Hidden Depths (31 page)

‘Jens Wissemann is alive and well. He's my father-in-law.'

Hanne smiled. ‘How ironic. Freud said there are no coincidences.'

‘That's what my wife says and I'm beginning to believe it. You know, that was the best banana I've ever eaten,' Felix told her.

‘I kept your photo on my wall at home and it's still there. I've often wondered what happened to you,' Hanne confessed. ‘Life's strange, eh?'

‘Please, have something to eat in the café whilst I gather my things. I'll settle the bill,' Felix told her. ‘You know I won't run away this time.'

Hanne's mobile sounded out a tune.

‘OK. Excuse me, while I answer this. Hello… Herr Lankwitz…Yes, this is Frau Drais, Audrey's mother.'

Felix opened the doors of Das Kino but on hearing this name, his ears pricked up. Alarm bells rang in his head. He had heard this name before, just once, in a dark and dismal place, but he'd never forgotten it. Felix stayed in Das Kino listening, riveted to Hanne's phone call.

Hanne looked worried. She repeated what she was being told. ‘What do you mean, Audrey didn't turn up for her maths lesson this morning? Really? She left at nine o'clock… It's midday now. Have you tried her on her mobile? Where could she be? OK, Herr Lankwitz, I understand, you can't wait any longer for her. I'm sure she'll turn up somewhere. Thanks for letting me know. Bye.'

Felix was concerned. ‘Is everything OK?'

Hanne's brow had furrowed. ‘My daughter didn't go to her maths tutor. Where the hell is she? I'll phone her friend Kati, they were going biking today.'

Something didn't feel right. Hanne phoned Audrey's friend whilst Felix climbed up to the balcony to his former hideaway. Rummaging in a box he found Horst Gwisdek's diary, next to the Musketeers' mobile phones. It was a long time since he'd opened this infamous book and copied all the names to send off to the police – the list that had helped break the paedophile ring. He turned the dusty, yellowing pages to the letter L.

There was nothing entered regarding Lankwitz. Sudenly Felix's brain shifted back in time to his school lessons in Torgau. The wardens had called Lankwitz by another name – Witzig – so he turned to the back pages of the diary. There he was, Bruno Witzig, but the address next to it was illegible, smudged by a coffee stain. Felix could just make out the name of the town: Potsdam.

‘Good God,' gasped Felix, and hurried back to Hanne who was looking distraught. ‘I've phoned her friend, Kati, who said Audrey's mobile's been off all morning. It's not like her and I've just spoken with her father but she's not with him. He said not to worry, she'll turn up, I'm just overreacting. Hell! My 16-year-old daughter's missing and her father says I'm overreacting!'

‘Maybe he's right and there's nothing to worry about but what if Audrey's mobile has been turned off for her, so she can't be traced? I don't want to alarm you but this teacher, Lankwitz. Do the kids call him Witzig?'

Hanne felt suddenly chilled. She remembered the name Witzig but not because of Audrey. No, wasn't he a friend of Gunther Schukrafft? Monica Hirsch had mentioned him.

‘I don't know what they call him but he was the one who's just told me Audrey's missing!' Hanne cried.

Felix was deeply concerned now. ‘Paedophiles are very clever at subterfuge. This is the diary that belonged to Gwisdek. There was a young guy at Torgau who came the last year I was there. I wasn't one of his “boys” but he used to teach us maths. The wardens called him Witzig because he was always joking around but I remember the kids had to call him Herr Lankwitz. What's Lankwitz's first name?'

‘Bruno, I think,' Hanne said.

Felix's faced dropped as he showed Hanne the diary.

Hanne screamed. ‘No! Witzig's got my daughter! Oh my God.'

‘I know it's a long time ago but when I sent the police, I just copied the names from the diary and wrote Bruno Witzig,' Felix told her, berating himself. ‘I'm sorry, I could kick myself.'

Hanne burst into tears. ‘We've got to find them!'

‘If we could make out the Potsdam address they might be there,' said Felix.

Hanne had a brainwave. ‘Wait! My mother recently bought Audrey a new mobile phone and a watch with GPS tracker modem devices. It maps out cycle routes even if there's not a good signal in the area. Witzig might have turned off her phone but if her watch isn't broken, please God I'll find her.'

Hanne and Felix raced outside to Hanne's car. She turned on her GPS.

