the vestibule and shouted at the nearest choristers to clear a space away from the door. A few worshippers had got caught up in the crowd too.
I lay on my belly and pushed open the door a few centimetres. Blue-coated Schutzpolizei ringed the square. They'd cut off the traffic flow at each exit point and within their cordon the square was empty. Each blue coat I saw carried a bullet hose machine pistol, and most had them trained on the church door. Bayonets and truncheons hung at their belts. This was a full-on riot squad.
'Is that you, Thomas?' called a voice I recognised. Ritter had turned up after all, murder commission in tow no doubt, though I couldn't see any plainclothesmen from where I lay. 'Come on out!' he shouted.
I let the door swing shut and stood up. Kürten made to copy me but I shooed him down with a palm. This was a dangerous moment. In his eagerness to steal my collar and humiliate me, Ritter might not notice the civilians in the way. I had to get them clear.
'Choir master?' I shouted. The chubby man approached, his face full of panic. 'Do you have a spare gown?'
'Gown?' He frowned.
'Those things you're wearing, whatever they're called. Do you have a spare one?'
'In the back somewhere.'
'Get it.' He nodded but didn't move so I shouted: 'Now!'
He waddled off. I faced the rest of them and held up my hands for silence. The whispers died down.
'Okay ladies and gentlemen, I'm a policeman. This man here,' I pointed at Kürten, 'is a wanted felon.' Wide eyes focused on Kürten. He waved at them.
'Is it the Ripper?' a voice shouted. I didn't see who it was but I ignored them anyway.
'The choir master is going to lead you outside. Everyone put your hands on your heads and walk calmly, all right?'
'It must be the Ripper,' the voice said. 'Why else would they send so many armed men?'
The choir master returned with the spare gown. I took the garment from him and tore it in two, handing him the larger piece and keeping the smaller for myself. I pushed the church door open again and waved the white cloth out of the opening.
'Ritter?' I shouted. 'It's Klein here.'
'Always a pleasure, Thomas,' Ritter shouted back.
'Never mind that, Ritter. There are several innocent people in here. The choir master is going to lead them out into the square, and then I'll bring him out.'
'Yeah, bring who out?' the voice muttered behind me.
I turned back. 'Hands on your heads!' I growled. The younger choristers beamed as they complied. Some of the older ones did it more slowly. A couple of the worshippers didn't do it at all. I patted the choir master on the back and said, 'Now lead them out. Slowly. Wave the gown. Don't make any sudden moves, and do as they say.'
I held the door open and the choir master led the group into the square while Ritter shouted directions. The stragglers in the church vestibule glared at Kürten on the way out. I kept my eyes on them, just waiting for an upstanding citizen to lash out the way that upstanding citizens are wont to do. They disappointed me, though.
Several long minutes later, I was alone with Kürten. I lifted him back to his feet. He passed a hand through his hair and checked the knot in his neck tie.
'You look fine,' I said. I wanted to slap him.
'Do you think there are any press photographers out there?'
'You looking to create a police brutality situation here? Cause that's the way we're headed.'
He cocked an eyebrow at me. I was grimacing with the pain in my gut; I tried to get my face under control while I dragged him along and kicked open the door, waving the scrap of white gown with my free hand. The clouds had parted while I'd been inside and the sun shone in my eyes.
A burst of submachine gun fire drove bullets into the stonework around the church door. I pulled Kürten to the ground with me. Something dug into my face, tore my cheek. Ritter shouted at the Schupo to hold fire and stiff leather soles double-timed it across the square.
They hauled me upright and cuffed
I lay on my belly and pushed open the door a few centimetres. Blue-coated Schutzpolizei ringed the square. They'd cut off the traffic flow at each exit point and within their cordon the square was empty. Each blue coat I saw carried a bullet hose machine pistol, and most had them trained on the church door. Bayonets and truncheons hung at their belts. This was a full-on riot squad.
'Is that you, Thomas?' called a voice I recognised. Ritter had turned up after all, murder commission in tow no doubt, though I couldn't see any plainclothesmen from where I lay. 'Come on out!' he shouted.
I let the door swing shut and stood up. Kürten made to copy me but I shooed him down with a palm. This was a dangerous moment. In his eagerness to steal my collar and humiliate me, Ritter might not notice the civilians in the way. I had to get them clear.
'Choir master?' I shouted. The chubby man approached, his face full of panic. 'Do you have a spare gown?'
'Gown?' He frowned.
'Those things you're wearing, whatever they're called. Do you have a spare one?'
'In the back somewhere.'
'Get it.' He nodded but didn't move so I shouted: 'Now!'
He waddled off. I faced the rest of them and held up my hands for silence. The whispers died down.
'Okay ladies and gentlemen, I'm a policeman. This man here,' I pointed at Kürten, 'is a wanted felon.' Wide eyes focused on Kürten. He waved at them.
'Is it the Ripper?' a voice shouted. I didn't see who it was but I ignored them anyway.
'The choir master is going to lead you outside. Everyone put your hands on your heads and walk calmly, all right?'
'It must be the Ripper,' the voice said. 'Why else would they send so many armed men?'
The choir master returned with the spare gown. I took the garment from him and tore it in two, handing him the larger piece and keeping the smaller for myself. I pushed the church door open again and waved the white cloth out of the opening.
'Ritter?' I shouted. 'It's Klein here.'
'Always a pleasure, Thomas,' Ritter shouted back.
'Never mind that, Ritter. There are several innocent people in here. The choir master is going to lead them out into the square, and then I'll bring him out.'
'Yeah, bring who out?' the voice muttered behind me.
I turned back. 'Hands on your heads!' I growled. The younger choristers beamed as they complied. Some of the older ones did it more slowly. A couple of the worshippers didn't do it at all. I patted the choir master on the back and said, 'Now lead them out. Slowly. Wave the gown. Don't make any sudden moves, and do as they say.'
I held the door open and the choir master led the group into the square while Ritter shouted directions. The stragglers in the church vestibule glared at Kürten on the way out. I kept my eyes on them, just waiting for an upstanding citizen to lash out the way that upstanding citizens are wont to do. They disappointed me, though.
Several long minutes later, I was alone with Kürten. I lifted him back to his feet. He passed a hand through his hair and checked the knot in his neck tie.
'You look fine,' I said. I wanted to slap him.
'Do you think there are any press photographers out there?'
'You looking to create a police brutality situation here? Cause that's the way we're headed.'
He cocked an eyebrow at me. I was grimacing with the pain in my gut; I tried to get my face under control while I dragged him along and kicked open the door, waving the scrap of white gown with my free hand. The clouds had parted while I'd been inside and the sun shone in my eyes.
A burst of submachine gun fire drove bullets into the stonework around the church door. I pulled Kürten to the ground with me. Something dug into my face, tore my cheek. Ritter shouted at the Schupo to hold fire and stiff leather soles double-timed it across the square.
They hauled me upright and cuffed
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