Die Frau mit einem Schuh (2014)

A human scalp is found in a gravel pond, and a severed foot turns up at a sewage treatment plant. The headquarters in Wiener Neustadt, Lower Austria, establishes that the body parts came from the same woman, who died about a year ago. Later, a knee is found at a gravel pit. While Franzi, a tough, underchallenged inspector who is eager to be transferred, is delighted to finally have a real case, her colleague Michael, known as “Michi,” takes a more relaxed approach. He believes banks and insurance companies are the real criminals and would rather be left in peace. Mrs. Schwaiger regularly tells Michi that a young female hitchhiker has gotten into a blue station wagon bearing a dealer’s test-drive plate. Michi doesn’t take her entirely seriously, though, and thinks she is lonely and just looking for someone to talk to. A vehicle of that type in the area belongs to Gerry, a mechanic and garage owner who is married to Silvia. He lends it to his customers as a replacement car while he works on their vehicles. A year ago, Susa, an inmate at the nearby Schwarzau correctional facility, escaped. Susa was serving time there for grievous bodily harm resulting in death. Franzi suspects the body parts are connected to the escape and that the hitchhiker might be Susa. According to the innkeeper, Gerry met Silvia, who is said to be from Linz, online; three months ago, they got married at his establishment. By comparing handwriting, Franzi discovers that the escaped convict Susa and Gerry’s wife must be the same person. Gerry tells Michi that he found his real wife, Silvia, dead in the bathtub and that she had left a suicide note. Susa then took her place. Gerry had dismembered his deceased wife’s body and scattered the parts around the area. Franzi arrests Susa and sends her back to prison.