Maria marches up to him. She seems angry. "Looking for some souvenirs?"
"Tell me what the banner says."
"It's advertising an auction of rare Egyptian antiquities. The auction is tomorrow, but you're going to be-"
"On a plane back to Los Angeles with Richter handcuffed beside me," McGrave says, interrupting her and pointing at the banner. "Because that son of a bitch is going to try to steal Nefertiti's toilet tonight and I'm going to be there to catch him."
####
Torsten "Duke" Schneider and Maria stand side by side in front of a full house of detectives, briefing them in English, out of deference to McGrave, on the operation that they've hurriedly put into motion.
On the wall behind Torsten and Maria is a street map of Mitte as well as photographs of the interior and exterior of the auction house, schematic diagrams of sewers, and other blueprints.
"We believe that Richter and his new team will strike the auction house tonight and use the World War Two-era tunnels beneath Wilhelmstrasse to do it," Maria says. "The construction work in the area provided the perfect cover for him to access the tunnels and dig his way beneath the auction house without raising any suspicion."
Torsten uses a pointer to indicate spots on the street map.
"Two-man surveillance teams will be placed here, here, and here," he says, pointing to buildings facing the front and rear of the auction house. "We've also placed fiber-optic cameras into the tunnels and will monitor them in our mobile command unit, which will be parked here." He points to the lot where Maria and McGrave stood earlier. "Our strike unit will be stationed in an empty, unoccupied storefront around the corner from the auction house. They will move in on my signal. I want everyone in place within the hour. You each have your assignments. Let's get moving."
The detectives disperse. Torsten and Maria approach McGrave, who is sitting at Maria's desk.
Torsten helps himself to a frosted chocolate doughnut with chocolate sprinkles from the box on Heinrich's desk.
"These doughnuts really energize your thinking," Torsten says. "I can see why they are so popular among law enforcement officers in the U.S. This is my third one today."
"I didn't get an assignment," McGrave says.
"You'll be observing from the command post."
McGrave shakes his head. "I don't observe, Duke, I act. I need to lead the strike team."
"I'm afraid I can't allow it," Torsten says. "You don't have any jurisdiction and you can't carry a weapon."
"This is all the jurisdiction I need," McGrave holds up his badge. "And I'm a weapon."
Maria groans.
Torsten beams. "Say it again."
"What?" McGrave says.
"'I'm a weapon.' It's so… so…"
"John Wayne," Maria says.
"Exactly!" Torsten says.
"So I can be on the team?"
"Absolutely not," Torsten says. "But you will be welcome in the trailer. I'll even provide doughnuts. You're with Kommissar Vogt until then."
Her cell phone rings. She glances at the caller ID. It's Erich's school.
Like much of the architecture of the GDR era, the Oberschule looks like a concrete shoe box that's been spray painted with graffiti.
School has been dismissed and there are only a few kids hanging around.
Maria and McGrave emerge from the Passat to find Erich sitting on a concrete bench out front. Erich is sitting with a man who is roughly McGrave's height and build, but that's where the similarities end.
You look at him and see a guy who reads avant-garde novels, not because he likes them, but so he can say he reads avant-garde novels. You look at him and you see a closet full of sweaters and scarves, because he lives in a perpetual winter, needs to be swaddled all the time, and likes having clothes to shed at coffeehouses, where he spends more time than in his own home. You look at him and see a lover who gets tears in his eyes when he makes love because otherwise it would be fucking and because no matter how many times he does it, he's always afraid it will never happen again.
"This is my ex-husband, Karl," Maria says, then gestures to McGrave. "This is John McGrave, a detective from America."
"Isn't that my shirt?" Karl says.
Maria ignores him and turns to Erich. "What happened? All they told me was that you were in a fight with another boy."
Karl speaks up before his son can. "It was a shocking act of violence and depravity."
McGrave glances at Erich. There isn't a scratch or bruise on him. "He looks like he came out okay."
"He's been expelled for a week," Karl says. "That is hardly 'okay.'"
McGrave nods. "What's Axel look like?"
Erich breaks into a big, proud grin, but before he can speak, Karl answers for him again. "Erich broke the boy's arm."
Maria gasps.
McGrave smiles, which is all the encouragement Erich needs.
"It was great," Erich says in an excited rush, eager to share the experience. "He swung at me and I took him completely by surprise, just like you showed me."
Karl glowers at Maria. "Congratulations, you've turned our son into a sociopath."
Maria isn't any happier about this than Karl is. She turns to McGrave and crosses her arms under her chest, mostly so she won't be tempted to hit him.
"You taught Erich how to break someone's arm?"
"I showed him how to defend himself," McGrave says, and glances at Karl. "It's about time somebody did."
Karl shakes his head and looks at Maria. "What were you thinking, bringing this caveman into your bed?"
"I'm not sleeping with him," Maria says.
"He's just wearing my clothes and teaching my son how to kill," Karl says. "I'm sure the judge will find your promiscuity and choice of men very interesting. I just hope it's not too late to save my son."
"Oh, stop being so melodramatic," Maria says.
Karl gives his son a hug and stands up. "I will see you soon. Be strong."
"He is now," McGrave says. "No thanks to you."
"Shut up, McGrave," Maria says.
Karl walks away. Maria turns to Erich.
"Stay here." She pulls McGrave aside, out of Erich's earshot, and then lays into him. "Do you realize what you've done?"
"You don't have to thank me. Just seeing the confidence and pride on Erich's face is enough."
"You may have just cost me custody of my son," Maria said.
"Erich was being bullied by Axel for weeks. Axel had this coming. You should be happy your son defended himself."
"I'll tell you what's going to make me happy," she says. "Putting you on the next flight to Los Angeles. It leaves in two hours, and you're on it."
"Not without Richter," McGrave says.
"Yes, you are. I know all about you, Tidal Wave. I talked to your captain today."
McGrave winces. "That was the call you got in Mitte this afternoon. You needed privacy because you were speaking in English and didn't want me to hear you."
"That's right. I know you're not a cop anymore. You're a fraud."
"If you knew, why didn't you say anything to Duke?"
"Because I'm a fool. I was going to let you stay one more night to see Richter get caught."
"You still can," McGrave says.
"Not now, not after this," she says. "I'm taking you to the airport or I am taking you to jail. It's up to you."
McGrave is fucked.
It's almost nightfall. Torsten and Heinrich are in the same panel van that was parked outside of Der Reizvolle. The images on the two monitors are divided into quarters so the detectives can simultaneously watch views of the street, the tunnels, and several angles on the auction house.
"It smells disgusting in here," Torsten says.
"The surveillance went on for weeks and this is a tiny space," Heinrich says apologetically. "And we had a little accident with the Porta-Potty."
"What kind of accident?"