The last Weynfeldt (novel)
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The last Weynfeldt is the sixth novel by the Swiss author Martin Suter . It was published in 2008 by Diogenes Verlag and is set in the upper-class milieu of German-speaking Switzerland . The novel is a mixture of comedy, thriller and love story. The novel was directed by 2010 Alain Gsponer filmed .
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Adrian S. Weynfeldt, in his mid-50s, a single heir by profession and an art expert and design collector in a large Swiss city like Zurich , at the beginning of the story is already well beyond the midlife crisis, has established himself and is a good person in his lifelong everyday routine Immured child in the city center. Then he meets Lorena in a bar, who reminds him of his childhood sweetheart Daphne. Completely contrary to his customs, he takes them into his apartment.
When he wakes up the next morning, Lorena is standing outside the balcony railing and threatening to take her own life. Weynfeldt can prevent this. When she then leaves the apartment, Weynfeldt gives her his card.
Weynfeldt works at Murphy's auction house and is currently preparing the spring auction, when paintings from the early twentieth century will be auctioned. Then he got a call from his old friend Klaus Baier who wanted to auction the painting Femme nue devant une salamandre by Félix Vallotton . This picture would be the sensation of the auction and would certainly bring in a price in excess of one million francs. Baier gives the picture to Weynfeldt, who keeps it in his apartment.
Soon afterwards, Lorena is caught shoplifting in the first boutique on the square. In her distress, she states that she wanted to show the dress to her boyfriend and shows the boutique owner Weynfeldt's card. He is called and when he comes he not only buys the “borrowed” dress, but three more. This scene is observed by the salesman Theo Pedroni. Lorena and Weynfeldt agree to go to a restaurant in a few days.
Weynfeldt receives a visit from his friend Rolf Strasser, a penniless painter, who asks him for money for a trip to the South Seas in order to gain inspiration. Weynfeldt promises him 50,000 francs or more. Strasser sees the Vallotton and learns from Weynfeldt that it is to be auctioned for at least one million. Strasser knows that this Vallotton is not the real one - it is a copy that he himself made for Klaus Baier for relatively little money. He then drives to Klaus Baier and asks him another 50,000 francs. Baier promises to give them to him after the auction.
Pedroni visits Lorena and agrees with her to cheat on the generous Weynfeldt together. He advises her to ignore her appointment with Weynfeldt so that he continues to “eat out of her hand”. Weynfeldt, who was really looking forward to the evening with Lorena and who sits alone in the restaurant for hours, is very upset by her absence.
Weynfeldt finds out by chance that Baier knows Strasser. He then investigates Femme nue devant une salamandre and finds out that the painting is an ingenious fake. Weynfeldt confronts Baier, who now brings him the real Vallotton. Baier confesses to Weynfeldt that he is in financial distress. He would only need 1.5 million Swiss francs for his old age. Anything that exceeds this amount at the auction he would give Weynfeldt as a “bonus” if he sold the wrong man. Weynfeldt doesn't get involved. When we say goodbye, Lorena is at the door, who is once again desperate and broke and only wanted to borrow money for the taxi from Weynfeldt. Baier offers to take her home in his taxi. Before that, they drive to a hotel bar, where Baier Lorena promises 50,000 francs if she gets Weynfeldt to sell the wrong picture.
Lorena visits Weynfeldt again and sees the two pictures. Weynfeldt tells her the story and shows her a spot by the fireplace in the painting where the fake can be recognized. She teases him about his correctness in order to get him to auction the wrong painting. When Weynfeldt is alone again, he paints over the real Vallotton so that it looks like the fake one.
Lorena also told Weynfeldt that she owes Pedroni 120,000 francs. Weynfeldt makes an appointment with Pedroni and gives him the requested amount without any problems. Pedroni and Lorena share the booty.
The auction brings in the enormous sum of 4.1 million Swiss francs for the Vallotton. An anonymous bidder on the phone wins the bid. After the auction, Weynfeldt goes to Baier to pick up his CHF 2.6 million “premium”. He only receives 1.95 million francs. Weynfeldt cannot defend itself against this fraud.
After the auction it turns out that Pedroni knew about the auctioning of the supposed forgery, because he is demanding 1.2 million Swiss francs from Weynfeldt. He can only have learned this from Lorena. In addition, the security service of his house reports that Lorena is working with Pedroni and that Pedroni is a previously convicted blackmailer. Weynfeldt is now finally losing his trust in Lorena. He gives Pedroni the requested amount, but makes sure that Lorena's fingerprints are attached to the notes.
Just as he is about to report Pedroni and Lorena to the police, Lorena visits him and confesses their frauds. She admits that she took advantage of Weynfeldt's good-naturedness and naivety and that she made pacts with both Pedroni and Baier to get Weynfeldt's money. Weynfeldt forgives her and only reports Pedroni for blackmail. He is arrested and faces a long prison term.
Lorena moves in with Weynfeldt. At the end the reader learns, but not Lorena, that Weynfeldt himself bought the Vallotton.
Book editions
- Hardcover: Diogenes, Zurich 2008, ISBN 978-3-257-06630-2
- Paperback: ibid. 2009, ISBN 978-3-257-23933-1
- Audio book, read by Gert Heidenreich : 7 audio CDs, ibid. 2008, ISBN 978-3-257-80200-9