Stasi 77 by David Young

Author:David Young [Young, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781785767159
Google: 3CtvDwAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 42408350
Publisher: Zaffre
Published: 2019-04-17T23:00:00+00:00

30

Müller considered attaching the magnetic blue emergency light to the Lada’s roof to cut through Eisenach’s traffic more quickly. But she didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention. The Stasi had tried to thwart her so far. Was it too much of a stretch to think they could have been behind the faking of the cause of death of Herr Unterbrink?

Instead, she drove quickly but carefully, obeying the rules of the road and all traffic signals, until she drew up outside the modern block that – according to Eckstein’s documents – housed the apartment where the Unterbrinks lived, or at least where Frau Unterbrink now lived.

All the time, Müller was trying to work out what was going on. Had Reiniger known what Eckstein had revealed to her – that this was another ‘fire’ death, where a common denominator was the inhalation of smoke, rather than death through burning? Was it Reiniger’s way of once more circumventing the Stasi’s insistence that they should take control of the case? And what did the lack of wrist burns mean? Perhaps – if Unterbrink’s hands had been lashed together – he had somehow managed to free himself another way before being overcome by smoke.

She also had no idea where the fire that killed Unterbrink had been set – or where his body had originally been found, before the cause of death had been faked at the car factory. There were so many loose ends. And – in effect – she was having to work on her own. To draw in Tilsner would risk him telling the Stasi she was back investigating the cases. Common sense dictated they must be linked: Ronnebach, Höfler and Unterbrink all being despatched by the same method. Then Lothar Schneider apparently being ambushed, his throat cut. Müller assumed that was because he was about to blow the case wide open by telling her some vital information about the killings.

She looked up at the block. Apartment 210 – presumably the second floor. Would Frau Unterbrink know what connected these four dead men? More importantly, would she be prepared to tell Müller, without first alerting the Stasi?

*

The woman who opened the door to the apartment was considerably younger than Müller had been expecting. Pretty, too, with an almost elfin face, framed by straight black hair cut in a fringe, with bangs each side.

‘I’m Major Karin Müller of the People’s Police.’ Again Müller deliberately chose not to mention the Kripo, and she showed a standard Vopo ID. ‘I’m sorry to disturb you but I wanted to talk to Frau Unterbrink. Is that you?’

‘No. It’s my mother you want. Is it about my father’s accident?’

Müller nodded.

‘You’d better come in.’ Then the woman lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘As you can imagine, she’s not taken it too well. So please treat her gently. I’ve been staying with her since it happened. She’s sitting through here in the lounge. Can I get you a coffee or anything?’

‘Please. A little milk, but no sugar.’

Frau Unterbrink’s daughter showed her through.

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