Toni Costa: Der rote Regen (2011)

The film begins with Toni Costa arriving at Ibiza Airport, where his girlfriend, Karen Delgado, is waiting for him. At the same time, Police Chief Santander and his colleague Elena Navarra are already there to take the newly appointed chief inspector straight to his first case. The investigation leads Costa and his team to the “Vista Mar” wellness resort, where wealthy German widow Ingrid Scholl is found dead. The woman, in her mid-fifties, was a frequent patient of the renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Schönbach and is discovered in her apartment with a bloodied face. At first, everything looks like a fall down the stairs in which she broke her neck. However, a Venus statue lies beside the body and is considered a possible murder weapon. The initial questioning leads Costa and Elena Navarra to Franziska Haitinger, a friend of the victim, who found Ingrid dead in her apartment but did not call the police right away. The subsequent autopsy by Dr. Torres finds an elevated dose of Ingrid’s heart medication in her blood, confirming the suspicion of murder. As their investigation continues, Costa and Elena Navarra uncover a secret love affair between the victim’s young boyfriend, Benedict Grone, and Franziska Haitinger. Benedict Grone thus becomes a focus of the investigation as a widow’s companion who had been involved with both women. The case initially seems solved once this connection comes to light. But matters become complicated again when Franziska is also found dead in the bathtub of her apartment at the “Vista Mar” resort. Although everything points to suicide, Costa remains skeptical and insists on an autopsy despite his boss Santander’s objections. The investigation leads Costa to his despised uncle, “El Cubano,” known as an influential island kingpin and notorious for his mafia dealings. Both dead women were found at his apartment complex, “Vista Mar,” and El Cubano owns a stake in Dr. Schönbach’s clinic. His uncle wants to stop his nephew’s investigation because he fears it will damage the company’s reputation. Costa finds himself caught in a web of intrigue and bribery. Despite his uncle’s attempts to intimidate him, Costa follows his instincts and investigates the past of the charismatic Dr. Schönbach. His dogged inquiries eventually uncover a closely guarded secret that brings the true motive behind the murders to light. The women had to die because they had leverage over Dr. Schönbach. The revelation of this secret suddenly puts Costa’s girlfriend Karen in immediate danger as well. The case becomes one of the most complicated of Costa’s career, and he must stand up to his powerful uncle’s obstruction to uncover the truth and save his girlfriend.