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Chapter 1

Chief inspector Peter Knutz was nearing the police station in his car.

“Seven-three to one-eight, seven-three to one-eight,” the voice came from his radio.

“What on earth is it this time? Can’t they leave me alone for a moment?” he scolded and picked up the microphone.

“Here is one-eight. What’s up Mary?”

“We have just received the call from the center. We have a potential suicide.”

Peter has stopped his vehicle in the first parking spot he saw.

“Peter, are you still there?” asked Mary after a moment of silence.

He sighed and again took the microphone.

“Can’t you send John?”

“John is in the other part of the city. It would take him at least half an hour to get to the scene. It that time man could already jump.”

So, this time it was a jumper.

He thought about his wife, Simone and his son Ted. He will disappoint them again. He promised he would take Ted to the Zoo this afternoon and now he will break his word. But he knew he must take this call. One life depends on him and now there is no time to hesitate. It the call would come just five minutes later he would be on his way home.

“Tell me the address and the situation,” he nervously spoke to the microphone.

“It’s on Lincoln Street 15. It’s not far away from your current location. I’m uploading your GPS.”

The GPS device beeped twice and then nice female voice said:

“I have a new destination: Lincoln Street 15. The distance to the destination is 1.3 miles. Estimated time of arrival is 10 minutes. I’m turning over to the navigation.”

There was three beeps that indicated that the device in in navigational state. Then it started to speak:

“Please make an U-turn.”

“I’ve received the directions and I’m on my way,” he informed Mary.

“OK. There is a suicide on a top floor of a building. For a time being the situation is stable, but as you know that can easily change.”

“Ok. I’ll let you know when I come there.”

“Turn left in the next crossing and you have reached your destination.”

He drove through the crossing and has spotted the building. There was a bunch of people in front of it. He has stopped his car. He took out his telephone and tapped the number.

“Hi. Are you coming home?” asked Simone.

“Something came in between,” he said and imagined her rolling her eyes.

“I’ll put Ted on. You can explain him why you won’t be able to make it again.”

There was a strong emphasis on the word again.

“I don’t have time right now. I’ll talk to him when I come home.”

“If you say so,” she wearily responded and hung up.

He took the mike:

“I’ve arrived. Assemble the team to secure the area. Here is like there were demonstrations,” he yelled into the microphone and put it back to the stand.

“Yes boss,” he heard Mary’s cynical voice before he shut the car door.

He inspected the site. There were about thirty people standing in front of the building. They were looking upwards.

It was an old building from early eighties. Its front facade was a bit jagged on some parts. It would need a thorough renovation. One side was covered in meaningless graffiti.

He counted the floors. One, two, three…, six. On the sixth floor there was an open window. On the frame of the window sat a man. His legs where hanging out. He looked quite young.

Probably another unrequited love, thought Peter. He estimated the distance from sixth floor to the ground. This fall would end pretty badly.

An attractive woman with long blonde hair in her early twenties stepped to him and pushed a microphone in front of his face. He hated the summers’ time when nothing was happening around the town, so the news crew were flying like files around every bagatelle.

“Hello, inspector,” she made a short pause, so she could read his name tag, “Knutz. Could you tell our listeners, what is going on? Who is the young man sitting on the ledge and threatening to kill himself?”

“Hello. I’m here to find that out and stop it from happening. Please let me through,” he started to break through the crowd.

When he neared the building he turned over and shouted:

“Please refrain yourselves from the building. My co-workers will be here shortly and will secure this area.”

He turned back and disappeared into the building.