Shadows

Leon Seipler's case

The next morning detective Schulze came late. Slowly he entered the police building. He went to his office and drunk some aspirin to nurse his hangover. Then he took a deep breath. The head of the department was already annoyed because of the drinking. But Schulze never did anything so bad, that he would lose his license.

For a moment he was alone with his thoughts, but soon his assistant came in. She smiled bitterly.

"Do we have a reason for happiness?", Schulze asked her annoyed. His head was still hurting him.

"Leon Seibler turned 14."

The detective rose his eyebrows.

"Finely we got him...", he murmured, "He's got a talent, this boy... He's dealing drugs, abusing girls, stealing... Finely he's going to prison. Too bad we can only put him in for ten years... He even won't get this much. I wish we could make an exception for a teenager like this."

"I wish so too. They just got him from school... The bad news is: the advocate wants you to question him."

Schulze grumbled as he got up. He already knew that this interview would ruin the whole day.

As he came into the room the boy was already sitting there. The advocate stood behind the glass, watching every move. Schulze started questioning. The time slowly passed by. After one hour he came out. His face was red with anger.

"And?", the advocate asked.

"And what? Do I look like a wizard? This kid answers "fuck you" on every question!"

The advocate rolled her eyes.

"I know it's not easy," she responded slowly, "But you need to find out who gave the drugs to this boy."

"I also don't think he grows his own heroine..."

"Maybe the Professor will help you."

"Hallelujah? Why should he? Well he has grandchildren, so he should at least know by now how to handle teenagers."

As he was called, Professor Dr. Sebastian Jonathan Jacob Zimmermann arrived at the upper floor. Normally he stayed downstairs where he examined dead bodies. After completing his medicine studies many years ago, he became a pathologist. He loved his job. But as time passed by people got tired of his long name, so he had to get used to be called Hallelujah for being the only Christian.

"How is it?" asked the detective the professor.

"It's a typical day. No dead bodies yet so I was reading my Bible."

"You must be really bored down there," Schulze said joking, "Maybe I should buy you a TV?"

"Excellent idea," Hallelujah laughed, "Then I can watch the Bible-Channel."

Schulze started laughing. "0:1 for you. But now we need to get serious."

"He's right. I want you to help out with interviewing our young friend Leon Seibler." She nodded toward the window. "I hope you will have more success than detective Schulze."

"I wish you luck. I honestly feel sorry for you." Schulze added.

Hallelujah shook his shoulders as he walked in. Leon looked at him angrily. Hallelujah sat down on the other side of the table and picked up the detective's notes. Time passed by. Without too much interest the professor read one page after the next. Leon got surprised. The stubbornness what was written on his angry face disappeared. A question was now in his eyes.

"I think I will have some coffee...", professor said bored, "Do you want some to?"

"With sugar but no milk. But why...?"

"Why why? What is so wrong about me getting us some coffee?"

Hallelujah walked out pass the advocate and the detective.

"I see you're trying the psychological way," the advocate said.

"Psychology or not I'm thirsty. Can somebody borrow me two coins for the coffee machine?"

Hallelujah came back with the coffee. "I remember what is like when I was your age...," he started and you could hear in his voice that he could talk about that for hours.

"Psychological torture is forbidden," Leon interrupted annoyed.

"Excuse me?" Hallelujah answered angrily.

Leon laughed. "Do you think I'm stupid? You're being nice to make me trust you and talk. You can't do anything to me."

"We have enough prove to put you into prison for years."

"For two years. If nobody pays the 25 000 for me.", Leon said with a smile.

"How do you know this? It's always different. And what are you going to do with this kind of past?"

"Keep selling and make a million. And then do whatever I like."

"This doesn't work like that."

"Yes it does."

"No it doesn't."

Leon angrily breathed out through his nose. "Why do you think you're all knowing? Look at George! He served only two weeks of the two years because his parents paid the fine! And now he has a nice grey Porsche and a big house. I will be the same."

Hallelujah shook his shoulders and walked out. As he stood next to the advocate he started laughing. The judge looked at him puzzled.

"Find me the file of the drug criminals... We need a man named George. He got two years but only served two weeks. His parents paid the fine probably 25 000€. I also think that he was a teenager at that time, because he got only two years."

Schulze looked at him relieved and a little jealous.

"I only hope George is his real name."

"We know enough about his story to find him... Maybe after some time. And he has a grey Porsche."

"We can't keep Leon forever. Somebody should search at the car registration and somebody goes immediately to the archive."

Hallelujah and Schulze went down together. "Sounds like a nice bit of paper work," Hallelujah just said. "Then guess who's going to make it." Schulze responded bored.

Both silently went into the basement, where the old files were catching dust for years. Schulze looked at them. The view already made him feel sleepy. Here he would spend a couple of days opening files and changing pages. Looking for the record of a man who could be George.

Minutes became hours and hours became days as Schulze was looking for it. He wished desperately for any case that could redeem him of the archive. Hallelujah just got a dead woman and a DNA analysis to do. The other detectives kept chasing robbers and thieves. Nobody came to help. So at the end of one or two long weeks Schulze finally got the right paper.

He went up to the advocates office and handed it in. And then he returned to his own.

After some days a man named Theodor Gregson, was sitting in the questioning room. He declared, that he is not speaking without his lawyer. This was the end to Schulze's hopes. He had to go back to the first criminal. He had to question Leon.