The Carnival Master

2.

‘So who’s our killer?’ asked Scholz. ‘I am seriously fucking confused. We have positive proof that it was Ludeke who raped Vera-cum-Andrea in ’ninety-nine, yet now we find Ansgar Hoeffer loitering outside her apartment and he’s ready to make a confession.’

‘A confession to what, we don’t know yet,’ said Fabel.

‘Well, I think we can hazard a guess… The search of his apartment has turned up this pile of goodies.’ Scholz indicated a cardboard evidence box on his desk. ‘And we’ve done a quick check of his computer. Three guesses what his favourite website is?’

‘ Anthropophagi? ’

‘In one,’ said Scholz.

Fabel looked through the contents of the evidence box. A few magazines, DVDs, older VHS tapes. Fabel read some of the DVD titles, all of which were variations on a theme: Flesh-Eating Zombie Women, Cannibals of Lesbos, Food for the Demon Women.

‘What’s up?’ asked Scholz. ‘Seen something you want to borrow?’

‘There’s something wrong here. Doesn’t fit. Let’s go talk to him. In the meantime, I think Tansu should stay outside Andrea Sandow’s place, just until we hit midnight. Have you updated her on what’s happened?’

‘Yep… she says this better not interfere with her going to the party…’

Fabel looked Scholz up and down. ‘By the way,’ he said, with a grin. ‘I think you should maybe think about changing out of your skirt before we question him…’

Fabel found himself feeling genuinely sorry for Ansgar Hoeffer. He sat in the interview room pale and sad, his cheek bruised from its encounter with the wall that Fabel had rammed him into.

‘Why were you outside Andrea Sandow’s apartment?’ asked Scholz.

‘I wanted to see her. I needed…’ He let the thought die.

‘Needed what?’ asked Fabel.

‘I have this thing…’

‘About cannibalism?’ asked Scholz. Ansgar looked up, surprised.

‘How did you know?’

‘Don’t be stupid, Ansgar,’ said Scholz. ‘You know what this is all about. You know why you’re here. And anyway, we’ve seen your dirty-film library.’

‘I didn’t think I was doing anything illegal…’ Ansgar looked at the detectives pleadingly.

Scholz was about to say something but Fabel cut him off. Everything fell into place.

‘Ansgar,’ said Fabel urgently, ‘do you know who Vera Reinartz is?’

‘No…’

‘I didn’t think you would. But you know Andrea Sandow?’

‘I only know her as Andrea. Andrea the Amazon. I hadn’t seen her since it happened. Then, the other week, just by chance… so I followed her. Found out where she worked. Where she lived.’

‘When did you first meet her?’

‘I only met her the once. Three years ago. I hired her through an escort agency. A la Carte. I paid her…’

Scholz exchanged a look with Fabel.

‘You paid her. What did you pay her to do, Ansgar?’

‘I can show you…’ Ansgar stood up, loosened his belt and turned sideways so that Fabel and Scholz could see as he eased his trousers and shorts down to expose his buttock.