Kubinke And The Lonely Grave: Thriller

By Alfred Bekker

Kubinke And The Lonely Grave: Thriller

Harry Kubinke novel

by Alfred Bekker

 

The size of this book is equivalent to 130 paperback pages.

 

Lorenzo D'Alessi, chief detective in Hamburg, was infiltrated into the Calabrian Arcuri family in Hamburg as an undercover investigator under the name Fabio Ascioti. Now he has been fished out of a disused dock in the old port. Was his cover blown? Or was there another reason that D'Alessi was dumped?

The two detective inspectors Kubinke and Meier are assigned to solve the case and come to an astonishing conclusion ...

 

Alfred Bekker is a well-known author of fantasy novels, thrillers and books for young people. In addition to his major book successes, he has written numerous novels for suspense series such as Ren Dhark, Jerry Cotton, Cotton Reloaded, Kommissar X, John Sinclair, and Jessica Bannister. He has also published under the names Neal Chadwick, Henry Rohmer, Conny Walden, and Janet Farell.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alfred Bekker
• Release date: Jul 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223130666

Alfred Bekker

Alfred Bekker wurde am 27.9.1964 in Borghorst (heute Steinfurt) geboren und wuchs in den münsterländischen Gemeinden Ladbergen und Lengerich auf. 1984 machte er Abitur, leistete danach Zivildienst auf der Pflegestation eines Altenheims und studierte an der Universität Osnabrück für das Lehramt an Grund- und Hauptschulen. Insgesamt 13 Jahre war er danach im Schuldienst tätig, bevor er sich ausschließlich der Schriftstellerei widmete. Schon als Student veröffentlichte Bekker zahlreiche Romane und Kurzgeschichten. Er war Mitautor zugkräftiger Romanserien wie Kommissar X, Jerry Cotton, Rhen Dhark, Bad Earth und Sternenfaust und schrieb eine Reihe von Kriminalromanen. Angeregt durch seine Tätigkeit als Lehrer wandte er sich schließlich auch dem Kinder- und Jugendbuch zu, wo er Buchserien wie 'Tatort Mittelalter', 'Da Vincis Fälle', 'Elbenkinder' und 'Die wilden Orks' entwickelte. Seine Fantasy-Romane um 'Das Reich der Elben', die 'DrachenErde-Saga' und die 'Gorian'-Trilogie machten ihn einem großen Publikum bekannt. Darüber hinaus schreibt er weiterhin Krimis und gemeinsam mit seiner Frau unter dem Pseudonym Conny Walden historische Romane. Einige Gruselromane für Teenager verfasste er unter dem Namen John Devlin. Für Krimis verwendete er auch das Pseudonym Neal Chadwick. Seine Romane erschienen u.a. bei Blanvalet, BVK, Goldmann, Lyx, Schneiderbuch, Arena, dtv, Ueberreuter und Bastei Lübbe und wurden in zahlreiche Sprachen übersetzt.

Book preview

1

His name was Helmut.

He was ancient. So old that he had still consciously experienced the 1930s.

With increasing age, he had become more talkative. And so he also talked about things about which he had once sworn to keep silent.

But that's how it is when you get very old.

Some things you forget.

And some things are remembered all the more vividly.

Helmut had forgotten that he was supposed to be silent.

He remembered all the more vividly what he should have kept quiet about.

He was now constantly talking about what should not have been talked about.

The tragedy was that now, after all these many years, no one believed him anyway.

He was thought to be a crank.

An old man who told whimsical stories.

With Helmut, it was always the same story.

The story of the treasure in the lake - and of the men with machine guns.

Helmut, don't always say things like that, they said. You scare the children with it!

But it's true!

Yeah, sure!

I saw them carrying the treasure to the water! There were so many boxes...

Please don't do it again, Helmut!

I was just a little boy then...

Hmm...

Sometimes I think it was just yesterday.

Memories rose in him...

*

Many years in the past...

The boy paused in the dark shade of gnarled, overgrown, ghostly-looking trees, some of whose root systems protruded from the very steep slope. He bent aside a few prickly bushes and looked at the glittering lake. Men's voices drifted over to him. There were a couple of guys carrying boxes.

Suddenly, something cracked behind him.

The boy flinched now and turned around.

A man was standing there.

Wide-legged.

Narrow-lipped.

His hat was pulled low on his face, so that most of his face was in shadow. In his hands he held a submachine gun.

It was a submachine gun with a round magazine. The barrel was now pointing toward the little boy. Don't move, kid!

The boy wanted to say something, but he couldn't. He was frozen. He could not even breathe. His pulse was beating up to his neck.

What are you doing here, boy?

Nothing.

Don't fuck with me!

I...

What?

The boy swallowed. His eyes bulged out. His face had lost the last bit of color and looked deathly pale.

The man with the machine gun approached him, examined him closely.

You're not going to say anything about what you saw here, all right?

Yeah, sure.

Never!