‘How's this going to work?' Felix asked.

‘As long as the satellite signal is strong enough, both Audrey's mobile number and watch registration number is programmed into my tracker. It's a bit like a suspect out on bail, wearing an ankle monitor. We can locate Audrey's position within five to ten metres.'

As suspected, Audrey's mobile was switched off but her GPS watch and the details of her whereabouts soon popped up on the screen. She was at a place called Caputh – or the watch was.

‘That's near Potsdam,' Hanne exclaimed and looked skywards to the heavens in gratitude. ‘Mutti! Thank you! I'll never argue with you again.'

‘Ring Witzig,' Felix suggested. ‘Trace his whereabouts.'

Hanne checked her mobile for the number of her last caller and programmed Witzig's mobile into the GPS and rang his phone. She waited: his phone was on but he didn't answer. However, the GPS information on the screen read… Caputh.

‘Got you!' said Hanne, and punched the air.

‘I'll get my gun,' Felix told her. ‘Call the police.'

‘That paedophile has got my daughter,' Hanne cried.

Felix put his arm around her trembling shoulders. ‘It'll be OK, I know how to deal with these Torgau bastards. I'll drive you and we'll be there in less than an hour. Now, programme in the address on the GPS and wait here for me.'

‘If he's touched her....' Hanne stopped mid-sentence. It was unbearable to think about.

Felix took the words right out of her mouth. ‘You'll kill him.'

Hanne knew Felix had read her mind correctly. ‘Yes. I'll fucking kill him!'

‘If Witzig kidnapped Audrey and left Berlin this morning, they can't have been at Caputh long,' Felix said, trying to reassure her as she looked at her mobile.

‘
Christ
! My mobile battery's almost dead and it takes half an hour to recharge it,' Hanne cried.

Felix took out his mobile. ‘Damn, mine too. Wait! I've got a multi-mobile portable charger at the boathouse. We'll take it with us. There's a landline phone in the boathouse, too, you can call the police for back up before we go. Come on.'

Hanne's hands shook uncontrollably as she dialled the police from the boathouse. Meanwhile, Felix packed a bag with some essentials: his gun, a knife, torch and binoculars, some boat rope and the mobile charger. He had a feeling of déjà vu and was afraid of what was about to happen but he couldn't back out. His hands were moist with sweat so he threw a pair of work gloves in his bag thinking that he if had to use his gun or knife they would stop them from slipping in his hands.

‘Hello… police. My name's Hanne Drais. I'm a police psychologist with the Mitte Police in Berlin. My daughter's been abducted by a suspected paedophile. I need back up. I'm heading over to Caputh, near Potsdam. My GPS tracked my daughter to a house on the lake – 25 Kleine Havel Weg, Caputh. Please contact me on my mobile in about half an hour as I've got to charge it, my number is 01606 659942. Please, please, hurry.'

Hanne was still shaking when she put down the phone but Felix took her by the arm and they hurried off to Hanne's car.

Ingrid had just returned home with Peonie, who was asleep in the back seat of her car. Seeing Felix coming towards her, hurrying from the boathouse with a strange woman, she was instantly alert and anxious.

‘Felix, what's going on? Who's this?' Ingrid asked.

‘Tante, this is Hanne, she's with the police. They know the truth about me. Don't tell Martha yet, please just look after Peonie for me,' he told her and ushered Hanne into the passenger seat of her car.

Ingrid's face turned ashen. ‘No! Where are you going? You're not taking your gun are you?

Felix nodded. ‘Tante, I've no choice, I've got to go. One of those paedophile bastards from Torgau has abducted Hanne's daughter.'

Chapter Forty
-five: Witzig

A
UDREY AWOKE IN A
windowless room in a basement bereft of natural light. She was feeling drowsy from the effects of the sleeping pill that Herr Lankwitz had surreptitiously slipped into her drink during the maths tutorial at his Berlin flat. Where the hell was she? She stood up and walked around.

The room had all the requirements of a bed-sit: a double bed, an armchair, a fold-up wooden chair against a desk, a shower, a sink with a tap and mirror above the basin, and a toilet. A mini fridge was stocked with food. On a shelf was one cup, one glass, one plate, one plastic spoon and one fork, but no knife. It was quiet except for the gentle humming of the air conditioning unit on the wall. Hidden in the overhead light, unknown to her, was a security camera.

