The Carnival Master

6.

The first thing that struck Fabel about Criminal Commissar Benni Scholz’s office was how untidy and disordered it was. The second thing was the large dummy head that sat in the corner. Fabel found himself looking at it involuntarily, as he tried to work out exactly what it was. He decided it was some kind of moose.

‘I cannot tell you how pleased I am that you could come,’ said Scholz, beaming as they shook hands. Scholz was about ten years younger than him, Fabel reckoned, and about ten centimetres shorter. But what Scholz lacked in height he made up for with a stocky, muscular frame. ‘I see you were admiring the bullhead for our Karneval outfit. I’m organising it this year.’

‘Oh…’ said Fabel, suddenly enlightened. ‘It’s a bull! I thought it was a moose…’

Scholz scowled at the dummy head and muttered something that Fabel couldn’t hear but thought might have been ‘Fuck.’ Scholz let his scowl go. ‘Please, Principal Chief Commissar, take a seat.’

‘Call me Jan,’ said Fabel. ‘We are colleagues.’ There was something about the ebullient Scholz that Fabel found immensely likeable. Fabel also resented him a little, in the same way that he resented his brother Lex for being so at ease with strangers, for being so laid back about life. It was then that it clicked what it was he liked about Scholz: he reminded him of a younger Lex.

‘Okay… Jan,’ said Scholz. ‘I’m Benni. Have you eaten?’

‘On the way down.’ Fabel’s expression commented on the quality of his repast.

‘Oh… okay. I thought I’d take you out to a typical Cologne restaurant tonight, if you’re up for it?’

‘Sure…’ said Fabel. ‘But maybe we should see how we get on going over this case…’

‘Oh, we’ll have time…’ Scholz made an expansive gesture. ‘It helps me to think. Eating, I mean. Can’t think on an empty stomach, I always say.’

Fabel smiled.

‘Talking of which,’ continued Scholz, ‘I’ve been thinking about what you said about our guy being a cannibal. You know something… I think maybe you’re right. It was something that was suggested before. To be honest, we’ve tried to play down the angle, just in case the press get hold of it.’

‘I’m pretty certain I am right,’ said Fabel. ‘I also think you have a very valid point about the killer having experience of cutting flesh. A surgeon, or a butcher or slaughterman…’

‘He doesn’t muck about, does he? Knows what he’s doing.’ Benni leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. ‘Is it true you’re English? You don’t have an English accent. Someone told me they call you the English Commissar…’

‘I’m half-Scottish,’ said Fabel. ‘Half-Frisian.’

‘My God,’ laughed Benni. ‘That’s a thrifty combination. Bet you don’t get your round in too often!’

Fabel smiled. ‘Did you have any strong suspects? The file seemed devoid of anyone you particularly had your eye on.’

‘Nope. It was a real bugger. Women’s Karneval Night is mad. Like so much of Karneval. People running about demented, little bastards being conceived all over the place. Anonymity is part of the whole thing. You can lose your identity and do things that you otherwise wouldn’t do. It’s the perfect environment for topping somebody.’

‘I see.’

‘But that’s a theory I have about this case. About anonymity and doing things that you wouldn’t normally do. I told you on the phone that I’m pretty sure that this guy is a local. Well, I also think that he may be Joe Normal the rest of the year. Karneval is all about letting go. We always say that we Cologners are more sane than everyone else the rest of the year because we go mad during Karneval. Maybe our chum has got this pervy thing going on that he keeps wrapped up in his pants all year, and he needs Karneval to let it loose.’

‘That’s actually pretty good psychological profiling,’ Fabel laughed. ‘Although again I would normally couch it in more technical terms.’

‘Anyway,’ continued Benni. ‘Even the divorce courts take a lenient view of Karneval behaviour. Adultery on Rosenmontag is considered to be excusable… that you’re not really guilty of it the same way you would be the rest of the year. And, of course, there’s the Nubbelverbrennung… the fire of atonement at the end of Karneval in which all the sins committed during the Crazy Days are burned. What if our guy believes he has an excuse for doing what he does just because it’s Karneval?’

‘More than that, I think there is a deeply misogynistic element to these murders. He hates women.’

‘You don’t say…’ Scholz smiled wryly.

‘Okay… you worked that out. Both victims were reasonably slim, but had a tendency to be heavier around the hips and backside. I think that may be his selection criterion. Particularly given the fact that he removes flesh from that part of the body.’

‘So why is he selecting them?’ asked Scholz. ‘Is it because he feels sexually attracted to that body shape, or is it simply because he’s picking out the best cut of beef?’

‘Both,’ said Fabel. ‘Let me tell you something about cannibalism

…’