if you’re innocent, why try to conceal evidence? Plus, it’s a hell of a coincidence that the person we catch there just happens to have been convicted of killing someone before.’
‘I know,’ said Fabel. ‘I’m not saying that it isn’tKristina. All I’m saying is that the pieces don’t yet fit and we have to keep an open mind.’
Werner shrugged. ‘You’re the boss …’
5.30 p.m.: Police Presidium, Alsterdorf, Hamburg
By the time that Susanne had given Fabel the okay to re-interview Kristina Dreyer, the accumulated dragging weight of his first day back at work was slowing him down. He and Susanne sat in his office, drinking coffee, and discussed Kristina’s state of mind. The dull, resigned tiredness in Susanne’s dark eyes reflected Fabel’s own. What had started out as a quiet first day back for them both had turned into something complex and taxing.
‘You are going to have to take it very easy with her,’ said Susanne. ‘She’s in a very fragile state. And I really feel that I’d like to sit in on the interview.’
‘Okay …’ Fabel rubbed his eyes, as if trying to banish the tiredness from them. ‘What’s your assessment of her?’
‘It’s clear that she suffers from severe neurosis rather than any kind of psychosis. I have to say that, despite the evidence against her, I feel she is a highly unlikely candidate for this murder. My take on Kristina Dreyer is that she is more victim than perpetrator.’
‘All right …’ Fabel held open the door for Susanne. ‘Let’s go and find out.’
Kristina Dreyer looked small and vulnerable in the white forensic coverall that she was still wearing from earlier in the day. Fabel sat over by the wall and allowed Maria and Werner to lead the interview.Susanne sat beside Kristina, who had declined the right to legal representation.
‘You feel up to talking, Kristina?’ Maria asked, although there was not much solicitude in her voice and she switched on the black tape recorder before waiting for an answer. Kristina nodded.
‘I just want to get this whole thing cleared up,’ she said. ‘I didn’t kill him. I didn’t kill Herr Hauser. I hardly ever saw him.’
‘But, Kristina,’ said Werner, ‘you’ve killed before. And we found you cleaning up the scene of this murder. If you want to get this “all cleared up”, why don’t you just tell us the truth? We know you killed Herr Hauser and you tried to cover it up. If you hadn’t been disturbed, you would have got away with it.’
Kristina stared at Werner but didn’t answer. Fabel thought he could see her tremble slightly.
‘Ease up a little, Chief Commissar,’ said Susanne to Werner. She turned to Kristina and softened her tone. ‘Kristina, Herr Hauser has been murdered. What you did by cleaning up the mess has made it very difficult for the police to find out exactly what happened. And the longer it takes them to get to the bottom of it all, the more difficult it will be to find the killer, if it wasn’t you. You need to tell the officers everything you can about exactly what happened.’
Kristina Dreyer nodded again, then shot a look across Maria’s shoulder at Fabel, as if seeking support from the officer who had arrested her over ten years before. ‘You know what happened before, Herr Fabel. You know what Ernst Rauhe did to me …’
‘Yes, I do, Kristina. And I want to understandwhat happened this time. Did Herr Hauser do something to you?’
‘No … God, no. Like I said, I hardly ever saw Herr Hauser. He was always out at work when I cleaned his place. He would leave me my money in an envelope on the hallstand. He didn’t do anything to me. Ever.’
‘So what happened, Kristina? If you didn’t kill Herr Hauser, why were you found cleaning up the murder scene?’
‘There was so much blood. So much blood. Everywhere. It drove me mad.’ Kristina paused; then, although it still quivered, her voice hardened, as if she had drawn a steel line taut through her
‘I know,’ said Fabel. ‘I’m not saying that it isn’tKristina. All I’m saying is that the pieces don’t yet fit and we have to keep an open mind.’
Werner shrugged. ‘You’re the boss …’
5.30 p.m.: Police Presidium, Alsterdorf, Hamburg
By the time that Susanne had given Fabel the okay to re-interview Kristina Dreyer, the accumulated dragging weight of his first day back at work was slowing him down. He and Susanne sat in his office, drinking coffee, and discussed Kristina’s state of mind. The dull, resigned tiredness in Susanne’s dark eyes reflected Fabel’s own. What had started out as a quiet first day back for them both had turned into something complex and taxing.
‘You are going to have to take it very easy with her,’ said Susanne. ‘She’s in a very fragile state. And I really feel that I’d like to sit in on the interview.’
‘Okay …’ Fabel rubbed his eyes, as if trying to banish the tiredness from them. ‘What’s your assessment of her?’
‘It’s clear that she suffers from severe neurosis rather than any kind of psychosis. I have to say that, despite the evidence against her, I feel she is a highly unlikely candidate for this murder. My take on Kristina Dreyer is that she is more victim than perpetrator.’
‘All right …’ Fabel held open the door for Susanne. ‘Let’s go and find out.’
Kristina Dreyer looked small and vulnerable in the white forensic coverall that she was still wearing from earlier in the day. Fabel sat over by the wall and allowed Maria and Werner to lead the interview.Susanne sat beside Kristina, who had declined the right to legal representation.
‘You feel up to talking, Kristina?’ Maria asked, although there was not much solicitude in her voice and she switched on the black tape recorder before waiting for an answer. Kristina nodded.
‘I just want to get this whole thing cleared up,’ she said. ‘I didn’t kill him. I didn’t kill Herr Hauser. I hardly ever saw him.’
‘But, Kristina,’ said Werner, ‘you’ve killed before. And we found you cleaning up the scene of this murder. If you want to get this “all cleared up”, why don’t you just tell us the truth? We know you killed Herr Hauser and you tried to cover it up. If you hadn’t been disturbed, you would have got away with it.’
Kristina stared at Werner but didn’t answer. Fabel thought he could see her tremble slightly.
‘Ease up a little, Chief Commissar,’ said Susanne to Werner. She turned to Kristina and softened her tone. ‘Kristina, Herr Hauser has been murdered. What you did by cleaning up the mess has made it very difficult for the police to find out exactly what happened. And the longer it takes them to get to the bottom of it all, the more difficult it will be to find the killer, if it wasn’t you. You need to tell the officers everything you can about exactly what happened.’
Kristina Dreyer nodded again, then shot a look across Maria’s shoulder at Fabel, as if seeking support from the officer who had arrested her over ten years before. ‘You know what happened before, Herr Fabel. You know what Ernst Rauhe did to me …’
‘Yes, I do, Kristina. And I want to understandwhat happened this time. Did Herr Hauser do something to you?’
‘No … God, no. Like I said, I hardly ever saw Herr Hauser. He was always out at work when I cleaned his place. He would leave me my money in an envelope on the hallstand. He didn’t do anything to me. Ever.’
‘So what happened, Kristina? If you didn’t kill Herr Hauser, why were you found cleaning up the murder scene?’
‘There was so much blood. So much blood. Everywhere. It drove me mad.’ Kristina paused; then, although it still quivered, her voice hardened, as if she had drawn a steel line taut through her
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