Kommissar Rex (Inspector Rex) (1994) s10e01 Episode Script

Series 10, Episode 1

INSPECTOR REX Establish the following.
EMAlL FROM THR MURDURER Was it a natural death or not? If not, inform the police.
That was the theoretical part.
Here are two examples that illustrate the difficulty of the task ahead of you.
In a case like this the doctor stands at the door, takes one look at the corpse and says "It's obvious he's dead.
" When the fireman pulled the corpse from the debris he noticed an 8 cm piece of metal stuck in the neck.
We were able to establish that it was part of a knife.
The man actually died from twelve stab wounds.
The man's flat was then set alight as a murder cover-up.
This young man was found in a courtyard at the bottom of a stairway.
The examining doctor noted "Cause of death: skull fracture due to fall.
" We then established that this was a murder case.
A low calibre projectile penetrated the eye ricocheting off the back of the skull.
No exit wound could be seen and the culprit could have gone unpunished.
As a colleague of mine once said, there are very few perfect murderers but very many sloppy forensic examiners.
You should attempt not to belong to either group.
Thank you for your attention.
Come to my office for a snack.
Sure.
- I don't know I'm not hungry.
- What's up? Are you sick? Rex! Come on.
Looks like overtime again tonight.
What's the matter? Did I forget something? Forensic Medicine So that's what you meant.
Thanks.
Hey! What are you doing? Stop it! Stop it or I'll call the police! Stop that! Is that the police? I just saw someone being killed.
I was having a cigarette and then this happened.
Did you see where the victim was coming from? No, I only saw a blonde woman dragging her into the boot.
Okay, Rex.
Let's look around.
- Can you describe the car? - I think it was a red Saab.
I noted it down.
- What year? - Old.
Like my wife's.
Registration number? I think the first numbers were 8 and 7.
I know it's hard to follow a scent on asphalt, but try anyway.
What's with my trousers? Come on, keep sniffing.
- Did your wife see anything? - No, she's on holiday.
I smoke on the balcony so she won't notice when she returns.
The damage is recent.
I'll call in to start a search.
Rex took us to the bar back there.
- It's closed.
- Then she came from elsewhere.
My dog doesn't get things wrong.
Look every person has a specific odour.
He concentrates on that.
It's almost as good as DNA.
- Show me where you saw it all.
- Of course.
Come with me.
I'll be right back.
Great.
We have a crime scene and a bump on a car.
The witness seems credible.
It could have just been a fight.
A woman locks someone in the boot after strangling her.
It sounds like more than a fight.
This is a necklace clasp.
It hasn't been here long or it would have fallen in.
Well done, Rex.
Yes? Who? What? Okay.
- What's up? - I'm supposed to kill you.
Nicki? Do it.
- Is that how it was? - Well The woman looked up at me.
Nicki, look up at us.
She looked up at me longer.
Thanks.
That'll be all.
Our witness watched them both for about 1 5 seconds and the culprit for about another three.
In this bad light? Doesn't look good.
The car has reappeared.
The owner said it was stolen.
- Where is the car now? - Outside the owner's house.
Kunz, you and I go there.
Nicki, file a report.
Let's go, Rex.
Good evening Hi.
We want to inspect the car.
Hoffmann.
Homicide.
That's my partner, Kunz.
- My name is Rva Hopf.
- Hi.
The car was involved in an attempted murder, possibly even murder.
I parked the car in this very spot around ten.
I didn't even notice it was gone till the police came.
Oh? It's odd someone should steal it and bring it back.
- Was it that dirty before? - What? No.
I was home all that time.
- Alone? - Not quite.
- Did my colleague inform you? - Not directly.
He was on a private visit.
Did you put the odometer to zero? I don't even know how to set the clock.
The culprit may have wanted to hide how far she drove.
Show me what you found.
The car lock was picked and so was the ignition.
Both are damaged.
I get you.
Rex has picked up the scent from the crime scene.
It looks like the witness was right.
We'll have to confiscate your car for forensic tests.
- What? - That's not all.
- Could you lend me your coat? - Why? Are you cold? No The fibres on my coat and the particles - Let me help you.
- Yes, thanks.
