Craig Russell - The Valkyrie Song

Fabel kept his smile in place but noticed how young the girl was: she looked to Fabel not much older than his own daughter, Gabi. He asked her to sit and tried to do what he could to put her at ease. Christa Eisel was pretty — very pretty — with shoulder-length fair hair. From the plainness of her outfit and her obvious attractiveness, Fabel worked out that she must have been a Herbertstrasse window girl who would have changed into a provocative outfit once she was at work. As they talked, Christa kneaded the hat and scarf on her lap, but there was something approaching defiance in her eyes.

‘We’ll need to take that, I’m afraid,’ Fabel said, smiling. Christa looked down at the bloodstained jacket.

‘It’s no good to me now. I’ve left my gloves downstairs. They’re finished too.’ She slipped the jacket off and handed it to Fabel. Werner placed it into a large plastic forensics bag.

‘How long have you been working the area, Christa?’ asked Fabel.

‘Six months. Just weekends. And not every weekend. I have a slot in one of the windows and I do some escort work occasionally.’

‘Are you supporting a habit, Christa? Sorry, but I have to ask.’

The girl looked genuinely taken aback. ‘No… no, of course not.’

‘What do you do? I mean when you’re not working here.’

‘I’m a student. Uni Hamburg.’

‘Oh really? That’s where I went. I studied history. You?’

‘Medicine.’

Fabel stared at Christa for a moment. ‘Medicine? Then why…?’

‘Money. I want to earn extra money.’

‘But this way?’

‘Why not?’ Again defiance glinted in Christa’s eyes. ‘A lot of students do it for extra cash.’

‘You’re clearly a bright, pretty girl with a lifetime of opportunity ahead of you, Christa. I just don’t understand why you would choose to do what you’re doing. Is this what you think it means to be a woman?’

‘Are you disappointed that I’m not some exploited junkie? You’re right, I choose to do this. It’s my body and I can do what I want with it. And anyway, it’s relatively easy money. A few hours each weekend and I make more than most people do in a month. Trust me, it makes medical school a whole lot easier.’

‘That’s not the point, Christa. God knows in this job I know what the dark side of human nature is like. I just don’t understand why someone like you would seek it out and immerse themselves in it. Believe me, maybe you think you can do this for a year or two and then get on with your life. You can’t. It will stay with you for the rest of your life. Every relationship you have will be coloured by it. You’ll find it impossible to see the good in people.’

‘What’s it to you, Herr Chief Commissar? You trying to save my soul?’

‘This isn’t about your moral well-being, Christa. It’s about placing yourself in danger. You study medicine. Surely you know the risks. To your health, I mean.’

‘And because I study medicine I know how to look after myself. Listen, Herr Fabel, I don’t have to justify myself to you. Women have been exploited by men for centuries. I’m doing a little exploiting back.’ Despite the defiance, Fabel could see that Christa had been badly shaken by what she’d gone through in the last hour or so. He didn’t even know why he was getting into this with her. As she had said, it wasn’t his business. He decided to drop it.

‘It’s your life, Christa…’ Fabel sighed. He looked at the notes before him. ‘Listen, I know this is very hard for you, but I need you to try to remember if there was anything else you saw or heard that you maybe haven’t mentioned in your statement. You saw no one come out of the courtyard? I mean, as you made your way in?’

‘No. No one. It’s not that I’ve forgotten or didn’t notice. I’m sure there was no one there. I use that alley if I’m in a hurry. It cuts across from Erichstrasse through the courtyard. You’ve always got to be on your toes for creeps, so I was paying attention. There was no one.’

‘But that doesn’t make sense. You must have got there moments after the attack.’

‘I was, if the rate of his blood loss was anything to go by. But that doesn’t change the fact that I saw no one come into or go out of the alley.’

‘I heard that you carried out first aid. I take it your medical training kicked in?’

‘For what it was worth, which wasn’t much. He’ll be dead by now. Whoever did that to him was very skilled. A single cut that eviscerated him. It was like the Japanese suicide cut — you know, the seppuku. Straight and very deep. From the amount of bleeding I reckon the abdominal aorta had been nicked. They won’t be able to repair it before he bleeds out.’ Fabel watched Christa’s guileless youthful face as she spoke about a man’s death: her description was clinical, but her voice shook as she spoke and her hands kneaded the woollen hat on her lap more vigorously.

‘What did he say to you?’

‘I’ve already told them. Before.’

‘I’d like to hear it again, if you don’t mind, Christa.’

‘He was nearly unconscious when I got to him. Shivering. All he said was: “It was a woman. She said she was the Angel.” He was speaking in English. It’s funny, I didn’t recognise him. I didn’t know he was who he was until they told me. All I saw was… I suppose all I saw was a man dying.’ She looked at Fabel earnestly. ‘I’ve never seen anyone die before. I guess I’ll have to get used to it.’

‘You never do.’

When Fabel had no more questions and long after Christa had no more answers, he told her he would arrange for a police car to take her home. She asked if she could be taken to her parents’ house in Barmbek.

‘Can they drop me at the end of the street?’ she asked. ‘My parents… they don’t know anything about what I do…’

After Christa left, Martina Schilmann came into the conference room. She was wearing an expensive-looking dark blue business suit and her blonde hair was gathered up behind her head in a French plait. Looking at her now, for the first time in three years, Fabel remembered why he had found her so attractive. Martina was carrying two mugs of coffee. She placed one in front of Fabel.

‘At least I remember where the canteen is,’ she said, and smiled. ‘Hello, Jan, how are you?’

‘I’m fine.’ He returned her smile weakly. ‘And you?’

‘You sure you’re okay?’

‘Yeah… sorry. Just thinking about doomed youth.’

‘Oh God, I know… the “Happy Hooker”. Did she try to convince you that she was content in her work too? Kidding herself. She is tough, though. I was the first on the scene after her. She was doing a pretty good job of not going to pieces. But it is depressing. She’s just a kid. God knows I saw lots just like her when I was working this beat. Anyway, it’s good to see you again. How have you been?’

‘Fine. You look prosperous.’

‘Business has been good.’ Martina’s expression darkened. ‘Until now. I just can’t believe that we’ve lost one. This could be the end for me. I mean, that’s the whole point of the bloody exercise: to guard someone’s body. Who’s going to want to hire us now?’

‘From what I’ve heard, Martina, you’ve built Schilmann Security into one of Europe’s biggest personal-protection businesses. I would think this is a storm you could weather. Actually, I was surprised when I heard you were personally involved with Westland’s protection. I would have thought you’d be on an ethereal executive level now, guiding lesser mortals from the clouds.’

‘I’m a control freak. Hands-on. Too much hands-on, if I’m honest. We were short-staffed this weekend as well. I’ve got a big Russian tycoon coming in next month and I had to send half my team to liaise with his regular security people. God, I hope I’ve got a big Russian tycoon coming next month. When he gets wind of this he’ll probably tell me to stick it. Anyway, never mind that: are you still involved with the beautiful Dr Eckhardt?’