both arms was the answer. She dropped back and rolled sideways, tightening her legs and slowly coming to her knees. Both hands were asleep and still numb. She rubbed them against each other until the skin felt warm again.

The pieces of the cell phone lay on the floor in front of her. She collected them and put them on the windowsill, then pulled herself up by the radiator.

It had to be late afternoon, the sun was just above the treetops in the garden. The whole day had flown by! That hadn't happened to her in a long time. She took the device in her hand. Fortunately, nothing much had happened, only the casing had popped off and the battery had fallen out. With unsteady fingers, she put the parts back together and turned the device back on.

It worked!

She had to talk to David immediately. He was probably at work at this hour, but she didn't care now. The cell phone vibrated, then a slight buzzing sounded. A text message from David.

Call me as soon as you read this, no matter how late it is. This is serious. I love you.

Tears of relief burned in her eyes. He hadn't turned away from her. I love you, he had written. For sure, he was also concerned about Betty. Half a day had already passed, so probably everyone in London knew about this by now. She pressed the button for the only number stored on the device.

He picked up immediately.

One moment, please.

His whisper.

Just the sound of his voice gave her goosebumps.

I'm in my office now, the door is closed. My darling, how are you?

Julia dried her tears and pulled up her nose.

Are you crying?, he asked. Why? My darling, we'll get through this too.

It's fine, I'm so happy to hear you. That's why I'm crying. She swallowed. I heard it on the news in the morning. My God, will that woman never stop stalking me?

There's a great deal of money involved. Her financial situation is not as rosy as it seems on the outside. She needs your inheritance to get back on her feet.

I don't want the money, I just want to be with you and get out of here. If I give her the money, will she leave me alone?

Why hadn't she thought of that before? Maybe she really should talk to Betty about it, maybe that would be a way to get out of this dilemma.

She clearly heard the Warrior growling in the background.

My darling, that won't help you either. She managed to get the case against you reopened. Next week, she will testify before the judge as a witness.

Julia's knees suddenly felt as if they were made of rubber. She propped herself against the windowsill. Her eyes went black for a moment.

Julia, are you all right?

David sounded concerned. The procedure. She would be hunted down again, they would try to lock her up again and ...

She gasped. Little Julia began to cry. If it went on like this, she would soon go insane.

Pull yourself together.

The Warrior hissed: she was angry.

When?, she asked, ignoring Little Julia and the Warrior.

On Monday. David paused for a long time. My love, no matter where you are, stay hidden. If you get caught now, it will be difficult, I won't be able to get you out, not until we have evidence against Betty and the whole clan. I will do everything in my power to clear up the mess, but in the meantime, don't let them catch you. She'll take you back to the clinic, only this time you won't be able to walk out so easily. He sounded very concerned. She closed her eyes and tried to remember what it was like to be in his arms.

Julia, promise me you'll take care of yourself?

He still believed that only Betty was behind everything. She had to put him on the right track. It was no longer just about herself, it was about much more. But how? She exhaled deeply.

Yes, my darling, I promise you. I love you, never forget that.

Me too.

For long seconds it was silent, only his breathing could be heard. Then someone knocked on David's door.

I have to stop, someone is coming.

David, thank you for sticking with me.

I love you, he still whispered, then loudly called Come in and hung up.

She held the cell phone to her ear until only the dial tone could be heard.

Monday, then. Today was Thursday.

She still had a little time to think.

***

When David entered the room, there was a sudden silence. Many of the members of the special investigation team were already there. The bright lamp hanging over the long table in the center of the room dazzled him so much that he could not see the faces well. Jones stood right in front of him and smiled at him.

Glad you could come right away, sir, she said, stepping aside so he could get a better look at the table.

On the tabletop were five plastic boxes the size of shoeboxes, all brightly colored and printed with Walt Disney characters. Donald Duck, Minnie and Mickey Mouse, he didn't remember the names of the others.

Someone coughed, a cell phone rang, a uniformed man ran out, then there was dead silence. All eyes were on him.

