And when you smile
The world is brighter
You touch my hand, and I'm a king
Your kiss to me is worth a fortune
Your love for me is everything
Hello, sleepyhead. Hungry?
And that's the wonder
The wonder of you
You don't like Daddy's singing?
Did you know that Elvis had a pet chimpanzee?
I'm serious.
He was called Scatter
and he used to dress in Hawaiian shirts and drink whiskey.
You wait in the cab, all right? Daddy will be right back.
Is Anastasia going away now?
Yes, Kitty.
Anastasia's going to her new home.
Will she be okay?
Of course.
She'll be grand.
You must be "the King."
Well, let's get to it.
I wouldn't get too close.
Wow! She's a feisty one.
I like it.
You're a feisty one.
Aren't you, my cutie?
This isn't enough.
- That's ten. - We said 15.
No. You said 15.
I said ten.
What are you doing?
The price is 15.
Do you know who I am, Mr. King?
You should take the ten.
Well hello there, little lady.
That your daughter?
Kitty. I thought I told you to wait in the cab.
Sorry, Daddy.
Take the ten.
Kitty.
Anastasia will be staying with us a bit longer.
Every criminal case is like its own book
with its own characters and its own main and subplots.
Investigating is like collecting pages from a book.
Here a clue, there a lead, which in the end have to be put
into an order that somehow makes sense.
You just never really know if you really found all the pages.
Or if there might even be pages
from a completely different book mixed up in them.
Yes, you might not even know whether the book is about
a missing princess
or about a monster in the forest.
Or maybe both?
But still, you have to create a credible story from what you have
in which all the plot elements and characters are neatly connected.
A good story.
And that's easier said than done.
DAY 98
All right. Where were we?
Did he see you?
I don't know!
- Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. - Stop saying shit!
He's in the basement, Wanda! He's gonna see all your girl stuff!
Girl stuff?
- What was he even doing there? - Grandma called him.
Something about the power going out?
That was you?
Hey, if I don't dry my hair properly, it gets kinky.
Oh, my God. Wanda!
It's not my job
not to draw attention to the fact that I'm locked up in your basement.
Okay. O-Okay.
Okay, let's just chill. Okay?
Let's not panic. Just...
No.
You have to answer it.
- I'm not answering it. - Yes.
You have to speak to him.
No. Why are we whispering?
No.
Chris?
Hey, cuz!
How's it hanging, bruh?
Hey.
I'm in Grandma's basement.
Been doing some decorating, huh?
Yeah, a little. I guess...
You know, just to make it a bit more cozy.
Cozy?
Is there something you're not telling me?
- What do you mean? - Don't lie to me...
Cuz...
...do you have a girlfriend?
Yes! Yes. That's it.
You got me. Guilty as charged!
You sly old dog!
- Okay, who is she? - Oh, you know...
Just some little snack I've been hitting.
You know? Nothing heavy.
More like a "situation-ship" kind of 'ting.
You feel me?
Well, Jesus, cousin.
Awesome. This calls for a celebration.
I thought you were gonna be a virgin forever.
Yes.
Yes, very funny. Jokes.
So when do I get to meet this mystery lady?
Soon.
Definitely soon, for sure.
She hot?
Yep.
Yeah? Well just don't be a sissy and get "friend-zoned."
You know what you're like.
I'll call you tomorrow.
Ouch!
Hey, this is The Morning News on Sundersheim-FM
- and we have some spooky info for you. - Yes.
Last night a PE teacher from the local high school
was apparently attacked by some kind of wild beast in the woods!
Apparently he's okay,
but suffered a few broken bones. Ouch.
Serious! A wild beast in Sundersheim woods?
Right? I mean, you don't think it could be...
- ...the Nuppelwocken! - The Nuppelwocken!
Well I shall not be going down to the woods today.
Okay, now let's go with number three in today's charts.
Hey there, big man.
Sleep well?
Fancy some pancakes?
You're making pancakes?
Sure, I'm making pancakes.
Can't a man make pancakes for his family from time to time?
So how was your computer game party?
Yeah.
Mom says you stayed over at the Vinsons'?
Yeah.
We should probably remove their bugs. I didn't realize you knew them so well.
You bugged their house?
When?
Like a week ago, I think.
Good morning.
Wow, you're making breakfast!
Hey, Champ.
How was Games World?
Fine.
Great.
And how is Alex?
You know, you should invite him over sometime. We'd love to meet him.
Sure. He's welcome anytime.
Dad says you put cameras in their house?
- Here, you are, mon chéri. - Thank you.
Okay. What's going on?
Why is everyone being so weird?
Did something happen?
Is one of you dying?
No. No, no, no. No one is dying.
No. So...
We appreciate that recently we have allowed things
to become a little...
A little off, maybe.
Yes. A little off.
- It's okay. - No, it's not okay.
