JF01 - Blood Eagle by Craig Russell Read Free Book Online

gun.’
    Van Heiden bristled. ‘The MEKs perform a valuable function. And they are police officers just like us. What was Klugmann’s military record like?’
    ‘As far as I can see, it bordered on the exemplary …’
    ‘A good man turned bad …’
    ‘Or a highly professional thug changing sides … it all depends on how you look at it, sir.’
    This time Van Heiden ignored Fabel’s bait. ‘You think he’s holding back on us?’
    ‘I can’t for one minute believe that he doesn’t know the victim’s full name. But his alibi is tight. We need to confirm the exact time of death, but it’s almost definite that Klugmann is out of the frame.’
    ‘So why keep him under surveillance? Perhaps our resources could be better employed elsewhere?’
    Fabel could sense the exchange of incredulous looks between his team members. ‘Because, sir, we have a body without a name found in the most bizarre circumstances and Klugmann, I feel, is our best lead towards establishing her identity. Like I said, I believe he is hiding something. For all we know that something could be the identity of the killer … it could be that “Son of Sven” was one of the girl’s clients.’
    Fabel caught Dr Eckhardt’s glance but ignored it: she knew that he was throwing up a smokescreen. It was obviously a ploy to get Van Heiden off his back. It worked.
    ‘Okay,’ Van Heiden said. ‘But I’m more interested in the identity of our killer than of the victim. What else have we got underway?’
    ‘We’re still looking into the background of the other victim.’ Maria Klee pulled some notes from a file. ‘As far as we can see, there’s no connection between them. A prostitute and a high-flying civic lawyer. It looks like he’s picking them at random.’
    ‘It may seem random to us,’ said Dr Eckhardt, ‘but to the killer there is a connection between them that we cannot yet see. Remember that we are dealing with a profoundly disturbed individual here: his logic is not the same as ours. It could be a similarity in height, the way they walk, the shape of their nose … however abstract, there is commonality that the killer sees … in fact perhaps only the killer will ever see.’
    There was a pause before Werner chipped in. ‘So that means?’
    ‘That means every woman in Hamburg, whatever her age or background, is a potential target.’
    Van Heiden scratched the grey bristle on his scalp. ‘And so far we only have one potential link with the killer – this man Klugmann, who may or may not know him as a client of this latest victim?’
    ‘There is another potential link.’ Dr Eckhardt didn’t look up from the table. Her arms lay framing her files. Everyone turned their attention to her. ‘And that link is Kriminalhauptkommissar Fabel. Just as the killer has some abstract criterion in selecting his victims, he has chosen Herr Fabel as his … well, as his alter ego, his opponent in the game, as it were. In his eyes, Herr Fabel is a worthy opponent. He has chosen him as his nemesis. In fact Hauptkommissar Fabel has become an essential element in his fantasy, in his plan. He has made it clear that he intends to engineer the conclusion to this hunt –’ she turned to Fabel – ‘perhaps even by having you kill him. This declaration – you can stop me but you will never catch me – is a promise of something.’
    ‘That I will have to kill him to stop him?’
    ‘Perhaps. He clearly feels that the psychotic part of his personality is safe from you. He perhaps has a fantasy of immortality that you cannot reach, even by killing him. It’s as if there is some kind of buffer between you.’
    ‘I am a policeman, not an executioner.’ Fabel paused, frowning. ‘But why has he chosen me?’
    ‘That I don’t know. Again perhaps only “Son of Sven” will ever know the reason he has picked you … but …’
    ‘But what?’ asked Van Heiden.
    Dr Eckhardt continued to address Fabel directly. ‘Well, he feels connected to you.