‘Maybe that’s a possibility,’ Charly said.
‘Pardon me?’
‘Anti-Semitism. Haus Vaterland is a goddamn Jew restaurant too, to borrow that delightful man’s turn of phrase.’
‘As a motive for murder? I’m not sure. When people like that curse the Jews, they don’t mean it seriously. It’s like getting worked up about a “Jew club” winning the German league. It’s just a manner of speaking.’
‘It’s anti-Semitism. I was angry Bayern Munich won instead of Hertha, too, but you don’t catch me talking about a “Jew club”.’
‘There you are, talking about work again.’ Rath grinned. ‘You know, you can tell you’re a pig too. We aren’t on duty again till tomorrow morning.’
‘Doesn’t quite work calling a female CID officer “pig”, does it?’
‘What should I call you then? A sow?’
‘No animal names until we’ve been married at least ten years.’
‘As you wish, honey bear.’
‘Buffoon!’
Rath grinned. ‘What will Gennat make of it when he hears?’
‘Make of what?’
‘Our engagement.’
‘Let’s keep it to ourselves while the Vaterland investigation is ongoing.’
‘And go public as soon as it’s closed.’
‘It’s a deal.’ Charly stood up. ‘Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to dance.’
‘Before dinner? I didn’t hear anything about it being ladies’ choice.’
‘You’re engaged now. You’d better get used to it.’ With that she stretched out a slender arm and waited for him to lead her to the dance floor.
14
Erika Voss’s typewriter clattered on the adjoining desk, but if Charly covered her ear when making a call everything was fine. Gereon had assigned her a spot on the visitor’s table in the outer office with his secretary and Kirie. The dog had taken it better than Erika Voss, who seemed personally aggrieved that she should curl up under Charly’s table. The secretary had been just as surprised by the noisy greeting Kirie afforded the new girl, but accepted both with a shrug. Only when Charly asked to use the telephone did she give a slightly venomous look.
‘So long as you answer when it rings,’ she said.
Charly offered a disarming smile, and Gereon’s secretary left her in peace. Sitting at this wobbly table, she was scarcely able to believe her luck.
Who’d have thought she’d be working for Homicide again? Certainly not her. A transfer like this was exceedingly rare, hence the looks when she appeared at A Division’s morning briefing. She had revelled in her colleagues’ surprise, before taking her place with the Vaterland team and Gereon Rath.
From time to time she’d asked herself whether Gennat suspected her relationship with Gereon was more than simply professional. But then he wouldn’t have allocated her to him. Or would he?
At any rate, neither of them had let on during briefing or back in the office. They greeted one another politely, as usual, when their paths crossed. It was a strange feeling after yesterday evening, and last night. She had stayed over, but they’d travelled to Alex separately, he in the Buick, she on the BVG. She’d arrived on schedule; he a little behind. Then, for the second time that day, she’d bid him good morning, this time using the polite form of address.
She had to take care that she didn’t get things muddled with her new colleagues. She was on first-name terms with Reinhold Gräf, whom she’d known for ages, but not with Andreas Lange, although they’d worked together before. With Gereon, of course, she was also on first-name terms, but not in the Castle. It was pretty complicated. As for Erika Voss, she had absolutely no idea. Under normal circumstances she’d have gone for ‘informal’, but wasn’t that a little too pally? Shouldn’t a candidate for inspector keep her distance from a secretary?
Resolving not to worry too much she focused on the task at hand. Gereon had started her off on a piece of drudge work, of course, since he couldn’t display a preference. She was to canvass suppliers for a paralytic poison called tubocurarine, which had been used to kill the man in Haus Vaterland. Reinhold Gräf had provided a long list of addresses where the drug was stocked: South American researchers and institutes for tropical diseases, as well as a few hospitals. Setting to work on her telephone marathon, she was sceptical that someone who’d employed the poison as a murder weapon would have access by legal means. They’d either have stolen it, or got it from someone who’d acquired it illegally themselves.
After two hours she finished working her way through Gräf’s list with her suspicions confirmed: no thefts, no unexplained dwindling of supplies; curare reserves all intact.
Erika Voss was still hammering away while giving her new colleague the silent treatment. No doubt Charly had made a rookie error in finishing something she’d been given to keep her temporarily occupied, but now wasn’t the time to think about that. She wanted to do something meaningful, and not just sit around. There was no option but to disturb the gentlemen’s club, and request a fresh assignment.
Erika Voss reclaimed her telephone with an expression faintly reminiscent of a smile, as, address list wedged under her arm, Charly knocked on the connecting door, entering to find Lange and Gräf engaged in conversation over a box of files, some of which lay open on the desk. Gereon was on the telephone, and merely raised his eyebrows when he saw her. She hardly took any notice and felt a perverse delight in effecting to ignore him, only to discreetly stroke his hand as she passed. On no account could she think about what happened last night in this office, otherwise she’d have dragged him by the tie into the nearest broom cupboard.
She stood before the desk with the files and cleared her throat. ‘No joy. We can rule out hospitals and South American researchers.’ Gräf and Lange both looked up. No doubt they had been hoping to keep her occupied until at least lunchtime. Before they could say anything, she continued. ‘I suggest we concentrate on known illegal sources of supply.’ Hearing no opposition, she continued. ‘Perhaps I should speak with Narcotics?’
Reinhold Gräf was staring at her goggle-eyed, and she almost burst out laughing. ‘Finished already?’ he said disbelievingly, looking over her list. ‘You didn’t find any irregularities?’
‘None. They all checked their stocks and called back. We’ve no reason to disbelieve them. They’re all reputable establishments.’
‘I see,’ Gräf said. ‘And now you want to look into the disreputable ones.’
Gereon finished his telephone conversation and stood to cast his eye over the list. ‘Good work, Fräulein Ritter,’ he said, ‘and good thinking about Narcotics, but you don’t have to go through the proper channels right away. It can be rather painstaking here at headquarters.’ He gestured towards the wall, and the obligatory portrait of Hindenburg. ‘A few doors along from us is Detective Inspector Dettmann. He joined the department from Narcotics two months ago. Perhaps he has an idea. People say he knows his way around the streets. If that doesn’t work, then you can always make it official.’
He spoke the last sentence in such paternal, schoolmasterly tones that it was all she could do to keep her facial muscles under control. At that moment Erika Voss poked her head around the door.
‘Inspector,’ she said, avoiding Charly’s gaze. ‘Superintendent Gennat says he can see you now.’
‘Tell the super I’ll be along in five minutes.’
She disappeared, and Charly smiled at Gereon. ‘Thanks for the tip, Sir. Detective Inspector Dettmann. Where did you say his office was?’