Nemesis: Innocence Sold

by Ross, Stefanie

  “I hope not. Tannhäuser’s not answering his phone, and Schmidt’s supposed to have the senator of the interior or someone in a similar position backing him. To be honest, it looks worse than I thought.”

  Eyes closed, Dirk leaned back in his armchair. One problem had hardly been solved when the next one appeared. Suddenly Alex stormed into the study. “You have a visitor,” she said. She understood his impatient look immediately. “Your boss,” she explained with a bewildered expression.

  Fifteen minutes later, they had put some noncommittal small talk behind them and were for once using the living room rather than the study. Despite his well-formulated apology for this late assault, Tannhäuser didn’t seem at all regretful. He looked around, nodding at Dirk’s hi-fi system and the extensive collection of classical CDs and gazing for a long time at a photograph of Tim that showed him playing wildly with Jake, before he lowered himself into one of the armchairs.

  The U-shaped couch and the armchairs offered plenty of room; nevertheless, Alex preferred to sit on the armrest of Dirk’s chair.

  For a moment, Dirk envied Mark and Jake their unflappable calm. The SEALs displayed neither insecurity nor impatience, while Sven and Stephan, despite their controlled expressions, were obviously more nervous. But he wouldn’t let himself be put on the defensive in his own living room, certainly not when he was tired and messed up.

  With a forced smile, he stood. “Mr. Tannhäuser, what can we offer you? Coffee? Something stronger?”

  “Although I’m making even greater demands on your hospitality, I’m in the mood for good Islay whiskey. I hope you and your friends will join me.”

  Dirk waited for nods of agreement from his friends before he rose to get the glasses and whiskey.

  “I’ll help you,” Alex offered.

  While they were in the study collecting the used glasses and taking clean ones from the shelf, she gave him a puzzled look. “What’s this all about?”

  “No idea. But I hope we’ll find out soon,” he said and thought about which single malt he should offer.

  Apparently, he had made the right choice. While he had stuck to his favorites, Tannhäuser appreciated the Laphroaig, which was over twenty years old.

  Before Dirk had to ask again, Tannhäuser leaned back with a forced smile. “You look like you have a hard afternoon behind you.” Tannhäuser’s gaze rested on the bandage on Dirk’s forehead.” He sighed. “I’ve received some superficial and to some extent alarming information from Lübeck. Perhaps to begin with you should bring me up to date and describe how the situation looks from your point of view before I get to the reason for my visit.”

  Sven took it upon himself to provide the police chief with a carefully edited version of the events of the afternoon. Stanko’s involvement was left out, as was the support from the SEALs and Daniel’s encounter with the still-unidentified driver of the all-terrain vehicle.

  “I can tell you’ve kept some things from me. Since you’re not submitting an official report here, I’d prefer greater openness.”

  Dirk looked at the clock; it was nearly nine thirty. “Blame it on the time of day that we confine ourselves to the most important details.”

  When Alex angrily nudged her husband because of his blunt comment, Tannhäuser waved it off. “I understand, but nevertheless. You’ve achieved successes with your unconventional methods in the past, but I’ve warned you often enough that you’re walking a thin line. It may be that you’ve moved too far to the wrong side of that line this time, and I’m not referring to the support from your American friends.”

  “Then just tell us why you’re here or what’s bothering you,” Mark said.

  “Well, a complaint against Mr. Richter has been filed by a well-known professor. Do you have anything to add to your partner’s report, Mr. Richter?”

  Although Tannhäuser sounded interested rather than angry, Dirk couldn’t stand sitting in the armchair any longer. He jumped up and leaned against the floor-length window, which afforded an impressive view of the garden in the daytime. “I wouldn’t have thought that he . . . But all right, I admit it. It’s true; I gripped him with considerably more force than necessary. What did he accuse me of? Assault?”

  “That’s what I hear. However, I’m missing the connection between the arrests you carried out and this incident.”

