A Walk Among the Dead

by Fanning, Fred

  A WALK AMONG THE DEAD

  Fred Fanning

  Copyright © 2016 Fred Fanning

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2016903244

  CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

  North Charleston, South Carolina

  BISAC: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths

  ISBN-13: 9781523350308

  ISBN-10: 152335030X

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, agencies, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is a coincidence.

  All rights are reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the author. All inquiries should be addressed to the author.

  DEDICATION

  To my best friend, Maggie. She is gone, but not forgotten.

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER ONE

  Deputy Inspector Maggie Hoffmann shut the car door and leaned against it, taking the last drag off her cigarette. She looked up at the burned and broken windows of the flat on the third floor. This was the first murder investigation she would lead and as she stepped on the cigarette, she looked like this was the worst day of her life.

  She was exhausted from being on duty the last three days for the German Unification celebrations in Berlin. It was October 1990 and it had been over 40 years since the end of World War II in Germany. She was still young and could take the long hours, physical effort of patrolling, and the demands of arresting protestors. Maggie was young for her position, tall, and blonde. She served in the German Army when she was younger and then became a police officer. She worked her way up to Deputy Inspector. Maggie was best described as being “Easy on the Eyes.” Her best features were her bright smile, although she didn’t smile much anymore, and her big brown eyes. As she walked toward the building, Inspector Werner Albrecht called out to her.

  “Maggie, over here,” Werner said. He was standing next to the front door of the building. He smiled as he stood there drinking coffee from a Styrofoam cup. The steam rising from the lid. The smell of coffee wafting from the cup. He was a tall man with dark black hair. He always dressed in suits with his trademark trench coat.

  “Be right there Inspector Albrecht,” she said.

  “Glad you got here. We have a body on the third floor. Medical examiner’s there now.”

  “I’ve got it; why don’t you go get some sleep.”

  “Thanks, Maggie, but I’d like to get you started off right then I’ll go home.”

  “Suit yourself.” Giving him an approving grin.

  They walked into the building and up the three flights of stairs to the flat. As she entered the room, her demeanor changed. The tired posture left. She became alert and interested as she looked over the crime scene. Her time in narcotics taught her the techniques she needed to get this investigation started right. This was a typical building with six floors and two entrances. The flats were one and two bedrooms with aging tenants whose children had already grown and left home. The building was in a solidly lower-middle-class neighborhood.

  Maggie and Werner walked into the flat and stood outside what appeared to be a bedroom. Soot covered the ceiling and fire damage could be seen on the walls and furniture. The room smelled like burnt wood.

  “Sergeant, what do we have?” she asked.

  “Maggie, good to see you. A deceased male, about 70 years of age,” he said. The sergeant smiled at her as he stood just outside the bedroom door.

  “Is the medical examiner in there?” she asked as she pointed to the bedroom.

  “Yes, his team plans to take the body after you’ve had a chance to look.”

  As she walked into the bedroom, she asked, “Doctor, what’ve you found?”

  The doctor was still standing over the body lying on the bed. “Maggie, he’s about 70, impact wounds on his head, his throat is cut, and probable cause of death is bleeding out, death was probably around 3:30 am,” he said.

  As the doctor spoke Maggie walked up next to him and looked over the dead body lying on the right side of a queen-sized bed. Blood was on the neck and was pooling on the right side of the body on the sheets and blanket. Blood was also on the victim’s face and coming from his nose and mouth.

  “Sounds like overkill.”

  “Sure, slit throat was more than enough.”

  “What was used to beat him?”

  “Looks like a large stick or club. He was also struck with a fist.”

  “Thanks, doc, I’ll come by and see you later.”

  Maggie stepped back against the wall away from the bed where she could see most of the room. She focused on the bed and in her mind’s eye began to see how the murder might have been committed. She probably saw the same thing Inspector Albrecht did, as he looked just behind her. This was a basic detective technique. She imagined two men, one sitting atop the victim in the bed beating him with blood coming from the victim’s nose, the other man ransacking the room.

  She imagined the man on top of the victim pull a knife and cut the victim’s throat. As blood ran onto the bed, she saw the man stepping off the victim and striking him one last time. As she looked at the soot on the ceiling and the burned furniture she imagined the smell of lighter fluid. She imagined the man that was ransacking the room now spreading lighter fluid on the floor. This man lit a match and set the place ablaze. She turned her head toward the corner window where she imagined both men escaping out the window and down the fire escape. She was jarred from this scene by someone speaking.

  “Maggie here is the name and address of the victim’s son,” said a police officer.

  “Thanks, that’s very helpful,” she said.

