Raven Sisters (Franza Oberwieser Book 2) by Gabi Kreslehner

Author:Gabi Kreslehner [Kreslehner, Gabi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781503934504
Published: 2016-04-18T16:00:00+00:00

42

The weather had gotten worse. A slight drizzle was veiling the world. It was a tired Monday morning, the fourth day after the body was found. September 15. Christian Rabinsky had been summoned to the police station for questioning.

They now knew Gertrud’s husband had told a white lie or two. It had not been easy to find out, his friends had closed ranks—the three couples Felix had interviewed after leaving Frau Beuerle had confirmed her husband’s version of the events, but the information she had given Felix was enough to call Rabinsky in again.

He looked tired, his mood suiting the gray day and the drizzle outside the window.

“Good morning,” Franza said as they entered the interview room, where Felix was already pouring coffee and water.

“Why am I here?” Rabinsky asked. “What do you want from me? I’ve told you everything. Why don’t you leave me in peace? My children need me. They’ve just lost their mother, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“No,” Franza said, “we haven’t forgotten. But there’s something you’ve forgotten to tell us. Namely, where you were during the period between ten o’clock and midnight.”

Rabinsky gasped. “So you actually suspect me of having murdered my wife?”

“We have to investigate all the possibilities,” Felix said calmly. “At the moment we have the feeling you’re not in a particularly strong position, Herr Rabinsky.”

“I have an alibi,” Rabinsky said. “I’ll say it again—I spent the whole evening with my friends. You only need to ask them!”

There was a tremor in his voice. He noticed it himself and tried to suppress it, but failed.

“Will you please answer our question?” Franza asked. “Herr Rabinsky, you do not have an alibi for the time in question. Where were you?”

They saw him falter for a fraction of a second. They saw him fight for breath as he sought to regain his composure. They gave him time.

“How do you come to that conclusion?” he asked eventually, still with the tremor in his voice. Franza saw it spread slowly through his body.

“A witness,” Felix said. “A witness refuted your alibi.”

Rabinsky nodded. The fear that had settled in his eyes slowly disappeared, to be replaced by anger and a deep helplessness.

“Rieke,” he said. “It’s Rieke, isn’t it?”

Felix nodded. “Yes. Rieke.”

“But she’s lying,” said Rabinsky. “Rieke’s lying.”

“Why would she?”

“Because . . . because . . .”

“Yes?”

He shook his head. His shoulders drooped as he stared vacantly into space. He remained silent.

Franza leaned forward, her arms on the table. “We found particles of skin beneath your wife’s fingernails that most probably came from the murderer. If a person is threatened, they defend themselves, injuring their attacker. Scratches. Grazes. Do you have any marks like that, Herr Rabinsky? Do you have any scratches on your skin?”

He swallowed.

“No,” he said. “I don’t. And I didn’t kill my wife. I was away from home from seven o’clock. I went for a meal with my friends. We were celebrating Lars’s birthday. A waiter spilled red wine over me. So I drove to the office, took a shower, changed, smoked a cigarette.

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