We all miss Wanda, so much, but...
But you're still here, and we are still your parents.
So we promise we're going to try and be better.
For you, and for each other.
We just want you to know
that we love you very much and that we're always here for you.
You can rely on us, okay?
So, are we giving up?
No. No. No, no, no.
We will never give up.
We're just going to try a bit harder
not to get arrested, killed, or attacked by wild animals.
We need to protect this family.
Because Wanda will kick our asses if we don't.
Yes.
You want a group hug, don't you?
- Yeah! - Yeah!
Chris?
You're awake. I thought you were going to sleep forever.
What's up?
Nothing. I just didn't know where you were.
Were you just trying to...?
No.
- Seriously? - What? I wasn't!
Come on, dude.
You think after everything, I'm just going to cut bait and run?
I hope not.
Because, you do realize,
if you run, I'm the last person you need to be worried about.
You know that, right?
The second King realizes you're alive,
it puts a target on both our backs.
And where do you think is the first place they'll go looking for you?
You really want people like Lukas turning up on your parents' doorstep?
You get any sleep?
No.
You?
I'm like a sloth. I can sleep anywhere.
Have you been sleeping in here this whole time?
It's not so bad. You get used to it.
Man, I forgot how big outside is.
It's crazy how quickly humans get used to things,
like how a goldfish only grows as big as its bowl.
Is this clean?
...ish.
I need to brush my teeth and my hair.
I feel like I'm at a music festival.
Only without the music.
And...
without the festival.
So I remembered this old house.
Me and my buddies used to go there as teenagers
when we needed to get away.
It's this abandoned house, out in the middle of nowhere.
We should be able to hide out there while we make a plan.
DAY 34 - WHO IS THE KING? WHY MURDER?
WHAT DID THE JOURNALIST RESEARCH?
DAY 42 JOURNALIST = LENKA NĚMCOVÁ
OUR BIRD BOOK WANDA - GRANDPA
Someone stole it.
But you didn't report it.
- No. - Any idea who might have stolen it?
Didn't get a good look.
A short round one and a tall skinny one.
What's the cage for?
Is that illegal?
What were you doing yesterday behind Mrs. Wagner's rhododendron bush?
- I thought that was pretty obvious. - I mean, why were you there, Mr. Bartels?
Harald Hessel. Do you know him?
No.
He lives a few houses down from the Wagners'.
He seems to think somebody has been spying on him.
Never heard of him.
What about her?
Lenka Němcová. She died in a car accident in the Czech Republic--
30 minutes across the border.
But 24 hours before that, she was at the Kapitän.
As were you.
The same day Wanda Klatt disappeared.
The thing is, Dominik,
you are already on probation for the possession
of a very large number of illegal snakes.
Which means if I were to charge you for another crime--
like say, public defecation, then you would be in some serious shit.
Pun intended.
- What happened on Nuppelwocken night? - I don't know.
Where is Wanda Klatt?
I don't know. I swear.
Did you kill Lenka Němcová?
No, I've never killed anybody!
I drive for King, that's it. That's all I do.
- "King"? - Yes.
Sorry, boss.
I got that list you asked for.
These are all the retailers in the area
that stock cameras and surveillance equipment.
Sorry.
I'm not saying another word without a lawyer.
So if you're not charging me, I'd like to leave now.
Last night, a Sundersheim PE teacher
was seriously injured while jogging,
after being attacked by what he described as some kind of "giant beast".
I am here now with Hester Horn,
- local historian... - Hello.
...and organizer of the Nuppelwocken walking tour.
Ms. Horn, so what exactly is a Nuppelwocken?
Well the first sighting of the Nuppelwocken actually dates
as far back as 717 when Pepin the Short
supposedly encountered the Beast whilst on a ride in the forest.
The monster grabbed Pepin, threw him into the bushes
and mauled his horse to the bone.
You can actually see the bones of the horse in my museum.
Children pay half price.
A fascinating story. And I'm sure there is more to it.
Well yes, since then, the Nuppelwocken has...
Excuse me. Can I help you?
Chief Inspector Rauch.
Do you sell surveillance equipment?
You mean like bugs?
That's so strange,
you're the second person to ask me about bugs this month.
Must be something in the water.
Who else was asking about it?
Oh, this weird family. They had a badger eating their birds
and the husband wanted to make a podcast about it.
He actually came back the other day with his son.
They bought one of those.
That's an impressive piece of kit.
Oh, that... It's Ole's.
You know, boys and their gadgets.
So did you ever figure out what was going on with old man Hessel?
Well, we've found no evidence of any surveillance technology...
...yet.
But if someone is planting bugs around town, we'll find them.
We have equipment these days that can sweep a room in seconds
and pick up any devices.
Really?
That's fascinating.
Though, why would anybody risk something like that?
I mean, it's highly illegal.
Yeah...
