by Brian Peters
“Yes, Captain, what can I do for you?” said Kohler, puzzled.
“Do you know of an Englishman by the name of Lomax?”
Kohler paused before answering, not knowing what to expect. “Why do you ask?” he said guardedly.
“Please answer my question, Herr Kohler, it is very important. He say’s he knows you.”
”You have him with you?”
Frumholz failed to hide his irritation. “Yes, I am with him in the Lüdenscheid hospital, yes. It would be extremely helpful if you could be here fairly soon, we have some problems to sort out here.”
Frumholz sounded like a frustrated man, thought Kohler.
“Is he badly hurt?” asked Kohler.
“He is concussed. It appears that he’s been quite badly beaten.”
“I can be there in say, twenty minutes?”
“Good,” said Frumholz and hung up before Kohler could ask any more questions.
Kohler thought about going back to the apartment to give Asil the good news, but quickly dismissed the idea. Better that he assessed the damage that Luke had suffered before raising her hopes too much. Frumholz may have been withholding something. Instead he phoned Sabine on his mobile and told her that he may be some time. He told her of Luke’s situation at the hospital and asked her not to tell Asil until he’d assessed his physical state.
Kohler was quite shocked when he saw Luke. He was propped up in bed with several pillows. His head was bandaged, as were his ribs and his right hand. He looked extremely pale. Frumholz was sitting by his bed while another officer sat with a notebook in his hands.
Before Kohler could speak, Frumholz said: “It’s alright, Herr Kohler, I know who you are. I thought that maybe we could share information and work together. I’m well aware that you outrank me, but I’m sure the information that I have will be of interest to you. I don’t think that this is the right place to discuss it, though. If you would like to spend a little time with Herr Lomax then perhaps you would come to the station where we can exchange views?”
Kohler thought for a few moments before answering, not taking his eyes off Luke, who appeared to have drifted off to sleep or into a coma, he wasn’t quite sure.
“That’s very thoughtful of you Captain. Give me an hour will you?”
“That’s fine. I’ll see you later then.”
Frumholz beckoned to his officer and they both left.
Kohler was about to shake Luke awake when a nurse walked in. “Please don’t wake him, sir. He’s still suffering from shock. You can speak to him as soon as he wakes up. Why not come with me, and I’ll get you a coffee. Then I’ll call you as soon as he comes to?”
“Should he be sleeping if he’s concussed?”
“We have everything under control sir. Don’t worry, now come with me please.”
Kohler hesitated but reluctantly agreed and followed the nurse out of the ward.
As they were walking down the corridor Kohler said: “I think I’ll decline the coffee, nurse. Perhaps it would be better if I saw Herr Lomax later. What is the extent of his injuries?”
“Two broken ribs, severe bruising, a nasty head wound and lacerations to his right arm and fingers. He’s heavily sedated at the moment but he should be OK in a couple of hours. We will need to keep him under observation for a couple of days at least.”
Kohler thanked the nurse and left. He drove straight to the police station and made his way to Frumholz’ office.
****
Kohler was shown into Captain Frumholz’s rather shabby office. The desk was littered with papers and an empty polystyrene coffee cup sat in front of him. They exchanged greetings and Kohler sat down.
“Would you like a coffee, Kohler?”
Kohler looked at the stained cup on the desk and declined.
“So how and where did you find him, Captain?”
“It was a piece of good fortune, really. Someone reported a crashed van with an injured man…”
“Luke was driving…?”
Frumholz raised his hand and shook his head. “Wait till I’ve finished, Kohler, please,” he said irritably. “Someone walking his or her dog reported it. Two of my officers went to the scene and found a badly injured man in a van that had crashed into a tree just inside a forest track. They called an ambulance and waited until it came. They then decided to follow the track from where the van had been driven. They spotted a pair of feet protruding from the undergrowth. It turned out that they belonged to your Herr Lomax; he was unconscious. Since the ambulance had already left, he and his colleague got Lomax into the car and brought him straight to the hospital. They assumed that he’d been hit by the van, but of course it was quite obvious when he was examined that he’d been severely assaulted. My men think that he possibly escaped from the van after it crashed and that he collapsed in the undergrowth.”
Kohler didn’t comment, just sat and nodded slowly, waiting for Frumholz to tell him more. Frumholz stopped and stared at Kohler.
“Your men shouldn’t have moved him, Captain. They couldn’t have known what injuries he might have suffered.”
Establishing your authority, are you Kohler? Frumholz thought, but didn’t rise to the bait.
“They were doing their best. They are not medically trained, but they thought that waiting for another ambulance to arrive might do him more harm than good.” Frumholz glared at Kohler and waited for a response. None came. “Well, Kohler, aren’t you going to tell me about Herr Lomax? I now know that you know of him. He asked for you when he regained consciousness in the hospital, gave me your number but then lapsed back into unconsciousness.
Kohler smiled and said: “Very efficient of you Captain Frumholz. And I apologise, your men did the right thing. However, I’m not going to enlighten you any further without knowing what you know about this case.”