You see, traces of Thanks very much.
Thank you for your cooperation.
The distance from the crime scene to where the car was stolen is 1 8 kilometres.
Ms Hopf parked with a full tank.
The car must have gone about 35 kilometres.
So it was driven around in this area.
- Morning.
- Hi.
The lab found traces of clothing, fibre and hair in the boot.
- What about the driver's seat? - They need Ms Hopf for that.
I have to return her coat.
Kunz are you taking advantage of the fact she likes policemen? I'll send it by post.
What about the tyres? Traces of gravel and forest soil strongly CO2 contaminated.
Probably a busy road through woodland.
- Sounds like the Vienna Woods.
- That's a pretty large area.
Yes, but we have to start somewhere.
Rva Hopf doesn't own a blonde wig.
So the hair on the driver's seat must have come from the culprit.
Well Kunz, how was it at Ms Hopf's? It was just a short visit.
I hardly had time to buy the ham rolls I wanted to eat.
Thanks, Rex.
It's all a bit odd.
She sets the odometer at zero but then leaves clues.
Thanks.
Yet she had a plan.
She buys a disguise, steals a car And puts it back instead of just anywhere.
She looked up at the witness.
You instinctively avoided that when re-enacting it.
Don't remind me.
You play the victim next time.
Look at this! "You're obviously incapable of taking a single step.
"I'm happy to help.
"You'll never find me.
You're looking in the wrong place.
"The corpse is about 300 metres to the north.
Good luck! "Not that luck will help much.
" She's spying on our search team.
She's challenging us.
Okay we'll accept.
Kunz, find the source of the email.
Let's go, Rex! Keep looking, Rex.
Maybe you'll pick up a scent.
Won't be easy with all these people here.
Yes, but it's around here.
Try one more time, Rex.
I think he's heard something.
Rveryone stop! Yes, I know, but where is she? That's what Rex heard.
That'll be all.
The primary strangulation marks are horizontal around the neck.
Given their depth one can assume a cable or cord was used.
- How long would it take? - Not long.
to close off the airway.
After 5 or 1 0 seconds there is a lack of oxygen to the brain Ieading to unconsciousness and rapidly to death.
Any clue to her identity? We found nothing in her clothing.
We have to rely on analyses of chronic diseases, operations, dental records and so on.
Was she wearing this necklace? No, we found it in her coat.
It had been torn off.
We found a clasp at the crime scene.
- Could it belong to this? - It could have fallen off.
I thought that too.
I've seen this necklace somewhere before.
- Hi.
- Hi.
We still don't know who she is.
Only that she was murdered.
Get the site searched.
Maybe something will show up.
- I'll do it myself.
- Okay.
What about the email? It was sent from a café in the 7th District.
They offer free internet access.
User turnover is every 20 minutes.
I don't believe this.
The culprit leads us to the corpse, leaves no trace, then gives hints.
Who ever heard of this? I've searched Missing Persons.
Nothing.
Hi.
Lucky I didn't throw this out.
Have a look at this.
That's the corpse in the woods.
She's the model, Heidi Faber.
- Great, Nicki.
Progress at last.
- I know who photographed her.
A famous fashion photographer named Nora Clementi.
I'm going now.
- I'll be available as of tomorrow.
- Okay.
Shouldn't I go with you? - Thanks, but I'll manage.
- Whatever you say.
Anyway, I'd be frightened.
I stopped feeling that long ago.
- Ms Clementi? - You've come too early.
The burial is in the late afternoon.
I'm from the criminal police.
Homicide.
- It's about Heidi Faber.
- What about her? She was murdered last night.
Sorry to hear it.
It's been a while since I saw Heidi.
I'd still like to ask you some questions.
Does it have to be now? I wanted to take a few shots of my brother.
Oh I didn't know.
I'm sorry.
- How did your brother die? - It was an accident.
It looks like he hanged himself.
I still can't believe it.
Did your brother and Heidi know each other? Of course.
My brother was my studio assistant.
- Why did he kill himself? - He suffered from depression.
What happened to Heidi? She was strangled.
Then hung from a tree near the Hüttelbergstrasse camping site.
