“Did you notice anything different about him lately?” Isabelle asked. “Was he anxious or upset?”
“You’ll have to ask his colleagues; I don’t work too much with the actors. I didn’t notice anything. Just last week he mentioned that he was playing the role of Faust at New Way. He apparently led an amateur theater group there. He seemed very enthusiastic about it. He was also really looking forward to the premiere of Antichrist.”
Isabelle and Hannes knew there was little sense in talking with someone who barely knew Mr. Lück, though it was worth noting that he was to star in a play called Antichrist. From the Church of the Creator’s perspective, he certainly was the ideal candidate.
“Are his colleagues from the play here?” Isabelle asked. “They must have known him pretty well, having worked with him on a daily basis.”
The manager looked at the clock. “Rehearsals should have started fifteen minutes ago. They’re probably still waiting for him. Let me take you down. There are only two characters in the play—a married couple who have reached an emotional low point following the death of their son—so there’s only one other actor. And of course the director.”
Ilka Markwart’s whole world seemed to implode when she learned of the news. Whether this was primarily due to her costar’s death or the issues that it posed for the play’s premiere remained unclear. Isabelle and Hannes spent the next few minutes trying to find out, but it took a while for both the actress and the director to regain their composure.
Both knew about Mr. Lück’s involvement with New Way and described him as the same man the detectives had gotten to know: committed, cheerful, and thoughtful. But he seemed to lead a rather lonely existence outside of New Way, Ilka Markwart informed them. He hadn’t been in a relationship since a nasty breakup with his boyfriend earlier that spring. He would often go to a gay club in the city.
“Do you remember the name of his ex-boyfriend?” Isabelle asked.
“Karl or Carlo, I think. But Benjamin usually just referred to him as ‘my darling.’”
Lück had a small circle of friends, and the few names that Ms. Markwart and the director gave were all names of New Way members.
“I think the people in the group took advantage of him,” Ms. Markwart said. “He worked his ass off for them—he handled the administration almost entirely on his own, but found few real friends. I got the feeling that his involvement was a kind of escape. It gave him a sense of purpose. It made the loneliness and emptiness a little easier.”
Hannes wondered if Ms. Markwart spoke for herself and not Benjamin Lück. He had seemed anything but unhappy or lonely.
The investigators made all three of them promise to keep quiet about Lück’s death. The manager pointed out, however, that he had to find a replacement as soon as possible and postpone the premiere.
At seven that evening, Steffen Lauer once again gathered all the detectives. His bald head dripped with sweat. He knew it was only a matter of time before the press would sound their next attack. Lauer decided on a further course of action after Isabelle and Hannes presented their meager findings.
“Detectives Niehaus and Hoffmann, visit this gay club tonight and ask around about Benjamin Lück, but be discreet. It might be a weeknight, but I’m sure at least some patrons will be there. And I’m putting an end to the secrecy. We can’t have another death on our hands.”
With these words, he glared at Federsen, while Hannes and Per anxiously stared at each other. Hannes saw his evening with Anna slowly fade; Per shot Marcel an imploring look. Federsen reported on his conversations with Ludwig Obermann and Frank Meister.
“Obermann has an ironclad alibi. He’s laid up in bed with a broken leg and couldn’t have cut out someone’s tongue last night.”
“Did a cross fall on his leg?” Isabelle joked to lighten the mood.
“Meister, on the other hand,” Federsen continued, “can’t prove where he was after eight, when he closed up the optician’s shop where he works. He claims he went home, watched TV, and went to bed early.”
“Dr. Stern, does that make him a suspect?” Steffen Lauer turned to Maria.
“Absolutely. The time of death was around ten last night. We found traces of Rohypnol in Lück’s blood, which would explain why there’s no evidence of a struggle. The drug was probably also used on Sylvia Böhm and Alexander Kramer. There was no sign that they had defended themselves or that the killer had to use force.”
