DAMBACH FOREST Franco-German Border
That girl's pretty nice.
Dream On. That's Laura von Geyersberg.
The Count's sister.
Speaking of the Count, I still haven't seen him.
To the hunt!
I do not understand why our horses shied like that.
Well, now we've completely lost the pack.
Wait, what's that?
Here.
Jesus.
That's Jürgen von Geyersberg.
THE CRIMSON RIVERS
THE LAST HUNT: PART 1
-How was the drive? -Had worse.
-It gave you time to take in the air. -I prefer Paris.
-Yeah, okay, where is it? -Over there.
Last Sunday, the von Geyersbergs,
German aristocracy
from the Baden-Württemberg region, organized a hunt in this forest.
It's a tradition.
They get all the region's elite together twice a year.
Party on Saturday, then, Sunday, they cross the Franco-German border to hunt.
Why here?
Hunting with hounds is banned in Germany.
So they bring their "sport" over here.
The body was found over there.
-When was it found? -Sunday morning.
-Where was the Count on Saturday? -At lunch with the others.
Two Frenchmen found him, participants in the hunt.
Disenbowelled and decapitated.
So I see.
Who are the two witnesses?
They work for the Geyersberg Group. Manufacturer of electrical components.
They have a solid alibi at the time of death.
-No one else saw or heard anything? -No.
They were too focused on slaughtering animals.
Forensics found no fingerprints or other traces on the body.
CHÂTEAU VON GEYERSBERG Germany
Laura?
They just crossed the border.
I imagine you'll be first on their list.
-What? -Nothing, I'm just looking at you.
It's been a while.
And since you never reply to my messages, I never know how you are.
I had stuff going on. I know. Is it sorted?
Not really.
-Identified any motives? -Too many.
Professional jealousy, a vice crime...
Maybe even a political attack.
-In what way? -Animal activism is big here.
Given that the von Geyersbergs own vast areas of hunting land...
Niemans, slow down please?
The victim may have had run-ins with local eco warriors,
but cutting off the guy's head? I doubt it.
I also considered the psycho angle.
And I checked both sides of the border.
No escapes, no loonies on the loose, no similar crimes.
It would have to be a first-timer.
-What do our German friends have? -Nothing, apperently.
But to them, the von Geyersbergs are untouchable.
That's why we're here.
Ready to shake up high society?
Hello.
Hello?
Leo, this is rediculouse, you're really annoying.
Is this a new game? You call and then say nothing?
I do not want to talk about it.
I didn't even ask, Camille.
I know, you never ask for anything.
Brake off! This is our exit! OK, OK.
Where exactly are we going?
To see the von Geyersberg family doctor, Philipp Schüller.
He did the autopsy in Stuttgart.
What do you mean? Was there no medical examiner?
Special measures. The von Geyersberg assigned their personal physician.
Schengen applies to bodies too.
Sure.
Are you sure this Schüller isn't in the goat cheese business?
He lives in a scientific research community.
Hi. We're with the French police.
I know. I am Philipp Schüller.
Sorry, the vehicle can't come in. This is a nature reserve. You can park over there.
We recruit the best researchers in Europe.
-We even won a Nobel Prize. -What's your field?
Biology, physics, genetics.
We're looking for solutions to environmental problems.
And you're the von Geyersberg's personal physician?
Sort of the same thing, no?
I'm joking. I haven't practiced for a long time,
but I'm close with the family.
To see how that kid was mutilated...
Jürgen had an extraordinary future ahead of him.
Beer?
-No, thank you. -Schnapps?
-No. -Alright.
So, what exactly do you want to know?
I sent my report to the French police 2 days ago.
Yes, and you said you weren't sure about the cause of death.
That's correct. Likely a slit throat,
but due to the decapitation we can't be sure.
The killer removed the oesophagus, stomach and intestines.
Can you explain that? That's a hunting trick.
You do it to release gases, to prevent the organs from swelling.