- Do you know the area? - Rveryone in Vienna does.
- Was that all? - Yes For starters.
Bye.
Hi, Kunz.
Here are some personal details.
Female, mid-thirties, wavy auburn hair, about 1 65 cm Not that tree, it was this one.
- Are you from the police? - The name's Kunz.
You went for a walk and got lost in these woods.
Correct, Ms Clementi? You know who I am? Guess what? A whole team here has your description.
- I wondered where Heidi - Died? - Yes.
- It was somewhere else.
Let's talk about it some more in my office.
She claims Heidi and her brother were only acquaintances.
It'll be hard to prove the contrary since both are dead.
- You were in Heidi's flat.
- Yes.
I took what I could.
I'll go to Clementi's studio and get her brother's fingerprints.
Then I'll go to Heidi's flat to see if I find a match.
- You must know a bit about him.
- No.
I haven't worked here long.
Nora rang me when her brother died.
I tried to help her.
- Where did he usually work? - That was his desk.
His work station.
He made her appointments and did the accounts.
Is this a search? Not at all.
I just wanted to look around.
These photos of Heidi Faber - I'd like to take them.
- I'll need to ask Nora first.
It's like this.
Two people close to Ms Clementi have died.
- We need to investigate.
- I understand.
Sorry, I hope he isn't damaging anything.
- I'll go and have a look.
- Thanks.
He never had any luck.
He quit his studies, then couldn't find work.
In the end I gave him a job.
I kept telling him to get help but he never would.
I couldn't mind him day and night.
My colleague just rang from Heidi's flat.
He found many of your brother's fingerprints.
Sure.
Of course.
He'd deliver things or collect her.
He found them in the bedroom and bathroom.
One must assume your brother often spent the night there.
- That's totally stupid.
- No, that's factual evidence.
Fingerprints in the bedroom and bathroom point to intimacy.
Why would I kill Heidi? We're in no hurry.
Rxplain the fingerprints Heidi dumps him, he kills himself, you kill Heidi.
It's that simple.
You own costumes and wigs.
You figure we'll be onto you so you lead us to the corpse to distract us.
That's a method typically used by men.
Very well.
The two had an affair.
I warned him that Heidi wasn't about to settle down.
He thought he could make her change.
I didn't kill her! So why go to see the corpse? Because Heidi was responsible for your brother's death.
Come with me.
- An email just arrived.
- What, now? Yes.
It says where we'll find the costume and the wig.
Okay Find the server and where it's from.
I'm onto it.
I'm sorry, Ms Clementi.
We made a mistake.
You can go.
Nothing's free just now.
Not a problem.
ID check, everyone! No one will run.
They're students who surf here for free.
The most you'll find is a badly-parked bike.
- I'm touched.
What about you? - I'm a student too.
I need the job to get by.
Very well Nothing but ash left.
It smells of fire accelerator.
Maybe Forensics can find bits that haven't burned.
What is this? First we're told where to find the corpse and now this.
Look, a murdered woman is hung on a tree.
We get messages challenging us to find her.
We found no bag or papers on the corpse.
They could have been taken by the culprit.
I think it wasn't jealousy or revenge, but for the fun of it.
Power play! I've never heard of a woman doing that.
So it's a man.
The witness told us the woman looked up at him.
The culprit wanted to be recognised as a woman.
So Heidi could have been a chance victim with no connection to the culprit.
Yes.
According to the witness he's between 25 and 35.
He has no link to the victim, so he leads us to the corpse.
- What's his motive? - Need for recognition.
He hates young attractive women.
- Anyone who fits that? - I've put in a whole set of data.
Age, male, previous convictions, aggression, assault on women, etc.
Lots come up, but this one is particularly interesting.
Look.
Paul Rohrbach.
Convicted for assault.
Probably as a result of drugs.
Former fashion designer.
Cool.
So what did she say? Good day.
- Where is Mr Rohrbach's flat? - On the second floor.
Why? - We want to pay him a visit.
- He's not here.
We still want to take a look.
I'll check the computer.
Go ahead.
It can't hurt.
Plenty to dress up with here.
It's like a used-clothing fair.
Give me the mobile.
Really? Cool.
