Poachers Road (48 page)

“Thanks,” Felix said, and did nothing to conceal the acid tone.

“But my father told me that many times in the past. So I know.”

Felix imagined little shockwaves rippling out from his sarcasm.

He didn’t care that his mother had picked up on it too.

The Gendarme at the barrier was already waiting for them, but before presenting his photocard, Felix glanced back. Franzi still looked like a robot awaiting a push. The man with the briefcase was making some emphatic point to Speckbauer.

It might have had something to do with Speckbauer’s vacant gaze, Felix thought. It seemed to be on something faraway, aimed perhaps at the trees so sharply defined now by the July morning’s sunshine.

Felix remembered then that the weather was forecast to continue as it had for several days now, to boil the pavements here in Graz, as the saying went, and also glare down on the rest of a large area that stretched far to the south, and to the east.