Okay then, I'll see you soon.
Yep.
- Goodbye. - Yes.
Bye.
She knows.
If they start scanning for bugs...
Don't panic.
She doesn't have any proof,
if she had proof, we'd be at the station by now.
We just need to get the bugs out before they can find them.
Get them out?
How? It was hard enough getting them in.
What are we gonna say? "Hi... us again.
We just wondered if the batteries in your TV remote needed doing?"
What if we could find a way
to just get everyone out of their houses for a few hours?
Then we could grab them all in one go.
How are we supposed to do that, Dedo?
I have an idea.
Wanda Fest. Everyone will be there.
All the houses will be empty. We could get in and get the bugs.
Stand up straight, face up, hands down. Cue music.
Two, three...
And out.
And down and to the left.
The other left, Nataly!
And next position.
Chassé.
Selma, darling, light on your feet,
you sound like an elephant!
And pirouette.
And final position.
Carlotta. Dedo.
Hello.
We weren't expecting you today.
Yeah, we just wanted to pop by...
...and see how it was all going.
Well, there's still a lot to do, but we'll get there.
I didn't realize it was going to be so... big.
You mustn't underestimate how much Wanda's disappearance has affected Sundersheim.
So, we were just wondering about timings.
Do you know how long things might go on for?
Well, if Jonas had his way, it would go on all day.
I've already told him he needs to cut Sparkles from five numbers to three.
Actually we were talking
and we really want to make sure it doesn't feel rushed.
Right, from our side,
- the longer the better. - Yes, exactly.
Okay then. Well, Jonas will be pleased.
I made him cut his Kate Bush solo and he was very disappointed.
I bet.
What are you doing?
It's Beyoncé next. Those are the wrong costumes!
- Jesus Christ. - Yes.
You okay?
Yes.
I had no idea so many people would be involved.
Pretty crazy, right?
Wanda would hate it.
She would absolutely kill us for letting this happen.
"Balloons? Seriously, guys?"
"Those buffet utensils better not be single-use plastic."
"I'm actually feeling very triggered by Jonas Vinson."
Well, at least we know everyone will be seriously distracted.
Yes.
You know that one of us has to be here, right?
After everything these people are doing for us.
And if Ole is on the monitors
and you're getting the bugs, then--
then I'll have to manage this whole thing on my own.
We won't let that happen.
Where are we going?
We're going to get reinforcements.
KLATT & SON ELECTRICS
You think this place is haunted?
Maybe.
What are you doing?
There always used to be a window left open up here.
Okay.
Man, this was easier when I was 14.
Shit.
Careful.
Yes.
I'm okay.
Okay.
Welcome to my crib.
This is insane.
Oh, my God.
You think it still works?
Let's find out.
I wonder if these were the people who lived here.
Wanna dance?
- Can't take my eyes off you - Off you
- Hi. - A-Alex.
Are you going to invite me in or?
Right. Yes. Sure.
- Can I take your jacket? - Thanks.
So, would you like something to drink?
Or something to eat?
We have lasagna.
- I'm good. - Okay.
Are you going to be at this thing for your sister?
- You mean Wanda Fest? - Yes.
Yeah. Sorry, my family can be a bit "extra" when it comes to stuff like that.
So, about last night...
Right, don't worry.
I won't say anything.
I get it.
We were drunk. It was a mistake.
You think it was a mistake?
I...
I mean, all the alcohol
and
the throwing up on that nice girl's shoes.
I guess that wasn't ideal.
And the other stuff?
What?
You mean, like, the kissing stuff?
I mean, that--
that-- well, it's not something I regret.
Wow.
Ole, you really need to be more confident.
I mean, it's kind of cute, but it's also really infuriating.
I didn't know you were-- I thought you were--
I'm not anything. I'm young.
We don't need to put a label on it.
I like you, you like me.
It's not that complicated.
Tell me,
why the hell have we not been staying here the last three months?
I had no idea this place even had electricity.
- I assumed it would have been cut off. - Someone must still be paying the bill.
Voilà.
Okay.
- Cheers. - Cheers.
- What? - I can't find my phone.
Relax, it'll be here somewhere.
Did you leave it in the van?
Did you find it?
CALL LIST LUKAS (19)
Okay, don't panic.
You lying little shit.
When I find you, I'll cut your ears off.
You're as good as dead, you hear me?
You'll wish you never set eyes on Wanda Klatt--
Okay, now you can panic.
Rüdiger, we wanted to meet you because--
Well, first of all, I want to apologize again for my behavior.
You do?
I shouldn't have said what I said to the police,
and we want you to know that you are an important part of this family
and that we trust you and we love you.
Yes.
I love you too.
And I'm sorry for making fun of your ponytail
and your clothes and for driving to your house and beating you up.
- That was-- - Well, I wouldn't say you "beat me up."
