Above: Count Eduard von Taaffe (1833-1895).

Source: Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek (Austrian National Library)

12. The Pursuit (continued)

Alexander Baltazzi had not wanted to initiate a police investigation himself, so he deferred to Helene. Helene vacillated until the next day when she visited Krauss herself and asked him to track down her daughter.

Helene provided Krauss with a photograph of Mary and begged him to be as discreet as possible. Krauss immediately informed Taaffe of Helene's request, since Taaffe would have to authorize any action.

Taaffe was on his way to lunch and was not well pleased at the interruption. Nevertheless he agreed to meet with Helene, although he had little use for either her or Mary. He remembered Helene's scandalous attempt to vamp Rudolf ten years earlier and he suspected that she was still trying to entice the Crown Prince, this time using her her daughter as bait.

Taaffe was also aware of society gossip that identified a certain Prince H. as a former lover of Mary's. Taaffe was unkind enough to ask Helene if Mary might not have run away with someone other than Rudolf – for instance, Prince H. Helene blushed at the suggestion.

As matters stood, Taaffe declined to approach the emperor without solid proof that Mary and Rudolf were together. When Helene asked Taaffe if he could talk to Rudolf himself Taaffe tartly replied that "he was not on such terms with the Crown Prince as to discuss with him such personal matters" (Judtmann 107).

Taaffe did at least offer Helene some help. He told her that Rudolf was invited to a family dinner at the palace that night. If Rudolf failed to attend, or if he left immediately after the dinner, there would be cause for suspicion and Taaffe would "send out my chief of detectives, even though it is rather embarrassing for me to have to entrust him with this business."

An hour later, however, Taaffe had a change of heart and decided to take immediate action. He instructed Krauss to send an undercover police officer to Mayerling to make discreet inquiries. Informants inside the Hofburg were queried about Rudolf's recent activities and the procuress Wolf was placed under surveillance.