Volker shook his head. ‘No one in the Polizei Hamburg has any knowledge of the operation. The rumour is, believe it or not, that these Ukrainians were previously policemen and Soviet Interior Ministry special forces. They are supposed to have set up contacts with police officers serving in Germany. That’s why we gave Klugmann the background he had – we reckoned he’d fit in more easily. And because he had a genuine special-forces background, his cover would stand up to scrutiny. But we couldn’t risk a leak, so no one here knows a thing.’

‘Presumably that’s why you changed Klugmann’s records here, and why his federal records don’t match up?’

Volker nodded.

‘Who heads up this Ukrainian unit?’ Werner spoke without moving from the door. Volker did not turn to answer, but spoke to Fabel, as if he had asked the question.

‘That was one of the prime objectives of the operation. We don’t know. He is totally faceless and nameless at the moment …’

Just like our second murder victim was, thought Fabel.

Volker continued. ‘Klugmann has made contact, through a member of Yari Varasouv’s outfit – or at least the outfit that used to be run by Varasouv – with one of the new Ukrainian mob. Klugmann only knows his contact as “Vadim” … he reckons that his contact is the real deal, but quite low in the pecking order, otherwise he wouldn’t be exposed. That said, we believe there’s only ten to a dozen in the main group – we call them the Top Team – each of whom is running half a dozen existing “captains” from the old gangs. The way this new outfit operates puts the “organised” in organised crime. The Top Team works almost like the command structure of an occupying army. They have, in effect, removed the governments of each of the top Hamburg gangs, eliminating the gang bosses. That leaves them with a body without a head which they then control. They started with the Ukrainian, Russian and other east-European gangs, then they turned their attention to the Ulugbay organisation. They were taking the structure out from under Ulugbay. And then, of course, they took Ulugbay out of the structure.’

‘Why would they talk to someone as small-time as Klugmann’s cover suggests he is?’

Volker hesitated. ‘We gave Klugmann something to bargain with …’

‘What?’

‘You’ve got to understand, Fabel, that we are playing against highly dangerous opponents. People who are often unpredictable. It means that sometimes we have to take risks …’ Fabel didn’t know what was coming, but he already knew he wouldn’t like it. Volker sighed. ‘We gave them the details of the drugs meet where Ulugbay was killed.’

Fabel stared incredulously at Volker. ‘You used a law-enforcement operation to help set up a hit on a major underworld figure? Christ, is there nothing you people won’t do?’