Especially in Pirsch. In what?
A method of stalking.
You sneak up on the game to see if it's a worthy victim.
In Pirsch, you can onl kill a male in perfect health.
An "armed male" it's called.
A deer with great antlers, a boar with big tusks.
How dignified.
It's not my thing.
I prefer to track game with my dog.
I'm also a specialist in hunting dog breeds.
Count von Geyersberg was found
with an oak branch in his mouth.
Isn't that the ritual of "the bite"? Exactly.
He symbolizes the last meal before death.
Are the missing organs symbolic too?
No, that's another rule of the Pirsch. They buried them.
What do you mean? How do you know that?
They were found near the body.
Have you not spoken with your colleagues, Commissioner?
I'm calling Strasbourg.
It's no use. They're pissed off at us.
Let's hope the Germans are more help. Who's next on the list?
Jürgen's sister. Laura von Geyersberg, 35 years old.
She and Jürgen took over the business when their parent died.
Then maybe there was Rivalries between them?
Maybe. Or maybe she's next on the list.
And the rest of the family?
You mean the previous generation? Three brothers.
Kurt, Jürgen and Laura's father, died of cancer,
after his wife's suicide.
Dieter, died young, leaving two boys,
and Frantz, who is still alive today. He has no wife or kids.
All the von Geyersbergs lives here in the area.
The Countess chooses to live alone in the family's hunting lodge.
Gentlemen. Good afternoon.
Drive on.
Hello. I'm Laura von Geyersberg.
Commissaire Niemans, Lieutenant Delaunay.
I called you earlier today.
The Villa de vein. (The Glass House)
My great-grandfather was a big Bauhaus admirer.
He had it custom built in the 1920s.
What do you want to know?
I've answered all your questions. Not mine.
Sorry. No, you're not sorry.
My Job doesn't rid me of all compassion.
When was the last time you saw Jürgen?
Like everyone else, Saturday afternoon.
He stopped by briefly during lunch.
He hated those sorts of social events.
No word from him after that? Nothing.
Were you not worried?
He had a habit of disappearing, but never more than a day.
Also, I knew he'd be at the hunt.
He wouldn't miss that for the world.
Was there someone in his private life?
You've surely heard about his unusual inclinations.
But just because he freqented S&M clubs in Stuttgart
doesn't mean someone would cut off his head.
Contrary to what you might imagine, it's a harmless environment.
And you?
Are you also partial to "unusual inclinations"?
It's clear you're not from around here.
I don't tend to get asked such direct questions.
That's not an answer.
Then no. I don't visit those sorts of clubs.
My tastes are more classic.
Did Jürgen have any enemies?
Our family is worth billions.
That gives rise to jealousy, rivalry, and all kinds of aggressive impulses.
But did he feel threatened?
No. Not that I know of.
Since neither you nor Jürgen have children, who would inherit,
if something happened to you?
The Group could end up in the hands of our cousins Ludwig and Max.
But that would surprise me.
All they think about is girls and hunting.
That's a full-time occupation.
What about your uncle Frantz?
Uncle Frantz? He is a hermit. He lives alone and has never had an interest in the business.
Where were you from Saturday night to Sunday?
I am a suspect?
Everyone is.
So? Where were you between Saturday night and Sunday morning?
I was here.
Alone?
No. I was with one of my regional directors.
Did he say his name, before he left?
Good old French arrogance.
Let's just say he was the most attractive of them all.
Ask your French colleagues.
That's the first thing they checked.
Each of our rifles is a unique.
Are you a hunter?
That depends on the prey.
Were you and Jürgen close?
We were like twins.
The same feelings, the same thoughts in the same moment.
With a very strict father and a suicidal mother,
we were all the other had.
With Jürgens gone...
I've lost everything.
Do you know why his body was displayed like that?
You mean Pirsch references?
I dont know.
My family doesn't practice that method.
We prefer to hunt with horses and hounds.
Pomp and circumstance is par for the course.