  “No problem, I’m glad I don’t have to deal with the family.”

  After Maggie had finished her initial assessment, she and Inspector Albrecht walked out to her car.

  “Good luck Maggie, I’ll check with you later,” he said with a smile.

  “Thanks, Werner, hope you get some sleep.”

  As she got into the car, she said a silent prayer that she was up to the challenge. She’d been through a lot and hadn’t taken any time off to rest. She knew that Inspector Albrecht would make sure she got this right. As she drove back to the police station, she couldn’t help think that the fire was used to cover-up the murder. The question was, what were
the murders looking for in the flat?

  She parked in the lot and entered the building at the stairway. On mornings like these, she wished they had an elevator in the building. After four floors she was pretty winded by the time she reached her office. As she sat down at the desk, she thought how fortunate she was that the victim’s son lived in another town and she could have the local police notify him. She had always hated to inform a victim’s family. She could still feel the cringe when the police came to her house to tell her mother that her father had died in an auto accident. She was just a young girl. She made the call.

  “Dettelbach police station, may I help you?” the operator asked.

  “Hello, I am Deputy Inspector Maggie Hoffmann in Berlin. May I speak to the shift commander?

  “Yes, I’ll get him for you.”

  “Hello, Commander Berendt here.”

  “Commander, I hate to call you under such circumstances, but I need an officer to notify a family member. I’m faxing you the information now,” she said as she fed the paper into the fax machine.

  “No problem we can probably have it done within a couple of hours.”

  “Thank you, commander, I appreciate the help.”

  “You’re welcome Deputy Inspector, goodbye.”

  She could use a hot coffee while she waited for the notification. She walked down the hall to the break room. As she stood at the coffee pot, she couldn’t help notice how quiet it was. It was as if the rest of the world were asleep. Well, good for them. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the luxury. She’d been living on coffee and cigarettes for three days. She didn’t know for sure, but she couldn’t have had more than six hours of sleep. As she walked back to her office, her mind wandered. She sat at her desk to check out the victim while waiting. She typed the victim’s name “Hans von Manntoell” into the computer and the screen filled with letters. Her eyes were drawn to the words at the bottom of the screen “CONVICTED WAR CRIMINAL.” She felt drained sitting at her desk and the coffee didn’t help, but this added a charge to the air. It said he was a NAZI Colonel, part of the SS and did a short prison term for minor war crimes. She wondered if something from his past had caught up with him. Maybe she needed to figure that out to find his killer. It had been two hours since she spoke to the Commander in Helmstedt. Well, it is time, she thought. Here goes nothing. She called the victim’s son. Johann von Manntoell was a tall, blonde haired, young man. He was physically fit with a quiet nature. He was born and raised in Berlin to parents that had lost everything in World War II. He was a lecturer in Religious Studies for the church and had lived on church property since leaving home.

  “Hello,” Johann said.

  “Johann von Manntoell?” she asked.

  “Yes with whom am I speaking?” Johann asked.

  “This is Deputy Inspector Hoffmann of the Berlin Police. I am very sorry for the loss of your father, but there are some things we need to speak about.”

  “Thank you, Deputy Inspector. Do you know anything about my mother?”

  “No, your father was the only one in the flat. Could she have been somewhere else?”

  “I don’t know; My God, I can’t think now. Is there a number where I can call you back? I will see if my mother is at her sister’s.”

  “Yes I understand, please call me back as soon as you can, my phone number is 0691-5556231.”

  As he hung up, she could tell he was taking this hard. She needed to alert the desk sergeant about his mother.

  With the push of the telecom button, she asked, “Desk Sergeant please?”

  “Sergeant Hauser, can I help you?”

  “Sergeant Hauser, this is Maggie. The victim from the murder at Leichardt Strasse has a wife that lived there with him. Put out a bulletin for the uniformed officers to find her.”

  “Got it, Maggie, I’ll get it out now.”

  Maggie remained at her desk. She needed to do more digging on the victim.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Hello Aunt Käthe this is Johann,” he said.

  “Johann what on earth are you calling about this early?” asked Käthe.

  “I hate to call you with such bad news but I am afraid I need to find my mother.”

  “Why she is here, visiting for a few days.”

  “I am glad she is with you. I am afraid there is something I must tell her, but I need to tell you first. I received a phone call from the police. Father died in a fire. I don’t know how my mother will take it.”

  “My God Johann I am glad you spoke to me first. Give me a minute and I’ll put your mom on the phone.

  Over the phone, Johann could hear his aunt get his mother to the couch so she could take his call.

  “Johann dear how are you?” she asked.

  “Mother I’m all right.”