Detective Sergeant, what police districts are the boxes from?, he asked.

She glanced at her pad, which was on the table.

The first box was delivered in the Hackney police district, sir. Almost simultaneously, another box was delivered in Kensington and in Wandsworth. Five minutes later, a box arrived in Croydon, and a few minutes later here in Westminster. In all five cases, the boxes were delivered by bicycle couriers from different companies. The order was placed by telephone in four cases; only once did a veiled woman deliver the box in person. Jones took another look at her notes. That was the box for Westminster.

Has this box been fingerprinted yet?

Jones shook her head.

The woman was wearing cloth gloves, as is often the case with devout Muslim women. The delivery man said it was nothing unusual. Spusi has already examined the box. It was wiped clean and clinically pure.

I see.

David approached the table. In front of each box was a sheet of paper printed with black ink.

Are these the notes that were in the boxes?, he asked.

Yes sir, they are all identical, the same printer was probably used for all of them. I will read it aloud.

She bent over the table.

I wouldn't be surprised if there are body parts in this box from children who have disappeared in the last thirty to twenty years. If you want to know more about it, ask Elisabeth von und zu Kornberg and the Free Devils. The devil take them all! A friend.

Jones straightened up and turned to face him. Her skin stretched over her cheekbones.

Please open it up, he said.

Jones pulled on a pair of disposable gloves, loosened the clamps holding the lid of the first box, and set it aside. All the police officers stepped forward a bit and stretched their necks as if on command. A murmur went through the rows.

The lamp mercilessly illuminated the chalice, which had been made from a human skull, as he already knew. So his guess had been right. Julia had managed to get the box examined. He suppressed a grin.

Oh my God!, whispered a young policewoman, covering her mouth with her hand. Her eyes crossed David's, then she turned away.

A child's skull!, someone else said.

What does forensics say? Is this real?, David asked.

At first glance, yes. Our colleagues have taken samples and are in the process of evaluating them.

Jones closed the box again, then raised her head to look at him.

I have already requested the files and DNA values of today's unsolved cases of missing children, sir.

Well done, Jones. He glanced around the room. He would have liked to tell them more about the origin of these terrible things, but he could not do it without incriminating himself. He turned back to Jones. What's in the other boxes?

Another similar chalice, a sharp dagger made of silver and various items, possibly made of leather. It might also be human skin. We will know more about it soon. All items bear runes and other mystical symbols. Someone from the laboratory believes that they are cult objects for satanic rituals. We have already sent inquiries to two Oxford professors to see if they can help us with this.

David took a deep breath. Julia had achieved what she wanted. More attention and publicity for the box from Blackwood Hill was hardly possible. That had really been a smart move on her part. He was proud of her.

All eyes were on him now. They expected instructions from him. He exhaled deeply.

What's your assessment, Jones? Why were all these things delivered individually to the various police districts and not simply all at once?

Jones frowned, then grinned.

I think someone really wants to make a big splash with these items and doesn't want to risk them disappearing into an evidence room somewhere. The more people who know about it, the less likely it is to bog down.

But that means that this person doesn't trust the police, one of the constables said.

Indeed, Constable, indeed. Perhaps this person has his reasons. David turned back to Jones. Please, show us the contents of the other boxes.

The door opened. The policeman who had run out earlier came back in and stopped beside him.

Sir, two more boxes have been dropped off at the Merton and Greenwich precincts. Our colleagues are already on her way here to bring them over. Just now, Harrow also got in touch. A similar box was dropped off there just under ten minutes ago.

***

Julia took the cell phone and turned it on. Immediately, there was the ringtone for the receipt of an SMS sounded. She smiled.

My heart, you did a wonderful job! Great idea! Proud of you! Just take care of yourself.

She sighed with relief. So David wasn't upset, even though she had busied more than half of London's police force.

I'm glad you like it, sweetheart. It was a lot of work! I will be busy in the next two days, you may not be able to reach me. Don't worry, everything is fine. I love you and think about you all the time.

She sent the message, then turned off the phone. She was not allowed to