‘If you tell me it’s the truth, Herr Volker,’ said Fabel.

Volker put all the photographs and papers back in the file and pushed it across the table. ‘The unedited, unexpurgated version. Make sure you don’t lose it.’

An e-mail had arrived from the FBI, addressed to Werner, when Fabel and Maria returned to the Mordkommission. Maria printed it out and brought it through to Fabel’s office.

‘Listen to this …’ She sat down across the desk from Fabel. ‘John Sturchak – the Eitels’ American business associate?’

Fabel nodded.

Maria scanned through the document as she briefed Fabel. ‘The FBI are very interested in any information we might have on John Sturchak or deals he’s involved in. Apparently, Sturchak is the son of Roman Sturchak, who was an officer in the SS Galicia Division at the same time as Wolfgang Eitel. Sturchak was one of the Ukrainians who fought their way back to Austria to surrender to the Americans at the end of the war. If the Red Army had got him he would have been shot. Roman was allowed to emigrate to the US and set up an importing business there. It would appear that this latest enterprise may not be the first collaboration between the Eitel and Sturchak families. The Sturchak business is based in New York and, according to the FBI, Roman Sturchak was suspected of having organised-crime links, but has never been indicted for any offence. John Sturchak took over the Sturchak business empire when his father died in 1992. When the Wall came down there was a flood of Ukrainian immigrants, legal and illegal, to the US. According to this information, John Sturchak is suspected of helping some in without the burden of a valid passport or visa. The Amis now have a real problem with the Odessa Mafia, which is based at Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, New York.’ Maria looked up from the document. ‘I’ve heard about them before – mostly Ukrainian and Russian. They make the Italian Mafia look tame by comparison.’ Maria returned to scanning the document. ‘John Sturchak is suspected of close involvement with Russian and Ukrainian organised-crime groups.’

Fabel smiled broadly. ‘So that’s the connection Wolfgang Eitel, upholder of law and order, cannot allow to be exposed. That he does business with the Ukrainian Mafia.’

Maria continued to read through the document. ‘Shit. Listen to this. One of the reasons the FBI has been unable to pin anything on Sturchak is the way the Odessa Mafia operates. It’s totally different from the Italian Mafia. It’s organised into cells headed up by a Pakhan or boss. Each cell is made up of four groups who operate separately. No one has direct contact with the Pakhan who instead controls them through a so-called “brigadier”. Added to that, they have a habit of recruiting teams of “freelancers” who may not even be of Russian or Ukrainian origin and who do one job, get paid, and have no idea who it was they were really working for. So the chance of the FBI ever working their way up to Sturchak is practically zero.’