‘There is no connection between Tina Kramer and either of the other victims.’

‘How can you be sure?’

Volker half threw the heavy green file onto the desk. ‘It’s all there, Fabel. Everything we have on our operation. We were going to share it with you anyway, we just needed Klugmann to come in from the field. We’ve cross-checked your other two victims with Tina Kramer and there is no link. Tina just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Your killer must have picked her at random, like the other victims.’

‘That’s a pile of crap, Volker. Coincidences like that just don’t happen.’

‘They do, and in this case they did. Agent Kramer wasn’t our main undercover operative. That’s Klugmann. Kramer ran the apartment as a meeting venue where Klugmann could talk with his underworld contacts. We’ve set Klugmann up as a corrupt ex-cop, specifically an ex-special-forces police officer, with a grudge against the police. It’s all in there …’ Volker pointed to the file. ‘The story was that Kramer rented the apartment from Klugmann as “Monique” with the suggestion she was a hooker. Their arrangement was supposed to be that Klugmann still used the apartment for secret meetings.’

‘Meetings with whom? What was the objective of the operation?’

‘It was an observation point. Klugmann was placed on the fringes of organised criminal activity without any clear loyalty. He was employed by Hoffknecht, who was in turn employed by Ulugbay, but he wasn’t tied in to the Ulugbay organisation. He’s been making noises to the effect that he wants to get involved in some serious action.’

‘That doesn’t answer my question. Who was the target and what were the objectives of the operation?’

‘It was an intelligence-gathering op. The specific target was a powerful new Ukrainian outfit that has moved into town. We suspect that they killed Ulugbay.’

Fabel recalled what Mahmoot had told him. He let Volker continue.

‘We instigated the operation because no one will talk to us about them. All our usual contacts are too scared. With good reason. Remember I told you we had a very good reason for playing this close to the chest?’

Fabel nodded curtly.

‘Well I’m afraid you’re not going to like it. Nobody is prepared to talk about this new outfit because they are unbelievably efficient and ruthless in dealing with informers, competitors or simply anyone who gets in their way. What’s more, they’ve made it clear that they have contacts inside the Polizei Hamburg and that they will find out if anyone talks.’

‘They’ve got insiders here? I don’t believe it,’ Fabel protested.

‘That’s what our intelligence suggests. We don’t know for sure where, but it would have to be at a pretty senior level. That’s why the Polizei Hamburg was kept out of the loop. It was a joint BND and BAO operation, and we recruited Klugmann from GSG9. Sorry, but that’s how it had to be.’

‘What about Buchholz and the Organised Crime Division?’