Episode 3 | The Devil’s Kiss Part 1

♪ [Watch ticking] ♪ [Camera shutter clicks] ♪ [Bells toll] [Fluttering] ♪ [Indistinct chatter] ♪ [Sizzling] ♪ [Bell dinging] ♪ [Chicken clucking] ♪ [Winds watch] [Music playing] What do we have here?

Get out.

Get out.

Ow!

[Man shouts] Stop!

Stop!

Get her!

Stop!

Stop!

[Indistinct] [Dog barks] I will get you!

Stop!

♪ Stop!

[Shouting] ♪ Stop!

Stop!

Uhh!

[Mice squeaking] ♪ [Piano key clangs] [Clang] ♪ Who found him?

The girl there.

A pickpocket.

Ran in here to hide.

Do we have an identity?

[Sighs] No.

[Flies buzzing] [Crunching] [Flies buzzing] "Emil Schwaiger."

It looks like he's been dead for some time.

♪ Maybe in missing persons.

Therese: Vienna has become a rat's barn.

People go missing every day.

This whole room is one giant litany of them.

If anyone can find him, I'm sure that you can, fräulein.

I spend every working hour in here, Inspector.

The dead have become my family.

♪ ♪ Here he is.

Schwaiger, a railway clerk.

You're sure about the name?

Why?

Emil Schwaiger went missing 20 years ago.

[Indistinct chatter] Hello.

Will you tell me your name?

Where do you come from?

Do you have a family?

[Sighs] [Watch ticking] That slum... have you ever been there before?

Maybe you use it as a place to hide sometimes.

Have you ever seen anyone else around there?

♪ Come on.

♪ ♪ [Applause] Excuse me.

Excuse me.

[Piano playing] Sorry, busy day at the office.

That's not have a row about it, darling.

[Singing in German] ♪ [Continues singing in German] ♪ [Cheers and applause] [Indistinct chatter] Thanks for bringing me.

You hated it.

No.

No, I--I enjoyed it.

You didn't want to be here at all.

Your mind was on your work tonight.

You witnessed a brutal murder today.

How did you figure that out?

Little clues in one's behavior, remember?

You ought to be in a circus.

You'd make a fortune with this act.

Well?

The Schubert.

Every time she sang the word "blood," you patted your pocket, where you keep your notebook.

Also, you kept rubbing at your wrists.

[Sighs] A body in Landstrasse.

A particularly brutal murder.

You've witnessed brutal murders before.

This one was different.

A man who vanished 20 years ago suddenly turns up dead.

Hand severed.

Hence the wrists.

The wound was just a few days' old.

Where's he been hiding all these years?

Would you like me to get acquainted with him?

♪ [Liquid running] ♪ Medical examiner: Substantial blood loss from the severed hand, and also his tongue was cut out and stuffed back in his gullet.

Nasty business.

Well, what do you see, Max?

You think Dr. Liebermann will notice something that I missed?

You get to tell me how he died, Dr. Jager, Dr. Liebermann might be able to tell me how he lived.

♪ He was bound and tortured.

Piano wire.

Particularly barbaric.

This isn't just a murder.

The act itself gives us a profile of the killer.

♪ Why torture a man?

Most likely to get information.

Yeah.

And... if he won't provide it, if his tongue won't move... ♪ He punished him by removing it.

♪ [Door opens] Woman: Not a day goes by when I don't think of him.

I just need to know what's happened.

I need to know how my brother's life ended.

[Door opens] I don't understand.

Is this some sort of a joke?

What's the matter, Frau Schwaiger?

It's not Emil.

It's not my brother.

Uh, how long since you've seen him?

Are you absolutely sure?

I'm absolutely sure!

It's not my brother.

♪ ♪ ♪ Papa.

Is that the Satin de Leon?

It cost an arm and a leg.

Be nice.

It's very... lovely.

Leah: Hmm, very convincing.

Would you like to see my other option?

Max, have you seen the headline?

Leah: What do you think?

Of?

The dress.

Papa and Mama's wedding anniversary.

You haven't forgotten?

No, of course not.

I've invited Jonas Korngold, as we do so much business together.

He's likely to bring Clara.

