The Body on the Beach

by Anna Johannsen

  ‘I found out a few more things,’ Lena said.

  Johann listened attentively while she told him about Isabel Müller’s sudden change of job and Sabine Bohlen’s stay at a psychiatric hospital.

  ‘You do realise we can’t use any of this in court?’ It was clear from Johann’s tone that he disapproved of Lena’s methods.

  ‘We don’t have all the time in the world and we don’t have a back-up team to help us look at every detail. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box a little.’

  ‘Sure, but if we can’t use the information in the end because it was obtained illegally, then it’s not much use, is it?’

  ‘Just you wait and see!’ said Lena. ‘I’m going to report back to Kiel and then knock off for the night. You should do the same.’

  DSU Warnke sounded pleased to hear from her. ‘How did you get on?’

  ‘Well, we’ve put the cat among the pigeons and are waiting to see what comes out.’ She summarised their day without giving away all the details. She also asked Warnke to issue an official order for Ben’s interview with Anna Bauer. There was no news from the Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg. Finally, she asked, ‘I urgently need the phone data. Any progress with that at your end?’

  ‘We’ve had a few issues with that. Tomorrow, hopefully.’

  In all the time she’d known Warnke, she’d never heard him speak of issues. He was the kind of man who made things happen, and fast.

  ‘Chief Prosecutor Lübbers?’ asked Lena on a hunch.

  DSU Warnke said nothing. That was new too. Eventually, he said, ‘Like I said, tomorrow.’

  ‘I understand,’ Lena said, not entirely sure what to make of it. ‘Anything else I should know?’

  ‘Look after yourself,’ Warnke replied and hung up.

  ‘What the hell was that about?’ muttered Lena, dropping the phone on her bed.

  There it was again, that strange feeling she’d had after her very first conversation with Warnke before this all kicked off. She thought once again that there had to be more to the case than just manslaughter or murder. She lay down and stretched out her legs, running through her interview with Herbert Bergendorf in her mind. She’d rarely dealt with anyone so slippery. He’d had his facial expressions and body language under perfect control the entire time and even now Lena was struggling to see how he might fit with all the other pieces of this puzzle. Usually, she liked to let her impressions of an interview or conversation sink in for a few hours before thinking it over again. Her overriding disadvantage had been the fact that she had nothing incriminating whatsoever against Herbert Bergendorf other than the not fully deleted email Leon had acquired illicitly. Really, Bergendorf could have shut the door in her face with a frosty smile. Why hadn’t he? Had he wanted to see how much his enemies knew? Did he want to meet her so he could gauge her strength? Or was she just setting out on a wild-goose chase with him? Luckily, Leon had managed to hack into his computer in record time, and now everything depended on the results of Leon’s spy program. Even so, Lena would need Bergendorf to make mistakes she could prove through legitimate means.

  She picked up her phone and called Enno Eilts. ‘May I bother you again?’ she asked after the preliminary greetings.

  ‘Of course you may, Lena. Any news?’

  Lena gave another report of the day’s events but this time did not hold anything back. She’d told Enno about Leon long ago.

  ‘I hope your golden boy won’t be your downfall one day,’ he said with concern. ‘I won’t be able to bail you out.’

  ‘I know, Enno, but I don’t see any other way right now. What can you tell me about Chief Prosecutor Lübbers? I’ve never had much to do with him.’

  ‘He’s fierce and clever, and someone to steer clear of. He’s about to move up a rank and take over from old Berger. I never could stand Lübbers, don’t ask me why. Thankfully, I never had much to do with him either. Why ask?’

  ‘Bergendorf mentioned him in a strange comment. I rather think it was offered as a threat.’

  ‘Those two would suit each other perfectly – just the kind of person Lübbers likes to surround himself with: the rich or the beautiful. Please, Lena, look after yourself!’

  She sighed. ‘You have no idea how many times I’ve heard that lately.’