“Then why didn’t you find any traces of the drug in those two?” asked Federsen.
“Rohypnol metabolizes quickly. Kramer hung alive on the cross for hours. And in the case of Mrs. Böhm, the killer probably waited for the effects to wear off before he injected her with the poison. He wanted her to be conscious so she would suffer just like Alexander Kramer.”
“Clues?” Lauer asked.
“There were no traces of anything else in Benjamin Lück’s body. The perpetrator’s still being very cautious. Except for the footprints, forensics didn’t find anything else.”
“And that’s where we come in,” Clarissa said. “We paid a visit to the factory where David Bach works. It’s a giant complex—you need to swipe an ID card to get in and out.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?” Federsen asked.
“I’ll tell you if you let me finish,” Clarissa snapped.
It had evidently been a trying day for her as well, and what little restraint she had seemed to crumble. The other investigators grinned, and even Steffen Lauer smirked.
“So, when we asked if anyone had seen Bach, they said no. When we asked if anything unusual had happened, they took us to a secluded area of the warehouse where they keep extra parts. Bach apparently knew about it, because he’d been hiding there for a couple of days.”
Everyone began talking over one another in excitement.
“Unfortunately, he’d already hightailed it out of there,” Clarissa continued, earning a disappointed sigh. “There was only a camping pad, sleeping bag, and some leftovers.”
“How can you be so sure it was his hideout?” a red-faced Federsen asked. “It could have been some bum who hopped the fence.”
“That’s what the people at the factory had assumed,” Marcel said. “But it would be pretty hard to jump the fence. So Clarissa came up with the idea of checking who’d swiped their card.”
“Since I’m such a good listener,” Clarissa said and glared at Federsen, “I remembered that they explained the ID system to us. And lo and behold, Bach was recorded entering the premises last Friday evening, the day we visited Frank Meister. It’s highly likely Bach had hidden out at Meister’s place until Friday. Since some idiot contacted Meister before visiting him, Bach had enough time to escape. Bach left the premises early yesterday morning and returned in the evening after the factory had closed. Seems he didn’t want to risk being caught during the day. He entered the premises at exactly ten twenty, which possibly makes him the killer. He left the premises at five this morning and hasn’t returned since.”
“Because he doesn’t want to be near the scene of the crime!” shouted Per.
“Just in case, we’ve posted a couple of guys in uniform there,” Marcel said. “But there’s one more thing: the workers must wear protective clothing when on the job, including special boots. We had them break open Mr. Bach’s locker. The profile of his shoes doesn’t match the print found at the crime scene, but the size does. He wears a ten and a half.”
At first glance, La Bella Vita looked no different from other social hot spots. The gay club was located in a former warehouse and looked unassuming from the outside. At the entrance stood the obligatory bouncer; however, he wasn’t the typical muscleman, but instead a polite and well-dressed middle-aged man. Hannes and Per introduced themselves as detectives investigating the murder of Benjamin Lück, which came as a shock to him. The doorman immediately assured them that the actor had never given him or the patrons any problems. He had last seen him two weeks ago. Lück had been a
regular at La Bella Vita for many years, and the two men had talked from time to time. The bouncer was even familiar with Lück’s religious views.
“He believed in God. He just never felt welcome in a church, which upset him. But he had that group, and it didn’t seem to bother anyone. Only the neighbors weren’t too friendly. Some fanatical church. He was even attacked last February—had his ponytail cut off.”
“Come again?” Hannes blurted out. “He never told us that. He still had long hair.”
“He got hair extensions. No one could tell.”
“Did he say who it was?”
“He guessed it was people from that church. Benjamin didn’t want to make a big deal out of the attack. He didn’t want to fan the flames.”
The bouncer confirmed that Lück was single. He had never seen a Karl or Carlo at the club, but then again, he didn’t know all the patrons by name. He vaguely remembered Lück’s mentioning something about a difficult relationship in the spring. The guy’s name could have been Karl. The bouncer recommended that the detectives conduct their questioning undercover.
