Borkmann's point

23

“Cocaine?” wondered Bausen.

“It’s a link, in any case,” said Kropke. “To Eggers, that is.”

“Doubtful,” said Munster.

“A weak link, in that case,” said Van Veeteren. “Cocaine is an upper-class drug; don’t forget that. I doubt if Heinz Eggers and his mates used to sit around and get high on anything as sophisticated as that. Not their line, as simple as that.”

Bausen agreed.

“But we have to follow it up, of course. Mind you, given the number of people on drugs nowadays, it’s probably no more than a normal statistical probability.”

“Two out of three?” asked Inspector Moerk.

“A bit high perhaps, I grant you. But of course we must look into it. We don’t have much else to do, let’s face it.”

“How far is it between Selstadt and Aarlach?” asked

Munster.

“A hundred, hundred and twenty miles, I suppose,” said

Bausen.

“A hundred and eleven and a half,” said Kropke.

“Just checking to make sure you were awake,” said Bausen.

“Van Veeteren?”

Van Veeteren stopped rolling a coin over his knuckles.

“Well,” he said. “I think it’s as important as it damn well can be for us to get Ruhme’s time in Aarlach mapped out as accu rately as possible. I’ve spoken to Melnik, the chief of police there, and he’s promised to put two men onto it-probably has already, in fact. He’ll send us a report as soon as he’s done, in any case-in a few days, I hope. A week, perhaps.”

“And then what?” asked Kropke.

“We’ll have to see,” said Van Veeteren. “If nothing else, we can pick out all the names and run them against all the material we have on Eggers and Simmel. That could be a job for you,

Kropke, and your computer?”

Kropke frowned for a moment, but then his face lit up.

“All right,” he said. “Not a bad idea, I suppose.”

“OK,” said Bausen. “The neighbors, Mooser? How has that gone?”

Mooser leafed slightly nervously through his papers.

“We’ve been in touch with all of them but two-twenty-six in all. Nobody’s seen a damn thing-between ten last Wednes day night and two the next morning, that is. Those were the times we said, weren’t they?”

“That’s correct,” said Bausen. “Meuritz guesses it was some time around about then. He was reluctant to be more precise than that on this occasion-not possible, I assume. I can’t help feeling he’s had a damn great stroke of luck, our dear friend the Axman. In Simmel’s case he followed him all the way through town, more or less, but with Ruhme he just strolls across the street and into the apartment block. Rings the doorbell and cuts his head off. And nobody sees him. No witnesses.”

“Apart from Moen,” said Beate Moerk.

“Ah, yes,” said Bausen with a sigh. “Moen and Peer hovens… one of them aged ninety-five years and the other’d made a night of it and was less than sober.”

“Ah, well,” said Van Veeteren. “No doubt we’ll nail him before long. I think I sniff the traces of a scent-”

“What do we do first?” asked Beate Moerk.

Bausen leafed through his notebook.

“You and… Munster, perhaps?”

Munster nodded.

“You take the hospital. Colleagues, and anybody else who strikes you. See what you can get out of them. You have a blank check.”

“Good,” said Beate Moerk.

“Kropke and Mooser… I think we need to extend the neighborhood a bit. Knock on a few doors around Leisner Park as well. Kropke can draw up a plan. Take Bang with you-he needs a bit of exercise-but for God’s sake, write down your questions in advance. And Kropke keeps pressing ahead with Simmel and Spain as well, of course. Nothing’s turned up there yet, I don’t suppose?”

Kropke shook his head.

“A lot of crap, but nothing significant.”

“DCI Van Veeteren and I ought to take a closer look at the ax,” said Bausen. “The guys in forensics are a bit vague, but their best guess is that it’s a specialist tool used in the butchery trade, made around ten or twelve years ago. We’ve got the names of four possible manufacturers-and ten or so possible retail outlets. It doesn’t sound very promising, of course, but

I suppose we’d better waste a day on it, even so. And then we have Simmel’s son and daughter coming here tomorrow.

Mustn’t forget them, even if I wouldn’t put a lot of money on them either, but still, you never know. Any questions?”

“Who’s going to do the friends and acquaintances?” asked

Munster. “Ruhme’s, that is.”

“You two,” said Bausen. “But the hospital first. You have the list, don’t you?”

“Shouldn’t we send somebody to Aarlach?” asked Beate

Moerk. “That must be the place where we’re most likely to draw out a lead, surely?”

“DCI Melnik wouldn’t appreciate any outside interference,

I can assure you of that,” said Van Veeteren. “But he can estab lish the age of a lump of dog shit if he’s feeling inspired.”

“Really,” said Beate Moerk. “One of those, is he?”

“I have some appointments with a few of Simmel’s lady friends as well,” said Van Veeteren. “I’m looking forward to that very much.”

Phew! thought Beate Moerk as she left the police station. What a miserable bunch.

“How far is it to the hospital?” asked Munster.

“A long way,” said Moerk. “We’ll take your car.”