Reginald Rosenfeldt
Battlefield Berlin
A commissioner Kowalski thriller
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Inhaltsverzeichnis
10. WHEN THE FUN REALLY STARTS
18. WELCOME TO THE TERRITORY OF THE SECOND GERMAN STATE
21. STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND
29. THOUGHTS IN A "BELL LONG RANGER"
1. TRUST AND HONESTY
Michael Herold closed his car and looked thoughtfully at the sleepy houses on the other side of the street. In the few shops was the light turned off automatically, and on the nearby Town hall-place whined the typical sound of a BVG Bus.
Michael grinned wryly. "No balls in the pants." Or how they used to say it much more appropriate in the other districts of Berlin, the Spandau night watchman, employed as a tourist attraction, had closed the sidewalks.
Amused, Michael stuck the car keys in his trouser pocket and looked at his watch: 23:10 clock, only forty-five minutes to midnight. That was exactly the right time for a cozy meeting with Poland-Charley. Michael pulled high the zipper of his jacket, crossed the street, and entered the park. Behind the trunks of the few trees lurked the shadow of the war-memorial, and at the end of the short sandy path, waited the pedestrian bridge for the Linden-Shore.
Michael walked to the middle of the slightly curved concrete footbridge and looked at the lonely shore. The promenade was on the western banks of the Havel, the second major river of Berlin, and a few months ago, wandered here the good citizens of Spandau. Now, was the only memory of these carefree, sunny times a wooden sign of the "star and circle shipping". Sadly, it reminded Michael of his so often planned, and then cancelled trip to the great lake of "Wannsee". At the deserted docks wintered now the steamers of a Spandau ship-owner and at that view, Michael heard again Charley's broken voice in the telephone receiver
"See you on the "Cheerfulness”. Can you not miss the boat, is it right in front of the bridge to the Stabholz-garden. Can you come on board; I've agreed that with the captain. We drink first one or two brandy and then we'll talk. Please Michael, I have great news, you'll be amazed!"
Michael shook his head, and tried not to think on Charley's last tip. In the end, the so promising-sounding information was totally worthless gossip, trash for the feature. Yes, Harald Seib and his gossip column were just the right buyers for Charley's creepy tales.
Michael grinned against his will at the thought on his special colleague and walked to the shore. Large chestnuts lined the wide promenade and behind a low metal grid lay a small steamer. First, Michael checked the name on the ship's prow, to make sure that he stood before the "Cheerfulness", and mustered her then in detail: On her front deck lay a staple of decayed chairs under a tarp and behind the closed restaurant curtains glowed a flickering light.
Herold nodded approvingly and enters the ship over a small plank. Behind a sliding door waited a square room on him, only illuminated from the street lamps, and he remained at his center point.
Carefully, Michael scanned for a moment the stairs to the upper deck and registered the eerie silence on the steamer. Was Charley not on board? Yes, this was possible! Michael knows only too well, that the old man hated any kind of rules, specially the German punctuality.
All right then, decided Michael, if Charley was really late, he would not wait longer than a half hour. This was more than a friendly behavior for the old bugger! Grinning went Michael to the door next to the empty souvenir stand and pushed