Your German colleague.
I'm Chief Inspector Nikolas Kleinhert from the German police.
Commissioner Niemans, Lieutenant Delaunay.
When were you going to tell me you'd arrived?
We've only just crossed the border. Don't lie to me, Commissioner.
You're talking to the Countess and you've already questioned Dr Schüller.
News travels faster than the investigation, I see.
You're in my district now. I call the shots around here.
Nobody calls the shots for me.
Either way, you're too late.
We have the culprit. Thomas Krauss, an anti-hunting activist.
He just confessed.
Can we question him? Tomorrow morning. Together.
Why tomorrow?
Provisional measures are in place for a psychiatric assessment.
Doctors' orders. What's his motive?
He says it was a humanitarian act.
That he would piss on his grave, if he were free.
Is that enough for you as a motive? No. Too simple.
Don't tell the Countess.
The federal prosecuter wil inform her soon.
Sure, I wouldn't want to make waves.
Tell me, does your muzzle ever get in the way of your work?
You answer to the CBCO,
what is that exactly? A new central office brought in
to help out with unusual murders.
Basically, we're here to wake you up and piss you off.
In the meantime, I expect your reports by morning.
What reports?
The interviews with Schüller and Laura von Geyersberg.
Interrogations on German soil
must be validated by my department. Those are the rules.
I see pleasantries still aren't your strong point, Niemans?
Why bother.
I think you caught his eyes, though.
That's rubbish!
So, how was your first encounter?
Stiff.
Do you know why the firefighters
let the Reichstag burn in 1933?
No. Because a sign said:
"Don't walk on the grass."
Your rooms are prepared.
It's a tradition in our family. Hospitality.
I invited my cousins ​​to dinner.
That way you can question them without having to travel.
Hello.
You did well, my dear.
That's very wise.
Yes.
OK. Until tomorrow.
Did Kleinert tell you the news? You already heard?
Not a leaf moves without my knowledge.
You're happy to use Pinochet's words?
Until questioned, Krauss is just a suspect.
But he confessed, didn't he? A Confession means nothing.
Do you know him?
He is an enemy of the family, but I can't imagine him as a murderer.
So why do you think he confessed?
He probably likes to play the martyr.
Krauss abhors hunting. Unfortunately, he doesn't understand it.
Without hunting, nature wouldn't survive. It provides balance.
Life is born out of blood and death.
No thank you.
But there are ways to go about it.
As in love, right?
There's the family.
If Krauss did this, we'll take care of him.
Excuse me?
A pig, that attacks our family
is killed.
Some wine, Commissaire? No, thank you.
I drink too much and hear such nonsense,
I might lose control.
This is our country.
We hunt animals, we can hunt men.
We don't live in the Middle Ages anymore.
The days of lords ruling their land are over.
Today we have courthouses.
Max is just having fun. Nobody here is above the law.
More venison? No.
I have killed it myself.
Lieutenant? You don't care for venison?
No. I prefer animals, if they are still alive.
Our family has hunted for generations.
What my brother means is that we are used to settling our own affairs.
You can understand that, surely?
Policemen are hunters too, right?
Yes. But our prey can defend itself.
My brother never got that chance.
Enough stupidity for one night, right? Yes.
But check their alibis tomorrow. Are you tired?
No.
See what you can find on the VG Group.
Structure, annual reports, board, shareholders,
see which role the two cousins ​​play.
Then we just need Laura to say...
Laura? You call her by her first name?
She's not my type. Too classic.
I prefer cheeky little redheads.
And what's your plan while the redhead is up all night checking accounts?
I'm going to do some research on the Pirsch.
Is that okay?
The Pirsch hunter respects his prey.
He has a duty to protect the environment of the animals.
The hunter is allowed only to kill the alpha male.
To kill young or old game, has nothing to do with Pirsch.
That's why we train our dogs to recognize the right prey.
Do you hear him?
He came to kill you.
You thnk I don't know who you are?
