For nearly two decades, Manhattan was the center of the universe for the Schmidt family. It was where Otto von Schmidt rose from a penniless immigrant to the owner of a beloved bakery, and where Minna established herself as a premier seamstress. But New York was also the site of their greatest tragedy—the explosion that destroyed Minna’s face and fractured their marriage.
By the end of Broderick B. Williams’s Slingshot, the city that once promised them everything had turned hostile. The decision to pack up and head west to Kansas wasn’t just a change of scenery; it was a desperate escape. As we prepare for the sequel, Under the Veil, let’s look back at the chaotic final days in New York that sent the Schmidts running toward the horizon.
The Unraveling of Otto von Schmidt
After Minna returned from her reconstructive surgeries in Europe in 1937, the dynamic of the Schmidt household shifted irrevocably. Minna, hiding behind her veil, retreated into the shadows of their Upper East Side apartment, leaving a void in the family’s daily life. Otto, burdened by a guilt he could never confess, began to drift away from the bakery that had once been his pride. Instead of kneading dough, he spent his time in local taverns, looking for distractions in the bottom of a glass.
It was in one of these taverns that fate intervened in the form of Melvin Holzworth. Otto overheard Melvin discussing the lucrative potential of the cattle ranching business with a cousin from Kansas. For Otto, who felt his life in New York stagnating, the idea of the open plains and “vast returns” was intoxicating. It offered a new start—a way to outrun the ghosts of the bakery explosion.
A Dangerous Alliance
The move to Kansas wasn’t just a whim; it was a calculated scheme involving familiar faces. Melvin Holzworth wasn’t working alone; he was connected to Daniel Dangerfield—the powerful banker who was secretly the former street thug Ruben Dudley.
Otto, blinded by the promise of easy money, sought Dangerfield’s advice on investing in the cattle business. He even brought his daughter Megan into the meetings. By this time, Megan had grown into a brilliant young woman who managed the bakery’s finances with a steady hand. However, the meetings took an uncomfortable turn. Melvin Holzworth was instantly smitten with Megan, gawking at her and holding her hand a little too long, treating her more like a prize than a business partner. Despite Megan declining his offer of a job in Kansas, the web was already being spun around the family.
The City Turns Cold
While Otto dreamed of ranching, the reality of New York became impossible to ignore. The Schmidts were no longer safe. The first blow came from the bureaucracy: a baffling notice arrived from the state license board announcing the suspension of Otto’s bakery license. Without the ability to operate legally, their livelihood was severed.
The second blow was physical. Walking home one night, Megan was accosted by well-known gang members. Although she escaped unharmed, the message was clear: the streets that had raised her were now a threat. The illusion of safety was shattered. Otto declared, “New York isn’t safe for us anymore. We need a fresh start”.
Into the Unknown
The departure was abrupt and final. Otto sold “Otto’s Tasty Bakery”—the business he had built from scratch—at a loss. There was no time to negotiate; there was only the need to leave. Minna, resigned to her shrinking world and weary of making decisions, watched with a mix of dread and relief as they packed their lives into suitcases.
As they boarded the boat for Albany to begin the long trek to Kansas, the mood was heavy. They were escaping the dangers of the city, but they were carrying their secrets with them. Otto stared out the window, his face unreadable, while Minna clutched Megan’s hand, wondering what awaited them in the Midwest.
The stage is now set for Under the Veil. The Schmidts have survived the fire and the mob, but can they survive the isolation of the plains and the schemes of Melvin Holzworth?