- The mobile! - How cool! Where's Rex? No idea.
Rex! Rex! Well done, Rex.
Petrol.
Maybe to beat a price hike Or to burn stuff in the woods.
Well done! - Where can we find Rohrbach? - No idea.
Cool.
- Really? - Where can we find Rohrbach? - Great.
- Hello! - How cool.
- Hey.
- Are you crazy? - Stay cool.
Where's Rohrbach? - Saturday, at the flea market.
- Thanks.
Super cool! You didn't miss a thing.
I haven't got any.
Hi there.
Super.
Cool.
The mobile or I'll slap you.
That's a great deal.
Shorten the sleeves, replace the lining and you're fit for the opera ball.
Sorry.
This is the mailbox of Clothes & Co.
Leave a message.
Oh, it's you.
What? What do they look like? That's him.
Cut him off.
- Come on, Rex! - Sorry, but I'll need it myself.
Sniffed us out, did you? You're from the drug squad.
Admit it.
The disguise won't help you.
Don't think you'll get out of this.
How about an overdose? We'll give you one for free.
- Drop the gun.
- Am I glad to see you! Hi, Mr Rohrbach.
Over here, you two.
Move it! Thanks, Rex.
Come on.
They're always after me.
Now you are.
You've assaulted girls before.
Now you want to prove how great you are, and smart.
I am.
If I murdered someone you'd never catch me.
We just did.
We found the petrol you used to burn the clothes.
We all have petrol for when the lights go out.
Your victim was a model.
You sure had it in for her.
I got screwed by the fashion trade, not her.
So now we have the motive.
You like dressing up, too.
Okay, so it was me.
- Marc? - Yes.
What's up? The courier brought this.
- Who's it from? - I don't know.
Heidi's bag? Why would he send it to us? As a souvenir.
Or a trophy to remind us of his exploits.
Let's have a look.
Yes Heidi Faber.
His vanity keeps forcing him to send us clues.
What's the matter? He didn't do that in Rohrbach's flat.
He only does it when he scents the culprit.
What's that? It's the script Dr Graf gave us in the lecture theatre.
The lecture theatre Now I get you! He's trying to tell me he knows the culprit's scent.
Now I know when he first picked it up.
I got it, Rex.
I have an idea.
Murderer of Model Confesses Ladies and gentlemen and dear colleagues, I'm happy to see that some of you who attended my last lecture are here again.
I welcome you all.
This time I will again examine a very complex criminal case.
This time, however, it won't be the forensic viewpoint we hear but that of a detective.
May I introduce Mr Hoffmann from Homicide.
- The floor is yours.
- Thank you.
Thanks for the introduction.
Good evening.
The murder of the model you've read about in the papers I'll give you some background.
Homicide was called to a crime scene.
There was no corpse, hardly any evidence and only one witness.
The witness saw a woman murder another young woman.
The culprit drove off in a stolen car.
We found evidence of a disguise.
Then the case became interesting.
We were lead to the corpse via email.
It was handed to us on a platter so to speak.
This lead us to the conclusion that it wasn't a woman who committed the crime, but a man.
Out of vanity.
To prove he could commit a crime that couldn't be solved.
We followed a trail, a man was arrested, but I think the man wanted mostly to spend winter in a warm cell.
By spring he'd have withdrawn his confession.
That man didn't commit the crime.
It was someone else.
We came to the conclusion that the culprit would come to this lecture in order to show us our mistake and savour his triumph at having eluded us.
I also know he's here.
That's why I'd like to request that you all show your lD.
You almost got away.
Almost.
- The guy from the internet café.
- I'm a medical student.
Tell me one thing.
- Was I right? - It was all perfect.
The girl, the disguise and the fellow on the balcony.
It was my murder.
Not that of some idiot.
Just one problem.
My dog picked up your scent before, in the lecture theatre.
Were the emails and paper clippings only a game? The crime was my idea but couldn't be traced to me.
- I was always one step ahead.
- Not quite.
My boss had the idea of the article and the lecture and you fell for it.
You heard Dr Graf's lecture.
There are no perfect murderers.
If there are, you're not one of them! Well done, Rex.

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