Deadly obsession E-Book

P R Mosler

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 588

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

With the exception of Lake Laach, the volcanoes in the Eiffel should actually be extinct. So where does the gas cloud of carbon dioxide that forms in the underground tunnels of the Ofenkaulen come from? Is it related to the earthquake two days ago or is there another reason? While Gerd Bach and his friends search for the cause, Emma has to confront her past in order to protect her Berlin colleagues from assassination attempts that are actually aimed at her. Can Gerd and his team protect the local population from the extreme threat of a planned sabotage and track down the person responsible? Will Emma manage to stop the insane serial killer before he kills again?

Leseprobe

Foreword

Desire that arises from unfulfilled love,

gives food to madness.

1 Prologue

May 2007

"Hurry up," the prison officer urges the rushing emergency services.

The two paramedics, followed by the emergency doctor, hurry past him into the single cell, the door of which he holds open for the arrivals. The doctor only takes a quick look at the man lying on the floor, with two other officers kneeling by him. Their helpless expressions show him that no help has yet been given to his patient.

When the emergency doctor takes his place next to the prisoner, the two officers who had been looking after him until then step back.

"The man has been complaining about pain in his heart area recently," one of the guards tells him. "He has been to the doctor several times. But nothing has been found so far."

"That will most likely have changed now," the doctor replies. He looks at his patient during the examination. David Blankenfelde is thirty years old, 1.80 meters tall, with thick blond hair and an athletic figure. Women would certainly describe him as handsome and attractive. But at the moment he is lying in front of him, breathing heavily, bathed in sweat and twitching convulsively all over.

While the doctor sets up the IV line, he continues to question the prison officer: "Were there any signs of discomfort before?"

"He complained of stomach pains, he felt sick and he wasn't hungry. His dinner went back untouched. He'd had a headache since that evening. He just wanted to sleep. That's why I checked on him several times. He became increasingly restless. That's when I sent for you. About five minutes before you got here, he passed out."

"His heart is racing," one of the two paramedics informs the doctor. "Decreased pulse rate," he also passes on.

"Is he taking medication?" the doctor wants to know.

"No. He doesn't have any prescription medication that we would have had to get for him. He also failed the regular drug test every time."

"We have to take him with us. The man belongs in a hospital."

"I'll get you an escort and the permit as quickly as possible," promises the guard at the door. He has no doubt that the emergency doctor's statement is true. "I'll be right back."

Initial treatment of the prisoner is completed. Together with the officer assigned to accompany them, they make their way to the waiting ambulance. The first aiders push the stretcher with the patient into the transport compartment and secure it in the holders provided. The accompanying law enforcement officer holds up the infusion bottle, which is connected to the access point on the back of the patient's hand. On the other side, the inmate's wrist is chained to the stretcher with a handcuff to make it more difficult for him to escape. While the doctor and guard join the man, the two rescuers sit in the driver's seat and the passenger seat.

"Everything okay?" asks the driver Timo Unger briefly.

"Yes."

The van races through the gate at high speed towards the country road in order to cover the distance to the prison hospital as quickly as possible. The driver switches on the blue lights to indicate that he is driving with special rights. He leaves the siren off, as traffic is sparse at midnight. They have covered half the distance when the driver draws his companion's attention to the car that has been following them at the same speed for some time.

"Is this guy crazy?" Timo snaps. "We're on a winding country road at one hundred and twenty kilometers per hour and this guy wants to overtake us?"

"Probably drunk," suspects his co-driver. "As long as he lets us drive, that shouldn't be our problem for now. We have to take care of our freight. The bends will stop soon, then it'll be straight. Let him pass! I'll write down the number and report him later."

"Yes, good." Timo makes sure that he maintains his speed. This will hopefully give the other driver a better idea of how to behave.

The driver of the car swerves without putting on his blinker. When he appears next to Timo's side window, he also recognizes the type of vehicle. It is a Ford Ranger 3.0 liter pick-up. A diesel with 156 hp. Two people are sitting in it. Timo can't recognize anyone because neither of them is sitting on the passenger side. He doesn't think about the car or its occupants any further. However, he notices two things almost simultaneously. There is a huge dark puddle on the road in front of him and the vehicle next to him reduces its speed until they are both driving at the same speed. Irritated, he looks out of the side window.

At this moment, the driver pulls his pick-up truck with momentum against the side of the ambulance. At the very front, at the tip of the mudguard, the vehicles collide.

"Hey!", Timo shouts indignantly. He automatically yanks the steering wheel to the right and slams on the brakes.

"Hold on," calls his colleague from behind.

Then they slide through the dark puddle, over the hard shoulder between the trees that line the country road on this side. The ambulance slams into one of the thick tree trunks and is brought to an abrupt halt. Both rescue workers land with their heads in the bursting airbags. Dazed, they remain in their seats.

At the first call from his colleagues, the emergency doctor places his upper body protectively over the patient. He holds on to the side of the stretcher.

The prison officer, who is riding along as a guard, quickly looks for a place where he can secure himself sufficiently, but his fall is unavoidable. With his hands over his head for protection, he remains crouched down until the vehicle stops. Boxes, bags, boxes of medication and bandages fly through the hold, but nothing worse happens. Neither the doctor nor the supervisor and certainly not the patient suffer any injuries.

"Are you all right? Are you injured?" the doctor asks the guard as he tends to the patient.

"No, I'm unharmed," he replies. The prison officer remains lying down for a moment, then begins to free himself from the garbage around him.

Meanwhile, the pick-up truck stops at the side of the road. Cynthia Blankenfelde and Phillip Schneider get out. They walk towards the ambulance without haste.

Phillip opens the driver's door. "Are you all right?" he asks.

Timo lifts his head. He has a large laceration on his forehead. Blood is running down his eye, but he feels far too groggy to wipe it away with the back of his hand. His head is pounding, like after being hit with a hammer. Angry, he wants to snap at the man, but he doesn't get the chance.

