DAY 84
Hello.
Did you know that Germany suffers over 400 deaths from house fires every year?
Don't worry, we're not trying to sell you anything.
We're just here to check your smoke detectors, free of charge.
Don't let a dead battery become a dead you.
Wait, I know you.
Oh, my God.
You're the couple who...
Sorry.
Come in, please.
KLATT & SON ELECTRICS.
Do you live here with your husband?
With my boyfriend.
If you can call him that.
One minute we're on, the next we're off.
Thank you for the tea.
You're welcome.
When's the big day?
It's supposed to be another couple of weeks,
but she feels like she's ready to come out any minute.
- Puppy? - Wanda was like that.
My daughter. The one who disappeared.
She could never keep still, not even in the womb.
- Go away. - Is everything okay?
Give me that, you little...
Hello, baby.
Come here!
You must be excited.
Honestly? I'm scared to death.
Yes, well that never goes away. From the moment they're born,
you spend every waking moment terrified
something awful is going to happen to them.
And then...
when...
when it does...
I'm so sorry for what you're going through.
Seriously, how are you doing?
Fine. I'm fine.
I hate it when they recognize us.
That little rat took a chunk out of my ankle,
I think I might need a tetanus shot.
These are the Klatts.
They used to be normal. Whatever that means.
They were just like you, they paid their taxes,
drove a modestly priced people carrier and liked coffee and cake on a Sunday.
Then things got...
DAD HOUSE 22 CONNECTED
...complicated.
Really complicated.
One day she's there, then the next, gone.
But ask yourself, how far would you go if you lost someone you loved?
This is Sundersheim,
the "normal" town where the "normal" Klatts live.
I guarantee you know a place like this.
It's the kind of town
where you support the local team
you drink ale at the local pub,
and if you grow a pumpkin big enough,
you'll probably get your picture in the local paper.
Sundersheim even has its own local legend.
This guy, The Nuppelwocken.
A horny beast who lives in the woods
and once a year, on Nuppelwocken Night, creeps into town
and steals away the fairest maiden to eat.
Or is it marry? I can never remember.
Anyway, Nuppelwocken Night is a big deal in Sundersheim.
Everyone gets dressed up, drinks schnapps and there's this big parade
where a man in an unnecessarily tight costume
pretends to abduct a child.
Which, when you say it like that, I guess sounds pretty creepy.
But then, all the best stories all start with a monster, right?
Only in the stories, it's usually the monsters
who meet a grisly fate, not the fair maidens.
DAY 0
Wanda?
- Does breakfast have to be so loud? - Hey!
Can't we have pancakes? Pancakes are nice and quiet.
Good morning from me as well! It's no use trying to hide at home...
Where's your shirt?
Did they not have one in your size?
You're not wearing your costume?
I'll put the rest on after the game.
The parent's picnic starts at noon, Dedo.
- I thought it was 2? - No.
It's fine, look,
kick-off's at 10:30, plus half time... I'll be at the school by 12:35.
Or I could
just leave the game early? You know what? That's a better idea.
If I can make a barrel full of potato salad,
the least that you can do is to show up on time, okay?
Katarina Vinson put you on Potato Salad duty again?
Wanda!
If you don't get your ass down here in five seconds...
You'll what?
So that's me.
Okay, could we just... More, little more, keep it coming.
Okay, stop! Back one.
Perfect. Yeah, so that's me.
You've already met Carlotta and Dedo,
or Mom and Dad, as I like to call them.
They look almost happy here, sadly they have no idea
of the shit-storm that's about to hit them.
The nerd over there is my little brother Ole.
He's deaf but he has hearing aids, although he often turns them off.
I guess he prefers the quiet. I can't blame him.
What do you think of my costume?
I'm the fairest maiden.
It's pretty...
Why do teenage girls always have to make their fancy dress costumes so sexual?
Don't be a slut-shamer, Mom. Not a good look.
Morning, peahead.
What's your problem?
Love your costume. Don't tell me. Virgin?
Wanda!
- Will you be at the picnic later? - I don't know yet.
- Okay, well, where are you going now? - I'm meeting some friends.
- All right, what friends? - None of your business.
Wanda, I know you may think you're a grown-up--
- Yes, I am a grown-up. - You're 17.
Well, I'm old enough to vote, old enough to drink, to drive.
- Old enough to have sex. - Wanda. Do not--
What? Why can't you just treat me like an equal?
- Because you're not an equal! - Okay, let's pump the brakes.
- No, this is important! - This woman...
It's the same shit, every day! I'm so sick of it!
"This woman" is your mother!
- It's not about equality. - Stop. Wanda, don't...
Okay, you get the idea.
My little town, where everybody knows everybody.
At least that's what I thought.
