I Am Your Judge: A Novel by Nele Neuhaus Page A

Kröger, paging through the reports he’d brought with him. “After examining the two bullets, it’s clear that they were fired from the same weapon. Unfortunately, the weapon has never been registered, so we don’t have it in our system.”
    “So it’s a sure thing that it was the same perp in both incidents,” Ostermann remarked.
    “The one with the mother complex,” Pia added.
    “Grandmother complex.” Kröger winked at her and then left the conference room.
    Pia’s thoughts wandered to Christoph. Yesterday before his flight took off, they had talked on the phone. By now, he must have landed in Quito. There was a six-hour time difference from Frankfurt, so it must be four in the morning there. Too early to call. But she could send him a text and tell him how much she already missed him. After their phone call yesterday, she had unpacked her bags and gone to bed early. Amazingly, she’d slept soundly for the first time in a week. Maybe it was a sign that her decision to stay here was the right one.
    Andreas Neff walked into the conference room. Dark suit, white shirt, black tie. His short dark hair was perfectly combed, his black shoes polished to a high shine. He carried a cup of coffee, ostensibly from the break room at the end of the hall.
    “Good morning!” he shouted energetically. His eyes looked past Kai and Pia to Kathrin. “Ah, and who have we here?”
    “Kathrin Fachinger,” she croaked. “Don’t come any closer if you don’t want to catch this cold.”
    “My name is Neff. I’m from State Kripo headquarters.” He briefly looked her over and lost interest. “Are you the secretary of this department?”
    Kathrin’s eyes narrowed.
    Kai exchanged a glance with Pia and turned away, trying hard not to laugh. Some people could really put their foot in it.
    “So,” said Neff, turning to Ostermann. “Last night, I thought of something else. Over Christmas, of course, nothing else is going to happen. Our perpetrator has strong social ties, as well as—”
    “You have my cup,” Kathrin interrupted him.
    “—a family, and he may have even left the area.” Neff paid no attention to her. He walked slowly around the table and took another gulp of coffee. “The timing of the murders is a clear indication. It’s significant that he struck before the holidays.”
    Kathrin Fachinger got up, stepped in front of him, and pointed at the cup in his hand.
    “That’s my cup,” she repeated emphatically. “It says so right there, see? ‘Kathrin’s Cup.’”
    “Ah, yes.” Neff frowned. “The others were dirty. You ought to wash them more carefully. A little detergent works wonders.”
    “Hand over the cup,” Kathrin countered angrily. “Next time, bring your own.”
    “One should always try to get along with secretaries.” Neff smiled and handed her the porcelain mug. “Otherwise, the coffee won’t taste very good.”
    “I am not the secretary,” Kathrin snapped. “I am Detective Superintendent Kathrin Fachinger.”
    Andreas Neff was neither embarrassed nor did he apologize.
    “All right, then. Where did I leave off? Oh yes. Back to the perpetrator’s profile.”
    “Given the sparse information available, how did you come to such a conclusion?” Kai Ostermann asked.
    “We have our methods,” said Neff superciliously. “And naturally, a good deal of experience.”
    The telephone in the middle of the table rang. Pia, who was sitting closest, leaned over and grabbed the receiver. She listened for ten seconds. “On our way,” she said, and hung up.
    “What is it?” Kathrin asked.
    “Shots fired in the Main-Taunus shopping center,” said Pia, jumping up. “Kai, please try to reach the boss. Kathrin and I are going over there now.”
    “I’ll come along,” said Neff, eyes glistening.
    “No, you won’t.” Pia grabbed her jacket and backpack. “If we need you, we’ll let you know.”
    “What am I supposed to do here?”
    “Keep working on the big picture,” Pia