Gereon is reunited with Helga, but his joy is short lived. With her mother dead, Charotte's situation at home worsens. Jaenicke spots a match that leads to two suspects in the Red Fortress massacre. Blackmail and bribes fuel a Soviet-German tug-of-war over the train.
Tropes:
- Beautiful Dreamer: Jaenicke watches Charlotte sleeping in his bed.
- Blackmail: Colonel Wendt makes a thinly-veiled threat to destroy Police Chief Zoergiebel's career over the May Day scandal if he does not comply and release the train.
- Deal with the Devil: At the Soviet embassy, the ambassador is confronted by Gereon and Benda regarding the Rote Festung murders, and the involvement of his embassy personnel. They propose a deal – secretly exchanging the hitmen for comprehensive information on the leaders of the Black Reichswehr.
- Easily-Overheard Conversation: Charlotte has no problem following the conversation between the Soviet ambassador, Colonel Wendt and Herr Zoergiebel from the next table at the crowded Moka Efti.
- Empathic Environment: It's raining when the undertakers carry the coffin of Charlotte's mother off.
- Imagine Spot: Helga has a flight of fancy in which she awakens in the morning and does a dance routine with Gereon.
- Kid Has a Point: Over breakfast, Moritz furiously rants about how he has always known about the secret relationship between his mother and his uncle.
- Must Have Caffeine: After spending the night at the office Charlotte guzzles down a coffee over brunch to Gereon's bewilderment.
- Pretty Little Headshots: The entrance wound on Jaenicke's forehead is tiny.