  Sven snorted and took over again. “Then you should check your sources. This supposedly renowned professor was at the harbor to buy the boy. This supposed man of culture, then, is also the man who intended to buy Tim. Let me guess: Blumenthal, that corrupt swine, confirms that bastard’s statement, right?”

  Tannhäuser nodded. “Right. I presumed there was a connection, but you can see with whom or rather with what we’re dealing with here. You’ve no doubt already heard of the efforts to have you removed from your special role.”

  Before Dirk or Sven could answer, Stephan stood up. “Excuse me.” Vibrating phone in his hand, he left the room and closed the door of the study behind him.

  “Let’s wait a minute,” Sven said.

  Alex didn’t let herself be dissuaded by this but instead glared angrily at Tannhäuser. “I’d say it’s enough that my husband let the guy live. I’d have killed him; you can be certain of that. What’s going on here is incredible. Who’s protecting this bastard? That’s what you should be asking yourself. And if you don’t have adequate means of taking care of these guys, you can be sure I’ll do it. What’s happening here is unbelievable.”

  Before Tannhäuser or Dirk could react, Stephan returned. “Calm down, Alex. The complaint’s off the table. Both our nice Professor Brunner and Blumenthal have retracted their statements. Furthermore, they’ve both requested conferences with the public prosecutor’s office in the near future. Apparently, they want to deliver extensive confessions. What was that threat about just now? None of your famous solo actions, understood? This is a size too big for you.”

  Alex’s blue eyes blazed with rage. “You can save your lectures. In contrast to you, I wouldn’t take any chances, and as long as you’re still in business, there’s no reason to talk about plan B.”

  Because he knew his wife’s stubbornness all too well, Dirk decided to end the discussion. “Let it be, Stephan. We’ll talk about that if it becomes necessary. Probably our wives have once again compiled all the information and come up with something nice. But that’s not important as long as they don’t get in our way. Why this sudden giving in on the part of Blumenthal and Brunner?”

  Tannhäuser gave Dirk an ironic look. “I find it extremely reassuring that you’re reacting to this new development with the same confusion as I am. You can no doubt imagine the direction my conjectures went at first.”

  Mark glared, and Dirk knew that the implied reproach had affected his friend, but Mark held back.

  Stephan withstood his superior’s look without reacting. “If you assumed we put pressure on the gentlemen, you’re wrong. None of us have been in contact with them since they were arrested and taken away by our Lübeck colleagues; furthermore, that wouldn’t exactly be in correspondence with our usual procedure. I admit, however, that the thought was attractive. I understand all too well why Dirk overreacted, and I would have found it intolerable if he had been punished for having done so. But we can now put that topic to bed with our minds at ease.” Stephan continued to look at Tannhäuser while he returned to his place on the couch and ignored the questioning expressions on the faces of his friends. “I found it much more interesting that we finally have a name. Lars Hoffman had already identified a company car as a vehicle possibly used by our mysterious unknown man, and we now have a second confirmation, and for me it’s clear who the man in the background is. We don’t yet have enough to justify charges, but at least I understand why we’ve been receiving harassment from all directions.” Stephan leaned forward. “Something tells me you won’t react to this new development with surprise, Mr. Tannhäuser.”

  The hint of a smile appeared on the police c
hief’s face. “Are you opening the cozy part of the evening with that? In the form of a quiz show?”

  Stephan shook his head. “No, I’d only like to finally know what’s going on here. As points of departure we have your old friend Friedrichsen, the esteemed former politician, and the attempt by Schmidt to leash Dirk and Sven. What’s behind that? Has the wave of corruption and the network of connections also reached Hamburg or, to put it more precisely, us?”

  Taking a deep breath, Tannhäuser leaned back. “In a way, you’re correct. Friedrichsen and I have in fact known each other for a very long time. I confronted him directly with the e-mail he wrote concerning the investigation into Ms. Meinke. To begin with, I had to listen to a lecture regarding our methods, but after I had assured him my question was asked in a purely friendly context and reminded him that during his active period he hadn’t exactly been squeamish when it came to choosing his means of doing what was right, we were able to move on. He told me in confidence who wanted information regarding Ms. Meinke: Magnus Paulsen. You may know him as the man who was the chairman of the board of directors of the eponymous company for many years. Friedrichsen and Paulsen have known each other since childhood, and to begin with the name simply didn’t fit the kind of crimes we’re talking about here.”