As both rescuers look at him, Phillip has achieved what he wanted. He lifts the spray bottle and sprays the liquid directly into the faces of the two people in front of him. He protects his own face with his handkerchief. The xylocaine pump spray contains a high dose of the active ingredient lidocaine 1 . After the first few breaths, the two men collapse onto the airbags in a daze.

1 Lidocaine is a local anesthetic (anesthetic and painkiller)

Meanwhile, Cynthia opens the rear doors of the ambulance. She catches sight of the emergency doctor, who is already standing next to his patient and checking his vital signs. The law enforcement officer is also getting to his feet.

"Are you all right?" asks Cynthia.

"Yes," confirms the security guard angrily. "But we don't have you to thank for that." The pretty looks of the 1.70 meter tall woman don't interest him one bit.

"I'm sorry," the woman tells him dejectedly. "I think I've blown a tire."

"You think?"

"Unfortunately, I have no idea about such technical things. I don't know whether I'm allowed to continue driving."

"Take a look at this," the doctor asks. "We'll get out of here all the quicker. I'll look after our patient for a while."

The prison officer casts a doubtful glance at the prisoner before admitting defeat. "All right, I'll check on your two helpers right away." The officer awkwardly climbs out of the van over the utensils scattered on the floor. As he turns the corner of the vehicle, he too is stopped by Phillip's stun spray.

Cynthia is already standing by. She's just been waiting for this moment. "Oh my God!" she screams, as horrified as possible. She grins mischievously at Phillip for a moment. She spins on her heel and runs the few steps back to the rear of the van. "Doctor, come quickly! The man, he's just tipped over."

The emergency doctor raises his head in shock. "Tipped over?"

"Yes. He groaned and fell over. Now he's lying there on the floor and won't move."

It doesn't help, now he has to act. With one last look at his patient, he jumps out of the vehicle. "Where is the man?"

Instead of answering, Cynthia holds the spray bottle in his face. Holding a cloth in front of her own nose, she presses hard on the dosing head of the bottle several times. Dazed, the doctor slumps to the floor in front of her.

"Quick!" the twenty-five-year-old urges her companion. She herself jumps into the van in one leap. The prepared injection, which she pulls out of her jacket pocket, contains just the right dose of the epinephrine solution2 . The trained nurse knows exactly what is needed to help her brother get back on his feet. She slowly injects the liquid into the patient's vein via the access line set up by the emergency doctor. Now it's time to wait a few minutes. During this time, she and Phillip prepare what still needs to be done. Together, they hoist the doctor and the prison officer into their seats.

2 Adrenaline solution

Phillip searches in the officer's pockets for the key to the handcuffs. Before he climbs out of the vehicle, he hands it to his companion. He then inspects the crash site of the ambulance. He lies down under the van and disconnects the fuel line so that the gasoline can run out.

"Done," he tells Cynthia and turns to her.

"Well done!" Phillip hears a male voice behind him. Turning around, he recognizes David, who is standing next to his sister and smiling at him in a friendly manner. "Thank you for helping us." David has an arm around Cynthia's shoulders and is being supported by her. He is not yet fully on his feet. His health will only be fully restored with his sister's follow-up treatment. His forehead is drenched with sweat and it is a huge effort to keep himself upright. But he is getting better by the minute.

"You're welcome," says Phillip. He takes the proffered hand. "With the amount of money your sister's paying me for this, I'm getting the full package."

"I appreciate that." David scrutinizes the man. Cynthia has done a good job. Phillip not only has the same figure, his hair color and height also match. Instead of letting go of his counterpart's hand, he nods to his sister. She pulls up the spray bottle and stuns her boyfriend.

"Hey," he cries out, still startled, then sinks to the ground.

Cynthia helps her brother to change the unconscious man's clothes. A box of disposable gloves is attached to a holder on the back of the van. She hands David a pair of them. She herself has also been wearing gloves for some time.

He is still far too weak to help her. While David makes sure that the stunned patients continue to sleep, his sister places Phillip on the stretcher. The handcuff is now fastened around his wrist. Cynthia then expertly places the IV in the vein on the back of his hand. Thanks to her training, she has no problem with her task. It doesn't bother her that the needle is not sterile. 'I'm sure it won't kill him,' she says un coldly. She lifts the emergency doctor into a protective position with his upper body over Phillip. The doctor had tried to protect David in the same way during the accident.

She searches the inside of the van. She notices the ECG device with defibrillator and the emergency kit, both of which have come loose from their holders. 'That fits!' she says happily. She grabs the open emergency kit, aims it at the right spot on the officer's head and hits him hard. She then drops the case on the floor next to the man. The ECG device lands on the doctor's head with a swing. 'Now everything is perfectly prepared so that a forensic examination can't find anything other than an accident,' she assures herself. Cynthia gets out of the van and closes the rear doors.

The engine is still hot enough to provide the basis for their plan. The small flame works its way upwards at breakneck speed over the leaking gasoline under the engine compartment. When the hood flies open with a bang and a huge jet of flame shoots out, they know that they have reached their goal.

Satisfied, the siblings stop at a distance to watch the fire spread.

With his hands in his trouser pockets, David watches the spectacle with fascination. "Were you able to do everything we agreed?" he asks his sister without looking away.

"Of course. The necessary work was completed without a hitch. My girlfriend is a gifted computer expert. It was child's play for her to swap your dental chart and the fingerprints in the files with Phillip's. She also changed your DNA. I have no idea what she had to do. But she did an excellent job. Nobody noticed anything, otherwise they would have called you in for a comparison long ago."

"When did you go through with it?"

"Four months ago," Cynthia smiles. "After all, my girlfriend then went deep-sea fishing in Canada. I don't have to tell anyone that she's looking at the forest around the TV tower on the Frauenkopf from below in the beautiful district of Stuttgart East instead. Don't you?"