I hope you don't mind.

No.

No, why should I?

[Inhales] Perhaps--perhaps I'll invite someone.

[Chuckles] May I?

A girl?

Yes.

Obviously.

I don't think the inspector will be keen.

Well, who you gonna ask?

What about Fräulein Spitzer?

Your mother's very eager-- Um, actually, I was thinking of Miss Lydgate.

The patient?

She's not my patient anymore.

She hasn't been for some time now.

And you want to bring her to our anniversary party?

She won't embarrass you, Mama.

She doesn't slurp her soup or chew with her mouth open.

I'll ask her to change out of her hospital gown and manacles.

What she wears is scarcely the point.

[Sighs] You going to give another lecture on the fact she's not Jewish?

Oh, Mama.

If you beg him to do something, he's bound to do the opposite.

Heh.

That's psychology, isn't it?

Census records, identity papers.

Everything in order.

Oskar: We have a reliable witness who claims that this is not Schwaiger.

That's impossible.

Then someone's been tampering with our official records.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Inspector.

Inspector.

I think you need to come.

This is not a home for vagrants, Rheinhardt.

She's too young to be detained.

We can't put her in the cells.

She's a valuable witness.

We can't just let her out on the streets again.

Well, she can't stay here.

What else do we know about her?

Nothing.

No family, no address.

She was picking pockets when we found her.

She's been using that slum as a place to hide out.

This was clutched in her hand.

[Watch ticking] Do you think you can get her to talk to us?

♪ ♪ [Gasps] It's all right.

♪ I'm Max.

I'm a doctor.

What's your name?

♪ Is this yours?

♪ [Winds watch, music plays] [Chuckles] [Music continues] [Click] It's all right.

Uh, fetch some water.

Max: It's all right.

Breathe.

She's in shock.

Deeply traumatized.

She needs urgent care.

Maybe the hospital is willing to take her in.

Their methods are too brutal.

[Scoffs] Of course.

You Freudians know everything.

Well, where can we send her then?

Rachel: Max, I don't understand.

Max: Well, she needs somewhere to stay, just for a few days.

Is she a patient?

She's a potential witness in a murder case.

And you don't even know her name?

Take her upstairs, would you?

Have the spare room made up.

Wouldn't she be better at the hospital?

Mama, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important.

♪ Bless you, Mama.

♪ [Watch ticking] Max: You'll have everything you need here.

My mother will take good care of you.

[Ticking continues] I'll be back very soon.

♪ I'll come and look in on you.

♪ ♪ [Click] [Horse knickers] Driver: Whoa!

Strasser: Rheinhardt.

Director Strasser.

It's good to see you again.

Get in.

Ride with me.

♪ I heard about your new case.

Landstrasse.

Every murder case comes across my desk.

Where are you with the investigation?

It's a confusing picture.

The victim's been wrongly identified.

Well, no need to concern yourself.

I'm taking it away from you, assigning a different diplomat.

What?

No need to involve yourself any further.

I don't understand.

Why am I being taken off the case?

Some things are outside your jurisdiction.

Best not to ask too many questions.

[Knock on door] ♪ [Indistinct chatter] ♪ Ahh!

♪ ♪ Are you all right, Inspector?

♪ I just received a message concerning the dead man.

"The name is Anton Resch."

♪ [Sighs] The body we examined yesterday I've been sent an anonymous tip-off.

The real identity of the victim, Anton Resch.

Well, at last we have a lead.

I was taken off the case.

What?

Yeah.

Director Strasser has reassigned it.

I'm obliged to hand this over to the next investigating officer, whoever that may be.

This letter was sent to you personally.

Are you really going to give it up that easily?

At least talk to Amelia first.

♪ Hopefully we can extrapolate some information.

♪ Perhaps where the letter was written, information about the sender.

Nothing we do is anonymous.

Not anymore.

A touch of someone's hand can leave a mark.

It's indelible.

Could you?

♪ ♪ Oh, uh, there was something else inside.

Here.

Freshly plucked, traces of blood on the barbs.

Look.

Why would someone send me a bird's feather?

Corvus corone.

What?

Carrion crow.

The messenger of the dead.

♪ I'll take these to the museum, continue my analysis.