  Tannhäuser reached for his whiskey glass, and Stephan immediately exploited the break. “And then you realized that it’s not the elder Paulsen who’s behind it but his son Götz Paulsen.” Tannhäuser’s obvious astonishment caused Stephan to smile; satisfied, he continued. “Götz Paulsen’s the chief executive officer and owner of an IT consultancy company. Three years ago, he contracted to support the police in Kosovo in connection with the construction of a server net. This is probably the reason for the points of contact with the former Yugoslavia we are constantly encountering. Paulsen’s company is the owner of the all-terrain vehicle Lars dug out. Sandra’s profile also fits. In addition to his company, he’s politically active and already rumored to be a possible candidate for the office of minister-president of Schleswig-Holstein in the next election.”

  “True, Mr. Reimers—you’re right. The political influence, either through friends or potential customers, would, then, also fit into our picture. However, I need not point out that we have only indications, right? We’re still far from an official arraignment. How’d you get this information?”

  “As I said, Paulsen ended up in our sights as a result of hard work, namely queries related to possible vehicles. The rest was relatively simple: a few questions in the right places. We’ll have a confirmation shortly if we’re right.”

  “And what could that look like?”

  “Both Lieutenant Eddings and Chief Bannings got close enough to our unknown today to be able to identify him. I just sent them a picture of Götz Paulsen and expect an answer any minute.”

  “Where did you get the picture of Paulsen?” Tannhäuser asked.

  “From one of my informants who’s already helped us once today.”

  Dirk now realized who had put pressure on Blumenthal and Brunner and also unmasked Paulsen as the man behind everything: Stanko. With effort, he suppressed a comment to that effect; it was obvious Stephan was keeping his relationship with Stanko secret from Tannhäuser. Nevertheless, Dirk’s friend noticed his reaction and grinned at him.

  “All right, I understand that you don’t wish to mention a name, and I’ll ask no further questions regarding the role played by your American friends today. That is all right with me, but coordinate with the prosecutor’s office in Hamburg. See to it that you put together an airtight arraignment; anything else would have fatal consequences.”

  Sven butted in. “You can count on that, but there’s still one unresolved point: What’s going on with Schmidt? What did you mean by your reference to connections earlier?”

  “You don’t seem to miss anything, Mr. Klein, but where’s your deductive ability? All right, I don’t want to make excessive demands on your patience. Mr. Paulsen may directly or indirectly have considerable influence, either via his father or due to his repulsive business, but he cannot compel Friedrichsen. The Hamburg senator of the interior who has bolstered Schmidt and directly meddled in my business will resign tomorrow for health and familial reasons. I don’t know whether it was a favor for Paulsen or whether other means of exerting pressure were in play. It doesn’t really interest me, either. He’s finished in his party, and we now have people behind us in Kiel and also in Lübeck who are certainly on our side.”

  “Just a moment. Why Lübeck? There’s still that commander with the connection to the trucking company. What was his name again? Killinger, right? He must be responsible for the attacks on Berger and Röhrich; I hope there’s a manhunt out for him.”

  “No, not anymore. Killinger and his wife died early this evening in a traffic accident just short of the Danish border.”

  “Accident?” Stephan asked incredulously.

  “Or suicide. He drove into a tree without braking. We can exclude the possibility of another person having caused the accident, though the car’s still undergoing a forensic examination. Colleagues from Flensburg had discovered him and demanded that he stop. Killinger then had his accident while fleeing. It’s to be suspected that he was planning to relocate to Scandinavia. You can see the stakes that are involved here. I’ve already said you’re walking a thin line given your choice of methods; take care that you don’t fall into the abyss on the wrong side.” Tannhäuser looked at Mark, either because he assumed the SEAL was their unofficial leader or because he found him to be the person most likely to tread paths outside the law.

