Müller shrugged. ‘To be honest, from what we saw of him from those photos, I can’t see anyone having taken a fancy to poor old Bodo – male or female.’

‘True. But maybe he hasn’t always looked like that. Perhaps it’s something from his past. It could even be why his wife-to-be jilted him. Maybe the alcoholism was nothing really to do with losing her – but more that he couldn’t face the reality of what he really was.’

‘That’s just idle speculation, Werner.’

‘Idle speculation is all we have, Karin. So far, this case has just been one dead end after another.’

*

Müller wanted to ensure that Jannika and Johannes shouldn’t see her until she could spend quality time with them – which she was determined would happen, whether it was against school regulations or not. So on their way into the school entrance, she pulled her coat lapels right up and her hat down over her ears and forehead, so that very little of her face was visible. Luckily, between the entrance and the director’s office, they didn’t encounter any children.

The deputy director was in charge, with Schenk having taken a couple of days leave. But news of his fate clearly hadn’t reached his deputy. At first, she thought Müller was simply at the school in connection with her twins. When Müller revealed what had happened, the blood drained from the woman’s face.

‘But that doesn’t make any sense. Are you sure it was suicide?’

‘No,’ said Müller. ‘But it appears so. Had he been showing any signs of depression lately? Was he worried about anything?’

The woman frowned. ‘Now you mention it, he had seemed a little distracted this past week or so. But he just wasn’t the sort of man to do something like that.’

‘How well did you know him?’ asked Tilsner. ‘Did he have a settled home life? A wife? Children?’ Müller knew what her deputy was driving at, even though he didn’t spell it out.

‘He was divorced. No kids, no. He always said the children here were his progeny. He loved them – and loved to see them do well.’

‘And this divorce?’ continued Müller. ‘Was that amicable? Any ongoing issues?’

‘Well . . .’ The woman hesitated. ‘I mean, no divorce is ever entirely amicable, in my experience. But he never intimated there were continuing issues. From what he told me, he and his wife just grew apart. I think she felt he was too dedicated to his work, to be honest. That he didn’t spend enough time with her.’

‘And had he formed any new relationships since the divorce?’ asked Tilsner. ‘Any other women on the go?’