But how well do you ever really know your neighbors?
All those people, living so close by...
In such a small place.
Don't you sometimes wonder what they get up to, behind closed doors?
Which brings us back to our story.
And as you could probably guess from how care-free I look,
some bad shit's about to go down.
53 MINUTES LATER
DAY 0
DAY 5
MISSING - WANDA KLATT
- A question for Mrs. Klatt. - Yes, please.
Mrs. Klatt, how does it feel to maybe never see your only daughter ever again?
That's... unimaginable.
Right now we're...
just focused on getting Wanda back again.
Mr. Klatt, do you feel the same or are you more realistic?
You can't even begin to imagine...
Now we could start the story here.
But to be honest, it's kind of depressing.
So I'm just gonna skip forward a bit.
DAY 30
Yeah, yeah, we got it. Missing girl, posters everywhere...
I hate that photo.
Candles, concerned neighbors...
DAY 50
It's weird how many people express sympathy through lasagna.
That's what I asked you. And the...
Emotional shouting!
DAY 68
No, thank you. Let's just skip to the bit where it got really weird.
They were the perfect family. Until one fateful autumn morning,
Wanda Klatt disappeared.
I mean, we certainly weren't perfect.
...any clues that might lead to the whereabouts of their daughter.
Wanda disappeared from the idyllic Sundersheim.
Did they put too much makeup on me? I feel like Donald Trump.
No, you just look like you've been in the sun.
For a long time.
But this picture postcard town has been rocked by recent events.
I thought you quit those?
I used the gum to quit the cigarettes, but now I'm addicted to the gum.
The Klatt family are desperate.
Hey, come on. This is a good thing.
Something will come of this. I can feel it.
Let's just remind ourselves of exactly what happened.
It was just a regular morning in the Klatt household.
It was Nuppelwocken Night...
- She looks nothing like me. - ...a day celebrating
Sundersheim's local traditions, and father Dedo Klatt was in high spirits.
Olé. Olé. Olé. Olé.
I'm off down the pub.
Dedo was heading to local Pub, The Kapitan,
to watch the local soccer match.
Hey, Mom.
- I'm heading out. Don't wait up. - Where are you going?
Mr. and Mrs. Klatt, welcome. If you'd like to follow me,
we'll get you all set up.
- I'll show you. - Come back here this minute, young lady.
I hate you!
Carlotta. Carlotta.
Yes.
After the clash with her mother, Wanda leaves the house and
- drives away on her red Vespa scooter. - Yes. To the front.
Okay, here we are. Is the height okay for you?
- But it's somehow... - Yannick, could you please? Quick.
That's not...
- Thank you. - There.
- Great. Thank you. Yes. - That okay, yeah?
Okay, just be yourself.
Be natural, it's just television. We're all here to support you.
And Mrs. Klatt, just don't be afraid to, you know, let the emotions flow. Okay?
Okay, and we're live in five, four...
I...
A tragic puzzle, if ever there was one.
And Wanda's parents are here in the studio with us now.
Mr. and Mrs. Klatt. Thank you for joining us.
Carlotta, why don't you talk us through that morning?
CARLOTTA AND DEDO KLATT PARENTS OF MISSING WANDA
Okay. Well, I woke up, as normal. I made breakfast for Wanda and--
And is it true that you and Wanda had a fight that morning?
I mean, she's a teenage girl. We have a fight every morning.
Right.
Also in the studio with us today is Chief Inspector Michelle Rauch.
Welcome.
MICHELLE RAUCH TASK FORCE WANDA KLATT
So Detective Rauch, this case is a real mystery? What do we know?
We know that Wanda left the house on her red Vespa around 9:45 a.m.
She was then spotted at a coffee shop
on the High Street around 10:20 a.m....
- Yes. - ...where her cell phone was found.
She left there, driving south.
- All right. - That's the last confirmed sighting.
And we're presuming that Wanda was taken against her will?
Well, that's definitely one scenario.
But for a girl of that age, we can't rule out the possibility
that she might have left on her own free will.
Wanda wouldn't just disappear without telling us.
- But until we have definitive evidence-- - She was taken.
- We can't rule out the fact that... - She was taken!
- ...she could have left on her own accord. - Taken! Taken!
Dedo, statistically, we know that the chances of finding
a missing person alive after the first 100 days
drop to below 10%.
How does that feel?
- Well-- - How do you think it feels?
It feels like shit.
Carlotta, if Wanda is watching this right now,
what is it you would you like to say to her?
Just... Into the camera.
Slowly zoom on the mother.
Well, Wanda,
if you can hear me, we just... We want you to know that we love you...
so much, and we...
are doing everything we can to find you and bring you home.
