The Istúriz family still carries the shadow of its dark past. Evaristo's darkness haunts the family. His daughter Mariana and granddaughter Violeta know this. They were relieved after his flight to Spain, where they formed their new home. The ladies, together with the great-granddaughter, Claudia, now live in the Residencia Las Dueñas, which they named to change their destiny. Also, with the same objective, they changed their first and last names. Unfortunately, the opacity was still present in the family, because of the moments...... The three ladies are direct descendants of the once wealthy Captain Ernst Strasser, personal friend of Count Siegfried Hoover. Because of this friendship, he would be implicated in the death of the Count's wife, Bertha. Boris Arcand's investigation is fundamental to clarify many unanswered questions.
Spring begins, the cherry blossoms are in bloom. The entire residence is decorated with beautiful and fragrant jasmine, rose and lavender flowers. Those that Violeta likes so much because they remind her of the beautiful moments she spent with her grandfather Ernst, touring the vineyard and the cellars he founded and that they still keep. Meanwhile, her mother, Mariana, travels back in time to her native Germany. ....
In the late afternoon, in the spring of 1943, someone knocked on the door of the Strasser family home. It was March 19, Mariana remembers exactly as if it were today. Mrs. Strasser and Mariana take precautions before opening the door. When they open the door, there is no one there, they look around... They only see a shadow that moves away quickly. They are unable to identify anyone, apparently the person was wearing green clothes. A mysterious package is left at the door with a note: addressed to Captain Ernst Strasser. They are puzzled and at the same time comment:
-Shall we pick it up?
They look into each other's eyes. Curiosity eats at them and, without saying a word, they take the package. They place it in the library on the mahogany table, inherited from grandmother Carin, which served as a desk.
Later Ernst arrives. His wife alerts him to the mysterious package. They all go to the library, Ernst decides to find out what is in it and who sent the mysterious package.
When he opens it, he is astonished. Everyone sees its contents....a book and a gun. Ernst recognizes the gun. It is that of his friend, Count Hoover. Only he knew about the likes of guns. He opens the book. A huge sum of money falls at his feet.... A shiver ran through his whole body unexpectedly, while fear causes a pain that disturbs him. His mind plays a trick on him, who would he kill? He had disagreements with his wife but had no further details. Or would it be a warning to me? Only Count Hoover knows that I am a double secret agent.
The Count was one of the few nobles who supported Hitler's ideas.
Ernst goes through everything thoroughly again. In the book he gets a note, on a small white piece of paper that says: go quickly. He keeps looking and in the book there are some parts written down. He tries to decipher them. The only thing he manages to read is that Bertha died. That news touched his innermost feelings, just thinking about all that it entailed... He immediately reacts and says:
-Tomorrow night you will leave Germany. Gather what you can. I will send someone I trust for you. He will tell you the place where we will meet again. Trust him.
His wife, frightened, answers:
-What happened, what shall we do? I don't understand anything.
-I fear that someone killed the Count's wife. That's why the warning on the package sent. You have to take the book and the gun. No one will suspect you. I can't do it.
-I can't do it. I trust you and I trust that everything will be cleared up quickly.
Ernst's wife and daughter leave Germany, as agreed. Subsequently, the Captain is charged with murder. He is put in jail on suspicion. His life would not be the same. The murder weapon was never found. .... The Count obtains false documents for his friend and, with his help, Ernst manages to escape. After two years of uncertainty, he is finally reunited with his family in Spain. There he explains what happened.
All together they decided to move to the south of Spain where the captain would cultivate his vineyards until his death. Before that event, he laid the foundations to produce his own wine. An inheritance that would be continued by his daughter and her descendants.
Little Claudia comes running and hugs Mariana, pulling her out of her memories:
-Grandma, did you fall asleep?
Mariana welcomes her and gently takes her to the kitchen to give her a snack. They both share a delicious chocolate cake with hazelnut cream. This relaxes her. The next day, she and her daughter would meet with Detective Arcand. That night went happily...
At 9:00 a.m. the next day, the doorbell rings. Mariana is startled, unable to erase the shadow of the past from her mind. She opens the door, it is the expected detective.
-Come in. I hope he brings me news.
-Yes, I hope it's good news for your family, answers Arcand.
Mariana, sensing that a chapter of her dark past would be closed, decides to hold the meeting in the library.
There, Arcand places the evidence of his investigation on the desk and begins to tell them:
-We have uncovered all the shadows of his past. Captain Ernst Strasser was a double secret agent. He was accused of killing Bertha, Count Hoover's wife. That's why they never heard from him. For two years he was imprisoned. The Count himself helped his escape and got him another identity so that he could leave Germany and join you.
-And who killed Bertha? asks Violeta.
-Apparently a Nazi guard fell in love with her. He entered the house to force her to go with him. Bertha didn't want to. Although she had differences with her husband, Bertha loved the Count. Count Hoover heard his wife screaming for help. He took his pistol, when he arrived at the place the guard tries to take it away. In the struggle it is shot and the bullet goes into Bertha's body. She dies instantly. The guard escapes and accuses Ernst of having killed her. This was the same guard who was watching your husband, Mrs. Mariana. As she couldn't get any information from Ernst, she decides to involve him in Bertha's death.
-It all fits together. The Count sent the box. Violeta answers.
-Exactly. Answers Arcand.
That's how the shadow of the Strasser family's dark past vanished.
The Mystery of the Owners María del Carmen Sánchez Copyright © 2022
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)