Hannes and Per passed through a heavy velvet curtain and entered the lobby. The cover charge was eight euros, and next to the cashier was the coat check. After they had taken off their thick winter jackets, Per looked at the metal staircase which led down to the club.
“So what’s that? The dark room or something? I feel out of place here.”
“Quit it,” Hannes said and began to walk down the stairs.
Hannes paused after a few steps to take in the main area of the club. A long bar was situated behind the stairs, and the restrooms were down a hall next to the bar. Small square tables surrounded by leather armchairs lined the walls, and the dance floor was in the center of the room. The club was mostly empty, and the DJ had not started spinning; his booth was lit but deserted, and the strobe lights and lasers were off.
“Let’s get a beer, then we’ll talk to the boys. It’s best if we split up.”
“Are you crazy?” Per said. “If we stay together, maybe people will think we’re a couple and leave us alone.”
“Per, we’re not here to be left alone. Start with the bartender. No one’s going to hit on you.”
“Fine.” Per sighed. “I’ll go get us some beer.”
There was no hiding the stiffness in his legs as he awkwardly made his way to the bar. At least he wouldn’t have to wait long. Hannes watched him in amusement and considered whom to question first. After a brief look around, he noted that there were maybe twenty people in a space meant to hold at least ten times that number. The majority stood in pairs, waiting for the night to get started. Hannes headed in the direction of a man leaning against a pillar. On his way over, he grabbed his beer from the bar.
“Pretty empty, huh?” Hannes said as he walked up to the forty-something man.
“It’s still early,” he said. “And things don’t get too crazy here until Thursday.”
“Do you come often?”
“Not really. Five or six times a month.”
That didn’t seem too infrequent to Hannes. He went out to a club maybe once a month.
“Then you must know half the people by name,” he commented.
“Nah, I don’t really care about names. But I recognize faces.”
“Maybe you’ve met two of my friends before, Benjamin and Karl?”
“Doesn’t ring a bell. But that doesn’t mean I’ve never seen them.”
Hannes wondered whether or not he should describe Benjamin Lück’s appearance. The decision, however, was made for him when another man joined them and eyed the detective with suspicion. He placed a muscular arm around the man.
“What do you want?” His loud voice made the other bystanders turn their heads and look.
Hannes didn’t want to cause a scene and put up his hands. “I’m just looking for a few friends of mine. My boyfriend and I are supposed to meet up with them tonight.” He nodded at Per, who stood at the bar with a forced smile. He turned his shaved head, revealing his receding hairline and acne scars.
“Huh? That ugly weirdo’s your boyfriend?” the man said and seemed even more suspicious.
Hannes shrugged and casually walked away. To drive his point home, he put his arm around Per’s bony shoulders. Per cringed in fear, then sighed with relief when he recognized Hannes.
“The guy over there thought I was hitting on his boyfriend,” Hannes whispered in Per’s ear. “I had to say you were my boyfriend.”
“Oh,” Per said. “Well, then you’ve blown my cover. I let the bartender think I was single.”
With a sigh, Hannes plopped down onto the bar stool next to his supposed boyfriend.
“I don’t know if this was such a good idea. We can’t go around chatting up random men and asking if they know Lück. Maybe he didn’t even use his real name here.”
“He did,” Per said.
“How do you know?”
“Nico told me.” He pointed at the bartender.
“See? You’re not so lost here, are you?” Hannes said and grinned. “So Nico knew Lück?”
“Yeah, but he was better known as Benny. Nico works here every night and saw him at least once a week. But the name Karl doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Anything else?”
“Lück was always very reserved. He wasn’t some wild dancer or Don Juan. He’d have a few drinks and mainly watch the scene on the dance floor. He’d come here from time to time with other guys, but he didn’t seem to have a steady boyfriend.”
