Tretjak by Max Landorff

philosophy which many modern psychotherapists believe in: there is no one truth, only the construct of many personal truths. And that particularly applies to the soul. Let me put it differently: if a patient has panic attacks and receives a plausible explanation for why these attacks occur then this explanation helps him. Is the explanation the truth? Doesn’t matter, the main thing is it works.’ That had been Professor Kufner’s area of research, Treysa said. Kufner had talked about new constructs, which patient and therapist should build together. Kufner, according to Treysa, always talked about clients , he didn’t like the word patients.
    Maler wanted to say something just when the parrot from next door interrupted. Two or three times the word ‘woof’ was clearly audible.
    Treysa told the story of a dinner with Kufner in Vienna. Kufner’s wife had joined them, herself a psychologist. It had been a really nice evening. A beautiful restaurant, wonderful food, Tafelspitz (boiled beef, the local speciality) and the superb fluffy desert, Salzburger Nockerln . ‘Well, we all had a bit too much to drink. And at one point Mrs Kufner told the story of how her husband had once pacified a particularly irritating friend over coffee and cake.’
    â€˜Pacified?’ asked Maler.
    â€˜Sounds odd, doesn’t it? But he simply put this exhausting and always much too noisy friend into some kind of trance over coffee. I followed up, of course, and Mrs Kufner said her husband had used certain code words, which he repeated again and again in his conversation with the woman. In a way he reprogrammed a loud woman into a quiet one. If you ask me, Inspector, a commercial winner.’ Treysa laughed.
    Maler also laughed and then finished his water. ‘Tell me, in your article you are talking about the extremely controversial professor of psychiatry. Why was he so controversial? I guess not because of these coffee and cake experiences.’
    â€˜I’ve already said that Kufner was very charismatic. And he was prone to acting out the genius who changes the world. He once told me: “just imagine you could re-programme all the sick souls in the world...”’
    Maler repeated his question: ‘That’s why he was so controversial? A new version of the Frankenstein-theme? Only now in psychology?’
    â€˜That’s about it. Many of the so-called serious scientists don’t like megalomania, especially in others. In addition to that there were always those rumours which circulated about Kufner. Some people said Kufner was very rich. He himself didn’t talk about it. But there were persistent rumours that he made his services available to influential bosses of industry. There was even talk of involvement with some secret service or other. There was never any proof. Kufner only laughed when you spoke to him about it.’
    The conversation had come to an end, and Treysa accompanied the inspector to the door.
    Maler asked: ‘Do you think it possible that somebody murdered/killed Kufner because of his work?
    â€˜You are asking the wrong person there. I’m only the little editor of an even smaller psychology magazine.’
    â€˜How did you become the editor, by the way?’
    â€˜In my case, it was the fact that I was a therapist myself once upon a time, not even a bad one, but nobody liked me. I was too negative for them somehow. That’s why I became editor of my own magazine.’
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    When Inspector Maler had disappeared into the lift, Treysa went back into his office. He had not yet sat down before he picked up his mobile phone and dialled Gabriel Tretjak’s number.
    â€˜Hi. The inspector was here just now. He asked me lots of questions about Kufner.’
    â€˜Did he ask you about me?’ asked Tretjak.
    â€˜No,’ said Treysa.
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    Oberronnberg, Lower Bavaria, 11am
    Father Joseph Lichtinger unlocked the little church in