And if there is anyone out there
who knows something, anything,
even if you don't think it's important,
please, just get in touch.
You can't understand what it is like to lose your child.
The crushing realization of knowing
that the one person in the world you were supposed to protect is gone
because you didn't keep them safe.
Sorry, I...
I don't... What else is there to...
What does that mean?
More.
More?
What more do you want me to do?
Do you want me to start screaming and freaking out?
Good. We should continue now with a--
You want to know how it feels Peter Genswein? Really?
Everyone just gawping at us, whispering about us behind our backs,
pointing like we're some kind of circus freaks.
Is that enough emotion for you?
Is it flowing enough?
Hey! I'm talking to you.
Yes, you! The one waving your arms around like you're directing traffic.
Or would you like some more tears?
More snot?
Why don't you zoom in on the bags under my eyes?
Get a good shot of my despair.
Come on, get right in there.
Behold,
the poor, washed out mother of the lost girl.
Doesn't she look awful?
Screw this, I'm done.
I am done!
- Mrs. Klatt, calm down. - I'm not a--
- We still have-- - Stop it!
Stop filming me!
Just piss off, all of you!
Stop it!
Stop filming me!
Don't say anything.
I didn't say anything!
I knew it was a bad idea.
I looked like a psycho!
- No. - On live television.
Look, it's okay to get upset.
It just shows you're hurting.
We want the public's sympathy.
I don't want any more sympathy, Dedo. I want results.
I know.
So why aren't we doing anything?
We are doing something!
What? Putting up flyers? Lighting candles?
Getting grilled by that smug little gnome, Peter Genswein?
Hey, leave Peter Genswein out of this!
That man is a tireless public servant.
She's still alive, right?
Yes.
Yes, she's still alive.
I can't sleep. My head's all over the place.
ME AND GRANDDAD
I miss you, my little girl.
Keep an eye on her for me, Dad,
because I can't lose her.
Dedo!
What is it?
They found something.
Your performance last night certainly seems to have got people talking.
Now we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves.
These televised appeals do tend to shake the crazy tree.
Yeah, I'm sure.
We've already had one man claim Wanda's disappearance is linked
to a global conspiracy involving a cult of satanic pedophiles.
He called our reception a "puppet of the deep state".
There is, however, one lead that looks promising.
Schellenberg.
Now, obviously, we can't yet be 100% sure that it's Wanda's T-shirt...
There!
It's hers.
Those marks, the red. It's pomegranate juice.
I tried to make Dedo drink it for his blood pressure.
It's very tart.
A glass got spilled and there was this huge drama
because a few tiny drops got on Wanda's shirt.
I would recognize these marks in my sleep.
I must have scrubbed at them for an hour straight.
Where did you find it?
A secondhand store called Second Chance.
The owner thinks it would have been thrown into this clothes recycling bin
- at some point in the last 30 days. - Wait,
you're saying Wanda's T-shirt was put into a secondhand clothes bin,
right here in Sundersheim, in the last 30 days?
Dedo, she is still here.
It's important we don't jump to conclusions.
We have to search all the houses in the area.
We're checking CCTV in the area.
We have officers going door to door, asking residents--
Door to door? What good's that gonna do?
"Excuse me, sir, did you kidnap this teenage girl?"
"Oh, yes, officer. She's right here in my basement. Would you like her back?"
She has a point. Surely we need to go inside
and search the houses?
You can't just search people's houses without probable cause.
This is probable cause!
Mrs. Klatt, when you are looking for a needle in a haystack,
you don't use a leaf blower, you use a pair of tweezers.
What the hell are you talking about?
Mrs. Klatt...
ROLE: PERPETRATOR OFFENSE: THEFT
...I can assure you that we are doing everything within our power
to find Wanda.
We have several persons of interest that we are looking at closely.
And what are we supposed to do?
Mrs. Klatt, this is good news.
BARTELS - DOMINIK 37 CLAUDIUS STREET
It's the first proper lead we have.
So yes, right now, what I need from you
is to sit tight and let us do our job.
If that woman thinks I'm going to just sit tight, she has another thing coming.
I'm done sitting tight.
Dominik Bartels. 37 Claudius Street.
What?
Pen. I need a pen.
- Dominik Bartels, 37 Claudius Street. - What are you talking about?
Dominik Bartels, 37 Claudius Street.
I just saw the file.
He is one of the people of interest.
A suspect.
I see.
Okay.
So what do we do?
I don't know.
Should we go there?
What would we do when we get there?
I don't know.
It's near that shop where you bought the candle
that smelled like my Auntie Margaret.
Claudius Street.
You think we should take a look?
No, no, no, no.
Do you think we should take a look?
Well, I mean,
we could maybe just--
- Just drive by or something? - Right.