David laughs happily. "What about you?"

"My flight ticket is also in the name of a friend. Hence the wig. Susanne has black hair. If for some reason they do look for me, they won't find anything like it. I have to go back to Stuttgart in two days. You'll be fully recovered by then. My girlfriend will pick me up at the airport. However, she will fall victim to a traffic accident the same evening after our aerobics class together. As the only witness, I will explain to the police exactly what we have been doing since I picked her up from the airport."

"Well thought out, sis."

"Sure. After all, I have no desire to end up in prison for murder. There are no traces that lead back to us. When I hear about your terrible death by burning, I'll play the grieving sister. Nothing more!"

Only when they are sure that none of the casualties have escaped the fire do they get into the pick-up truck to leave.

2

"You are lucky, ladies and gentlemen, that you have managed to take part in such a seminar. We only get opportunities like this very rarely. The conference hotel in the Siebengebirge is ideal for stays lasting several days," says Professor Frank Klausthal, explaining the upcoming trip to the students. "The park and the green surroundings are ideal for concentrated work." He begins to smile as the twenty-four students roll their eyes in annoyance.

At the age of sixty-four, slightly overweight and with gray hair, the 1.72-meter-tall university professor at the Institute of Geology still doesn't feel too old to teach. The only thing that keeps slowing him down is the onset of old-age hypertension. He has also not been able to keep up with his sporty students for a long time. But that's not necessary. He has won the respect of his students with his open manner. He also recognizes this by the fact that the young people all sit in front of him and listen attentively without interrupting his explanations.

"We will spend a total of ten days there. The hotel is regularly fully booked and is of a high standard. I would ask you to behave accordingly. Mr. Staller will explain to you in detail what we are doing there." With that, he beckons to his doctoral student.

Andreas Staller jumped at the chance when the professor offered him a position at the Institute for Applied Geophysics and Geothermal Energy (GGE) at the University of Aachen three years ago. Since then, he has also been working on his doctoral thesis. Until now, the handsome twenty-eight-year-old has been quietly listening to his mentor's explanations, leaning his hips against the desk. With his height of 1.84 meters, his black hair and his humorously sparkling grey eyes, he is definitely a feast for the eyes of the female students in this class. Now he takes over the further explanations of the upcoming excursion.

"This geo excursion is something special," he begins. "We have a lot planned for you. There are a total of three lectures on the topic of 'Volcanism of the Siebengebirge'. Of course, you are mainly here because you want to discover new resources. But it is just as important to know about our past. The seminar includes three hiking tours, which we will tackle together. To start with, there will be a guided GPS seminar, which we will complete together. Afterwards, you can then set off on your own in small groups. I can't wait to see how many of you we can find afterwards," he adds challengingly.

The professor also smiles at Andreas' comment. "For you, that means one hundred percent attention during the seminars." He has long since recognized how the young people are doing by the way their eyes flash with exuberance. Sure, the seminar helps them to acquire the knowledge they need for their studies, but they are all between twenty-two and twenty-five years old and far from dry behind the ears. He is aware that fun and mischief are simply part and parcel of a trip like this.

"We leave on the Monday after Whitsun. Until then, we will clarify in detail what is needed for the trip and what you still have to do," Andreas promises the students.

Gerd Bach, project manager of a team of outstanding employees at Staller Industrie Werke GmbH, is just returning to his office from the executive floor when Uwe Meyer, the company's safety officer, crosses his path.

"Gerd, wait please," the colleague stops him. As he walks towards Gerd, he looks at his boss. Peter Staller, the company boss, brought Gerd into the company with a one-off offer. The twenty-eight-year-old electrical engineer is now his deputy, the second man in the factory. With his humorous and companionable manner, the head of special projects has not only won the respect but also the friendship of his team colleagues. Andreas Staller, the son of the CEO, and Gerd have been friends since they were eleven years old. He has also been in and out of the Staller family's home since then. They have become his family. His well-trained, athletic figure, his height of 1.86 meters, his brown hair and eyes the color of shiny honey make many woman's heart beat faster. Uwe knows that Gerd wasn't averse to indulging in the odd crush in the past. But that changed completely when he met Emma. He is now in a steady relationship with her. Uwe is convinced that there is no better woman for his friend than Chief Inspector Emma Wolf from the State Office of Criminal Investigation. "Do you have a few minutes for me?" he asks his boss.

"Sure, come to my office," Gerd asks his friend.

Thirty-seven-year-old Uwe Meyer is the man in charge of plant and personal security in and around the Staller company. His responsibilities include security during field operations for the fourteen-strong team led by his boss Gerd Bach. As a pilot, he keeps their backs free as much as possible and ensures that the necessary equipment is procured. The 1.85 meter tall, muscular man with the short brown haircut and blue-grey eyes completed a military career before being recruited by company boss Peter Staller. None of his friends could imagine the humorous man without his three-day beard, even if it does give him a somewhat uncouth appearance.

In the room in front of Gerd's office, they meet Anna Zerlinski.

The twenty-eight-year-old secretary started working at this company together with Gerd. Gerd and his friend Andreas Staller have been friends with the pretty 1.70 meter tall blonde with the blue eyes since they were students together . With no regard for her own life, she has often stood by them in dangerous situations. Her responsibilities include coordinating his work steps and those of his entire team. Her outstanding performance in this role takes the pressure off the entire team. At the same time as Gerd met Emma, Anna fell in love with Emma's brother Stefan Wolf. Here, too, a lasting relationship has developed that her friends can only approve of. She smiles at her boss. "I've finished revising the schedules for the second quarter. I've also prepared the plans for the third quarter," she tells him after she has also greeted Uwe. "We can go through them together at any time." With that, she hands Gerd a stack of papers.

"We'll do that straight away," promises Gerd. "As soon as I've spoken to Uwe."

"I'm sure it won't take long," assures the friend.

