Der Rote Wolf. Ein Krimi aus Passau (2025)

The florist Marie Polt is found murdered in her shop, a pair of grape shears embedded in her heart. Jochen Mohn and Hermine Grill of the Passau Criminal Police begin investigating. Jozef Hašek, known as the “Red Wolf,” is suspected. Originally from Slovakia, he leads the biker gang “Lobos Rojos,” whose logo is a red wolf modeled on the Passau Wolf, and is said to have stabbed his ex-wife to death. Hašek approaches Frederike Bader, a former police officer, at gunpoint and demands that she prove his innocence. She manages to overpower him and chain him up in the Hertels’ bakery while they are away on vacation. Since her relationship with Austrian private investigator Ferdinand Zankl is strained, she has to investigate alone. The reason is that Zankl refuses to help Frederike spy on Khaled, her daughter Mia’s boyfriend. Frederike is convinced there is something wrong with Khaled. Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Hermine Grill asks private investigator Zankl to assist with the investigation. Mohn and Grill fear that the Red Wolves will seek revenge on Zankl and Bader, since the two of them can be seen on video stealing a suitcase belonging to the Wolves, reportedly worth 1.8 million euros. They later handed over the loot, which had belonged to an SS officer, to the police. Grill and Mohn are convinced that the “Red Wolf” murdered his ex-wife, not least because Hašek’s DNA was found on the murder weapon. Zankl is supposed to look around the apartment of Hašek’s deputy, Martin Maier, while Maier is in police custody. Hašek believes Maier tried to frame him for his ex-wife’s murder so he could take over leadership of the group. He therefore asks Sascha Gerber to keep an eye on Maier. According to Hašek, Maier opposed Gerber joining the group, and Hašek promises Gerber membership. From Lucia Eigenbrod, a flower seller, Gerber learns that Zankl has been making inquiries at the flower shop. Tax official Fabian König was the last person to have an appointment with Marie Polt; he had helped her with her tax return. Bader learns from Hašek that, until a police raid a year ago, drugs had also been smuggled in flower deliveries from Holland. She suspects Maier continued the smuggling behind Hašek’s back. Polt may have discovered this and threatened to tell Hašek. After Mohn finds Hašek in the bakery following an anonymous tip, Bader tells him about her suspicions. The police intercept a drug shipment, and Maier is arrested during the handover. According to Maier, Polt had a 10 percent stake in the deliveries. She wanted to use the money to start over in Spain with her daughter. Hašek wanted to stop his daughter from moving to Spain. Bader discovers that Polt had bugged the Wolves’ clubhouse and listened in on their conversations. She goes to see Lucia and is knocked unconscious by Gerber. Lucia confesses that Gerber had searched the flower shop for money from the drug deals and was surprised there by Polt. Gerber was wearing gloves when Polt was murdered. Zankl, who had secretly followed Bader, overpowers Gerber and frees her. Hašek is handed over to the police. After Frederike discovers from photographs that Khaled has several girlfriends, she arranges a meeting between Khaled and his girlfriends, who had known nothing about one another until then. Mia then moves in with Zankl for the time being.