Actually, I wanted to ask you something.

Uh, perhaps if I came back tomorrow.

Inspector.

How is it progressing, you and Miss Lydgate?

Do you have to enjoy my discomfort quite so much?

Yes, I do.

Hmm.

Whoever the killer is has got a traitor close at hand.

Someone wants to help me solve this.

Inspector.

I found him.

He's an officer.

Anton Resch.

Wait.

There's Strasser.

♪ The dead man is Anton Resch, an officer, fourth district.

We found him in a photograph.

You were in it, too, Herr Direktor.

Ahh.

Why was he calling himself a different name?

And who was this Schwaiger?

A missing person from the files.

It's common practice when creating a false identity, use a name already in the public records.

So he was working undercover.

[Chuckles] I'm not obliged to discuss informations with your, Rheinhardt.

This is way above your head.

You're dismissed.

I have other evidence for you, Herr Direktor.

The informant sent me a symbol.

What symbol?

A feather.

Carrion crow.

Do you know what it signifies?

I've told you this is not your domain.

Herr Direktor, the informant chose to contact me personally.

I don't know why.

All I know is he thinks there's some bond between us.

It's reasonable to assume that he would contact me again.

Please let me help.

♪ Crow.

Yes, sir.

It's a codename.

Someone we've been tracking for a while now.

A dangerous criminal.

His real name is Lazar Kiss.

A mercenary.

Half Serb, half Hungarian.

And you think this man is in Vienna?

Kiss is largely unknown to us.

We don't even have a photograph.

He's suspected of involvement in the assassination of the Serbian royal family.

Our agent was ordered to track him down.

Apparently he got too close.

[Sighs] I'm grateful for your report, Rheinhardt, but anything else you receive from this informant, you bring straight to me.

Hmm?

♪ Anything your patients say to you, you're not allowed to repeat.

That's how it works, yes.

Very well.

I want to pay you for your time.

Well, that will buy you about two minutes.

What's this about, Oskar?

What's going on?

A conversation I had just now.

I need to discuss it with someone in complete confidence.

A secret investigation.

I've been ordered to remain at arm's length, to do nothing.

Mm-hmm.

And you don't want to.

Of course not.

I'm involved.

The informant sent me that message.

And what do the Secret Services know about Kiss?

Nothing.

Only rumors.

He's no more than a shadow, a whisper.

They're trying to find a man that no one has ever laid eyes on.

The informant is trying to point me the way to him.

So you're going to conduct your own secret investigation.

Would you like some company?

Help me build a profile of him.

♪ Who is he, Max, the Crow?

Brutal, sadistic, paranoid.

Killed an officer in the most savage way when he wouldn't break under torture.

Then again... What?

What is it?

Well, if you wanted to slip into the shadows, if you wanted the Secret Service off your back, would you really carry out an execution in such a theatrical manner?

The severed hand, the severed tongue.

♪ What about the girl?

Anything from her yet?

She's still in a state of shock.

All right.

We go step by step.

We need to begin by finding this mystery informant.

Is it my turn to say it?

I think it's my turn.

Well, go on then.

[Clears throat] Welcome to the case, Doctor.

You don't say it as well as I do.

I'll try to work on it.

[Door thuds] [Click] How are you feeling?

Are you feeling any better?

Brought a friend along.

Wanted to introduce you to him.

♪ You can see he's a little bit sad.

I think something bad may have happened to him.

Or perhaps he... saw something that made him upset.

♪ If you make friends with him, I think he'll tell you all his secrets.

♪ ♪ ♪ [Bugle playing] [Birds chirping] [Blows whistle] Alarm!

[Bell ringing] [Guard shouting, whistles blowing] Oskar: Hmm.

Amelia: The dust contained in the envelope has tiny fragments of fiber.

Hemp, I think.

Rope.

Also some fragments of paint in it.

Thank you, Miss Lydgate.

Uh, wait for a moment.

I like him, your inspector.

He's not my inspector.

Well, you're always in each other's company.

I wanted to ask you something.

You're not going to try and kiss me again?

What is it about this laboratory?

I wanted to invite you out for the evening.

Max, we've been through this before.