"So, what's on your mind?" Uwe is interrogated by his boss after they have taken a seat at Gerd's desk.

"You know that Dominik and I have to have our flying licenses renewed regularly. But the prescribed flying hours are not enough for us. We have to go through regular inspections by the relevant authorities in order to obtain the necessary licenses."

"Sure, I'm aware of that."

"We're due back there in July at the latest."

"In July?" Startled, Gerd stares at the pilot. "We start the new major project at the beginning of the month. Is that exactly when you're both off?"

"Theoretically, yes. But to make sure it doesn't get that far, you have me," Uwe claims arrogantly.

Gerd has to laugh at the pilot's self-praise. "I'm really looking forward to that."

Uwe hands his boss the copies he has had with him the whole time. "About twice a year, the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance holds a standardized nationwide seminar for future helicopter doctors. A briefing for doctors on civil defense helicopters."

"What do you want with a seminar like this?" asks Gerd in astonishment. "Are you trying your hand at air rescue now?"

"Not that, but the course offers much more than we normally do. And it is fully recognized. That means we also get our licenses approved. They have trained instructors there who have many years of experience. It's not just about medical equipment and care, the curriculum also includes meteorology, technology and handling. Active federal police pilots pass on their experience and act as instructors."

"That sounds really interesting. How did you find out about this course?"

"Through a friend. Tilman Wehr completed his flight training with me. At some point, he joined the Federal Police helicopter squadron as a flight instructor. We met recently in a pub in the old town. We talked about it that evening. Now he's sent me the documents. It's a special course that takes place out of turn, as they've had lots of requests for a refresher course. Given the number of people interested, they only accept those who are basically involved in this work. I thought we could justify this by saying that we want to set up our own medical care at the special projects in the future."

His boss nods at him. "It's not a bad idea. Regardless of the course. We should put that up for discussion. Accidents on the construction sites have been limited among our people, but we've had difficulties from time to time."

"I thought about that too. However, the course has to be privately financed and is not exactly a bargain. I would really like to take part in it. It also starts on the fourth of June. It lasts four days."

Gerd raises his head with interest. "That would be finished before our new job," he says. He takes a look at the sum shown in thick figures on the last page of the registration form. 'A hefty price,' he notes. He will certainly need a lot of persuasion. He looks thoughtfully at the pilot. "Tell me, how many participants can you register?"

The question makes Uwe grin broadly. "I was thinking of three. Surely you don't want to let your license expire. Or do you have something else in mind?"

"Three is good," Gerd agrees cheerfully. "I'll get the boss to approve it and you take care of the registration!"

"All right." Satisfied, Uwe disappears to tackle his task.

Martin Wagenknecht, head of personnel for the air rescue squadron attached to the Duisburg Accident Clinic, enters the small office of emergency doctor Sascha Meyer. The thirty-four-year-old blonde has once again applied for additional duty as a helicopter doctor. So far, she has always been refused by her boss. For the 1.76 meter tall, good-looking doctor, this is incomprehensible.

"Sascha," Martin begins as he enters. He holds up the papers in his hand. "You've asked to take part in this special course. What do you expect to gain from it?"

It bothers Sascha immensely that he just calls her that. She never agreed to it and certainly didn't encourage him to do so. The fifty-two-year-old is not her type at all. Not only is he over eighteen years older, but the 1.70-metre-tall man with greasy light hair and the beginnings of a bald head comes across as arrogant and full of himself.

"Can't you imagine that? You told me that I couldn't work on the rescue lift without this training. But you've always refused to give me a place on the regular courses."

"Sure. I only get a certain budget for it. So I have to prioritize the active crews."

"Yes, but they have all completed their course for this year. The fact that I came across this special course is pure coincidence. It takes place out of turn and is therefore very suitable for me. If necessary, I'll pay for it myself," she offers. "But I can't take part without officially registering via your desk."

Martin looks her in the eye thoughtfully. Then he seems to give in. "All right, then. I'll tell you what we're doing. I'll register you. I'll also register as a guest student. Then I can keep an eye on you. If everything goes as I imagine it will, we'll talk about your future assignments afterwards."

Sasha's wonderful dark blue eyes light up with delight. The course is certainly not easy, but she is ready to devote herself fully to the task. "Thank you. I promise I'll make a special effort. I can do it!" Full of energy, she tosses her long braided plait back over her shoulder. She has had to wait all too long for the chance to prove her skills.

Martin senses the desire for this woman burgeoning inside him. So far, she has always eluded him. Even his cautious remarks that she only had to come a little closer to him to be allowed to do her job on the rescue helicopters did not make her react. But things are different now. After all, she has just promised him that. Now he is also looking forward to the four days at the seminar. He will gladly pay for the double room out of his own pocket. 'Just in case,' he advises himself, 'that way it won't even come up here.

At the same time in Berlin, Konrad Schrader, Deputy Head of Department Six in the Federal Chancellery, puts the cordless phone back in its base station. What he has just heard makes the forty-three-year-old stare thoughtfully in front of him. The 1.80 meter tall man with dark brown hair is well-trained and intelligent. The gray hairs on his temples prove that his work is not always easy. He thinks back over the conversation he has just had.

"We found an entry in David Blankenfelde's file that you are to be informed in the event of a change," the Federal Police detective told him.

"That's right," Konrad agreed with the man.

"May I ask why that is? What does the Federal Intelligence Service, or rather what do you have to do with this man?"

"I know him. Or rather, I thought I knew him. I testified at his trial. He was in a relationship with my wife's goddaughter for about six months, but he really hurt her. It was only through her that his brutal nature and his cracked psyche were uncovered."

"So she was one of the women this man abused?"

"She put him in jail!"

"According to our file, it was Chief Inspector Emma Wolf from the Federal Criminal Police Office."

"That's right. David Blankenfelde threatened her severely back then. I'd hate to see one of our best officers get into trouble."

"You no longer need to count on that," his interlocutor promised him.