Hannes thought for a moment as he took another swig. He turned to Nico and signaled for two more beers, which he quickly brought over.
“So Lück didn’t come here to find one-night stands,” Hannes said. “Does this Nico guy know anybody Lück hung out with here?”
“Like I said, he mostly kept to himself and was only here to blow off steam.”
“What did you tell Nico when he asked why you were interested in Lück?”
“What do you think? Said I liked him and wanted to know if he was available.”
The explanation seemed natural to Per. Hannes looked at him in surprise and approval, then swung around on his stool. Newcomers traipsed down the steel stairs in dribs and drabs, and the club gradually filled. Apparently, the club didn’t have a specific target audience, because the crowd was very mixed in terms of age and attire. Hannes gathered up some courage. Talking to strangers wasn’t one of his strengths, but that didn’t matter. If he wanted to spend time with Anna that evening, they would have to start now. He reluctantly got up.
“Let’s go, Per. Talk to as many guys as possible, and then we can get the hell out of here.”
Without waiting, Hannes strolled off. He looked around, trying to assess the men. The scene didn’t seem all that different from most straight clubs. A few were obviously looking for a quickie, some for the love of their life, and others just wanted to have fun. Meanwhile, the DJ had taken his place and upped the volume. Hannes walked over.
DJ Micky was wearing a loose yellow T-shirt and a gray cycling cap. He took his giant headphones off as Hannes leaned toward him.
“Say, Micky, do you take requests?” he asked.
“Yeah, sure. What do you want to hear?”
“‘Bitter End’ by Placebo?”
“No problem, I’ll put it on next.” He tried to put his headphones back on, but Hannes wasn’t finished.
“Can I request something later? I’m waiting for a friend and want to surprise him with his favorite song. Maybe you know him. Benny. He comes here often.”
“I don’t know him. I get a lot of requests, can’t make any promises.” He ended the conversation by rummaging through his records.
Hannes was partially consoled by his music request which played shortly after. He looked around for Per, who was engaged in an animated conversation with a couple.
“You’ve got good taste!” a voice shouted into Hannes’s ear.
He turned to see a smiling face.
“I saw you make that request to Micky. Bands like Placebo aren’t played enough here.”
“Thanks,” Hannes said. The man was casually dressed and sported stubble on his chin.
“Don’t come here often, do you?”
“Nope. My first time.”
“I thought so.”
“Why?”
“Because club rats notice everything. Newcomers always stick out.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.” He grinned and stuck out his hand. “Tommy. I’m here with my boyfriend and friends. They’re standing over there. We’ve been having fun watching everyone look at you. They told me to come over and tell you to cut it out before you give all these horny guys blue balls.”
Hannes laughed halfheartedly and looked over at Tommy’s friends, who were all smirking. He guessed they were students, which Tommy confirmed. He was studying German and physical education. Hannes immersed himself in a lively discussion about training methods. Unfortunately, Tommy knew little about Lück. He did remember a man at the club who always looked a little lost or forlorn, but that was about it.
The music faded and a slight murmur arose. A sleek figure with long brown hair and green eyes marched across the dance floor toward Tommy and Hannes. Hannes’s jaw dropped.
“I just wanted to see if I needed to save you from the clutches of these jealous men,” Anna whispered mischievously in his ear.
“How’d you get here?”
“On the bus,” she said and laughed. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
“And they just let you in?”
“Why wouldn’t they?”
“Because . . .”
Per walked over, and Hannes quickly introduced him. Per didn’t seem surprised by Anna’s presence and got straight to the point.
“Hannes, I’ve had enough. Let’s get out of here. I really can’t take it anymore.”
“We still have a lot of people to talk to.”
“I don’t give a shit. If they know Benny, they all say the same thing: nice guy, a bit reserved, and that’s it. Nobody’s ever heard of a Karl or Carlo. We’ve done our duty.”
The Northern Cross (A Baltic Sea Crime Novel Book 2) Page 18