No, never!

Get it?

Yes...

Otherwise, I would have to shoot you. Do you understand?

The boy nodded and pressed his lips together so they wouldn't tremble.

I won't say anything to anyone! he promised.

Okay...

Really!

The boy was trembling.

The man raised the barrel of the submachine gun a little.

If you do, I will find out about it and find you. Do you understand?

Yes, the boy whispered.

The man raised the submachine gun, loaded it once with a rattling sound, and then casually rested the barrel with the round plate magazine on his shoulder.

Get out of here now, boy!

Yes.

And don't let me see you again!

No!

Go on, get out of here!

Yes!

Before I change my mind!

The boy did not even dare to turn around again as he left.

He ran faster and faster.

Finally, as fast as he could.

2

Hamburg ...

Many, many years later...

I am Detective Chief Inspector Kalle Brandenburg. And this is my colleague, Detective Chief Inspector Hansi Morell.

The police master took a quick, frowning look at the two commissioners' badges and then nodded.

They're already expecting you.

Where does the music play?

Back there! The police master gestured with his left hand. Behind that building there, you see the disused dock. That's where they pulled him out.

Thank you, said Kalle Brandenburg.

The medical examiner hasn't been here yet, by the way. Dr. Heinz put it through that it may take a while.

Kalle sighed, The usual traffic jam at this hour, I suppose.

It's quite a long way from the lab in Eppendorf to here at the old port on the Elbe, added Inspector Hansi Morell.

Once through almost all of Hamburg, nodded the police master. And ever since a couple of highly intelligent bureaucrats in City Hall got the idea to rehabilitate the connections between Langenhorn and Meckelfeld at the same time instead of one after the other, our 'city that never sleeps' is always on the verge of being completely put to sleep anyway. The police chief made a throwaway hand gesture. I know what I'm talking about, because I live in Fuhlsbüttel and I'm about to drive to work via the side streets.

I hardly think that would really be a good idea, Kalle said.

The two commissioners went the way the police master had shown them and a little later reached the disused harbor basin where the body had been found.

Several divers went into the dark water. Apparently to secure further traces.

Colleagues of the homicide squad of the responsible police department stood on the quay wall of the harbor basin.

Kalle and Hansi approached the group and again presented their IDs. A very overweight man with curly hair seemed to be in charge of the operation.

Police Sergeant Koschinski, Homicide, he introduced himself. You must be Brandenburg and Morell.

We are, Kalle confirmed.

A homeless man who lives around here noticed the dead man. He was floating in the dock. We're still waiting for the coroner's office and the forensics guys from the coroner's office, so what I'm about to tell you is not official either.

What? asked Kalle.

I don't think this guy has been in the water more than 24 hours. But that's just my guess. After all, it's not the first floater for me, and I know what you look like when you've been swimming in that broth for a long time.

So experiential knowledge, Kalle said. Should never be underestimated.

I agree. You'll get the technically correct version anyway. Come on!

Koschinski led Kalle and Hansi to the stretcher on which the dead man had been laid. The corpse had been completely covered. Koschinski bent down and covered the face and upper body.

He was naked? asked Kalle.

We didn't find any clothes anywhere. Maybe the divers will find something else.

Kalle pointed to the injury on his upper body, which could not be overlooked.

Looks like a bullet wound, I'd say, too.

I would say so, Koschinski nodded. You've already been told that we've already established the identity, haven't you?

No, we were just told to come in and take the case. There was no time to discuss details yet, Kalle said.

Koschinski made a throwaway hand gesture. That's super-coordination again. Well, never mind.

Who are we talking about? asked Kalle.

We ran his face through the image recognition software. There was a match. The guy's name is Fabio Ascioti and he's part of the Arcuri family here in Hamburg.

Mafia, muttered Hansi Morell. Calabrian 'Ndrangheta - the biggest mafia organization in Europe!

This should make it clear that this is a case for the BKA, Kalle added.

By all accounts, 'Ndrangheta godfather Remo Arcuri's organization is supposed to be on the rise everywhere, Koschinski opined. Maybe that's not to everyone's liking.

Kalle nodded.

Or someone has been skirting the big godfather and lining their own pockets ... I assume the results of the ballistics report will give us more insight.

It's possible.

They were talking about a homeless person who found the body.

Police Sergeant Koschinski scratched his chin.

If you want to talk to Him ... He's sitting in the car with colleagues right now, getting a warm cup of coffee.

3

Klaus-Reiner Dietmund was a lean, hollow-cheeked man with dark eyes. He was sitting in a van from the LKA's vehicle stock and had his third cup of coffee poured. A police master was with him.

Kalle and Hansi joined them and showed the witness their IDs.

We heard you found the dead man.

Yes, that's how it was, Klaus-Reiner Dietmund nodded with great certainty. He was swimming in the water. And that's when I thought I'd better call the police.

What line were you calling from?

With my cell phone.

You have a cell phone?

"Is