  ‘I’m serious. By the way, my own research finally bore some fruit. Warnke used to be stationed in Brandenburg – I’m sure you knew that already. I’ve since talked with a former colleague over there who said Warnke had a terrific detection rate – hardly anything left unsolved, in fact. Apparently, he was obsessed with one particular case, though, according to my colleague, concerning an investigation into an international child-trafficking ring spanning right across Europe. In the end, Warnke was forced to close the case as it was taking too long, was costing too much and there was too little chance of a successful outcome. You know the game we’re in. With all that in mind, the way he treated you during the investigation into that little boy’s disappearance is beginning to make sense. He’s quite clearly got a bee in his bonnet about paedophiles as far as missing children are concerned – no looking at other possibilities, just doggedly following that one scenario.’

  ‘You think my case could have something to do with this?’ asked Lena, puzzled.

  ‘I’m too far away from the facts to be able to say anything for certain, but you are investigating in and around a children’s residential home. It wouldn’t be the first time those monsters were targeting an institution of that nature.’

  ‘The victim’s wife is a professional caregiver and educator and would do anything to protect her children. She’d never agree to anything like that.’

  ‘Are you absolutely certain? I know you can normally rely on your gut feeling, Lena, but I’ve interviewed people I could swear wouldn’t hurt a fly, and then it turns out they were the driving force behind the most unimaginable cruelties.’

  ‘I know what you mean. I’ll bear that in mind.’

  Lena heard a noise outside and a moment later someone knocked on her window. She turned to see Erck, laughing, holding up a key.

  I feel sick when I think about it.

  Why did I close my eyes to this terrible wrong for so long? It was so obvious and yet I just didn’t see. I blame myself endlessly but I can’t turn back time, no matter how badly I want to.

  That detective woman is clever. She won’t give up in a hurry. That’s why I need to act now. I’m running out of time. But I’ve made my decision: I’m going to carry on. I have to, or everything so far would have been for nothing.

  But I need to be careful. More careful than with him. He was such an easy target, that stupid, arrogant sap of a man.

  The time for reckoning has come.

  15

  ‘Erck, you know very well—’

  ‘Shush! How many times did we use to say we’d like to watch the sunset from the lighthouse? Who knows when you’ll be back next? Right, I’ll wait in the car. Bring a jacket – it might get a little chilly later.’ Erck turned and walked back along the narrow cobblestone path to his car.

  Lena closed the window. Erck was right. The two of them used to fantasise about getting into the Amrum lighthouse at night. She assumed the key in Erck’s hand was for the lighthouse door – he must have borrowed it from his mate who ran guided tours in the mornings. Hadn’t she wanted to switch off from work in any case, so she could tackle the next day with renewed energy? Lena grabbed her jacket, called out to Johann and left the house.

  ‘I hope I didn’t drag you away from your work,’ said Erck, steering his old Golf back on to the main road towards Norddorf.

  Lena laughed. ‘You’re still a terrible liar. Of course you wanted to drag me away from work – that was your plan all along.’

  Erck pretended to look guilty. ‘I’ll take you back in two hours and then you can chase after your criminals for the rest of the night, OK?’

  ‘They’re not my personal criminals – they affect every
one in society, but enough of that. I’ll take the evening off. I only hope you’ve got the right key.’

  ‘Hey, what do you think I am? I’ve planned everything to perfection. I’ve been making schemes for your abduction since last night.’

  Lena smirked. ‘You’re a little bit nuts, you do know that? Better focus on the road . . .’

  ‘Ha, you haven’t changed much either.’

  They’d left Norddorf and were now on the open road towards Nebel.

  ‘I’m not the same Lena,’ she said quietly.

  ‘Says who?’

  ‘We were practically children, Erck. We’re pretty grown-up now.’

  Erck slowed as they approached Nebel. ‘So you’ve suddenly become a whole different person at thirty? OK then, how are you planning to be at forty – old and bitter? Let alone at fifty . . . Lena, we’re young still! We’ve got our whole lives ahead of us.’

  Lena’s gaze slid across the thatched roofs as they drove along. She felt an intense longing to turn back time several years. Would she have decided differently? Would she have stayed if she’d known what her life would be like today?

  ‘Promise me something?’ asked Erck in a serious tone.