"Why? What happened?"

Konrad listened to the description of the accident in amazement. "And there's no doubt? The man was positively identified?"

"Yes. The sparse fingerprints and the tooth pattern were compared. They match 99.7 percent. The DNA matches the data stored in the central computer 100 percent."

"That's more than you would expect after an accident like this."

"Yeah, right."

"What happens to the man now?"

"His sister is coming here from Stuttgart to bury him as soon as the body is released. Until then, the body will remain in the custody of the coroner's office. The pathologist told me it could take up to two weeks. They're currently working on another case that has priority."

"I understand. Thank you very much for informing me so quickly."

"You're welcome."

'The fact that this man can no longer harm Emma is not such a bad thing,' Konrad judges. 'Sure, I shouldn't think like that,' he admonishes himself. But David Blankenfelde has done his wife Brigitte's goddaughter a lot of harm. And not just her! The man was prone to violence. He systematically and regularly beat up his girlfriends. When he came across Emma, he ended up with the wrong girl. Right from the start, she didn't put up with his dominant behavior. She fought back and stopped the guy. He was given twelve years. He had served five of them so far. 'The rest will probably be done now,' he estimates. 'The man is dead. Why do I have such a bad feeling? Could it be that something is not quite right here? His thoughts are interrupted by his boss entering.

"What's wrong with you?" Wolfgang Keller immediately recognizes that Konrad has something important on his mind. As he has been friends with his deputy for a long time, he puts his own concerns on the back burner. 'Apparently there are more important things to clarify here,' he suspects. He listens attentively to what his friend has to tell him.

As head of Department Six within the Federal Chancellery, the ministerial director is responsible for the three German intelligence services as well as the elite units of the special task forces, personal protection and open reconnaissance. In his role as intelligence coordinator, Emma Wolf also worked for the forty-eight-year-old civil servant until just under a year ago. Wolfgang Keller is 1.80 meters tall, with thick dark brown hair and an athletic figure. His brown eyes give an alert, intelligent impression. He also knows about the incident with David Blankenfelde from her file. 'Is Konrad right,' he wonders, 'is there something wrong? He certainly won't leave it to chance. He still owes his former agent a great deal. After all, he owes his life to this woman. His thoughts wander to the incidents that earned him two bullets but didn't kill him. But his opponents did not give up. The fact that he survived the subsequent assassination attempts is solely thanks to Emma Wolf and her support from the members of the Staller project team. "I'll get us the file," he promises Konrad, nodding with satisfaction.

On the same day, the ministerial director receives the requested documents. The two men spend a long time looking at the details, examining the photos, reading the reports and examination results from the forensic medicine and forensic science departments. But they find nothing unusual.

"The only striking thing about the whole story is that there was this pool of oil on the road exactly where the ambulance had to brake," says Konrad.

"Yes. Apparently the car skidded there, so that only the tree could stop it. There is nothing to indicate that third parties intervened. There were also no signs of arson. Spontaneous combustion caused by gasoline leaking from the hot engine. The injuries of the deceased also do not indicate any external influence. In addition, all of them were identified beyond doubt."

"You're right," Konrad agrees. Then he lifts his head and looks at his friend beggingly. "I have to tell Emma . Stefan too. But not on the phone. Wolfgang, I have to go to Düsseldorf."

"Then why are you still standing around here?" the friend asks sternly.

"Thank you." He reaches for his phone, books the next flight and signs up for a visit with Gerd Bach and Emma Wolf.

In the late afternoon, the Eurowings Airbus A319 takes off and lands in Düsseldorf after an hour and fifteen minutes. Konrad arrives at Emma and Gerd on time. As he greets them warmly, he is reminded of how the two met around a year ago.

At the age of nineteen, Emma Wolf began her career with a dual course of study in the criminal investigation service alongside her work at the Federal Criminal Police Office. Just five years later, she left the service with the rank of chief detective inspector to work in Berlin under her father Richard Wolf as a representative of the Federal Intelligence Service. It was only after his violent death that Wolfgang Keller took over as intelligence coordinator. Emma had to work with Gerd to free Peter Staller, who had been kidnapped by a brutal group of neo-Nazis. After freeing the head of the group, the secret service agent decided to join forces with Gerd and moved to the State Office of Criminal Investigation in Düsseldorf. Slender 1.79 meters tall, bright green-brown eyes, fine, even facial features with high cheekbones and a full, sensual mouth make for an exceptionally good appearance. Now twenty-seven years old, she has a long mane of deep burgundy hair mixed with a strong shade of red and a hint of dark mahogany.

Even before they can make themselves comfortable in the spacious living room, Stefan and Anna appear.

"I took the liberty of telling Stefan that I'm coming here today," admits Konrad.

Even though Emma is happy to see her brother's godfather, she realizes that he wouldn't just turn up without a good reason. Asking her brother to join them without prior notice shows that he has something important to tell them. That's why she speaks to him about it quite quickly after greeting him.

Konrad smiles. "Can't you imagine that I just want to see how you've settled in Düsseldorf?"

When Emma just looks at him provocatively, Stefan and Gerd start laughing at the same time.

"Got you," Stefan says cheerfully. The twenty-nine-year-old elite policeman is doing his police service in a unit of the Düsseldorf special task force. The 1.82-metre tall, well-trained lone fighter with short reddish-blonde hair and cocky, flashing green eyes moved from Berlin to Düsseldorf shortly before Emma arrived. The decision was not difficult for him after he met Anna Zerlinski.

"All right," Konrad admits in defeat. "I'm here for David."