I mean, we don't want to do anything that could compromise the investigation.
- No, of course not. - Right.
But just driving by can't hurt.
- I think that's fine. - It might even be better.
- Because... - Because...
we can check on him before the police do.
Because if he does have Wanda, the cops showing up will just spook him.
That's a very good point.
And then God knows what he'll do.
Right. We don't want him to panic.
That would be bad.
I mean, it's just a quick look.
Exactly. In, out.
What harm can it do?
- No harm in looking. - Right.
Dedo.
She's still here.
She's been here this whole time.
Right under our noses.
She could be anywhere, Dedo.
It could be anyone.
- It's over there, right? - Here.
Wow, that looks pretty run down.
Hey, what are you doing?
I'm just looking.
You can't just... Have you never watched a cop show before?
You don't just walk up and ring the doorbell.
You said it yourself. If he has Wanda, we don't want to spook him.
- Right. - We have to case the joint, stake it out.
Maybe we should get some donuts?
What's that?
I found it in Wanda's room.
She must have taken it from one of the old family albums.
Can I see?
My God.
That feels like forever ago.
And yesterday.
Look at that cheeky smile.
Oh, man. Where did that time go?
Dedo.
Duck.
Lower. I have to get lower.
That's him.
He does look like the sort of dude who'd keep a teenage girl in his basement.
Yes.
Screw this, I'm taking a look.
What about the stakeout?
You can still stake it out. And then, if he comes back, just honk twice.
We're a team, right? Like Turner and Hooch.
Wait, isn't one of them a dog?
Oh, God.
No.
I'll check the back.
No. Come back. Come back.
God.
Oh, God.
Wanda!
Wanda, are you there?
What are you hiding down there, you bastard?
Wanda?
Are you in here?
Oh, shit. Oh, no!
No, no, no, no.
Oh, no. Oh, shit. Shit.
Carlotta?
Dedo!
Carlotta, what the hell are you doing?
- How did you know I was down here? - I heard you screaming.
The whole town probably knows you're down there.
- I did something bad. - Give me your hand.
Pull me up.
- Pull! Pull! Pull! - I'm pulling!
What did you... What was that?
Something bit me.
What do you mean, bit you?
Why are you screaming?
Get it off me!
- How? - Grab it!
I'm not grabbing a snake!
Grab the bloody snake!
Oh, God!
Hold still!
What now?
- What now? - Get rid of it!
- Where to? - Just away! Wait! No, no, no!
We have to take it with us. If it's poisonous
they'll need to know which snake bit me, for the anti-venom and that.
I am not holding a poisonous snake all the way to the hospital.
There is absolutely no way!
I--
We wanted--
Conservative estimates put the damages to Mr. Bartels's basement
between 15 and 20 thousand euros.
Not to mention the emotional trauma caused to the snakes.
And the neighbor who found a spitting cobra in his toilet.
Ms. Rauch, I--
Fortunately for whoever broke in,
over half of the snakes seized were illegal,
and as such Mr. Bartels will not be in a position to press charges.
I appreciate that you have both been under enormous stress these last few months.
And for that reason alone, I shall put this down
to a temporary moment of madness.
- Thank you so much for-- - But if I find you
all up in my investigation again...
I'll kick your ass so hard, my shoe will get stuck in your throat.
Are we clear?
Good. And now I suggest maybe you go home and check in on your other child.
Hi.
Your mother was bitten by a snake, but she's okay.
Cool.
- Can we talk? - Not now, I...
I can't. I can't hear...
"I told you so",
or "You're crazy",
or "I should get grip", because I know Dedo. I know.
I need to show you something.
DONATION BIN
What is this?
It's a plan.
Dad always said the key to being a good bird watcher was patience
and persistence.
Learning about a bird's environment and their habits. Right?
- Okay... - Right.
So tomorrow is day 70.
Peter Genswein said the odds of finding Wanda drop
after the first 100 days, right?
Which gives us four weeks left.
This is the clothes bin.
Can you hold this, please?
Here. Here. Right.
Okay. There are 62 single-family homes in this area.
42 apartment buildings and 12 complexes.
Can you finish the circle?
So I figure if you're gonna kidnap someone as loud as our daughter,
you're not gonna take her there, because the walls are like cardboard.
Plus, you have security cameras, neighbors, concierge.
So, I suggest we focus on the single-family homes.
I thought you thought I was crazy.
I do, but I also know how stubborn you are.
And I also know you wouldn't be able to live with yourself
if we didn't do everything in our power to find her.
But, I'm doing the next one,
because you really suck at breaking into people's houses.
30 days.
We search every house in the area until we find her.
Whatever it takes.
But exactly what it will take, would change the Klatts' lives forever.
Because not everyone gets out alive.