Фолькер Кучер - Goldstein

It still wasn’t nine o’clock when he arrived at the office. He was the first there. Damn it, that pen-pusher in Road Traffic! Hopefully he’d cough up the vehicle owner’s name soon. It was Rath’s only lead.

At some point Erika Voss appeared, which meant it must be nine. Shortly afterwards Gräf entered too. Rath was distracted; he said hello, but no more. Gräf assumed it was Monday morning blues, and didn’t probe further. Rath sat like a cat on a hot tin roof, needing the vehicle owner, needing something to do. Why were they keeping him waiting?

‘Where’s Tornow?’ Gräf asked, cautiously.

‘He won’t be in today.’

‘Sick?’

Rath didn’t respond and Gräf preferred to focus on his work, phoning his way down the list of outlets that sold Camel cigarettes. In a low voice.

Suddenly, the door to the outer office flew open and Rath thought his eyes must be playing tricks. Sebastian Tornow smiled at each of them as if nothing had occurred.

‘Good morning,’ he said. Erika Voss returned his greeting.

Rath could have strangled her as, not for the first time, she gazed adoringly at the new man. Even Gräf’s friendly nod went against the grain. Rath muttered something incomprehensible, taking a moment to process the shock before he could react in a halfway normal manner.

Tornow hung up his hat and coat, and sat at his temporary desk. ‘Good weekend?’ he asked. ‘Let’s get started, then.’

‘ What are you doing?’ Rath asked.

‘Going through the Camel outlets,’ Tornow said, pointing towards Gräf. ‘Our colleague has already made a start.’

‘Our colleague can take care of that on his own.’ Rath said. ‘You’re coming with me!’

‘Where?’

‘Come on!’

Rath was so aggressive that Gräf gave a start behind his desk. Even Erika Voss looked intimidated, which was a rare thing. They seemed to be wondering what punishment Rath would mete out for being ten minutes late.

Rath dragged Tornow outside into the corridor.

‘What’s the matter?’ he asked.

‘Not here,’ Rath snarled. A few officers were making their rounds.

‘I thought we were friends.’

‘Keep your mouth shut.’

Rath yanked Tornow into the toilets and closed the door, seizing him by the collar and throwing him against the wall. Tornow gasped for air. ‘Where is she?’

‘Wait a minute,’ Tornow said. ‘Can’t we resolve this like civilised human beings?’

‘There’s nothing civilised about abducting a woman.’

‘Let me go! Now, otherwise you’ll never see her again.’

Tornow had said it quietly, but pointedly enough to paralyse Rath with fear. Tornow still had the upper hand. He let him go and asked again: ‘Where is she?’

‘The fact you’re so concerned makes me think we did the right thing yesterday.’

‘Who is we?’

‘That’s none of your concern.’

‘Where is she, God damnit?’

‘Also none of your concern. Let’s just say that she’s doing as well as could be expected under the circumstances.’ Tornow straightened his shirt collar and tie. ‘We’ll deliver her safe and sound as soon as you’ve carried out a little assignment for us.’

‘You want me to kill someone? That’s what you lot do, isn’t it?’

‘It’s very simple. You need to forget everything you know about me, or think you know. No one’s going to believe you anyway. Then, and this is the important part, so listen up. You’re going to see to it that Abraham Goldstein is arrested and charged with the murders of Hugo Lenz, Rudi Höller, Gerhard Kubicki and Jochen Kuschke. Oh, and Eberhard Kallweit. I almost forgot about him.’

‘How about I throw in Emil Kuhfeld and Gustav Stresemann while I’m at it? Special offer.’

‘In your shoes, I’d be taking this more seriously. I’m not joking.’

‘What are you saying? That Charly will be released when Goldstein is sentenced? Are you planning to keep her locked up for six months?’

‘It will be enough when Goldstein is arrested and charged with these murders.’ Tornow looked Rath in the eye. ‘It’s up to you how long we keep the poor thing locked up but, in your position, I wouldn’t hang around.’

‘If you have so much as laid a finger on her…!’

‘No one’s going to do anything to her. We don’t believe in assaulting women, but she might not get much sleep over the next few days, which is unhealthy in the long run. Like I said: I wouldn’t be hanging around.’

What kind of man was this? Why was he doing this?

‘You’ll never get away with it,’ Rath said.

Tornow laughed. ‘Funny, that’s exactly what a female acquaintance of yours said. You’re mistaken, the pair of you. You don’t know how well connected we are. I advise you to tread carefully.’

Rath shook his head. There was nothing more he could say.

‘Oh, and another thing…’ Tornow smiled his smile, which now seemed more like a devilish grin. ‘…it sounds rather strange to be saying this to a police officer, but it applies just as well. No police. If you want to get your girl out of this alive. This is between us.’

Rath left Tornow where he was and exited the lavatory, slamming the door as hard as he could.

Ernst Gennat sat on the terrace of Caf é Josty with a slice of gooseberry tart in front of him. Normally it was him dishing out cake to his subordinates, but here it was the other way around.

‘I hope you’re not trying to bribe me, Inspector?’

‘I wouldn’t dream of it,’ said Rath. ‘Please tuck in, Sir.’

Rath had taken his hat and coat and left the office without another word to Gräf or his secretary. Let Sebastian Tornow explain. Before setting off, he had paid another visit to Road Traffic. The information his friend from this morning had provided made him uneasy. He had impressed upon the man how important it was not to share it with anyone else.

The owner of the black sedan used to abduct Charly was known to him. Rudi Scheer had run the armoury at Alex, until it was discovered that he belonged to a weapons smuggling ring operated by right-leaning circles in the police force and Reichswehr. Scheer had been put out to pasture, but avoided censure. Even back then, Rath thought it was a mistake.

Gennat hadn’t touched his tart. ‘I would be very grateful, Inspector,’ he said, ‘if you would please tell me why you have asked me here. On the telephone just now you gave the impression that it was a matter of life and death.’

‘I fear it might be, Sir.’

Gennat listened so spellbound that his gooseberry tart remained untouched. ‘You’re not about to get mixed up in this extortion?’ he said, when Rath had finished. ‘Falsifying evidence!’ He was indignant.

‘I have another idea, but it won’t work without your support. First we have to arrest Goldstein.’

‘We have to find him first.’

‘Taken care of! I know where he’s hiding.’

‘Have you been withholding information again?’ Gennat let his cake fork drop and gazed angrily at Rath. ‘So, you are trying to bribe me!’

‘Absolutely not, Sir. I just want you to hear me out. Ten minutes, then you can decide for yourself.’

Gennat listened.

As expected, Marlow wasn’t pleased when Rath asked him to pull off the men in and around Tornow’s flat.

‘He’ll get his desserts, I promise you that but, if we lean on him now, we’ll be putting someone else’s life at risk. He has to think he’s safe.’

‘You’re asking a lot of me, Inspector.’

‘I know, but how would it be if you let the constitutional state do its work. No vigilante justice. Rest assured, the man will be punished.’