"What about him?" Unpleasant memories of the man she once thought she loved immediately come back to Emma. And he loved her. Only Stefan didn't trust him. She was firmly convinced that her brother was simply jealous. For six months, David and she were the happiest couple in the whole world. At least that's what she thought. Until he struck for the first time. She quickly realized that David Blankenfelde had a massive problem. He was looking for contact with self-confident women whom he had to prove that they couldn't hold a candle to him. But she didn't put up with anything and put up a fight. In doing so, she really provoked his anger. Emma proved to him that a policewoman is capable of winning a situation like this. David had to take far more than he could dish out. She then had him arrested by her colleagues. Even before the court hearing was scheduled, other women came forward to testify against the man and he was sentenced to twelve years in prison. Emma suffered for a long time because of what she had experienced. Only Gerd managed to break through the wall of aloofness that she had built up around herself.

"He's dead," Konrad tells her.

"Dead?" Stefan is amazed. "He was in prison. What happened?"

Konrad describes in as much detail as possible what happened that evening in the prison and on the subsequent journey to the prison hospital.

"What did your check reveal?" Emma asks. Even without asking, she knows that Konrad has scrutinized every little detail. His answer confirms her suspicions.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Everything matches, right down to the dental scheme."

"What about the other people who have had accidents?"

"It all fits together. Even the trajectory of the ECG device, which was torn from its anchorage and hit the emergency doctor in the head, corresponds to the calculations of the forensic department."

Emma stares at him. The hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Something about the story bothers her. 'But what? She can't think of anything.

"What's bothering you?" Gerd has not missed the fact that his girlfriend has doubts.

"I have no idea. I have a feeling we're missing something. But I can't think of what it could be."

"I felt the same way," Konrad confirms. "Wolfgang and I went through all the documents down to the last detail. We didn't find anything."

"Could it be that you're just upset?" Stefan asks cautiously. "After all, you were one of the people involved."

'Possibly,' Emma admits.

"In any case, it can no longer cause any damage," Konrad concludes.

Emma stares pensively in front of her without agreeing with him.

3

Scheduled in the middle of the summer semester, it is the first excursion for this Master's course. In seven weeks' time, at the end of July, the second semester ends for the students. Andreas notices the excitement reflected in the young people's faces. They get off the bus nervous and full of expectations. He remembers well that he went through the same thing a few years ago.

For the experienced Professor Frank Klausthal, it is no problem to allocate the students to the rooms in the pre-booked accommodation.

'No one can do that as well as Professor Klausthal,' says Andreas with a smile.

They were accompanied by Dr. Ute Harras and Professor Rania Nayak-Lotze.

Andreas got to know the extremely tough forty-eight-year-old doctor last year during an excursion into the forests of the Upper Palatinate district of Cham. Although she struggles with health restrictions, the plump, 1.69 meter tall blonde proved what she is made of. Not only humor, wit and tolerance characterize this woman, but also intelligence, courage and determination. Her blue eyes sparkle merrily behind her typically extravagant glasses. Andreas admires this woman for her character.

Indian geologist Rania Nayak-Lotze came to Aachen University after marrying Professor Rainer Lotze. Now fifty-one years old, the professor is extremely pretty with her long black hair.

On the day of arrival, the students are given an insight into this seminar in an initial training session. They will also be familiarized with the schedule.

Hartmut Beiersdorff, who is chairing the conference, opens the rest of the proceedings to the audience. "After sitting so much today, you must be longing for some exercise," he says with a smile. "I will personally accompany you on tomorrow's hiking tour that we have planned for you. I promise you that you will get to know a lot of new things. Today is the first rain-free day in a long time, so you should get through the tour dry. But there will be plenty of muddy paths. I would therefore ask you all to make sure that you wear suitable footwear. Sturdy hiking boots would be just the thing for this tour, I think. Are you all equipped with them?"

The young people, well prepared thanks to Andreas, nod eagerly at the man.

"Excellent," beams Hartmut. "The hike starts on the doorstep of the conference hotel, passes Heisterbach Abbey and offers beautiful views of the Ölberg and Siegburg. The old quarries, gorges and rock formations that we will encounter along the way will certainly be of interest to you as geologists. There are also many viewpoints and three places to stop for refreshments at the right distance along the tour. This is a popular circular hiking trail whose route takes us off the beaten track through the Siebengebirge. The duration is three and a half hours. Two breaks are already planned. But there will also be plenty of time for your questions and my talks. The route is just under eleven kilometers long and we will cover a total of three hundred and fifty-five meters in altitude. Your teachers can now explain to you in detail what you need to take with you on tomorrow's hike. We'll see you outside the door after breakfast at nine o'clock."

As Hartmut leaves the room, he has to smile at the students' shocked looks. They had probably not planned on getting up so early.

In Berlin, David Blankenfelde has been sitting over the documents his sister got him since the weekend. Cynthia's computer expert did a great job before succumbing to an overdose at the disco that night. But that doesn't interest David. The only thing that matters to him is the results of this research. Emma Wolf was working for the Federal Criminal Police Office when he was arrested. But apparently she is no longer employed there. She had just finished her bachelor's degree in law enforcement and had started a Master of Public Administration and Police Management. She completed the course in the standard period of two years. She completed it with the rank of Chief Superintendent of Criminal Investigation at the age of just twenty-four. Immediately afterwards, she handed in her notice. After that, there is no trace of her. What a bummer! He has no desire to wait any longer for his satisfaction. Her mother is in a care facility. That doesn't help him either. Her father was murdered about two years ago. David grins. 'At least it's something! But that doesn't help him either. And those stupid godparents don't seem to live in Ludwigsburg any more either. He could never stand the Schraders, but Emma was attached to them.

Until he finally finds Emma, her colleagues will have to do the job. Twenty-eight of the women eligible for his project are serving within easy reach. That's where he will start. He reaches for one of the photos at random. A pretty red blonde in uniform smiles back at him from the picture. Police inspector Judith Risse. Highway patrol. Twenty-nine years old. 'Why not? She's just as good as any other,' he decides. Another photo catches his attention. 'A redhead! She still looks very young. That's perfect!' He reads the data from the back of the picture. Inspector Tina Lieberth, twenty-four years old. Patrol duty. 'These two will do for a start,' he decides.