  When Lena didn’t reply, he continued, ‘Just for tonight, let’s forget the last fourteen years ever happened. I’ve imagined us two up there so many times that I started believing we’d actually done it. I need closure, and I’m guessing you do too.’

  ‘Maybe,’ Lena whispered.

  Erck sped up. They sat in silence as he took a sharp right on to a gravel road and then, after bumping along it for a little way, he pulled up at a small car park. He reached behind him and lifted a bag from the back seat. ‘You coming?’

  Slowly, they climbed the steps to the bottom of the lighthouse. When they reached the red and white tower, Erck unlocked the door and stepped aside. She could hear the smile in his voice as they picked their way up the winding staircase. ‘Do you remember how many steps there are?’

  ‘One hundred and seventy-two,’ Lena said.

  ‘And do you know how many times I’ve come up here in the last fourteen years?’

  ‘Tell me.’

  ‘Not once. I’ve been waiting for you.’

  Lena stopped. ‘Erck . . .’

  ‘That wasn’t a declaration of love,’ he said. ‘I just couldn’t do it. Crazy, isn’t it? Another reason why I needed to do this with you right now.’

  ‘Didn’t you say before to forget the last fourteen years?’

  Erck nodded, grasped Lena’s hand and pulled her along. ‘Did I mention that the view’s going to be spectacular this evening?’

  ‘No, you didn’t.’

  He checked the time. ‘Sunset’s in half an hour. Come on, let’s go!’

  A metal stairway replaced the stone steps for the last section. A cool breeze welcomed them when Erck opened the door on to the platform. Lena walked over to the railing. The impact of the view took her breath away, transporting her fourteen years back in time in an instant. She felt her eyes well up and tried to blink away the tears. The huge fireball of the setting sun sank into the sea, tinting the horizon with a bright orange-yellow.

  From the corner of her eye she watched Erck, who gazed at the spectacle in fascination. ‘Incredibly beautiful,’ he muttered.

  ‘Yes,’ Lena said. ‘I’d always wanted to see this view at sunset.’

  He bent down and took something from his bag, then handed Lena a champagne flute. ‘Great – they didn’t break.’ He popped the cork of a bottle of champagne, filled both their glasses and, raising his, said, ‘This was part of my dream.’ Their eyes met. ‘To dreams!’

  Lena clinked glasses with him and took a sip before turning back to the stunning view. In silence they watched the sun disappear into a glowing red sea.

  ‘What else was in your dream?’ asked Lena without taking her eyes off the horizon.

  ‘Something about a ring. I don’t really remember now.’

  She turned to him. He was very close. ‘I don’t want to hurt you a second time, Erck,’ Lena whispered.

  ‘You won’t,’ he whispered back and kissed her softly on the mouth. After a moment’s hesitation, she returned the kiss.

  For a while they just stood there, holding each other tightly.

  ‘The minutes up here with you were more beautiful than all my dreams combined,’ Erck said softly. ‘Thank you for coming.’

  ‘Thank you for bringing me.’

  There was a silence and then Erck asked, ‘Will you come back to mine?’

  When Lena nodded, Erck sealed the bottle of champagne, wrapped a towel around the glasses and put everything back into the bag. He looked at Lena. ‘You sure?’

  Lena held out her hand and smiled.

  ‘Good morning,’ Lena said and grinned into the kitchen. ‘I’ll have a quick shower and then we can get started.’

  ‘Morning,’ replied Johann with a twinkle in his eye. ‘I was about to call the police and report you missing.’

  ‘I doubt Sergeant Reimers would have got out of bed for me.’

  ‘Who knows . . . ? Maybe we’ve got him completely wrong.’

  ‘Yeah, maybe,’ Lena muttered and disappeared into the bathroom.

  When she’d woken in Erck’s arms earlier that morning, he’d smiled at her and asked how she had slept. She’d kissed him and curled more tightly into the warmth of his body.

