Lost in Blue

𝖅𝖜𝖔𝖊𝖑𝖋: Rising tensions

"So a journalist is on our heels," Eckert stated calmly, sipping from his cup of black tea. Just this once, he refrained from filling out documents. "To top it off, he isn't half bad at doing his job, from what I've heard."

His superior put the hot beverage down on the table.

"If I'm being honest, that is a problem."

Dorn could only nod in approval.

"Besides the two Rhine cases, I'm currently investigating whether Gessler has done suspicious things in the past. I've found a few leads, but they're either not crucial enough or I simply need more intel to put a few things together. For this reason, I'd like to be granted permission to look into some police records."

"Permission granted," Eckert crossed his arms, "I'll write that off as an emergency measure. We have to act against that journalist's ambitions. Were you able to find out how he got his hands on such secret information?"

"Personally, I believe someone from the salvage team might have told him. Another possibility would be -"

A knock on the door prevented Henning from explaining further. One second later, without any permission, the door flung open and a fellow policeman entered the room.

"I apologize for the sudden intrusion, Herr Eckert, but this is sort of an emergency."

Weeping could be heard. Barely intelligible screaming followed. Confused, Dorn turned in his chair to sneak a peak.

"A woman has appeared at the front desk and refuses to leave until she speaks with the head of the department. She wishes to issue a complaint against all investigators of the police."

Wolfgang arched an eyebrow. "For what reason?"

"It is the wife of the man who went missing six weeks ago. She accuses the department of failure to act in the search of her husband."

The incident rang a bell. Dorn remembered the call he got back in the beginning of June, when he had been exhausted from searching the attic. Since he had his hands full dealing with the Rhine events, his colleagues had been assigned to that case. Apparently they had hit stalemate just like him.

Eckert sighed heavily. Dorn eyed him with pity. He wouldn't want to switch places with him. Angry, anxious wives were not to be trifled with and dealing with them required a deep sense of compassion.

"Dorn, do me a favor." His superior rose the cup to his mouth and chugged the rest of his tea down in one fast motion.

"Talk to the other victim in the Rhine case – the male – will you? I told Arzt to expect me to do the interrogation this time, but I intended to send you from the start, anyway. Tell him something came up."

𝕹 𝕴 𝖃𝕰 𝕿 𝕺 𝕽 𝕰 𝕿𝕰𝖄

"I expected Eckert."

Glasses resting on the bottom of his nasal bridge, the doctor didn't even make an effort to hide his disappointment to have Dorn stand in front of him – a sentiment the latter could only reciprocate.

"Something came up. That's why I'm here," he explained truthfully. Dorn noticed the physician's pale skin, the red burst veins in his eyes. It was clear he hadn't fully recovered from his cold a few days ago.

Arzt didn't seem to be fully convinced. "I figured."

He pointed at the elevator. "Same floor as Fräulein's. We moved him into the room next to her. Don't pressure him too much."

"Danke."

Henning turned on his heel and headed straight towards the lift, realizing that was probably the nicest Arzt had ever been.