At the start of his shift, David arrives in front of the police station where Inspector Tina Lieberth is on duty. From the moment she leaves the building, her adversary never takes his eyes off her.

He is not worried that anyone might recognize him. The dark wig and contact lenses give him a completely different look. He has also increased his girth considerably with appropriate clothing. His sister organized the uniform of a well-known parcel delivery service for him some time ago. This clothing will ensure that the people around him will not remember him, but will also not perceive him as a threat. 'That's the way it is,' he thinks. 'As long as everything goes to their satisfaction, then the service providers who make this possible are of no interest.

Chance plays into David's hands. The detective and her partner are called to a large department store on Kurfürstendamm. A couple of youths are rioting in the entrance hall.

"Come on, guys," Tina calls out to the eight fourteen-year-olds. Meanwhile, her partner asks for reinforcements. "Do you really want to be arrested for bumping into other people on the escalator?"

"What's it to you?" hisses the leader of the gang.

Enrico Seyfarth, Tina's partner, now also gets involved: "If we arrest you, you'll face legal proceedings . The minimum is a few hours of community service. But that can quickly increase. Especially if you don't stop now!"

"But you have to be able to arrest someone first," the boy laughs cheekily at him. He pushes the policeman aside with both hands.

The chief inspector takes a step backwards, trying not to lose his balance. He stumbles over the outstretched leg of a second youth. He is unable to catch himself and falls to the ground as the gang laughs loudly and makes off. Before Tina can bend down to help her colleague, Enrico snaps at her: "I'll be fine! Go on, grab at least one of these guys."

"Sure?"

"Damn it, now get on with it!"

Tina spins on her heel and runs after the young men. Her colleague scrambles to his feet and follows her as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, she already has a good head start. He briefly loses sight of her. Enrico runs along the corridor that the teenagers and Tina have taken so far. He looks down every side corridor without stopping. But he finds no sign of her anywhere.

David is thrilled. 'That stupid cow actually wants to take on the boys without any reinforcements,' he realizes. 'She's sealed her fate! He follows the woman in a flash, without anyone paying attention to him. The boys in this gang, roaring and laughing as they run away, attract everyone's attention.

Tina gets closer and closer to the boys. She follows them to the corner of an aisle. There, the fugitives tear open the door to the parking garage and hurry through.

"Come on," urges one of the last ones as he sees the policewoman approaching. After the others, he disappears into the parking garage just in time.

The officer only reaches the door when it is already closing again. She reaches for the handle with her right hand. She carefully pulls the door open and peers through. No one is standing behind it to harm her. At this moment, she notices the man running towards her from behind. She looks at the rushing man in amazement. She recognizes the parcel delivery service sign. 'Why does he have his jacket open?' she asks herself. 'Are they even allowed to do that? Defensively, she holds out a hand to him. But before she can stop him, he collides with her.

She feels the knife penetrating her stomach and how he pulls it out again. Startled, she breathes in. Her eyes widen in horror. 'What's going on here?' The pain robs her of the strength to free herself from the man's clutches. She feels nauseous and her vision blurs. She can't stay on her feet and grabs for help from the man, who roughly pushes her through the door into the parking garage. The knife penetrates her body one more time. She no longer feels the third stab.

David simply drops the woman. Then he disappears as he came. Unseen! However, he couldn't help but grin victoriously into the surveillance camera. 'I hope Emma gets to see this! He is sure that no one will recognize him.

The requested reinforcements arrive at the department store just a few minutes after the incident. They meet Enrico, who gives them a brief overview. They spread out over the entire floor. They systematically search the store until they find Tina behind the entrance to the parking deck. Every single stab was fatal. She had no chance. Tina's colleague, with the support of the sketch artist, organizes a large-scale manhunt for the young people they believe to be the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, David parks on Rudolstädter Straße, less than two minutes away from the highway patrol building. Now he zips up his jacket. That way, no one can notice the bloody marks on his shirt. Still in his parcel delivery uniform, he grabs the parcel lying on the passenger seat and makes his way to the highway police station. He casually enters the station.

"Can I help you?" an officer immediately asks him.

"I really hope so," David wishes. "I have a package here for a Mrs. Judith Risse. Rudolstädter Straße seventy-nine to eighty-three. The address is correct. But how surprised do you think I was when I saw that this is the highway patrol? Or have I come to the wrong address? Someone must have been joking," he says in frustration.

The officer has to laugh at the parcel deliverer's bewildered face. "No, you've come to the right place. Mrs. Risse is a colleague. That's probably why she ordered the parcel here. Please come with me."

The clerk stops at reception. "Can you check if Judith is in the house?" he asks the man on duty behind the counter.

"I don't need to check," says the clerk resolutely. "She's been on the night shift since yesterday, so she won't be here until half past seven this evening. I'm sorry," he turns to David. "But none of us are allowed to accept the parcel."

"Yes, I understand," he replies, supposedly frustrated. "Can I at least leave you a notification card for your colleague?"

"Sure, no problem."

He duly fills out the card from the post office that he stole from the parcel carrier on his last visit and hands it to the official. "Thank you very much." David quickly says goodbye. He knows what he has to do.

It's not so bad for his plan that the police building is bordered by tall trees facing the road. Although people keep appearing all around him, David manages to park his stolen Mercedes CLK 280, which boasts 231 hp, in front of the building on time without attracting attention. He recognizes her as she approaches the building. 'Somehow she even looks a bit like Emma,' he thinks. Without hesitation, he steps into her path.

"Hello Judith," he greets the astonished woman in a friendly manner.

Before she can ask a question, he pulls her in for a long kiss. In the process, he rams the knife hard into her chest. She doesn't have the strength to fight back. She can't scream either. She can only feel the cold spreading through her. Her legs give way beneath her. But David holds her in an iron grip.