  Lena braced her arms against the walls of the shower cubicle as the hot water coursed down her body. She replayed last night in her mind and asked herself if staying at Erck’s had been the right thing to do. It had felt like coming home. Would she hurt Erck again? No, he was a grown man and knew what he was doing. Their night together had just felt right to Lena. Everything would fall into place. Lena turned off the water and climbed out of the shower.

  ‘Right, let’s get a little order into this mess,’ Lena said, sipping the coffee Johann handed her. ‘Motive, means, opportunity. First of all, we have the wife. Her husband not only cheated on her but molested at least one of their employees – when they’d hardly been married two minutes as well. Not what I’d call a happy marriage. The children’s home has become the centre of her universe. No doubt she’d have lost it if they had divorced. Since we still don’t know how Hein Bohlen died, we can’t even speculate about how she might have done it. If it was indeed an unknown poison, we’ve no clue as to how Sabine Bohlen might have obtained it. She has no alibi for his time of death. She’s emotionally unstable and spent time in a psychiatric hospital. However, the fact that she was doubtful it was a heart attack right from the offset does speak in her favour.’

  ‘I doubt she’s capable of planning murder and seeing it through. In the heat of the moment, maybe, but that’s hardly the case here,’ said Johann.

  ‘She did have a strong motive, though, and she was very close to the victim – she only needed to wait for the right opportunity – and like I said, there’s no alibi. What I’d really like to know is if she knew about his affair and the attempted rape. I’ll talk to Rosa again.’ Lena suppressed a yawn. She’d not had more than four hours’ sleep the previous night. ‘By the way, have you noticed that Sabine Bohlen hasn’t asked us when we’re going to release her husband’s body? Usually, it’s the first thing relatives want to know.’

  Johann nodded. ‘You’re right.’

  ‘It’s been two weeks already. But OK, fine, maybe she’s still in shock and can’t think straight.’

  ‘The funeral director didn’t think so,’ Johann said pensively. ‘And listening to her talk, she’s really only interested in the children’s home. How and why her husband was killed doesn’t seem to bother her too much.’

  ‘All right, next on the list is Isabel Müller. At first she seemed beyond suspicion because of the short time she’s been at the home. But having heard the statements of Rosa Behrens and Anna Bauer, I think it’s more than likely that Hein Bohlen tried it on with her too. Frau Müller has denied this from the s
tart, but she could be trying to protect herself – after all, Bohlen lost his colleague with benefits when Anna Bauer upped and left. I found a photo of Frau Bauer online and I’d say her successor is a similar type. I really do think it’s highly likely that Hein Bohlen tried it on with her as well – another thing to ask Rosa about. More significant, in my opinion, is her lying about being unemployed when she heard about the position here, when it was quite the opposite. I can’t figure it out. Did she want to work here at all costs, or does she have some other tie to Amrum and just happened to hear about the position? She knew she couldn’t muck around: the home needed a new carer straight away. Do we know if the job was even advertised?’

  Johann opened his notebook and leafed through the pages. ‘No, but that shouldn’t be hard to find out.’

  ‘So far, we don’t really have a motive for Frau Müller. Of course, Bohlen might have molested or even raped her, but would you then go and plan out such a strangely meticulous murder? I reckon an act of passion would be far more likely. I think Frau Müller is more the type to plan her approach, though. No alibi, just like Sabine Bohlen. We have no idea if she might have access to dangerous poisons. I really hope we find out why Anna Bauer quit so suddenly because it might just tell us a little more about Isabel Müller too. I somehow think the two resignations are linked.’ Lena could tell Johann was holding back a question. She guessed he was trying to work out who her contact was at Flensburg. ‘Well, I’m hoping we’ll know more by lunchtime. Who else have we got?’

  ‘The cook,’ Johann said. ‘She was the victim of sexual harassment, albeit quite a while ago, it seems – though we can only take Frau Behrens’ word for that. Why shouldn’t Hein Bohlen have tried again? What if he kept trying until he succeeded? That would definitely be a motive. Personally, I thought it was odd from the start that she claims never to have told anyone about the incident. She’s a cook – she’d have found a new job in no time. But instead, she’s supposed to have carried on as if nothing happened?’

  ‘Why do you think she told us then?’