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water? Rough estimate.”
    The medical technician studied the body. “It’s been cold. Perhaps two days.”
    That’s about what Gustav guessed. He saw all he needed for now. His crime scene investigators would comb over the area and find nothing, he knew, since the body wasn’t killed here. They’d also probably find nothing of importance on the body. Nothing out of the ordinary at least. “Have the medical examiner call me when he’s done with his exam,” he said to the technician.
    They hauled the body away and Gustav drifted over to a grassy area, his critical eyes glancing about the edge of the park at those watching the action. Only a small gaggle of perhaps twenty people.
    “Get someone to photograph the folks hanging around,” Gustav ordered.
    “Already on it, sir.”
    Although it hadn’t worked with this case, they had caught people in the past showing up to observe their work. Yet, Gustav had a feeling this killer was special. Gifted in the art of killing.
    Walking back toward their car, Andreas was right at Gustav’s side. “What do you think, sir?”
    “I don’t know,” Gustav said, and he meant it.
    “You think we have a serial killer?” his assistant asked eagerly.
    “Maybe. It makes sense. This makes five. And all of the bodies have been dumped in the Spree.”
    “What do the Americans say?” Andreas asked, holding back a smile, “A killing spree?”
    Gustav glanced sideways at his assistant. “How long have you waited to say that?”
    “Since the third body.”
    “Quite the restraint on your part.”
    “I try, sir.”
    “Try harder. Now, what else do we know?”
    Andreas Grosskreuz hunched his shoulders. “Shot from the front. Looking directly at the killer. So, he either knew the killer or the killer had somehow gained the man’s trust long enough to shoot him in the face. We’ll probably find powder on his face like the others, which means close range.”
    “Good. And?”
    “Silencer perhaps?”
    “Are you asking me, Andreas?”
    “Well, sir, we have no reports of shootings in the city.”
    “How far could the body travel in two days?”
    “Depends on a lot of factors. The body might sink initially, get caught on the bottom, then it bloats and rises again. Could be a couple of kilometers or more. Of course it could have been caught on the bridge for a day without notice.”
    His assistant was good, which is why Gustav had brought him along with him from Munich. He not only trusted Andreas with his life, he knew the younger man would someday have his job. And that was just fine with Gustav. The way he felt now, that day couldn’t come soon enough. But not until they got this killer.
    “That would place the kill site somewhere in the southeast side of the city,” Gustav postulated. “What’s over there?”
    “Mostly industrial.”
    Gustav considered that carefully. “I’ll bet the man was shot at night. That area of Berlin is dead at night. Very little traffic.”
    “Of course the killer could’ve simply dumped the body there after shooting the man somewhere outside of the city. Somewhere out in the country.”
    Finally, Gustav caught his young colleague. “Ah, good point. However, why go through all the trouble? If you shoot a man in the forest, why not simply leave the body there? Let the ravens pick over it.”
    Andreas scratched his head. “I’m an idiot, sir. That’s why you bring in the gross Euros.” His young assistant thought hard now. “Definitely a silenced gun, sir. And killed near the river and dumped immediately. No doubt about it. A professional.”
    His young colleague seemed almost disappointed they didn’t have a sick serial killer to investigate. Gustav guessed he had watched too many American crime dramas.
    Gustav smiled and started walking toward the car, his associate falling in to his side. Whatever the case, he’d get to the bottom of this. But he had to admit to himself that he didn’t have a hell of a lot to go on. No