You think I won't defend myself?
I trained him to kill you, brother.
He'll get you before can you attack me.
Liquorice obeys me.
He's coming to kill you.
Liquorice, Liquorice...
What happened?
Are you hurt? There's blood on your face.
It's the dog's.
What are you doing here middle of the night?
This is still my land.
There is a place where my brother and I liked to go.
I wanted to be close to him, gather my thoughts.
Is this your dog?
No.
He was wearing paramilitary clothing with a WWII cap.
And a balaclava. Or a mask, I'm not sure.
Are you serious?
You're sure he meant to attack you?
Oh no, maybe just wanted to play catch.
Where was the countess going? I don't know.
She went back to the house, she's in shock.
Sure, I bet she's not used to French police methods.
It has a tattoo. But I do not know the breed.
Schüller should take a look. Why?
He can identify the breed. He is an expert in hunting dogs.
This dog shouldn't be here. We need 24-hour surveillance.
Just so we're clear, Commissioner:
I give the orders around here.
I couldn't care less, as long as they match mine.
Bettue hunters use dogs to drive the animal towards them.
-So the killer has a new game? -Perhaps.
Perhaps Laura gets a new ritual. It's definitely revenge, Camille.
Revenge with a hunting connection. That's the key.
Maybe the von Geyersbergs were involved in a hunting accident.
-Niemans? -Yes?
You didn't even look at the dog's body.
Do you have a phobia of dogs?
No. I'm just more of a cat person.
KARLSRUHE DISTRICT Germany
-No Camille today? -No, sorry.
My natural charm will have to do. Where is he?
In the cell. He hasn't spoken since yesterday.
Good, he's saving himself.
I'll give you ten minutes with him. In my presence.
Coffee?
I'm running a bit late, but may I take a croissant?
Naturally.
Has there ever been a hunting accident involving your family?
No, not as far as I know.
There are always a few guests who get trigger-happy,
but together with Jürgen we always had everything under control.
He has a real talent for...
I still can't quite believe that I'm alone now.
I don't even have children.
Do you have kids, Lieutenant?
-Are you married? -No. I'm not married.
One moment!
Do I really have to endure them all day?
-A precaution. For your own safety. -I can defend myself.
I don't doubt it.
All right, Kruass, we're here to officially record your confession.
So, tell us your little story, and we'll write it down.
You sign it and then you get locked up for life. That sound good?
I did it. I killed him.
How?
I surprised him in the forest.
-Was he on foot or on horseback? -On foot.
-Were you following him? -No.
I was there, to stop the hunt.
Right.
You against a pack of dogs and armed men, are you serious?
When you have faith, you can move mountains.
OK, sure.
How did you kill him?
-Quickly, answer. -I slit his throat.
Then cut off the head and gutted him.
Very good. You had the tools for that?
I had knives, and a machete. I threw everything in the river.
You'd have to be a pro to do that.
When you're not bullshitting, what's your job? Butcher? Doctor?
And the oak branch in the mouth?
That's what you do with animal killers.
Not always. Why imitate Pirsch?
-Respect for my enemy. -Decapitated and gutted, that's respect?
That's what Pirsch hunters say, isn't it?
Well done. Full marks.
What did you do with the entrails?
-The entrails. -I threw them in the water too.
Yeah? And the clothing? -Burned.
And of course, you had a motive?
Avenging nature.
The von Geyersbergs are an offence to God, to the universe.
And they treat their fellow men just the same.
One day, this sort of scum will kill the world!
He's lying. Everything was in the newspapers,
except for the buried entrails.
We've wasted a lot of time. I'm sorry.
He really screwed us over. We're back to square one.
No, not at square one We've got you, me and Camille.
Thanks for letting me lead the interview.
It'll give you one more report to write.
Number three's just arrived.
I'll organize Krauss' transfer and be right with you.
I checked all the facts: hunting society archives on the French and German side.
No accidents involving the von Geyersbergs in the last 20 years.
