Read Online The Zurich Conspiracy by Bernadette Calonego - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bernadette Calonego
Ads: Link
years past and added a few splendid new ideas to it as well.
Josefa stared at Claire, flabbergasted.
“I don’t get it…He can’t work that fast; he doesn’t have any idea what it’s all based on, or what the management board wants, all the records from past…All he can possibly come up with is hot air.”
Claire fixed her eyes on the table in front of her. She had folded her hands now, white-knuckled.
“Wrong, Josefa, he knows all the details…He got them from my computer.”
The air in the kitchen turned to ice.
“What is that supposed to mean? Did you show him any data?”
“No…No. I had our plans on my computer. You know I often work on the details at home. Sometimes…Werner would interrupt me when he came over. I didn’t always turn off the computer; he’d often catch me by surprise, and I intended to go back to work afterward. I honestly didn’t have any idea that he’d…” Claire paused and shut her eyes for a second. “He must have looked at my files when I went to the bathroom or the kitchen or something. But it could also be…I mean, it’s possible he got to my data when the computer crashed, and he got it running again. He…he knows what he’s doing with technical stuff. He probably simply copied the data.” Claire buried her face in her hands.
Josefa was dumbstruck. It slowly dawned on her what all of this implied.
“You mean to say, then, that he copied our plan. Stole it.”
“He didn’t copy it exactly. He stuck in a few technical items, but I recognized our plan right away. Bourdin crowed about how fantastic Werner’s plan was. So I went to Werner’s office one night and…looked around a bit. Werner was so damn sure of himself that he simply left the papers on his desk.” She rested her head on her fists. “I recognized it immediately.”
Josefa slapped the table.
“He’s not going to get off so easily,” she said vehemently. “This time he’s gone too far.”
“What can you do? Even if we tell Bourdin or Walther that Werner stole our project—they’d never believe us in a million years. They’ll think we want to cut him down. They’ll think we’re out for revenge because you didn’t get Werner’s job.” Then she suddenly sounded resigned. “And of course Werner will deny everything. We’ve got no proof.”
“Sure we’ve got proof. We’ve got the draft in our computers. How could those plans get there if we hadn’t come up with them in the first place? Schulmann could never argue that he planted them in our computers!”
“Oh, yes he can,” Claire contradicted. “He can claim he told me about them.”
“And how can he?” Josefa pushed her chair back. “How’s he going to back it up? How’s he going to tell our guys he let us in on his secret project even before he took the job at Loyn?”
Claire kept her eyes off Josefa. “He could tell them about our love affair, and the fact that it’s now over.”
“I thought he wanted to keep that a secret. Didn’t you say so?”
“Werner always does what’s best for Werner,” she said, quickly getting to her feet. “I’ve got to get to the office. I’m sorry, Josefa. I’m so terribly sorry.”
Josefa didn’t say a word. She would have to think about this whole business in peace and quiet.
When Claire was at the door Josefa asked, “Are you really not seeing Schulmann anymore?”
“Yes, it’s over.”
“What will you do?”
“I don’t know yet…I’m sticking to my job. And I really like working with you.”
She looked so slim and fragile, but Josefa was well aware of her strength. Claire was just the victim of a cunning, malicious man, she thought to herself. And she wasn’t the first.
A flock of green-and-brown spotted ducks was bustling over the meadow around the parking lot on Zurich University’s tranquil Irchel campus. Gulls had taken over the ponds. A student occasionally rushed over the little bridge; mothers were walking with their small children, but it was
Josefa stared at Claire, flabbergasted.
“I don’t get it…He can’t work that fast; he doesn’t have any idea what it’s all based on, or what the management board wants, all the records from past…All he can possibly come up with is hot air.”
Claire fixed her eyes on the table in front of her. She had folded her hands now, white-knuckled.
“Wrong, Josefa, he knows all the details…He got them from my computer.”
The air in the kitchen turned to ice.
“What is that supposed to mean? Did you show him any data?”
“No…No. I had our plans on my computer. You know I often work on the details at home. Sometimes…Werner would interrupt me when he came over. I didn’t always turn off the computer; he’d often catch me by surprise, and I intended to go back to work afterward. I honestly didn’t have any idea that he’d…” Claire paused and shut her eyes for a second. “He must have looked at my files when I went to the bathroom or the kitchen or something. But it could also be…I mean, it’s possible he got to my data when the computer crashed, and he got it running again. He…he knows what he’s doing with technical stuff. He probably simply copied the data.” Claire buried her face in her hands.
Josefa was dumbstruck. It slowly dawned on her what all of this implied.
“You mean to say, then, that he copied our plan. Stole it.”
“He didn’t copy it exactly. He stuck in a few technical items, but I recognized our plan right away. Bourdin crowed about how fantastic Werner’s plan was. So I went to Werner’s office one night and…looked around a bit. Werner was so damn sure of himself that he simply left the papers on his desk.” She rested her head on her fists. “I recognized it immediately.”
Josefa slapped the table.
“He’s not going to get off so easily,” she said vehemently. “This time he’s gone too far.”
“What can you do? Even if we tell Bourdin or Walther that Werner stole our project—they’d never believe us in a million years. They’ll think we want to cut him down. They’ll think we’re out for revenge because you didn’t get Werner’s job.” Then she suddenly sounded resigned. “And of course Werner will deny everything. We’ve got no proof.”
“Sure we’ve got proof. We’ve got the draft in our computers. How could those plans get there if we hadn’t come up with them in the first place? Schulmann could never argue that he planted them in our computers!”
“Oh, yes he can,” Claire contradicted. “He can claim he told me about them.”
“And how can he?” Josefa pushed her chair back. “How’s he going to back it up? How’s he going to tell our guys he let us in on his secret project even before he took the job at Loyn?”
Claire kept her eyes off Josefa. “He could tell them about our love affair, and the fact that it’s now over.”
“I thought he wanted to keep that a secret. Didn’t you say so?”
“Werner always does what’s best for Werner,” she said, quickly getting to her feet. “I’ve got to get to the office. I’m sorry, Josefa. I’m so terribly sorry.”
Josefa didn’t say a word. She would have to think about this whole business in peace and quiet.
When Claire was at the door Josefa asked, “Are you really not seeing Schulmann anymore?”
“Yes, it’s over.”
“What will you do?”
“I don’t know yet…I’m sticking to my job. And I really like working with you.”
She looked so slim and fragile, but Josefa was well aware of her strength. Claire was just the victim of a cunning, malicious man, she thought to herself. And she wasn’t the first.
A flock of green-and-brown spotted ducks was bustling over the meadow around the parking lot on Zurich University’s tranquil Irchel campus. Gulls had taken over the ponds. A student occasionally rushed over the little bridge; mothers were walking with their small children, but it was
Similar Books