Audrey tried the pulling the door open but realised it was locked and bolted from the other side. She saw her rucksack on the armchair and searched frantically for her mobile phone. It was missing. Her watch was there, the one Traudl had given her for her birthday in March: the time was 3 p.m. The last thing Audrey remembered was arriving at Herr Lankwitz's flat in Berlin that morning. Where had the time gone in between?

She opened the chest of drawers and found female clothes and lingerie. She rummaged through the skirts, jumpers and negligees. Everything was a size 10 – her own size. Surely that must be a coincidence? A chill shivered up her spine. Hoping that her mobile had fallen under her bed, she saw an old, dusty shoe box and pulled it out. Inside was a stuffed, human foot. Audrey screamed, dropping the box, and the foot tumbled out. Grimacing, she kicked the foot and the box back under her bed. Why was she here? She felt a sudden terror. Had she been abducted?

At that moment there was a knock. Audrey sat upright, anxiously waiting for the door to be unbolted and unlocked from the other side. Herr Lankwitz came in and flashed his captive prey a smile.

A handsome man of almost 40, with dark, wavy hair and long eyelashes, he was of average height but had a strong, athletic build. Audrey, on the other hand, was a petite teenager just 5ft 2ins tall.

‘Ah! You're awake,' he said to her.

‘Herr Lankwitz?'

‘Please, call me Bruno. I am Bruno Witzig.'

‘Where am I? What's going on?'

‘Audrey, thank you for accepting my invitation to come and stay.'

What could he mean? she thought. She hadn't said she'd stay with him. And where on earth was she? Had he told her mother he'd taken her away? The thoughts raced through her brain and were replaced by fear. He could only mean her harm…

‘Invitation?' she repeated.

Witzig smiled. ‘Well, abduction or kidnapping is another way of putting it.'

Audrey began to cry.

‘Now, now, don't go spoiling that pretty face of yours with tears. Give me a smile. That smile of yours is so gorgeous that the moment I saw it I just knew I had to take the risk. You had to be mine.'

On impulse, she made a dash for the door, trying to push her kidnapper out of the way, but he blocked her exit and pushed her hard, back onto the bed.

‘Let me go!' cried Audrey. ‘You know my mother works with the police.'

Witzig was taken aback. He had no idea Audrey's mother worked with the police. ‘You're kidding! You told me your mother worked in Kadewe.'

‘I always say that, to protect her identity. You'll never get away with this!'

Witzig shook his head. ‘Well, it's too late now. Besides, I have before.'

‘You're crazy!'

‘You're 16, it's legal now. Are you a virgin?'

‘You're sick!' cried Audrey, refusing to answer his question.

‘Maybe I am crazy and sick, but you will grow to like me. When you feel like being nice to me, I'll take you outside for some fresh air.'

‘Never!' Audrey snarled.

‘Never say never. It'll be nicer that way, if you decide to be nice to me, then I won't have to force you.'

Audrey's heart was beating so loudly she was surprised it wasn't audible. She needed time to think and work out a strategy to escape. Don't cry, she told herself, you don't want him to know you're afraid. Then she remembered something her mother told her: when there's nothing else you can do, show your strength. She took a deep breath.

‘They'll all be looking for me,' Audrey announced confidently.

‘Let them,' said Witzig. ‘I'll not go down without a fight. There's only been one person who managed to find me here and he was a boy from Torgau. Have you heard of a place called Torgau?'

Audrey nodded. ‘My mother's involved in a case about a boy from Torgau.'

Witzig raised an eyebrow. ‘Really? Well, I worked there, though it was a long time ago. One crazy, blue-eyed, orphaned wonderkid from Torgau was on a mission to kill paedophiles, and there were many who fucked with him, literally, including myself.

‘By the time he found me a few years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, he'd already killed and disposed of roughly half a dozen of my ex-colleagues,' Witzig told her, bending down to pull out the foot and the shoe box from under the bed. ‘Let me introduce you to David. Size nine feet,' he said.

Audrey recoiled. She could see Witzig's eyes were glittering and animated and she realised how extremely dangerous he was.

Witzig continued. ‘He came at me with a fancy knife. There was a struggle. He stepped on my toes, and I kept his foot as a souvenir. David is in the lake, hidden in the depths.'