"INSPECTOR REX" "A RESPECTABLE neighbourhood" "I'll kill you." "It's nearly midnight." "Looking up at the silvery stars..." "What's this?" "Who have we here?" " What are you up to?" " I only came to sleep here." "No one sleeps here, not in our place." "I have nowhere to go." "Please... it's New Year's Eve." "I see." "Because it's New Year's Eve..." "What about some champagne?" "I'd love a sip, sure." "Here it is." "So you want to drink with us, eh?" "You live off our taxes, you parasite." "I used to have a job." "Please let me go." "So you're answering back?" "You probably took something from the building." "I don't steal, I'm a decent person." " Let me go now." " You, a decent person?" "I'll show you who's a decent person." " Don't!" " Unemployed riff-raff!" "We don't need your type round here." "But I belong here too." "Well..." "Now it's a respectable neighbourhood again." "Don't lick my face again." "Happy New Year." "Same to you." "Richard..." "What's the matter with you?" "All those firecrackers, eh?" "But it wasn't me." "It gets on my nerves too." "So you think I'll bend down for you to greet me?" "Stocki, is that you?" "It's about time you got up." "I brought breakfast." " Did you put this piglet here?" " No." "Perhaps the young lady who left your flat just now." "Which young lady?" "New Year's Eve must have been turbulent." "Well..." "it looks worse than it was." "Tell me, are we rostered on today?" "Yes, indeed." "How was your New Year's Eve?" "My wife's parents came and we played games." "Well..." "Careful now." " Got some ham rolls at least?" " It's January 1 st." "So you eat fish rolls." "When you pass the bathroom, turn the shower on." " Not too cold, please." " Nice and hot." "Not too hot!" "You're killing me!" "Turn the tap off!" " What are you doing there?" " I was trying to sleep." "Being woken by cold water can give you a shock." "Why didn't you sleep on the sofa?" "I wanted to, but I had to seek refuge from Rex." "From Rex?" "He pushed me off the sofa three times last night." "Not hard to do, in my condition." "So I fled to the bathtub." "It must have been wild last night." "It's embarrassing." "Just look at me." " I was in bed at half past 1 2." " So your in-laws were there?" "Yes." "You guessed it." "Put some clothes on." "I'll make coffee." "See if there's any beer." " Can someone get the phone?" " I will." "Stockinger, at Moser's." "Yes, the same to you." "What's up?" "Fine, we're on our way." "The year's off to a good start." "Richard, no bath." "We have work to do." "I'd like to know why things happen on January 1 st." " People lose their inhibitions." " As we saw at your place." " Happy New Year, gentlemen." " Same to you." "Erna Mader, a tenant." "It looks like suicide, but I have my doubts." "Another Sherlock Holmes in the Public Service." "Steady on, Stocki." "She was found just after 1 1 by a tenant hanging out her washing." "Right, you can't hang it out on New Year's Eve so she only came up this morning." "The doctor says she died half an hour to an hour after midnight." "We found a second bruise." "But that doesn't mean it wasn't suicide." "It could be from a failed first attempt." "That's the doctor's opinion too, but look at the line." "I'm no forensic expert, thank God." " Has it been photographed?" " lt'll do for the album." "What are you fretting about?" "Don't look at me." "Maybe there was something under it." "Do you see anything suitable?" "We'll take on the investigation." "So we'll maintain that it was suicide." "That way we find out more about her." "We'll be lucky if anyone can talk at all today." "Surprise!" "The doughnuts are nice and fresh." "They're homemade." " That wasn't necessary." " It's no problem." "The coffee's always hot at our place." "It's a very friendly building." "You won't mind if your dog stays outside." "Fine." " We've just done the cleaning." " No problem, Mrs Riedl." "The dog knows he can't go everywhere." "Well, have a seat..." "here." "Dirt must never be given a chance." "Or it will spread." "My wife is very thorough." "No, thanks." "Yes, you can see that." "Can you tell me why Mrs Mader killed herself?" "The poor woman." "We were shattered when we heard it." "She was depressed, but that she would..." "Well, please have a doughnut." "Thank you." "It's awful." "Yesterday we were sitting here celebrating New Year's Eve." "But then, excuse me... you should know more about Mrs Mader..." " Apart from her depression." " This is a nice neighbourhood." "We don't gossip like they do elsewhere." "When did Mrs Mader leave your flat?" "It must have been..." "just after twelve." "At midnight, she was still quite cheerful and then she became very depressed again." "And last night we were in such good spirits." "Tell me again