disappeared into the large triangle of waste ground.
‘I think we’re on,’ said Anna. She switched the interior light to the off position, so that the car would not light up when Werner got out.
‘I’ll head in the other direction, then cut back,’ he said, getting out of the Polo and easing the door closed behind him. In the dark, Anna unholstered her SIG-Sauer service automatic, checked the magazine and pushed back the safety with her thumb.
Werner passed the car on the far side of the street. He maintained an even pace and kept his gaze straight ahead, not giving away that he had seen the woman move, a shadow within a shadow, up ahead and off to the left. He was now only thirty metres away from where the woman had concealed herself. He guessed that Anna was now out of the car and shadowing him on the other side, crouching to keep concealed behind the other parked vehicles. He kept his shoulders hunched and his hands rammed into the pockets of his thick woollen pea coat, as if shunning the cold night, but his hand was closed around the automatic he had stuffed into his right pocket. Without indicating he knew where she was, Werner angled his course out from the wall that would soon give way to bushes and trees, and walked on the cobbled street. There was no one else around. If this was their woman, she would make her move soon.
He feigned surprise when she stepped out in front of him.
‘Hello,’ she said. Werner heard tension, almost nervousness, in her voice. ‘Are you looking for fun?’ The woman was tall, blonde and heavily made up. At first Werner thought she was in her early thirties, but when he took a step closerhe could see that the make-up was thick to hide skin that had seen a lot of summers.
‘That depends,’ he said. ‘How much?’
‘I’m not greedy,’ she said. ‘I’m not supposed to be working here. I’ll make it cheap, but we have to do it in here, behind the tree.’ She began walking backwards into the shadows, crimson lips smiling.
‘Okay …’ Werner followed her without looking up or down the street, keeping her eyes held with his, in case she spotted Anna moving in.
‘How much?’ he asked again, making it look as if he were reaching for his wallet while using both hands to start easing his automatic from his coat pocket.
‘We’ll talk about that later,’ she said and held out her hand. ‘Come on.’
‘I thought you girls always like your money up front,’ said Werner. This was it.
She reached inside her coat.
Werner drew his automatic and aimed at her face. ‘Polizei Hamburg! Put both hands on your head! Do it. Now!’
He was aware of Anna moving in behind the prostitute. He didn’t know how, but she had managed to manoeuvre around to the back of the scruffy triangle of waste ground. The hooker stared at Werner, confused. Anna grabbed her by the coat collar.
‘On your knees. Now!’
The woman complied and Anna snapped a set of cuffs onto one wrist, pulled it down behind her back, then the other. Werner radioed in for a custody vehicle.
Further down Silbersackstrasse a group of young men came out of a bar. They were heading towards Hans-Albers-Platz, but the activity on the waste ground caught the eye of one, who called the others. The knot of men moved up the street, craning their necks to see what was going on.
‘Is everything all right?’ said one, with slurred suspicion as they drew near. ‘What the fuck y’doin’ to her?’
Anna held up her bronze oval Criminal Service disc. ‘Police. Nothing for you to worry yourself about.’
‘What the fuck’s going on?’ asked one of his friends. ‘What the fuck’s she done?’
‘Nothing,’ she said pleadingly, ‘I’ve done nothing. I’m just a working girl and they’ve arrested me.’
‘That’s not right,’ said the first drunk, shaking his head sombrely. ‘That’s just not fuckin’ right.’
‘Yeah – fucking pigs,’ one of his friends contributed.
‘Okay – take it easy,’
‘I think we’re on,’ said Anna. She switched the interior light to the off position, so that the car would not light up when Werner got out.
‘I’ll head in the other direction, then cut back,’ he said, getting out of the Polo and easing the door closed behind him. In the dark, Anna unholstered her SIG-Sauer service automatic, checked the magazine and pushed back the safety with her thumb.
Werner passed the car on the far side of the street. He maintained an even pace and kept his gaze straight ahead, not giving away that he had seen the woman move, a shadow within a shadow, up ahead and off to the left. He was now only thirty metres away from where the woman had concealed herself. He guessed that Anna was now out of the car and shadowing him on the other side, crouching to keep concealed behind the other parked vehicles. He kept his shoulders hunched and his hands rammed into the pockets of his thick woollen pea coat, as if shunning the cold night, but his hand was closed around the automatic he had stuffed into his right pocket. Without indicating he knew where she was, Werner angled his course out from the wall that would soon give way to bushes and trees, and walked on the cobbled street. There was no one else around. If this was their woman, she would make her move soon.
He feigned surprise when she stepped out in front of him.
‘Hello,’ she said. Werner heard tension, almost nervousness, in her voice. ‘Are you looking for fun?’ The woman was tall, blonde and heavily made up. At first Werner thought she was in her early thirties, but when he took a step closerhe could see that the make-up was thick to hide skin that had seen a lot of summers.
‘That depends,’ he said. ‘How much?’
‘I’m not greedy,’ she said. ‘I’m not supposed to be working here. I’ll make it cheap, but we have to do it in here, behind the tree.’ She began walking backwards into the shadows, crimson lips smiling.
‘Okay …’ Werner followed her without looking up or down the street, keeping her eyes held with his, in case she spotted Anna moving in.
‘How much?’ he asked again, making it look as if he were reaching for his wallet while using both hands to start easing his automatic from his coat pocket.
‘We’ll talk about that later,’ she said and held out her hand. ‘Come on.’
‘I thought you girls always like your money up front,’ said Werner. This was it.
She reached inside her coat.
Werner drew his automatic and aimed at her face. ‘Polizei Hamburg! Put both hands on your head! Do it. Now!’
He was aware of Anna moving in behind the prostitute. He didn’t know how, but she had managed to manoeuvre around to the back of the scruffy triangle of waste ground. The hooker stared at Werner, confused. Anna grabbed her by the coat collar.
‘On your knees. Now!’
The woman complied and Anna snapped a set of cuffs onto one wrist, pulled it down behind her back, then the other. Werner radioed in for a custody vehicle.
Further down Silbersackstrasse a group of young men came out of a bar. They were heading towards Hans-Albers-Platz, but the activity on the waste ground caught the eye of one, who called the others. The knot of men moved up the street, craning their necks to see what was going on.
‘Is everything all right?’ said one, with slurred suspicion as they drew near. ‘What the fuck y’doin’ to her?’
Anna held up her bronze oval Criminal Service disc. ‘Police. Nothing for you to worry yourself about.’
‘What the fuck’s going on?’ asked one of his friends. ‘What the fuck’s she done?’
‘Nothing,’ she said pleadingly, ‘I’ve done nothing. I’m just a working girl and they’ve arrested me.’
‘That’s not right,’ said the first drunk, shaking his head sombrely. ‘That’s just not fuckin’ right.’
‘Yeah – fucking pigs,’ one of his friends contributed.
‘Okay – take it easy,’
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