Helga's Justice: Detective Willie Goetzman's Tale

The phone rang, and the woman answered in a heavy German accent. "Berger here."

"Uh, hello?" I said. "This is Detective Goetzman, from the police department in Frankfurt."

"Yes!" She replied. "I've been expecting your call! This is about my case, yes? The one I told you about? The one that needs to be solved?"

She was very direct. Her words were fast and precise. They revealed a sense of purpose that I didn't have at the moment, but desperately wanted to develop. I had an internal battle with myself back then. My body wanted to drink and forget the rest of the world, but my mind wanted to solve this case, and get my life together.

"Well...yes, actually." I said. "I'm just a little surprised you're so...eager?"

"Of course I'm eager! You're taking time out of your day to solve my case! It's only right that I should show some interest!" Her voice was clear and concise, but her words were like a knife through my brain.

"Well...y-yeah...but it's not like that." I said. "I mean, it's part of my job to solve cases..."

"But you don't want to solve mine?" She asked in a stern tone. "Is that why you haven't called me? Because you don't want this case solved?"

"No, no, no! That's not what I meant at all."

"Then what did you mean? What did you mean when you said you'd call me?" Her voice was slowly rising to match her anger.