He can feel the excitement spreading through him. 'What a great feeling! It takes two more stabs before he gets a grip on his intoxication and lets go of her. Almost lovingly, he sets her down against the wall of the property. Then he hurriedly gets into his car, move out of the parking slot as quickly as possible and speeds off.

Judith's colleagues wait in vain for her to start work on time. It is not until half an hour after the assault that she is found by several colleagues. By this time, she is no longer alive.

David, on the other hand, just feels great. It's as if he's been reborn. And he only has Emma to thank for that. He will come up with something very special for her death. But first he savors this feeling of power for a while. After all, there are plenty of policewomen just waiting for him. He laughs out loud to himself.

The wide, sleepy eyes of most of the students show Andreas that it was quite late for some of them the night before. However, he has to give them credit for the fact that no complaints about disturbances or nocturnal wandering have reached his ears. 'But what's not yet is still possible,' he warns himself. After all, he still remembers well how these seminars went a few years ago, when he also took part. 'I'll keep an eye on the troops,' he swears to himself.

Hartmut Beiersdorff joins them at nine o'clock on the dot. "Had a good night's sleep?" he asks the group, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

He doesn't get an answer, but the students gather to listen to him attentively.

"The first thing we'll do from here is walk to Heisterbach Abbey. This will take us about half an hour. For those of you who have problems with your shoes, this is just the right run-in route. We'll then do a check-up at the monastery before we really get going. Agreed?" At the general nod, he shoulders his rucksack. "Then let's get going."

After half an hour, they reach their first stage destination. To make the professor's hike easier, Andreas took on his luggage in addition to his own. The sporty doctoral student doesn't mind.

Frank Klausthal, on the other hand, is clearly delighted with the support. Until this morning, he had doubts about the benefits of imposing his support on the students. Andreas put his request up for open discussion. The ageing professor was delighted with the result. None of the young people wanted to start without him. They all promised him the necessary consideration for his health and that of the other accompanying persons.

Hartmut Beiersdorff repeatedly provides the group with information about the area they are walking through. "Before the monastery was built here in the Heisterbach Valley, it was located on the Petersberg." The guide points to the mountain with his hand. "It is one of the seven peaks of the Siebengebirge and is three hundred and thirty-one meters high. The monastery church was completed in 1237. Only Cologne Cathedral surpassed it in size at the time. The monks abandoned the monastery in 1803. Most of the buildings were demolished piece by piece. The stones were used to build the Ehrenbreitstein fortress in Koblenz, among other things. From here, the route continues in the direction of Weilberg."

After twenty minutes, they reach the small lake that lies picturesquely in the crater of the former volcano. A remnant from the time when basalt was quarried there. A memorial plaque nearby commemorates the mineralogist Hugo Laspeyres, who carried out research on the Weilberg. The route continues quickly to the Stenzelberg. This was used as a quarry until 1931. After it was closed down, a characteristic landscape developed here. A dry biotope with typical flora and fauna.

The next stage of your hike is the Nonnenstromberg, whose vantage point offers an impressive view of the Großer Ölberg, which at four hundred and sixty meters is the highest peak in the Siebengebirge.

They reach the Petersberg, on top of which the Steigenberger Grandhotel is enthroned. At lunchtime, the young people and their companions populate the beer garden behind the hotel. Andreas looks around among the students: 'We've picked a good group,' he says. With their friendly, helpful manner towards the serving staff, they have won them over straight away. They devote themselves to their drinks while listening attentively to Hartmut Beiersdorff.

"For some of you who are a little interested in politics, the Petersberg is probably not an unfamiliar place," he explains. "The Allied High Commission resided here from 1949 to 1952. Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer concluded the Petersberg Agreement with it on November twenty-second, 1949. The key points of the agreement were an important step on the way to a sovereign Federal Republic of Germany. Since 1990, the hotel has once again served as a guest house for the Federal Republic of Germany. National and international conferences are held here from time to time."

Frank Klausthal and Ute Harras find the one-hour break beneficial. Neither of them are as fit as they would like to be. But they all enjoy the hike with the students.

After a long rest, the descent begins. Two hundred and thirty-three meters of difference in altitude have to be overcome before they reach the Sülz winery in Oberdollendorf. After a short breather, they make their way through the vineyards. Then you follow the Rheinsteig trail. The long-distance hiking trail then leads them to their starting point at Heisterbach Abbey. The students use the half hour it takes the group to reach the conference hotel to ask their guide lots of questions.

4

"Tomorrow we'll visit the Drachenburg and the surrounding ruins. On the way back, we'll reach the so-called Ofenkaulen. I'll explain what they are all about on the spot," promises Hartmut Beiersdorff. "Finally, we'll take on the Mount of Olives. A real summit climb awaits you there. The well-deserved destination is the inn on the Mount of Olives. You will certainly enjoy this excursion. But now I would like to introduce you to a little of our ecology and geology."

Hartmut illustrates to the students what they, as geologists, need or should know about the Siebengebirge and its structure. It is easy to see that Hartmut Beiersdorff is in his element. Everyone listens to him attentively. Andreas is also fascinated by the interesting presentation. The young people learn a lot about the history of the Rhine and its deposits from Hartmut. And, of course, about the formation of gold and gold deposits.

"So, please," says Josef Krautmann, one of the students, indignantly. "Are you seriously trying to convince us that there is gold in the Rhine? Even today?" Some of his fellow students laugh with him.

"But yes!" Hartmut smiles conspiratorially at the group. "Have you never heard of 'Rheingold'?"

Andreas can't help but grin as all the students shake their heads in anticipation.

"You've never heard of the Nibelung saga or Siegfried the dragon slayer?" When Hartmut recognizes from the students' faces that their knowledge is at best half-baked, he begins his story with a grin: "The Nibelungen Hoard or Treasure of the Nibelungs is based on a legend about Siegfried." He tells the story of how Siegfried obtains the hoard in an exciting