Marie Brand und die Spur der Angst (2016)

Detective Marie Brand and her colleague Jürgen Simmel are called to a suburb of Cologne. Peter Süssner, who runs a horse-racing stable, has been shot dead. After reviewing footage from the surveillance cameras at the nearest subway station, Simmel notices Marek Kahlert, who was convicted in a kidnapping case. The man, recently released after 14 years in prison, may simply have been near the crime scene by chance, but Brand and Simmel follow up on the lead. They ask his lawyer, Harald Joosten, whether he thinks his client would be capable of murder, but this does not really get them anywhere at first. In the course of their investigation, they uncover illegal betting operations held on Süssner’s stable grounds. However, it is unclear whether the bookmakers or Mücke, one of Süssner’s employees, had anything to do with the murder. By contrast, an analysis of Süssner’s mobile-phone movements shows that lately he had repeatedly been at places connected with the kidnapping case for which Kahlert was convicted. He was also the only person who visited Kahlert in prison. Brand and Simmel seek out Clemens Drobeck, the victim of the kidnapping. He seems composed, despite having been left with a physical disability and sometimes needing a wheelchair. He cannot confirm that Süssner was involved, but Brand thinks it is possible. The fatal shot could have been intended for Kahlert and hit Süssner by mistake when the two met. Looking for a motive, Brand discovers the shortfall in the ransom money: more than half of it was never found. When Brand and Simmel go to question lawyer Joosten again, Kahlert suddenly appears, fires without warning, and flees. The shot, which fortunately hits only the wall of the house, makes it clear that Süssner was not killed with this weapon. Kahlert is found shot dead the next day. Brand considers lawyer Joosten a prime suspect. As she tries to prove that he knew where the money was hidden and had cheated Kahlert out of the remaining amount, Süssner’s employee Mücke turns up at Joosten’s and tries to blackmail him. During the argument, he shoots at the man and flees. The detectives catch and arrest him. He admits to shooting Kahlert because Kahlert had pressured him over the money. But he says he did not shoot Süssner. Brand and Simmel do, however, obtain a confession from Clemens Drobeck. He wanted revenge on Kahlert, but missed him and hit Süssner instead.