According to the BND file, the aim had been to gather intelligence on intergang rivalry and, specifically, on the encroachment by the Ukrainians into Ulugbay controlled areas. The file contained warrants from the Justizministerium for a phone tap on the main land line into the apartment. There was no mention of video equipment or bugging inside the apartment itself. Tina Kramer’s role had been as a back-up, conveying any materials or cash needed and keeping Klugmann isolated from direct contact with any agency. Her instructions were to stay overnight in the apartment anytime she had contact with Klugmann. That way, anyone watching Klugmann could not then trace Kramer back to BAO or BND. Kramer’s own apartment was in Eimsbüttel, far enough away from St Pauli to avoid any suspect accidentally bumping into her while she was buying groceries. Her instructions on counter-surveillance measures were complex. There were four safe houses set up. She would visit at least one of these, for at least an hour, every time she returned to her own apartment after making contact with Klugmann. She could also pick up materials and money at the safe houses. Like Klugmann, Kramer had not seen the inside of a federal-agency building for months. The idea was that, should anyone follow her, they would assume that she was visiting clients. Thereafter she would take a circuitous route to Eimsbüttel, punctuated by counter-surveillance checks and evasive manoeuvres. It would mean a very long journey home.

There was a subtext here. She was really just Klugmann’s courier, yet every move she made, every link back from Klugmann, was ring-fenced with precautions. Klugmann himself, ironically, had less cloak-and-dagger manoeuvring to do. He had one main form of protection: to live the life. He was to become so immersed in his identity as a low-life on the fringes of organised crime, and so totally isolated from his controls, that his cover would be impenetrable. Klugmann had two life-lines: Tina Kramer and his cell phone. These were not just his way of staying in touch, they grounded him; kept him connected with who he really was and what his true objectives were.

There was a lot of detail on the Ulugbay and the Varasouv criminal organisations, as well as other, peripheral criminal interests. But there was not enough on the new outfit, the so-called Top Team, despite Volker himself admitting it was the main focus of the operation. The transcripts of the bugged conversations from the apartment yielded nothing worthwhile either. Something was missing.

Volker had promised him the full story: Volker had lied.

Fabel asked Werner to gather everyone together in the main Mordkommission office for a briefing. As he stepped out of his room he was aware of the eyes of his team on him. He pulled himself as straight as possible and tried to invest his movements with as much vitality as he could muster. There was a low buzz in the office and Paul Lindemann was on the phone. Fabel waited for him to finish his call and clapped his hands together twice, sharply.