Dirk Lützelberger - Secret doors

They walked around the house and got scared. They were at least as frightened as the inhabitants of the house, who had made themselves comfortable on the terrace under the awning and drank coffee.

"Who are you and what are you doing on our property?" cried the fat lady without getting up.

Gwen and Stefan froze. They didn’t see that coming. They had assumed that Andreas Schörff was the only inhabitant of this house. After they had digested the first shock, they pulled out their badges and introduced themselves.

"We apologize for this unannounced intrusion. We assumed this house would be empty. My name is Chief Inspector Fisher, and this here is my colleague Superintendent Schick. We both come from the LKA in Kiel."

They showed their badges and handed out their business cards to the two grim-faced, obvious pensioners.

"And why did you think the house would be empty?" asked the fat lady without introducing herself.

Gwen was already afraid that she put her foot in it, if she answered the question, so she followed the rules.

"May I first ask who we have the pleasure of meeting?" Gwen asked politely.

"It’s certainly no pleasure if you just stand here in our garden unannounced" yapped the chubby woman.

"I am Dorothee Schörff and this is my husband, Waldemar." She pointed to her husband. Both remained sitting in their garden chairs, which was certainly better because of their corpulence. Gwen estimated the two at over seventy years, but certainly not yet eighty. They both only knew sports from television and the coffee did not lack large pieces of cream cake, which made Gwen quickly realize what caused their body weight. She remembered the autopsy report of the Salzburg forensic medicine and the age and weight information of Andreas Schörff. Apparently, he could be her son and he had successfully fought against his weight problems, which he had been instilled by his parents. At least he had been on a good path until his death.

The man had still not said anything, and Gwen expected it to stay that way. The two commissioners nodded at the pensioners to welcome them. Gwen was happy to have waited with her explanation, as she could now choose her words carefully so as not to go like a bull at a gate. After all, this was the moment when she had to convey the news of her son’s death to the parents.

They took it surprisingly well. During the conversation, which the officers continued to conduct while standing, it turned out that the mother had a rather bad opinion about her son. She flew into a frenzy and dug up old stories that her environment had surely forgotten for years. But not Dorothee. Gwen just listened intently while Stefan started taking notes. It was no longer possible for him to store all the information in his memory, which he didn’t even know if he would ever use them again. Dorothee told the officials about Andreas’ life at a young age, his education and the career he had made against all expectations.

After the seemingly endless monologue, Gwen had become a few points clearer. Andreas had probably found many peculiarities of his parents not worthy of imitation. Nutrition was only one aspect here. He had tried to stand on his own feet early on, on the one hand to ensure a more conscious nutrition, and on the other hand to get enough time for sports and to become independent from his parents. This also included getting an education to get away from home. He studied IT security and buoyed up with some internships at well-known companies. His mother did not see this as a profession, especially since he did not 'manufacture' anything. Time and again she had probably reproached her son for not having completed a craft education and not being able to repair a tap. Nevertheless, the parents allowed their son to move into the granny flat in the house – under the strict condition that he’d find a proper job! Finally, he dared to take the step into self-employment and acquired his own customers. Thanks to his large network from the university and the various positions as an intern, he had a good foundation for building up a stable clientele. In the beginning the income was meagre and his mother felt confirmed that there was no money in her son’s 'profession'. After the initial drought, however, Andreas was travelling the world and had made a name for himself. He had become a sought-after consultant, offering his expertise to paying clients to protect themselves against the threats from the Internet and real attackers on the ground. Developments in the world have now given intellectual property a significant value that needed to be protected in the same way as money or holdings of gold.

Stefan and Gwen now knew why the house had not been uninhabited and they had met the owners. Andreas Schörff only lived in the granny flat in his parents’ house. The husband, who still hadn’t said anything the whole time, remained sitting in his garden chair when his chubby wife Dorothee rose up sullenly to unlock the door to her son’s apartment for the two investigators. It was secured from the outside by a combination lock beside the door. After Mrs. Schörff had entered and confirmed the correct number, the lock unlocked as if by magic.

His mother did not mention anything about a wife or girlfriend in her monologue, so the investigators were surprised by the size of the apartment when it was only used by one person. Gwen and Stefan asked to be allowed to enter the apartment alone, which was allowed by Mrs. Schörff with a grumble. She disappeared and the two colleagues looked around carefully.

The floor plan of the apartment was kept simple. The entrance to the basement apartment was probably designed later, because one was directly in the living room without a porch, corridor or hallway. A large window with a light well in front of it let enough light into the apartment and was optimally aligned to the west. Through the window they could see Mr. and Mrs. Schörff sitting on the terrace.

The living room was furnished with high quality furniture. Right next to the entrance was a dusty, modern desk with a glass top and a metal frame. The apartment had obviously not been cleaned for a long time. A huge flat screen on one wall, with the leather living area opposite, made for a kind of cinema experience. In between, there was a timeless glass table. On the other side was a dining room. A large oval table of solid beech wood formed the centerpiece, while six leather-covered chairs with steel frames waited for guests. Further inside the apartment was a separate kitchen with the most modern machinery. The dark marble worktop looked huge but fitted very well with the light wooden fronts of the kitchen furniture. Next to it there was a bathroom which made Gwen and Stefan jealous. The light came on automatically as soon as they entered the room. In the corner there was a whirlpool that offered enough space for two people. Next to it was a shower, which was embedded in the floor at ground level and only separated from the rest of the bathroom by panes. The douche fell into the category of a 'wellness shower'. Different nozzles on the sides and a dinner plate sized shower head on the ceiling simulated at least eight different programs, obviously controlled by the control element in the wall. Gwen pinched her lips together and muttered a 'wow'.

She noticed the many different pots and jars with all kinds of creams on the washstand. She took a closer look at some of them. They were mainly substances mixed by a pharmacy, which Andreas had obviously received on prescription. One paste, Gwen could read on the label, was for a kind of skin contamination, not to mention acne at his age. Another with cortisone for inflammation. There were also many opened jars of well-known brands that were used exclusively for skin care. Andreas Schörff probably attached great importance to his appearance, even though he had to struggle with success. Gwen examined the drawers, but apart from the usual things, such as interdental brushes, dental floss, supplies of toothpaste and a manicure set, all she found was a signet ring with an eagle motif on the seal surface. She closed the drawers again.