Фолькер Кучер - The Silent Death

Buddha remained silent, although he appeared less friendly than normal.

‘What I mean,’ Rath said, ‘is that I am being quoted against my will here.’

‘Then you don’t know this Fink? You’ve never met him?’

Weiss had done his research.

‘‘Met’ is the wrong word. He approached me and tried to pump me for information, but I refused.’

‘That’s not how it appears in the article. Did he just pluck all this out of thin air?’

‘He’s taken it out of context, anyway.’ Rath realised he had to be careful. Weiss would have already telephoned the paper. ‘Fink is a muckraker. He doesn’t care about truth, only sensationalism and pillorying police officers who refuse to co-operate. DCI Böhm doesn’t exactly come out of it well either!’

‘Thanks to your comment, Inspector!’ Weiss grew louder again. ‘Thanks to your comment. How dare you pass judgement on your department and your superiors? And to the press at that!’

‘That’s not what happened!’

‘You maintain that you didn’t say it?’

‘If I did it was in a completely different context. In no way did Herr Fink make it clear that he was intending to quote me in his paper.’

Weiss dissected him with a look.

‘It’s lucky for you that I know this Fink,’ he said. ‘And you’re right: he is an unscrupulous representative of his guild. Otherwise, I would find it hard to believe you.’ Weiss leaned forward. ‘You still have a lot to learn about dealing with the big city press. Rash comments can lead to fatal consequences, as you can see. We, as police, need the press, but don’t be fooled into thinking you can toy with it. It’s the press that toys with you.’

‘What should I do, Sir? Demand right of reply?’

‘That would only make matters worse. Leave things as they are. I just want you to be more careful in future, so that this sort of thing doesn’t happen again.’ Weiss rose from his chair. ‘And naturally,’ he said, ‘you should apologise to Chief Inspector Böhm.’

Rath and Gennat made their way back to A Division together. Rath was unable to bear the silence. ‘When are you going back to Düsseldorf, Sir?’

‘As soon as I’ve sorted out this mess. Don’t try and smooth things over, Rath. I’m furious with you. But let’s not discuss it in the corridor.’

That was all Gennat said the whole way back to Homicide, a way that seemed to stretch interminably. At last they reached Gennat’s office, where Buddha told Trudchen Steiner, his long-serving secretary, that he didn’t want to be disturbed.

He didn’t let his ill temper show in front of his secretary, but nevertheless turned down her offer of coffee and cake, at which point Steiner cast Rath a sympathetic glance. Even serious criminals were offered cake in Gennat’s office.

Buddha closed the door and sat at his desk, directing Rath to the seat in front which was normally reserved for condemned men, and spent a long time staring at him in silence. Not reproachfully, more enquiringly. It was an unpleasant feeling to find oneself under his gaze, the gaze of a teacher wondering how on earth his favourite student has botched his exams.

‘I don’t understand you,’ Gennat said. ‘Why do you have to be such a fool?’

‘I’m sorry about Brenner, but it wasn’t as bad as it sounded. His incapacity for work…’

‘Forget about Brenner! That was Dr Weiss’s axe to grind.’

‘Then I’m not quite sure what you mean, Sir.’

‘Stop pretending. We spoke about it only days ago. The fact that you’re a part of A Division, not a lone hand; that you should share your knowledge.’

‘With respect, Sir, that’s exactly what I did. I asked Henning and Czerwinski to alert colleagues about Krempin’s hideout the day before yesterday. As for the wire in Terra Studios yesterday – I notified Detective Gräf immediately by telephone and requested assistance so that…’

‘…you were no longer present when Böhm arrived on the scene.’

‘What am I supposed to say to that? I provide DCI Böhm with a decisive breakthrough, and he has nothing better to do than complain about me to his superiors.’

‘No one’s lodged a complaint. Luckily for you, DCI Böhm is a loyal colleague. Loyal to his department and loyal to each and every one of his team, no matter how defiant they might be.’

‘I assume you’re talking about me, Sir.’

‘Don’t start quibbling!’ Gennat had only raised his voice slightly, but Rath sensed it would be wise to bite his tongue. ‘This is about your conception of loyalty, and your conception of police work in general.’ Gennat leaned forward. ‘The police force is a complex organism in which many small parts act together to create a whole. It’s an organism that works very well, by the way. That’s the reason we have hierarchies, and that’s the reason you should do what you’re told. The best thing for you is to be amicable and respectful towards both your superiors and your subordinates. There is no place for high-handedness, petty jealousies and rivalries in my department. Do I make myself clear?’

Rath nodded. ‘I understand how important these things are, Sir, but sometimes in the heat of the moment…’

‘The heat of the moment! Stop talking such nonsense! You made yourself scarce because you guessed that Böhm was about to take over the investigation! You wanted to make it impossible for him to bring you back into line. But you must have known it would end like this. If you had just gone about your business as normal, Böhm would have allowed you to operate as part of his team, if not necessarily as leader. Now you’re on the outside.’

‘With respect, Sir, DCI Böhm is making a mistake. I’m responsible for most of the findings in this case, and it would make more sense if…’

‘DCI Böhm is your superior,’ Gennat interrupted. ‘And if he puts you on toilet-cleaning duty, that’s his business!’ Now Buddha really was shouting, something that happened so rarely he surprised even himself. He returned to his customary, paternal tone. ‘Kindly do as your superiors ask. Clear?’ Rath fell silent. ‘Do I make myself clear ?’

Rath nodded, beginning to understand why so many people softened under this gaze, confessing to the most serious crimes.

‘Your high-handedness got you into this predicament.’

‘Yes, Sir.’

‘Stop grovelling and start changing your behaviour. Böhm isn’t going anywhere for a few years, and you’d better get used to it. This isn’t the first time I’ve said this to you.’

‘No.’

‘Then for God’s sake take it to heart. We all have to work together. There’s no room for personal animosities. You certainly can’t hold it against Böhm that he hasn’t become your best friend. I have no wish to dredge up the past…’

‘With respect, Sir, it’s DCI Böhm who’s blurring the line between personal and professional. Since he took over from you, he’s been putting the squeeze on me…’

‘Don’t start complaining! Police work can be boring and damned exhausting at the same time, so unspectacular that not a single paper is interested in it. But that’s not something you should be worried about. Just take care of the tasks you’ve been allocated, no matter how monotonous, and people here will start taking notice. In your case it might even be helpful to draw less attention to yourself.’ Gennat’s tone was more placatory now. ‘You’re a good detective, Rath. But show that you are part of the force too, and – I don’t need any more meetings with Dr Weiss. I’ve got better things to do than take care of brawling officers.’

‘Yes, Sir.’ Rath made one final attempt. ‘I apologise for the trouble I’ve caused you. Nevertheless, I would ask you to support my reinstatement on the Winter investigation. I am, with respect, the officer most familiar with the details of the case.’