-Krauss? -A nut and a liar.
Camille.
-Did you manage to get some sleep? -A few hours, yes. Thank you.
This way, please.
So, Krauss is out of the picture.
As the saying goes: good intentions make for bad suspects.
-I would put it another way, but I agree. -So, what now?
The classic question: who benefits from the crime?
-The two cousins? -No. They were partying until dawn.
And they're not in line to take over the Group.
And old Uncle Frantz? Is he into orgies too?
Oh please!
Mr von Geyersberg is confined to a wheelchair.
He also had no interest in the business.
His legs may not work, but that doesn't stop him.
What else? The hunt, Pirsch,
the dog, the Countess, the rituals surrounding Jürgen's death:
it all comes back to hunting.
Maybe we're reading too much into the rituals.
It could be a reference to the family's professional methods.
The von Geyersbergs are tough bosses.
But I can't see a bitter employee decapitating the Count.
No. We need to look into the family's past.
What do we have on the guy from last night? His cap and mask?
So far nothing.
Yes.
Okay. We're coming.
Does he every say where he's going?
No, I'm afraid not.
This was an easy one. That's a Rötken.
The breed disappeared from Europe after a dark history.
It was eradicated after WWII.
-The proof? -Schnapps?
Summarise, Professor.
Have you ever heard of the Black Hunters?
-The Sondereinheit Dirlewanger? -Exactly.
-What is that? -In 41, Himmler put togther
a special brigade made up of prisoners.
I found a few books here in our library.
These guys were not chosen at random.
They were all hunters.
True experts in tracking prey through the forest.
Was this the mask you saw?
Yes.
For 4 years, they served under Oskar Dirlewanger.
They guarded the Jews working on the Eastern Front.
They tracked down Belorussian partisan fighters in the forest.
Tens of thousands of civilians were raped and murdered.
We don't really need a full history lession, Professor.
-What about the dog? -That's just it.
These were all experienced hunters.
The first thing they did when they arrived in Belarus
was to train a breed of dog They found there. The Rötken.
In a few months, they turned them into deadly weapons.
Animals trained to kill, to stay silent on command,
or rip your throat out just like that.
When the Black Hunters were eliminated, so were the dogs.
None have been seen in Europe since.
So Nazis are rising from the dead and attacking with ghost dogs?
Well, I know it all sounds a bit far-fetched. But look.
Excuse me.
This dog bears the emblem of Dirlewanger's special brigade.
Some say he was killed at the end of the war.
Others that he fled to Syria or Egypt.
But another story is that he hid here in Baden-Württemberg.
-Under the protection of the von Geyersbergs.
Why the von Geyersbergs?
A German industrial family, they were extremely close to the Nazis during the war.
Commissioner!
I've thought of someone who could help you.
Werner Raus? The guy is completely insane!
But he's the best dog breeder in the region.
If any Rötken have been imported, he'll know.
What do I do with the dog now?
Keep it chilled. It's evidence.
Reus' farm is 20km away. Do you want to follow me?
Camille will drive with you. I still have something to do.
Where are you going?
To talk to the old man.
Hve you worked with Niemans for long?
A few months.
But I've known him for years. He was my instructor at the academy.
I can't see him as a teacher.
He was perfect.
He led several brigades in Paris, then was wounded on a case in Grenoble.
That's when he become an instructor.
He could've returned to a position of responsibility.
Let's just say he had problems with his superiors.
What a suprise.
Don't be fooled by appearances. He's the best there is.
Why are you so loyal to him?
Hello.
Hello?
It's not my boyfriend, before you ask.
I wasn't going to.
My mistake.
But now you know I'm unattached, Inspector.
Well, unfortunately not me. I have a wife and two children.
Married at 22, like a good provincial civil servant.
I saw your ring.
I hope you like the Glass House.
It's perfect. The Countess is an excellent hostess.
I love Laura very much. I think of her as my own daughter.