Frumholz smiled ruefully. “Very well. A call from England informed me that a murder had been committed and that a body had been found in a car registered to Herr Lomax. On investigating the details of the car we found out that it was purchased here in Lüdenscheid. A compartment had been welded into the back of the car that had traces of drugs on it. So the crime is drugs related apparently. Your department, I think?”
Kohler leaned forward and said: “The murdered man was one of my men, Frumholz. Ullrich Menken.”
“I know who he is. One of your men? But he has a police record as long as your arm. You don’t mean to tell me that you employ such people?”
“We invented his whole history and planted the records in your police files, Frumholz. He had infiltrated a cartel that is trying to expand its business into Britain. Someone obviously found out. And whoever it was has also found out that our Herr Lomax had purchased the car. You think he was being transported in the van that crashed?”
“ We don’t know yet for sure. It’s possible but thinking about it, it seems likely. The passenger door of the van was crushed against a tree and there doesn’t appear to be any room for him to have been thrown out before the impact. He must have climbed over the injured driver in order to get out. The van driver is a known criminal, Horst Bohm. He’s not regained consciousness yet. Apparently the doctor reckons that he was high on drugs at the time of the accident and it’s not certain that he’ll pull through. The van was hired locally. We’re looking into the situation at the moment. I’m sorry about the death of your man, Kohler. He was one of us, after all.”
“Yes, he was also a good friend. As regards Lomax, it was me who persuaded him to buy the car for me in his name, some months ago. He found the car with Menken’s body inside and high-tailed it here to find me before the British police discovered that it was ostensibly his car. Anyway, enough of that for now. I’ve got his wife safe and sound and staying with a friend. I believe that Lomax may still be in danger from whoever beat him up so I’d appreciate it if you could organise some protection for him at the hospital. Can you do that for me?”
”I’ll
see to it right away Kohler.”
He thanked Frumholz and asked to be kept informed if anything else came to light. On his way out of the police station Kohler phoned the hospital and asked if Lomax was fit to be interviewed. The news was good, so he went straight there.
The doctor who was looking after Luke showed Kohler into the ward. The doctor said: “He had been unconscious for some time. After he came to, your colleague Captain Frumholz wanted to question him but I forbade it. Herr Lomax is slightly better now but you can have only five minutes at the most with him. Try not to put him under any stress.”
“When do you think he’ll be fit enough to be moved, Doctor?”
“I really wouldn’t like to say at this stage. It depends very much on how much progress he makes over the next twenty-four hours. It may be another two or three days before I can release him.”
Kohler thought for a moment. “Doctor, this man may be in some danger. Is there another ward he could be moved to? Preferably a private single ward where he can be guarded?”
“Certainly. I’ll have him moved to one on the next floor. It will take a couple of hours to arrange.”
“I have asked Captain Frumholz to arrange for a policeman to guard the door for the length of his stay. He will let you know when one of his men will be available.”
Kohler entered the ward and Luke smiled weakly when he saw him.
“So, Luke, you better tell me exactly...”
Luke made an effort to sit up.
“Asil, where’s Asil? Is she safe?”
Kohler placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him gently back down.
“Yes Luke, she’s perfectly safe and staying with a friend of mine. Now calm down and tell me what happened. I haven’t got much time with you, although I am relieved that you don’t appear to have suffered any permanent damage.”
Luke asked Kohler to pass him a glass of water and after sipping it slowly and gathering his thoughts, he told Kohler the whole story. Going out into the forest collecting the mushrooms, being beaten and kicked, dragged to the van and being driven along a bumpy track. Then being tied up in the barn by the man he knew as Horst. Luke explained how this man had appeared to be either drunk or on drugs; and then how the man had left suddenly.
“So you were not in the van, then?”
“No.”
He described how he managed to free himself, and that some time afterwards another man had called, had taken one look inside the barn without seeing him hiding behind the door and left in a panic without locking it. He remembered walking free along the path but didn’t remember collapsing or being transported to the hospital.
Luke took another drink of water and closed his eyes, exhausted. Kohler saw no point in asking him anything further.
“Rest now Luke, I’ll call and see you again soon. I’m not at all pleased that you ventured out into the forest though. You could have been killed. Don’t you worry; we’ll catch these men. Asil will be safe with me; my friend will look after her. If it’s at all possible I’ll bring her to see you, but not today, OK?”
“Thanks, Klaus. And give Asil my love.”
“Of course. And I’ve organised a private ward for you with a police guard, so don’t worry about the people who attacked you. All right?”
Luke smiled, much relieved that Asil was safe and that he would also be safe. He nodded and closed his eyes.
****
Frumholz wasn’t surprised when the call from Currie came through.
“What news have you for me, Captain Frumholz? I’ve drawn a blank here over the Lomax man. Apparently he and his wife are very wealthy indeed. It’s extremely unlikely that they have a need to be dealing in drugs; their wealth doesn’t appear to come from anything illegal. It’s a bit of a dead end. Very disappointing.”
Frumholz was rather pleased that Currie was relying on him for further information.
“Well, Herr Currie, since we last spoke the situation has developed rapidly. We have found your Mr. Lomax.”