It's a party.

Everyone likes parties.

I wasn't playing games with you when I told you no before.

I like you, Max.

You know I like you.

But the last thing that either of us needs right now is for our lives to become complicated.

Clara's engaged again.

She's going to be married.

There's nothing complicated.

I want to be with you, and I... and I think you want to be with me.

♪ Simple chemical equation.

[Door opens, closes] Max, there's been an incident.

[Indistinct] ♪ ♪ Dear Christ.

It's addressed to you, Inspector.

We've been trying to contact you.

Max: It's the same.

Oskar: Yes.

Exact same hand as the anonymous letter.

What happened?

I discovered it late last night right before dawn right here.

Resch.

It's the same wound pattern.

Question is, why would someone leave it here for me?

Authenticity.

Whoever this person is, they want you to believe them.

They want to prove they were present at the death of the victim.

Still, why go to all the trouble of hopping a fence to deliver it?

Oh.

Apparently he wants to meet face to face.

Severed hand?

It must be a symbol of some kind.

It must have some significance.

The hand was painted with tar, blackened.

The Black Hand.

Here.

♪ Black Hand is a political movement.

Their aim is to unite all the Balkan nations under the Slovenian flag.

Unification or death.

A bunch of extremists.

You think Lazar Kiss is connected to them somehow?

Strasser told me he was a gun for hire.

♪ I've got some clean clothes for you.

You're the same size as our neighbor's girl, just about.

Anna will help you.

We'll see about getting your other things donned.

Yes?

♪ ♪ Would you like to try it?

My name's Leah.

I'm Max's sister.

Here.

It's all right.

You don't need to be nervous.

♪ ♪ There.

Beautiful.

Just like you.

♪ What's your name?

♪ Lily.

Hello, Lily.

♪ [Indistinct chatter] They come here seeking a new life.

Vienna is the end of the rainbow.

[Metal clinking] [Dog barking] Girl: Come on!

[Indistinct chatter] Should be around here somewhere.

♪ Hemp, rope, and paint.

Amelia was right.

♪ It might be dangerous.

You first.

♪ ♪ Ha ha ha!

[Cheers and applause] [Speaking foreign language] I'll have a look around.

Wait here.

[Speaking foreign language] Try not to get stabbed.

That's good advice.

Thank you.

♪ [Speaking foreign language] [Rhythmic clapping] [Speaks foreign language] [Laughter] ♪ ♪ [Applause] ♪ ♪ [Speaking foreign language] [Laughter] ♪ Yah!

[Shouts in foreign language] ♪ ♪ Black Hand?

Yes, of course I know them.

They make a lot of progress in our country.

Apparently they've crossed the border into Austria.

Do you know who might be responsible?

Oh, no, no.

I don't want to get involved.

These kind of people, they're fanatics, crazy man.

Like Dr. Zivko.

Zivko?

The actor.

He knows everyone.

Oskar: Black Hand.

You know them?

Young student, scrawny chap.

Saw him in here last night.

The student?

Heard him spouting forth about Serbian unification.

He definitely said that name, Black Hand.

Have you got an address for this student fellow?

Sure.

And I took his fingerprints.

[Laughter] ♪ A lot of the students live in the same street.

Hollandstrasser.

There's an old man there, takes them all in.

Sperry Don.

What about the student?

What's his name?

Vrana.

Thank you.

Vrana means crow.

We found him, Max.

We found Lazar Kiss.

♪ ♪ You're sure he's not here?

Never ever see him.

Slips the money under my door.

Minds his own business.

We all do around here.

♪ Thank you.

♪ ♪ ♪ [Thud] What is it?

What's wrong?

♪ What have you found?

♪ This messenger of death, who has he come here to kill?

♪ ♪ Oskar: Apparently, you've been busy.

Max: I assume it's a case.

Yes, it's a case.

Are you going to tell me?

To order Vienna Blood on DVD Visit SHOP.PBS.ORG Or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS This program is also available on Amazon Prime Video Max: How can I help you?

Oskar: Hypothesis.

Amelia: Hopefully, we can extrapolate some information.

Oskar: She's dead Max Max: May I visit the scene?

Oskar: What exactly do you mean?