A Darker State by David Young

Author:David Young [Young, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781785760709
Publisher: Bonnier Publishing Fiction Ltd.
Published: 2018-02-01T00:00:00+00:00

27

Wilhelm-Pieck-Stadt Guben, Bezirk Cottbus

Müller was keen to gather all the police officers together for a debrief as soon as possible. Schwarz offered to use his Bezirk Cottbus connections to secure a room at the Wilhelm-Pieck-Stadt Guben People’s Police office, to avoid everyone having to go back to Frankfurt or Eisenhüttenstadt.

But as they were gathering to leave in their cars, Diederich approached Müller.

‘I’m surprised to see you in these parts still, Karin.’

Müller studied his face. His expression was deadpan. ‘We’re not investigating Nadel’s death any more – unless it overlaps with our current investigation.’

‘Which is?’

‘I’m sure you’re fully aware, Comrade Hauptmann.’ She wasn’t going to play the first-names game with him. He and Baum had revealed their true colours.

‘Well, yes, I’d heard it was about a missing youth. Markus . . .?’

The vagueness appeared faked to Müller. ‘Schmidt. The son of the forensic scientist attached to the Serious Crimes Department. He has links to that “club” near Frankfurt, as did Nadel. And this death –’ Müller gestured over her shoulder to the tent, where a couple of uniforms had stayed on guard until the body could be removed to the mortuary – ‘in turn appears to have similarities to Nadel’s death. You heard what the pathologist said. So it’s perfectly reasonable for us to be involved in the investigation. I might ask why you’re here. I thought you worked for the regional MfS in Frankfurt, not Cottbus.’

Diederich smiled, looking unconcerned. ‘We, too, have a strong interest. If this death is indeed similar to Nadel’s, then there may be another link to our drugs gangs. And clearly, if the victim was indeed shot—’

‘I don’t think there’s much doubt about that, is there? You saw the entry wound yourself.’ As Müller spoke, she saw Fenstermacher climbing into her car at the roadside. Ideally, she wanted the woman to join them for the debrief, and needed to catch her before she drove off. Diederich was blocking her path. ‘Look, I’m in a hurry. Shall we just agree to disagree and accept we’ll both have teams working on this – and try not to get in each other’s way?’

‘Suit yourself, Karin. I shall be referring this upwards – I doubt those above me will agree to that.’

Müller – who was already walking at a rapid pace towards Fenstermacher – turned back to the Stasi captain and shot him a withering look. ‘I’ve already referred this upwards. I have the full backing of a colonel at Keibelstrasse.’

Diederich gave another thin smile. ‘Let’s see about that,’ he said. ‘In my experience, the Ministry for State Security usually gets its way . . . in the end.’

*

Müller was fortunate enough to catch up with the pathologist before she’d driven off. She seemed to be scrawling some notes on a dog-eared pad – probably her initial findings from the first view of the body. At first she looked doubtful about Müller’s suggestion that she join them at Guben police station to discuss the case, but then demurred.

‘I suppose if we’re going to hold the autopsy here, I might as well hang around these parts.

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