“You’ve found him? How?”
“He has been injured and he is in our local hospital. And a man named Kohler, who is an undercover employee of our government drugs investigation department, is in charge of the case. Unfortunately this investigation is likely to be taken out of my jurisdiction. It may be better if you liase directly with Herr Kohler. That is, if he wishes it so.”
Currie was rather taken aback at the turn of events.
“Is he badly injured? Can he tell you anything about the murder?”
“He is not able to be questioned at the moment. Broken ribs, concussion possibly and a few minor abrasions.”
“I see. How do I get in touch with this man Kohler?”
“I think you will have to wait until he gets in touch with you, Herr Currie. He is way above me in seniority. I’ll tell him that you wish to speak to him.”
Currie was beginning to boil over with frustration. He wasn’t used to having to rely on a foreign authority to pursue an investigation.
”Very well Captain, I understand. But please emphasise the need for him to put me in the picture, and quickly.”
“I’ll certainly do that for you. Tchuss, Herr Currie.”
“Wait Frumholz. I would much rather deal with you. I’m coming over as soon as possible. By the way, is Mrs Lomax with Luke?”
“Herr Currie, I don’t think it is a good idea for you to come here. Kohler may think it is my doing.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that he knows that it was my idea. Mrs Lomax, Captain?”
“Oh yes, Kohler did mention her. Apparently she is staying with a friend of his.”
“OK, I’ll let you know about our flight details as soon as I’ve sorted things out here. That could take a couple of days. Bye.”
Currie replaced the phone and yelled for Lambert, who ambled into his office.
“Lomax is in a hospital in Germany, Lambert. Injured, apparently. Frumholz says that we’ll have to wait for a Mr Kohler to get in touch with us to put us in the picture. What a mess.”
“Who the hell is Kohler?” asked Lambert.
“German government drugs investigation department. High ranking to all accounts.”
“So where do we go from here then, boss?”
“To Germany, Lambert. And as soon as possible!”
****
Luke awoke with a blinding headache. His thoughts turned immediately to Asil. How could I have been so stupid as to get us into this situation? Asil, you’ve been through so much in your life and yet you are the most caring, thoughtful, funny, loving person I have ever known. It’s my fault, buying that car in the first place. It’s my fault that I have led you into this - this dreadful nightmare.
Full of remorse, he began to cry silently. The nurse came in to check on him and sat on the bed beside him and noted his distress. Luke, embarrassed, wiped his eyes and tried to smile. “I’m so sorry, nurse…”
“Don’t worry Mr. Lomax. It is OK to have such a reaction after the shock that you have had. It is good to cry a little. Come now, take these painkillers and try to get some more sleep, yes? I order it!” she said smiling. After he had taken the tablets, she put his hands under the covers and pulled the sheet up to his chin, patted him on the cheek and left him to sleep some more.
CHAPTER 9
Florian Netzer hurried up the stairs to Seifert’s office, entering without knocking. He sank into one of the red leather chairs and stared at Seifert. “Well?” said Seifert
“A complete disaster. We got Lomax, no trouble. Forster and Kleber found him in the forest near Kohler’s shooting lodge. Horst took him to the barn and should have waited for me but he was …..”
“Well man, what?”
“He was high. Cocaine, the old trouble. He’s dead I think, crashed the van into a tree. No sign of Lomax when I got to the barn. Now the police have found him and taken him to the hospital in Lüdenscheid.”
“Found who? Horst or Lomax?”
“Both, apparently.”
Seifert remained silent, staring at Netzer in disbelief.
He said very quietly “You should have seen this job through yourself Florian. What a bloody mess. What are you going to do? We must get Lomax.”
“Karl will keep us posted from the police station in Lüdenscheid. We can’t do much until we know Lomax’s condition. Apparently Kleber worked him over pretty well.”
“Florian, Karl Liebwitz is only my mole in the Lüdenscheid police station, he can only report, he can’t influence anything. I’ll speak to Hansch; he’s very resourceful, he may be able to get Lomax out of the hospital.”
“Hebert Hansch? He’s a risk-taker, Franz. That’s dangerous.”
“I know what I’m doing, Florian. Let me know as soon as Karl contacts you.”
****
Lambert knocked on Currie’s door and entered, looking pleased.
“Well?” asked Currie.
“We may have a lead. The clothing they stripped from the body contained a leather belt. There are two sets of prints on it. One set belongs to the deceased. The killer may have lifted the body with one hand on the belt. The prints are being checked at the moment.”
“How long do we have to wait for forensics to let us know?”
“It won’t take long for them to run the prints through the computer, I reckon about an hour. Shall we go down and gee them up?”
Currie didn’t reply, just smiled and got up from his desk. When they got down to forensics no one seemed to be working on the computers.
“What’s going on?” said Currie irritably, looking at each of the three staff members in turn. Monica Campbell smiled sweetly at him. “What a charmer you are Andrew. Here we sit working our backsides off for you and we don’t even get a hello, how are you!”
“Monica, I’m sorry but this case is important and we have virtually nothing to go on so far. I thought you might have at least treated it with some urgency.”