  It was typical of Jake to immediately defend his boss. “Wouldn’t it be better to address this warning to our wives?” he asked, trying to take the conversation in a different direction.

  Alex’s indignant snort caused general amusement, and some of the tension evaporated. After Stephan got a text from Daniel to the effect that both the team doctor and Tom had identified the driver of the all-terrain vehicle as Paulsen, Tannhäuser said good-bye.

  Dirk sighed with relief when he was gone. Alex had withdrawn to her study on the upper floor, thus effectively ensuring that no one would be able to pump her with regard to what she had implied. Dirk dropped into his armchair with his eyes closed. “This is turning into a nightmare.”

  “No, it’s already one,” Mark said.

  The openly displayed concern was unusual for the SEAL; reluctantly, Dirk opened his eyes. “What is it? Have I missed something else?”

  “I don’t like this encounter between Paulsen and Daniel. Tannhäuser’s right: we must not underestimate the other side. The closer we get to the bastard, the more dangerous he becomes, and the resignation of the Hamburg senator of the interior is sure to be followed by a reaction we don’t like.”

  “Damn. And since you’re usually right, Daniel would be well advised to take damned good care to watch out for himself and Sandra. Is that all now? Stephan, you look as if you have a headache. What’s with you? And where did your special friend get the information and photo so quickly?”

  For a moment, Stephan stared into space; then he pulled himself together. “The picture of Paulsen? From the Internet, from the company’s website. And the name he probably has from the guy who procured all those ex-mercenaries. That Franco. And before you ask: I have no idea whether it was self-defense or if Stanko made him talk or if there’s something else behind it. And the paradoxical thing is that it doesn’t interest me, either. Theoretically, I should give our colleagues from the organized crime unit a tip; they’ve been after Stanko for months, after all. But I’m not planning to.”

  Dirk understood the unspoken question immediately. “Neither am I,” he said, earning a crooked smile from Stephan. “Pretty strange attitude for policemen to have, isn’t it?” he added.

  Jake smiled. “But appropriate for an accountant,” he said, needling Dirk. “Forget it, Dirk, people like this Franco are a horror to me. As far as I know, he exploited th
e dire straits in which some people were unfortunate enough to find themselves but was clever enough that no one could ever prove anything. And don’t tell me this Franco didn’t know what Paulsen was up to. If you ask me, he got what he deserved.”

  Not for the first time, the SEAL’s views collided with his own view of the law, although he himself always interpreted the latitude afforded by the law very broadly. But in this case Dirk refrained from arguing. After his uncontrolled attack on the professor and their clear statements regarding the pursuit of Stanko, any continuation of this discussion would have been pointless.

  Mark seemed like he still expected to be contradicted; then he leaned back, smiling. “Welcome to the dark side,” he said in a perfect Darth Vader imitation.

  CHAPTER 32

  An exchange of words that was steadily increasing in volume roused Sandra from sleep. She recognized Daniel’s voice, which sounded unusually angry. Unfortunately, she couldn’t even begin to make sense of the argument, which proceeded in English, but the English curse, which was followed by a German variant that had come from Tom, was unambiguous. The front door slammed shut, and then there was silence. Before she could decide whether she should get up, Daniel entered the room wearing a guilty smile. “Sorry, Sandy. I’ll have a soundproof bedroom built into the next house.”

  “It doesn’t matter; it’s plenty late, anyway. Was that Tom? What’s wrong?”

  “A little difference of opinion with regard to how a message from the boss is to be interpreted. Forget it.”

  She was gradually developing a regular early warning system for Daniel’s evasive maneuvers. “No way. What did Mark say?”

  Daniel sat down on the edge of the bed and laid a hand against her cheek. “He’s worried because of our encounter with this Paulsen. But I can take care of us and have no intention of changing our plans. Tom didn’t like that. He’d have preferred to lock us up in here.”