Fabel shrugged. He didn’t see the point in this conversation and its personal tone was beginning to annoy him. The truth was he did feel different. All his life he had been aware of another, non-German aspect to his make-up. He resented it and treasured it at the same time.

Schreiber obviously sensed Fabel’s growing unease. ‘I’m sorry, Herr Fabel, I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just that I have read your service file and it’s clear that you are an exceptional officer. I believe you are different, that you have an edge, an added perspective that others don’t. It’s why I believe you are the man who will stop this monster.’

‘I have no choice,’ said Fabel, and went on to explain his ‘selection’ by the so-called Son of Sven. As Fabel spoke, Schreiber nodded and frowned as if absorbing and weighing up every morsel of information, but Fabel noticed that the Bürgermeister’s gaze ranged around the room. The motion gave the hooded, intense eyes an almost predatory look. It was as if his mind were in several places at the same time.

‘What I want to know, Herr Hauptkommissar, is whether you actually have a strategy?’ asked Innensenator Ganz. ‘I hope we are not allowing this maniac to set the agenda. Proactive policing is what is called for here …’

Fabel was about to retort when Schreiber cut across him. ‘I have every confidence in Herr Fabel, Hugo. And I don’t think it’s helpful for us as politicians to dictate how the police do their job.’

Ganz’s pink cheeks reddened further. It was clear who was in charge here. The odd thing was that, although Schreiber had said all the right things, Fabel didn’t feel totally convinced that he did indeed have the Erste Bürgermeister’s trust. Or that he in turn trusted Schreiber.

Van Heiden broke what was becoming an awkward silence. ‘Perhaps now would be a good time for Kriminalhauptkommissar Fabel to give us his report.’

Schreiber took his place at the table and Fabel ran through a summary of the case progress to date. He punctuated his report with images from the case file. At several points Ganz looked quite ill; Schreiber’s face wore a mask of practised solemnity. Towards the end of his presentation, Fabel leaned back in his chair and looked towards Van Heiden.

‘What is it, Fabel? Is there something else you have to report?’

‘I’m afraid so, Herr Kriminaldirektor. At the moment it’s only a theory but …’

‘But?’

‘As I’ve already pointed out, there have been no signs of forced entry into the second victim’s apartment, nor has their been any evidence of violent struggle at first point of contact between the perpetrator and either victim. This has led us to the conclusion that either he was armed and forced compliance by threat, or the victims have, well, trusted their killer in some way. The latter means one of two things: that the killer is someone they already know – we think this highly unlikely, given the profile we’ve compiled on our killer and the disparity in the victims’ backgrounds and areas of residence …’