The chief looked up when Johannes stepped into his office. “Yes, Johannes, what is it?” When he saw Johannes had files in his hand, he gestured to a chair.
Johannes sat down, placing the files on his lap. “Sir, I have new evidence in an old case.”
The colonel nodded.
Johannes placed the top file on the colonel´s desk. His boss opened the file and began examining the contents. “As we all do, over the past few months I´ve been taking some time to review old files – cases that are currently dormant. One of them is an apparent suicide in Stuttgart about five years ago. Today, I received a message from the Landeskriminalpolizei in Stuttgart with the serial number of the gun used in this suicide. As a matter of routine, I called for the file, and entered the new information. For some reason I don´t understand, the serial number had never been provided.”
“That happens,” said the colonel. “But, Johannes, I fail to see how this in an important development. We have no other new information.” He looked sharply at Johannes.
“Yes. Well sir, there are several other things. When I reviewed the file some time ago, I noticed that the wife of the deceased was a woman I know. We have been friends for the past two or three years and see one another when she is in Geneva on business. So, I sort of had an interest in that one. That´s why it got my attention.”
“I presume there is some other connection here? Beyond your girlfriend, I mean.”
“Yes, sir, there is. Or, there may be.” He opened his other file and placed in front of the colonel.
“When I updated the suicide file, I noticed her name again and recalled that I had seen her name in a recent incident reported by the Baden-Württemburg state police. It seems that a few weeks ago she was on a routine visit at a construction site near Freiburg im Breisgau and someone attempted to attack her and a colleague with the shovel of an excavation machine. The report came to us from the B-W Kriminalpolizei.”
“She visits construction sites routinely? What for?”
“She´s an architect, and she´s building a sauna complex in Freiburg. She told me about it the last time she was in Geneva.”
“And what is it you want me to do? Is it that you want me to reopen the suicide case and let you get together with your lady-friend to see if there is a connection?”
“Yes, sir, in a way.”
The colonel grinned. “Please explain to me why I should do that.”
Johannes returned the smile and sat back in his chair. “At the very least, I want to know whether there´s any link between her husband´s death and the recent attack. The local police don´t know about the suicide, of course, but they did feel there was definitely foul play involved. I know how it sounds, sir. But here´s the thing. When I read the files on the new incident I wondered if a pattern were forming. One accident is bad luck. Two accidents are suspicious. Three accidents…”
“…Enemy action,” the colonel completed the aphorism.
“Just so, sir. Well, I looked some more at the original suicide case, and in addition to the serial number, there´s a notation that some of the evidence pointing to suicide has come under question.”
“Really? At this late date?” The colonel was skeptical.
“Yes sir, it seems the woman´s lawyer found the written text of a suicide message that had been recorded on an answering machine. He found it in his files: it wasn´t in the police records for some reason. And the interesting thing is that the text was not in the decedent´s handwriting.”
“Certainly peculiar, Johannes. Since you´ve got three points of interest in these two cases, I´m inclined to let you take this on even though the connection´s a little thin. After all, one incident this year doesn´t make a case. But there´s an interesting possibility there with the suicide and – well go ahead. If nothing turns up, though, make sure you tell me.
“Now, may I assume you have filed the proper paperwork with the relevant sections of Interpol and informed the French National Police that you are going to be treading on their very tender toes?”
“Yes, sir, subject to your approval. I need your signature on that top sheet.”
The colonel looked at the relevant piece of paper and signed it. He looked back at Johannes.
“And the same for the Ba-Wü?”
“Yes, sir. I´ve talked with the people in Stuttgart and in Freiburg, and they are in accord with my proposals. In fact, they´ve been very helpful.”
“What about your present case-load? You wouldn´t be here if you didn´t have time for this.”
“Well, as you know, I cleared up that drowning in Lausanne last week, and the other thing – the embezzlement case at Zahnrad Fabrik – is going to court in a week or two. I´ve just been turning over the dead cases for a couple of days. That´s how I caught this.”
“Sounds like you have the time for it, then. And, since you have that much time, there are one or two other things I´d like you to look over. I´ll send them on.” The colonel smiled. “Go ahead. Keep me informed.”
Johannes rose and took his files from the colonel´s hand. The colonel spoke, “And Johannes?”
“Sir?”
“Is she pretty?”
“Well, sir, she is. We´ve been pretty good friends for a couple of years and she never told me about her husband´s suicide.”
“Really?” the colonel said, “did you ask her about it?”
“No, she seemed not to want to bring it up so I didn´t either. I like her a lot, but she´s still in pretty bad shape as far as a relationship is concerned. I´ve just been trying to be her friend. And now, as you know, that´s not really much of an issue for me any more.”
The colonel frowned. “Yes, I guess that´s so. Sorry. Anyway, good luck.”
Johannes tucked the files under his elbow and left the office.