  “We are having a lovely time, but I’ll return home to your father this weekend.”

  “Mother, I have some grim news.” Johann’s voice was shaking and he was upset.

  “Johann what on earth could it be? Compose yourself and tell me. I am sure it is not all that bad.”

  “Mother I am afraid it is. Father has died in a fire. He was found after the fireman put out the fire at your flat very early this morning.”

  There was silence on the other end of the phone. Johann cried, “Mother, Mother, are you alright?”

  “Johann this is Käthe. Your mom fainted. Let me get her some smelling salts and a glass of water. I will have her call you back in a bit.”

  “It is a great comfort to have her with you. As a nurse, you are the best person to be with her.”

  “Johann, what about you? Are you doing alright?”

  “I am sick…I don’t know what to do at a time like this.”

  “Are they sure it was your father? With the fire damage, it could be someone else, couldn’t it?”

  “Aunt Käthe the police have confirmed that it was him.”

  “Johann, please take care of yourself. Your mother couldn’t survive losing you both.”

  “You will call me back when mother is better?”

  “Certainly, Johann.”

  “Aunt Käthe, what would we do without you?”

  “Thank you, but I love taking care of my family. Remember, take care of yourself.”

  He thanked God his Aunt Käthe was with his mother. Now he must call his supervisor and ask for a few days off to go to Berlin to work with the police on his father’s death.

  “Hello, may I speak to Herr Wertheim?”

  “Can you hold?” asked the operator.

  “Yes, I can hold.”

  “Herr Wertheim here.”

  “Yes, this is Johann here. My father has passed away and I need a few days off.”

  “My God Johann, this is sudden. I hadn’t heard he was ill.”

  “Yes, it was sudden. He died in a fire in his flat.”

  “Yes…yes please take all the time you need. Please call me if you need anything. I am sure I speak for everyone here, we will do whatever we can to help you and your mother through this.” Wertheim had met Johann’s parents on several occasions and liked them both. He felt the loss of Johann’s father.

  “Thanks, that means a great deal to me. Goodbye for now.”

  Johann took a few minutes to gather himself. He had found his mother safe. Now he needed to let the police know she was safe. After a few minutes, he called the Deputy Inspector.

  “Hello, may I speak to Deputy Inspector Hoffmann?” Johann asked.

  “One moment while I connect you.”

  “Hello Deputy Inspector Hoffmann, may I help you?”

  “Deputy Inspector, this is Johann von Manntoell. Sorry, I couldn’t speak to you this morning, but I was so distraught I couldn’t think straight. I found my mother safe at her sister’s house. She has taken this hard and will need to stay with her sister a few more days.”

  “I understand. I am grateful you found her. Can you come to Berlin and meet with us to discuss some critical issues surrounding your father’s d
eath?”

  “Why, is there a problem?”

  “Yes, I am afraid so. It appears that your father might have been murdered and the flat burned to hide the crime.”

  The phone was silent for several minutes.

  “Herr von Manntoell are you still there?

  A few more moments passed. Maggie could hear him throwing up.

  “Sorry, but I couldn’t help but get sick. You must be mistaken, who would have wanted to hurt my father. He was a gardener.” Johann was wiping his mouth, but the taste of vomit remained.

  “I am afraid we have to look at your father’s past.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What I mean is that your father was a high ranking officer in the Third Reich as well as a member of Hitler’s inner circle.”

  “The war has been over for 40 years. What could any of that mean now? Now my father is a retired gardener. He hasn’t been a man of means or position since the war.”

  “That may be true, but I believe there is more to this. The method of murder is similar to an assassination. I have not seen it before but I have studied it.”

  “I can assure you my father hasn’t been involved with anyone from his past since the war ended. They all turned against him for work he did for the resistance at the very end of the war.”

  “I hope you are right, but I have a bad feeling about this.”

  “I am with you. If there is anything you need to further the investigation, I will be happy to help.”

  “I appreciate that very much. I will need all the help I can get to catch your father’s murderer. He or they have worked hard to cover their crime. I am concerned that perhaps too much evidence was lost in the fire, although I am hopeful we will find sufficient evidence to give us the answers we need.”

  “I will come to Berlin tonight and stay at the Apartment-Hotel-Dahlem. I will be available tomorrow and I hope this is a simple crime,” Johann explained.

  “See you then, and I too hope I am wrong about this.”

  Johann could not get the idea of murder out of his head. The Deputy Inspector must be wrong; she has to be. What could his father have done so long ago that could have finally caught up with him now at his age? It must have been a terrible mistake. The Deputy Inspector was concerned with solving the crime. Johann must find out why. To do that he must investigate on his own, no matter where it led.