Straight Into Darkness by Kellerman Faye

Author:Kellerman, Faye [Kellerman, Faye]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Published: 2005-07-08T16:51:57+00:00

TWENTY-NINE

It was a simple lunch of wurst and cabbage, but everything was tastier when enjoyed under the sun. White plumes of clouds rolled through aqua skies, and the wind was fresh and crisp. Since it was before eleven, Berg had decided on weisswurst, and the pale sausage went down as smooth as butter. He had chosen a local beer, Kochelbräu, the label featuring the jolly Schmied von Kochel, a favorite character in Bavarian tales. The brew was served ice-cold and with a good head.

Squinting as he looked up at a partially masked sun, his eyes bleached from the intense rays, Berg returned his focus to the faces of his colleagues. Georg was happily munching away; Ulrich wasn’t hungry but elected to sip beer and stare at the parade of humanity that passed by the open-air café.

“Schoennacht lied about being in his house all night,” Berg started off. “His wife claims he was at a club for part of the evening. He certainly had enough time to murder Regina Gottlieb and scrub up before he went home. He also has a few scratches on his face.”

Storf looked up. “Recent?”

“Pale, but I could see them.”

“How did he explain them?”

“Shaving nicks.”

“It could be that,” Müller said.

Berg said, “Or it could be wounds that Regina Gottlieb inflicted on him while defending herself.”

“But why would he murder her?”

“He despised Jews. And Regina claimed that Frau Schoennacht owed her money. Maybe he didn’t want to pay.”

Storf crossed his legs and regarded Berg. “I doubt that a man like Rolf Schoennacht would risk his position in the community to kill a lowly Jewess.”

Berg would not give up. “But then why lie about being in all night, especially since he knew the truth was bound to come out? All he had to say was that he was at the club, and we’d verify it. Then he’d automatically be eliminated as a suspect.”

Müller said, “Maybe it just seemed simpler to lie.”

Storf shrugged. “Or perhaps he wasn’t at any club, Axel. What if he was at a Nazi meeting or with his mistress and he didn’t want you poking around into his personal business. Even clever men like Schoennacht do foolish things when they feel cornered.”

“At least we have a motive for Schoennacht wanting her dead. And we also have the scratches as possible evidence.” Berg sighed. “Which is more than we have with the other two women . . . although Anna was married to a Jew.” He perked up. “There’s the Jewishness in common.”

“So why not murder Anton Gross, who is a Jew?” Storf said. “Why murder his wife?”

“It could be that Schoennacht hates women,” Berg said. “Professor Kolb thinks that our fiend has an unresolved relationship with his mother that causes him to take out his anger on women.”

Storf said, “Axel, we cannot arrest a man based on some lunatic theories promulgated by a disturbed Jewish madman who is Austrian at that. We are members of the Mordkommission, not head doctors. Let’s keep to the facts.”

“You’re in a mood today.

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