I Am Your Judge: A Novel by Nele Neuhaus

expectantly.
    “What are we supposed to do with that?” Ostermann whispered to Pia. “Maybe issue a bulletin: ‘Warning, all women over sixty! Don’t go outdoors and keep your blinds shut when you’re at home.’”
    Pia just shook her head and made a face. She hoped that Dr. Engel, who was on the phone out in the hall, would soon notice what a pompous ass this guy was. Pia was listening with only half an ear, because she was eagerly awaiting a call from Christoph.
    “Pardon me saying so,” Kröger replied, “but that’s utter nonsense. With the few clues we have, you can’t possibly work up a profile of the perp.”
    “Maybe you can’t,” Neff snapped, still smiling. “But I can. From the FBI, I learned—”
    “I was in the States for two years, and I learned a lot over there, too,” Kröger cut him off. “Above all, that you don’t rush to make prognoses before all the facts are on the table. You can only evaluate the whole picture once every single detail is considered.”
    “And that’s exactly why I’ve been called in,” said Neff genially. “To keep the big picture in mind, because people like you often get rashly tied up in details.”
    Kröger’s face turned red. Surly muttering was heard from the other officers. Even though Kröger sometimes acted like a prima donna, his skills were indisputable. His meticulous work methods and his keen perceptions had often contributed to solving a case.
    “So, that’s enough of that,” Bodenstein intervened when he felt that Neff had gone too far. “Inspector Neff, I’d like to have a word with you in my office. The rest of you can go. Have a pleasant evening. But please remain available. Tomorrow morning at ten, we’ll meet for our next discussion.”
    “Oowee-oowee,” Kai Ostermann whispered. “Engel’s secret weapon is going to be on Christian’s shit list.”
    “Mine, too,” said Pia. “A shame he has to put on that macho act. I really think that a profiler could help us a lot.”

 
    Saturday, December 22, 2012
    Kathrin Fachinger looked as though she’d just been snatched from the jaws of death. Her thin face was pale and she had dark circles under her eyes. She dragged herself into the conference room and dropped into a chair.
    “Watch out that the sniper doesn’t shoot you down,” Kröger said cynically. “You look like your own grandmother.”
    “Why don’t you take a look in the mirror. You’re not as fresh as the morning dew either,” Kathrin countered, sounding annoyed. “I put in extra hours to help you out, and the first thing you do is insult me.”
    “Christian didn’t mean it personally.” Ostermann grinned. “But Engel’s secret weapon posed a theory yesterday.”
    “Who?” Kathrin asked, and sneezed.
    “The FBI genius from Wiesbaden,” Kröger said in a disparaging tone. “He knows everything, does everything better, and he claims that he pretty much solved the D.C. sniper case all by himself.”
    “Andreas Neff, a case analyst from state police headquarters. He’s supposed to support our investigation,” Pia explained. “He analyzed both cases and is firmly convinced that the perp is targeting elderly women.”
    “Great. Thanks a lot!” said Kathrin, her eyes shooting daggers at Kröger.
    She was the youngest team member in K-11. With her smooth, girlish face, angular glasses, and petite figure, at first glance, she looked much younger than twenty-six. But her nonthreatening appearance was misleading. Kathrin was self-possessed and fearless. A few years back, she’d been the one who resolutely read Frank Behnke the riot act and finally made sure that he was suspended from the force.
    “What kind of cop is that?” she asked.
    “You’ll meet him in a minute,” replied Kai, who was leaning on the windowsill and looking down at the parking lot. “The poor man’s Dale Cooper is heading this way.”
    “Let me give you a quick rundown of the meager results from the ballistics tests,” said