Soliman nodded. “He was in the process of a divorce. Both his colleagues believed that he was traveling for romantic purposes.”
Brodie estimated that Kaiserslautern to Berlin was about a five-hour train ride, not including the transfer.There are easier ways to get laid, Harry.
And while Vance might have been following his dick or his heart, that probably wasn’t why he was shot by a sniper lying in wait for him in a park in Neukölln. Brodie looked at Chief Inspector Schröder and asked, “Can I assume you have information on what terrorism cases Vance was working in the past few months?”
Schröder replied, “Colonel Trask shared information that may prove useful.”
“Such as?”
Schröder looked at Brodie. “These cases involved classified U.S. military intelligence. I am authorized to receive, but not authorized to share, such intelligence. I am sure you will have no problem obtaining that information yourself.” He added, “From your own people.”
“Thank you.” Brodie asked Captain Soliman, “Has the Berlin Police checked hotel registrations to see if a Mr. Harry Vance was or had ever been a guest?”
Soliman nodded. “We are in the process of doing that. But it is a big task in a big city. And there are thousands of Airbnbs, and rooms for rent where few questions are asked.”
“Right. Let me know if you get a hit.”
Soliman nodded.
Well, if Harry was here for a woman, he was probably staying with her, assuming she was a local. But if he was with a woman, why hadn’t she come forward?
David Kim said, “Can we cut to the chase? We’re all wondering if this murder is in some way linked to Islamic terrorism. Right? I’d like to hear some theories, and then I’ll share my own.”
Brodie looked at Kim. This guy didn’t act like a Fed. Too much spark.
Schröder cleared his throat and said, “I was getting to that, Mr. Kim.” He turned to Soliman. “Before I do, is there any other information you wish to share, Captain?”
Soliman shook his head. “We will update everyone when we receive further results from our forensics analysis, as well as if we find anything in the security camera footage or discover where Mr. Vance stayed in Berlin.”
Sharon Whitmore said, “Thank you, Captain.”
Schröder said, “Now I will address the potential counterterrorism aspects of this case. Neukölln is a large borough with a very diverse population. Among this population are former refugees from Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Iraq, and most recently Syria and Libya. It should go without saying that the majority of this population are law-abiding and contributing members of German society who have come here to make a better life for themselves and their families.”
Brodie knew through experience that that PC preamble meant the chief inspector was about to say something less than flattering about the fine people of Neukölln.
“However,” continued Schröder, “Neukölln has also become one of the focal points of extremist Islamic ideology in Germany. Mosques and other gathering spaces are used for recruitment, as well as for leveraging large networks of religious adherents to raise funds for overseas extremist groups, which is illegal in Germany. Our agents are closely monitoring all of this, though I am not at liberty to share details of ongoing investigations. If we determine that Mr. Vance’s murder is linked to Islamic extremists, we will be as forthcoming as possible.”
Brodie noted the “as possible” and hoped there would be other sources of Intel on potential links between Harry’s murder and Islamic terrorism. Like, for instance, Captain Soliman, who in addition to being familiar with the community was a fellow cop and therefore less slippery than Schröder, a federal intelligence agent.
“Captain Soliman,” said Brodie, “can you share any details about the presence of terrorist groups in Neukölln?”
Soliman shifted in his seat. “I am a homicide investigator, Mr. Brodie. Terrorism and national security are not my areas of expertise or my duties.”
“But Neukölln is your beat. And I believe homicide is one of the terrorists’ favorite hobbies.”
Captain Soliman nodded and thought for a moment, then said, “As you have certainly noticed, I myself am Arab—Moroccan—and I am personally invested in rooting out violent extremism from my community. I cannot discuss particular groups and where they may or may not be operating. That is Chief Inspector Schröder’s purview. But I can tell you that these groups are a very real problem, and a threat not only to the country, but to the community of recent immigrants who are particularly vulnerable to their propaganda and false promises.”
Brodie thought about that. On some level he understood why, if you’re living in a hellhole like Syria and fighting for your life in the middle of a brutal civil war, you might join up with the most ruthless jihadi head-choppers you could find. Like an inmate in prison, you want the strongest and meanest motherf-ers on your side.
But if you’re lucky enough to get your ass to a nice place like Germany, what’s the draw? These terrorist cells probably operated something like a cult, offering a sense of community, purpose, and maybe even power to people who had lost all three, or had never had anything to begin with.
Brodie regarded Captain Soliman, who reminded him of Arab Americans he had known and worked with over the course of his career—men and women in the FBI, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and other organizations that were fighting the War on Terror. They were often the most gung-ho about the cause. This was partly because, as Captain Soliman had said, they had a personal investment in catching the sickos who weregiving their religion and culture a bad name. But Brodie sensed that they were also motivated by a need to prove themselves and reflect well on their own people by example. This was an unfair but maybe unavoidable burden.
Schröder said, “Thank you, Captain Soliman. I could not agree more. As I said, if we find that any of our on-the-ground intelligence is relevant to the murder of Mr. Vance, we will share it to the extent that we can. Now, Mr. Butler has informed me that our out-of-town guests wish to visit the crime scene. We can—”
David Kim interrupted, “You have a Hezbollah problem, Chief Inspector.”
Schröder pursed his lips. “Excuse me?”