who was present apart from you." "The Kovarik couple and Rudi Herzog." "They live in the building too." " Why was Mrs Mader depressed?" " No idea." " You, Helga?" " No, Ferdinand." "Perhaps because she was alone." "She got divorced five years ago." "At our age you don't find someone else very easily." "I always say to my wife" ""Be glad you have me." "There's no demand for what you offer."" "That applies to others too." "Who else did Mrs Mader have contact with?" "I don't know." "If we hadn't looked after her, she might have done it sooner." "She used to say..." ""lf there's no longer any joy in life for me, I'll end it."" "But none of us believed that she'd really..." "None of us..." "So you all got together regularly?" "Of course." "We often went on holidays together." "We do stick together in this building." "We were friends, we really were." "A true friendship." "May I give you some doughnuts for the afternoon?" "No, thank you." "For your doggie?" "Take them all." "It was awful when I found Mrs Mader in the attic." " On January 1 st too." " You were alone for New Year?" "I have been for ten years." "That's when my husband died, God bless him." "Since then I celebrate alone." "And at midnight, I look at the fireworks." "And it was all quiet here?" "No quarrels?" "This is a nice neighbourhood." "Those things don't happen here." "Everyone here is pleasant." " At midnight, it got a bit noisy." " Really?" "Where?" "In the yard." "A few tenants set off fireworks and rockets." "Was the body..." "Mrs Mader, was she there?" "I don't know." "It was too dark." "I couldn't recognise anyone for sure." "There aren't many possibilities." "Four families are on holidays." "Who does that leave?" "Well..." "The Riedls, the Kovariks, Mr Herzog and myself." "There's Mr Herzog now." "Mr Herzog, just a moment." " Mr Herzog?" " Yes." "Stockinger, Crime Squad." "I have a few questions about Mrs Mader's suicide." "Yes, I've heard about it." "It's tragic, but I really know nothing about it." "Where did you spend New Year's Eve?" "Well... with the Riedls." "Nothing better came up, if you know what I mean." "Who else was present?" "Well, the Kovariks..." " And Mrs Mader." " Mrs Mader was present too..." "So you celebrate New Year's Eve together, then she kills herself and you don't know a thing?" "Well, sure, she was depressed." "But many people kill themselves at Christmas and New Year." "That's one way of seeing the suicide of an acquaintance." "No, no, we were not that well acquainted, if you know what I mean." "Where were you about 1 2.30 a.m, Mr Herzog?" "I was at the Riedls' flat till then." "They'll confirm it." "You weren't in the yard?" "No, not me." "Goodbye." "You're sure Mrs Mader returned to her flat alone?" "I already told you that." "She left about ten past twelve." " Didn't she, Sissi?" " She was depressed." "None of you considered taking her home?" "Those few steps?" "What could have happened?" " Kurt's got a point." " But something did happen." "Thank you for your information." "Except for the old lady, they were all at the Riedls'." " The others are on holiday." " They've given each other alibis." "That makes it much easier." "They all said that Mrs Mader suffered from depression." "Find out if she was having treatment." "Oh yes, I did mean to look at the yard." "Why?" "They only let off a few rockets out there." "There should be some bits and pieces." "They must have let off quite a few..." "Riedl and Kovarik." "Allegedly until ten past twelve, then they went upstairs again, according to Mrs Kovarik." "Mrs Kovarik, Mrs Mader and Mrs Riedl stayed with Mr Herzog because they didn't want to be near the fireworks." "Rex, no." "Leave the bins alone." "Come now, come on." "What's going on, what is it?" "Good." "Do you have a hanky?" "The two men were not alone after all." "Well, the lipstick suggests that..." "Just look at that." "You didn't have to say that you were alone with Sissi." "Why not?" "It's the truth." "Then everyone will know about your affair." "We all said that Mrs Riedl and Mrs Mader were with us." " So Rudi and I weren't alone!" " So you told the police." " And in reality?" " You just watch yourself, mate." " Stop it right now, you idiots." " What's up?" "Watch it." "They're the dead woman's fingerprints." " And otherwise?" " Well..." "The double strangulation mark isn't the only indication that we're dealing with murder." "There's the bruising which isn't linked to the rest." "Intravital organ damage, as the jargon goes." "There's something else." "Someone who hangs themselves with a belt would normally have fibre traces on their hands, but there are none." "A typical error with faked hangings." "Is the assumed time of death correct?" "Death occurred about half past midnight." "There's