lying position. As he lay there, feeling the pressure of the paramedic’s fingertips on his wrist as she checked his pulse, Fabel felt a dull surprise as his eyelids closed. He was going to sleep.
Susanne arrived at the hospital in St Georg about half an hour after Fabel had been admitted. She looked shaken and Fabel found himself worrying more about her than himself as she sat at his bedside. She stayed there while he was reexamined on the hour. The frown on her face refused to dissipate, no matter how often he reassured her that he was all right, or the doctors told her that there was nothing to be concerned about.
‘I didn’t take in much water,’ he said. ‘That guy Flemming made sure of that. He got me out really quickly, Susanne. I’m fine, honest.’ He placed his hand on her cheek and smiled. She placed her hand over his.
‘They tried to kill you, Jan,’ she said incredulously. ‘These maniacs actually believe they can get away with trying to kill a senior Hamburg police officer.’
‘Truth is, as far as I can see, they are getting away with it. We have nothing to tie the vehicle that rammed into me with the Pharos Project or the Guardians of Gaia. Or anyone else for that matter. They could claim it was a random road-rage attack. I don’t know. But we’ll get them, don’t worry Susanne. We will get them.’
Anna Wolff came in. She clearly saw Susanne clasping Fabel’s hand and looked awkward for a moment.
‘It’s all right, Anna,’ said Susanne. Fabel thought he detected a little frost in her smile. She stood up, leaned over and kissed him proprietarily on the forehead. ‘I’ll go and get a coffee. I’ll be back in a minute.’
‘Sorry, Chef,’ said Anna. ‘I didn’t mean to…’
‘It’s fine, Anna. What’s up?’
‘Flemming has been given the all-clear to go, but he’s hanging around because he thought you’d want to talk to him. If you’re up to it, that is.’
‘Damned right I want to talk to him. Did he tell you why he was following me?’
‘You’re better getting all the details from him, but I gather that Seamark International works for a company called Demeril Importing. It’s a Turkish carpet and textile importer, down in the Speicherstadt. Seamark work for a lot of companies like that, providing security for imported and exported goods, even with men on ships safeguarding the cargo. They even have their own investigative branch, apparently. Mainly because the cargo and shipping they look after passes through so many jurisdictions and shades of legislation.’
‘What the hell has that got to do with anything?’
‘The owner of Demeril is a Herr Mustafa Kebir. His brother is a well-known Turkish archaeologist and environmental campaigner, Burhan Kebir, who happens to be very concerned about the whereabouts of his daughter…’
‘Meliha?’
‘Meliha Kebir — our Meliha Yazar — is an environmental campaigner and “underground” investigative journalist. The reason we could find no record of her is that she doesn’t write as either Meliha Kebir or Meliha Yazar. All her work appears on the internet on activist and environmental sites under the tag Mermaid. She’s already done several exposes on various companies who have shafted the environment. In two cases the internet shit-storm she’s created has spilled over into the mainstream media to such an extent that charges have been brought against the companies she’s named.’
Fabel eased himself up in the bed. His head still hurt like hell and he winced at the effort. ‘Exactly the kind of person the Pharos Project wouldn’t want anywhere near.’
‘I’ve been in touch with the mental health sanatorium in Bavaria where Fottinger was placed by his parents. I managed to get a federal warrant for their records on him and guess what?’
‘They’ve had some kind of computer glitch and the records have been mysteriously erased?’
Anna looked disappointed that she had not had a chance to drop her bombshell. ‘Lucky guess?’
‘Educated one. Anything else?’
‘Yes — Nicola Bruggemann is here to see you.’
‘How are you getting on with her?’
‘Fine. She’s a good cop, like you said.’
‘That it?’
Anna shrugged. ‘Oh no, there was one more thing. Fabian Menke called to cancel. He said he’d arranged to meet you but something had come up and could you reschedule for same time, same place tomorrow?’
Fabel frowned. ‘That’s who I was going to meet when I got shunted into the river.’
‘Will you be up to seeing him tomorrow?’
‘All I’ve had is a needle in my ass for tetanus. I’m fine. A little shaken, that’s all.’
‘They want to keep you in overnight, just for observation.’
‘They can observe me remotely. Will you get my clothes for me while I talk to Nicola? Susanne brought in a fresh change of clothes for me. And you better get them here before Susanne comes back. She’ll want me to stay in.’
‘How’s it going, Jan?’ Bruggemann asked in her low contralto as she sat down on the edge of the bed. ‘Do you have a moment for a chat? I mean, you don’t have anything planned, do you? A swim or…’
‘Very funny, Nicola. Have you been taking sarcasm lessons from Anna Wolff?’
‘There are a few things young Anna could teach me, Jan. That’s not one of them.’
Anna came back in and handed Fabel his clothes. ‘You’d better be quick,’ she said. ‘I think they’ve told the chief nurse and she’s steaming this way. I’ll leave you to it.’
As Anna left, Fabel made a face at Bruggemann who turned her back to him as he stood up and dressed. He found his head still hurt and he was a little unsteady on his feet.
‘All of this crap about me being in charge of the Network Killer case because you’ve been compromised…’ said Bruggemann. ‘I’ve had a word with Criminal Director van Heiden and he agrees that the attempt on your life makes it all a crock of shit.’
‘“Crock of shit”?’ Fabel grinned. ‘I take it you didn’t actually use that phrase to Horst van Heiden? It’s okay, by the way, I’m decent.’
She turned to face him. ‘As a matter of fact, I did. You know, for a police officer with a service as long as his, and who’s bound to have seen his fair share, he certainly does shock easy. Anyway, he agrees that whoever tried to compromise you has clearly decided to take a more direct approach, so he’s agreed that you should head up the enquiry again.’
‘You want out?’ asked Fabel.
‘Not necessarily. I’m quite into the case and would like to stick with it. Under your supervision, that is. If you’re comfortable with that. I mean, that’s really what’s been happening anyway. Unofficially.’
‘How has the team been with you?’
‘Great. You’ve put together some squad there, Jan. Werner’s been a star, Dirk, Henk, Thomas and the others have been really good. Anna can be a little… feisty.’ Bruggemann grinned as she said the word.
‘Nicola, is this a job application?’
‘Could be, Jan. I know you’re a senior down since Maria Klee…’ She faltered. Everybody had learned to tiptoe around the subject of what had happened to Maria. ‘It’s just that you and I have always worked well together and I think it would be a good challenge for me. And I do know you could do with the support. Unless you don’t think I’m up to it…’
‘Don’t be silly, Nicola, you know how highly I think of you. It’s just that you have your own unit. You sure you want to be second fiddle again?’
‘Your team has a Republic-wide reputation, Jan. No one is going to see it as a backward step for me. And there’s a limit to how long you can work in the Child Crime Unit before it starts to really get to you.’
Fabel nodded; he could imagine. The Child Crime Unit was on the same floor as the Murder Commission and Fabel passed it often. There was a room set aside, incongruously bright and colourful against the rest of the Presidium’s tonal decor, as a playroom, with toys, children’s books and games. The intention was to put the children brought there at their ease; a place where it was safe to be a child. Every time he passed it, Fabel thought of the price each child must have paid before they could play in that room.
‘The other thing is that I have experience with dealing with that geek Kroeger. I sense you and he don’t hit it off too well. I’ve worked with him closely through the Child Crime Unit. He’s been invaluable at times and we get on. If I stick with the Network Killer case, I could maybe provide a more constructive liaison with the Cybercrime Unit.’
‘Oh, yes… I need you for your people skills.’ Fabel smiled. ‘Okay, Nicola, let me talk it over with the Criminal