Did you feel the same about Jürgen?
He was more capricious.
But yes. I loved him too.
Those two were inseparable.
They held together against my brother Kurt.
What do you mean?
Kurt was very hard on them.
He wanted to toughen them up. He was particularly harsh with Laura.
Why? He didn't like her? On the contrary.
She was a girl. She had to prove herself more than anyone else.
But he made them co-directors of the Group?
You are misinformed.
Jürgen was the sole successor,
But he was very loyal to his sister.
He placed her at his side.
And why not you?
No.
I've never had a taste for the business. Or if I do, it's one of disgust.
To be honest, I never had much of a taste for anything.
OK, let's go.
The von Geyersbergs are all hunters. Why not you?
That's not my idea of a relationship with nature.
I was a hunter myself once. This was the result.
I was young.
Kurt, my brother, wasn't yet the world-renowned shooter he would become.
Or perhaps, he was already.
What are you trying to say?
That you were intentionally injured by your brother?
What are you doing here? Are you interrogating my uncle?
This is just a friendly conversation.
A simple conversation.
With my status, such down-to-earth conversations are rare.
If You'll pardon the pun.
-What are you still looking for? -Your brother's murderer.
Don't be angry, darling.
You have to go in the house. You'll catch a cold.
I thought you had the perpetrator in custody.
You were right, Krauss is not capable of murder.
I think someone is seeking revenge on your family
for something connected to hunting.
So you interrogate a man who's been in a wheelchair his entire life?
He was just telling me about his accident.
Your family's been through a lot, hasn't it?
Come with me.
I see your breeder isn't big on hygiene.
He sets the dogs loose when the veterinary office comes by.
Hello Werner.
So you're to blame forall this racket.
This is Lieutenant Camille Delaunay from the French police.
The female scent. It's not good for my babies.
It gets them all riled up.
Do you have five minutes for us?
-What about? -A Rötken's been found on the Countess' land.
Absolutely impossible. There haven't been any Rötken in Europe since WWII.
You've never heard of any being bred in the area?
I've bred dogs for more than 40 years.
I know about every pup born in this region.
I'm telling you, there are no Rötken around here.
The body's at Schüller's facility.
Quiet here!
Shut the hell up!
Come with me. The smell is driving them crazy.
Are you in heat or something?
-Jesus Christ. -Well?
There was this incident about 20 years ago.
-It's the only time I heard their name. -Tell me.
A Roma community turned up in the von Geyersbergs' forest.
The count sent men with dogs to drive them out.
-Which one? Kurt, Frantz or Dieter? -Kurt. Dieter was dead by then.
-And Frantz stayed out of that stuff. -Go on.
I don't know exactly what happened,
-but a young girl was attacked. -By the dogs?
Whatever the breed, it was trained to kill.
But you know what they say: Like master, like dog.
All right, we're done. I don't have all day.
These Roma, are they still in the area?
Go take a look.
Otto von Geyersberg.
He had a huge estate in Germany at the turn of the century.
He liked to raze entire villages
to expand his forest, or rather, his hunting grounds.
The grand Karl. Very close to the Nazis.
They say he used to organise hunting parties with Jews as the prey.
A nice fellow, wouldn't you say?
And here he is.
Kurt, my dear father. Always with a smile on his face.
He wouldn't hesitate to open fire on any strikers.
If you're looking at revenge, the list of suspects is long.
Half the region hates us. The other half fears us.
And no one will shed tears over our graves.
Do the Black Hunters mean anything to you?
These are legends.
We've been hearing those old rumors for generations.
Apparently, my father hid the bastards and employed them in his factories.
It's all complete nonsense.
The dog sent after you was a Rötken, a species trained by these hunters.
-It didn't attack me. -It was meant for you and you know that.
So you're chasing ghosts, is that it?
The danger is genuine, Laura, I'm not joking.
Find the killer, Niemans.
And be nice. Don't bother my uncle again.
PALATINAT FOREST Germany