every indication that the woman was strangled from behind." "Well, one mark extends horizontally backwards, the other one descends to the ear." "Precisely." "So someone strangled her..." "Then took her to the attic and hanged her." "For a clean environment!" "What are you doing?" "Me?" "Nothing, nothing at all." " I'm looking for someone." " No one's there." "A friend sometimes slept in there." "If he did, we'd call the police." "Get lost now." "He's got my papers." "I have to find him." "There's nothing to find here." "Get going!" "March!" "Piss off!" "Perhaps the culprits didn't intend to murder her." "A threat, a quarrel... and then it happened." "And now they try to claim it's suicide." "Thanks, Rex." "But as the building is locked at 9 p.m." "and no one mentioned a visit, it must have been one of the tenants." "But there wasn't even a hint of a motive." "There's only one thing to do..." "Stick with it." "You know what happens on New Year's Eve." "All the feelings and resentments of the year come out." "A bit of flirting, the wrong word, a threat, a quarrel... some alcohol and someone will tighten the noose." "It will be hard to find a motive." "Yes..." "I remember a case where a whole family murdered the tyrannical father." "Hanged him, beat him, stabbed him, shot him, the lot." "Then they tried to say it was suicide." "Our man wasn't that clumsy." "Our man?" "Perhaps it was a woman." "If this..." "If this group of tenants are also friends and stick together," "it will be difficult to prove anything." "We'll investigate each tenant's past." "Maybe that will reveal something." "I feel like Stockinger." "Do you have a hangover after New Year's Eve?" "No, but I haven't eaten anything all day." " But I have to go now." " Go now?" "You always leave when have a lucky streak." "You can't go now." "I've never seen an educated man sleep in a bathtub." "Who said I was educated?" "Sleep in a washbasin if you like, but not at your superior's place." "If I hadn't seen the young lady who... was visiting him..." "She saw me when she came into the bathroom." "And I saw her too." "With such a decline in morals, the crime rate has to soar." " Would you like one too?" " No, thanks." "I've just been to the lab." "Mrs Mader's fingerprints were on the champagne glass." "So she was in the yard with Riedl and Kovarik." "But they said Mrs Mader stayed in the Riedls' flat." "That's what they agreed to say." "We should have told the police you and Erna were in the yard." "But why?" "You saw that the dog found her champagne glass." "So what?" "It doesn't prove a thing." "I don't wish to be drawn into this matter." "Just don't lose your nerve." "Read the job ads to take your mind off things." "Stop criticising me." "It's not easy at my age to find a suitable job." "What could possibly be suitable for you?" "Department head in the textile industry." "You'll have to go downmarket a bit." "Perhaps you could find a job as a chauffeur when all this is behind us." " Or as unskilled labour." " Are you mad?" "I will do no such thing." "And let the others look down on me?" "Like Herzog, a shop assistant, or Kovarik, a hairdresser?" "But you're nothing." "You have no work whatsoever." "You're unemployed." "If I wasn't secretary to the boss..." "You keep reminding me three times a day." "But it's not enough." "I'll tell you one thing." "I will not give up any of this!" "I got hold of Mrs Mader's doctor." "She never showed signs of depression." "But that's what they all said." "We should confront the nice neighbourhood with Mrs Mader's murder." " Sure, but when?" " Now, immediately." "They'll either be hung over or intoxicated again." "That's why I'll go there now." "Rex, come on." "Do you want to set the building on fire?" " Is that him?" " Yes, I threw him out before." "It was a mistake to come here again." "I told you I was looking for my friend who has my papers." "And I'm sure he was here." "I told you, men like you have no place here." " There was no one here." " Ferdinand, get rid of him." "I know about Mrs Mader and I know the police were here." " I know that too." " You're threatening us?" "I'll show you what happens then." "Don't do anything stupid." "No, we'll take this one somewhere else." "Come back to bed." "Now they've beaten up that one too." "Let them police the yard if it makes them happy." "What if the police find out?" "Who'd believe a vagrant?" "They'd take him to the station and charge him." "With intolerable body odour." "I don't care about the vagrants." "I worry about Mrs Mader." "Come on, sweetie, we have nothing to do with it." "If your old man goes to jail, you'll be in charge of the hairdressing salon." "And the two of us can live it up." "So that's how you see the future." "If I weren't married I'd find a better man than you." "You're a bit on edge, aren't you, Sissi?" "Forget it." "In a few days it'll all be over." "The police will think... that Mader killed herself." " Finished." " I hope so." "Believe me." "Come here." "No." "Come here, I said." "This is what you like." "I know exactly what you want." "We'll confront them all at the same time." "Good evening, Mrs Riedl." " Is your husband home?" " No, why?" "Sorry to disturb you so late, Mr Herzog." "I have a few questions." "Mrs Mader was murdered." "Murdered?" "Good God." "It was murder." " A murder?" " May I come in, please?" "No, I..." "I have a visitor right now." "I don't know what else I can do." "Just describe your whole New Year's Eve once more." "But it's all in my statement." "Do you know what?" "This is an outrage." " Listen, don't think that..." " Mr Herzog..." "Do you know where the Kovariks are?" "No, how should I know?" "What's the matter, Rex?" "But you should know when your husband will be back." "I see..." "Been up in the attic again?" "Stockinger!" "Yes?" "The key, please." " What?" " Give me the key to the attic." "Take care of them." "I'll be right there, Rex." " Thank you." " All right?" "Yes, thank you." "Well done, Rex." "The two gentlemen who live here did this, right?" "And they probably murdered Pepi." " Who?" " Pepi." "He's the ex-husband of Mrs Mader." "Well, Mr Riedl and Mr Kovarik?" "Can you tell me why you wanted to kill this man?" "Him?" "He's not a man, he's just a vagrant." "We just wanted to scare him off." "We'd have let him out in time." "I see, just scare him." "What about his friend?" "What did you do to him, to Mr Mader?" "I've no idea what you're talking about." "We don't know a Mr Mader." "We won't say anything without a lawyer." "Fine." "But I arrest you for attempted murder and suspected murder." "A bad start to the year for you two." "That's it, let's go." "He must have been here!" "He'd have let me know if he'd gone somewhere else." "We leave messages, you know." "Perhaps he didn't get a chance to leave one." "We found the corpse in the well and will prove that you killed Mrs Mader." "Perhaps you committed the murder together." "I have nothing to do with any of this." " Nothing at all." " But you must know a bit more." " Or I'll have to assume..." " Tell them what happened." "Then maybe you'll stay secretary to the boss." "We were all down in the yard and we were watching..." "Mr Kovarik and my husband throwing firecrackers." "Who was there?" "The men, and Mrs Mader and me." "So Mrs Kovarik and Mr Herzog were in the flat." "Where is your wife actually, Mr Kovarik?" "Answer my question." "Have a look at Mr Herzog's place." "We'll do that." "What happened then?" "Then Mr Kovarik and my husband went to the shed." "Erna and I didn't pay much attention." "He was in there." "He threatened and attacked us." "Sure." "We can see how serious your injuries were." "We haven't recovered the body yet but we'll find out how and why he died, Mr Riedl." "When they dragged him from the shed, we went over." "We thought it was a joke." "But it was too late." "It was a brawl, a drunken row, that's all." "And then you kill a poor devil on New Year's Eve." "A poor devil?" "A vagrant who lives off our money." "The police should be grateful if we look after such men." "And when it was all over," "Mrs Mader suddenly noticed that these nice people had killed her ex." "Then she became hysterical." "She had been separated for five years." "And who took Mrs Mader back to her flat?" "Mr Kovarik... and my husband." "She threatened to call the police so one of you strangled her with the belt." "Correct, Mr Kovarik?" "It wasn't me..." "Him." "You lousy bastard." "You're in just as deep." "Let's go." "Kurt!" "Now you can screw around as much as you like." "So?" "You didn't mind Rudi taking your place in bed." "You just didn't want anyone here to know." "You hit people when they're down, but otherwise..." "Otherwise?" "You two watched from the window." "We didn't watch." "We had better things to do." "Come on, Mr Kovarik." "Let's go." "I'll be seeing you." "Pepi was someone you could rely on." "So I gave him my papers to keep so I wouldn't lose them if I got drunk." "How long have you known him?" "Since his divorce." "At that time, he went downhill quickly." "Since his ex-wife lived in this building, he sometimes came here secretly." "Once he even met her." "But she didn't want to know him any more." "But he loved her." "He then found the shed here and sometimes slept there." "But his ex-wife didn't know about that." "Jesus Christ..." "Do you..." "ever miss your old life?" "No." "Not when I see the people here, not then." "They would have killed me too." "But I was lucky..." "Rex was there."