- Well, it was pretty-- - I got a few good hits in.
Right, but on balance I would definitely say--
- Yeah, I'd say we call it a draw. - A draw?
- I landed quite a few punches, so-- - Okay!
Look, there has been enough lying, from all of us.
Yes.
So I think we should all just get everything out in the open.
Yes? This is a circle of trust.
- Okay? - Circle of trust.
- Okay, I'll start. - Yes.
So, I lost my job, I didn't tell Carlotta,
then I borrowed money from you, and I put you both in an awful position.
So for that, I would like to apologize to both of you.
Me next? Okay, well,
I bought a tiger on the dark web.
A tigress, should I say, named Claw-dia.
But she never arrived and I lost 26,000 euros.
I can't believe you bought a tiger.
You couldn't even keep the cactus I got you for your birthday alive.
I thought this was a circle of trust?
That's fair.
- Fine. So, my turn now? - Exactly.
All right.
For the last few months,
we have been running our own operation to find Wanda
and have been illicitly spying on all of our neighbors,
using black market surveillance equipment, which we also purchased from the dark web.
What?
He knows, Wanda!
Lukas knows!
And if Lukas knows, King knows, which means they'll be looking for us!
Just take a breath!
Okay, let's think logically for a second.
If you were Lukas, and you found out I was still alive, would you really tell anyone?
I mean, King hired him, right? Not you.
If King is as dangerous as you say he is,
then Lukas isn't going to just call him up and say,
"Hey, you know that thing I said I took care of?
Turns out I didn't."
Right, yes. You're right.
- He's gonna try and fix it himself first. - Yes.
I should go talk to him. Maybe I can talk some sense into him.
Convince him to come to the cops with us?
Chris, he's a psycho!
He's still my cousin.
CHRIS CALL ME BACK!
YOU'RE DEAD
Everything okay?
Yeah, everything's great.
Everything's cool.
Why wouldn't it be?
You should keep a clear head. You have to work tomorrow.
We're a man down.
- Who? - Bartels.
What happened?
I'm sorry. I don't remember opening up the floor for questions.
All right.
That's where you're going.
Tomorrow.
I'll let you know what time.
Badass.
Like that.
- Hey. - Hello.
- You're home. - Hi.
We weren't-- We were just...
Hello, Mrs. Klatt.
- Hello. - Mr. Klatt.
You can call me Dedo.
- Dedo. - Alex.
It's so nice to finally meet you properly.
Hey, what's up? I'm Rüdiger, Ole's cool uncle.
Alex.
Okay. What are you guys up to?
Nothing at all.
We're having a test tomorrow. Ole was helping me study.
I'm not as smart as he is.
I've been there, man. Don't beat yourself up about it.
There are always the brainiacs at school, and then there's guys like us, right?
We have to get by on our looks.
Right.
Well, I should probably be getting back,
- but it was very nice to meet you all. - Yeah.
See you soon, Alex.
See you soon.
- Bye, Alex. - Bye.
All right.
I'll be in my room.
Yes.
He seems to be a nice kid?
Yeah, I think they get on really, really well.
They kissed.
Kissed?
- Wait, so Ole... - Yes.
Okay.
Wow!
And these are all live?
We've been looking for Wanda,
but now we think Detective Rauch knows about the bugs,
so we have to get them out before she finds them.
Plan is to hit the houses while everyone is here.
I'll get the bugs out, with support from Ole,
here in the command center.
Meanwhile, you and Carlotta will keep everyone distracted at Wanda Fest.
That's actually a pretty good plan.
- We should probably give it a code name? - I don't think it needs a code name.
You don't have to raise your hand.
So, Wanda Fest, there are performances, that sort of thing?
Maybe I should do a song?
- That's a lovely idea. - Great idea.
Yes, only I don't know if maybe the Vinsons
have already finalized the running order, so...
I'll bring my guitar.
Okay, Wanda?
Hear me out. What if we just kept driving?
We could probably be in Greece in like three days.
- Greece? - Right.
Chris, don't take this the wrong way,
but we're not driving to Greece together.
I need to get back to my family.
Wanda.
I'm so sorry for dragging you into this mess.
I know.
It's nuts, I mean...
The last three months have been
the most stressful, craziest three months of my entire life.
But then in some ways,
they've also been the best.
I know that's terrible to say, but...
No.
It's okay.
I kind of know what you mean.
Like, I wish none of this had ever happened, of course.
But then, if none of it had ever happened...
then I would never have got to spend this time with you.
That's messed up, right?
God, I bet you're thinking, "Listen to this guy talking shit.
First he runs me over, then locks me in his grandma's basement
and now he's saying he--"
What was that for?
To stop you talking, mainly.
What?
Look, if you're still worried, it's fine, okay?
I consent.
- Do you need me to sign a waiver-- - No, no.
No. It's not that.
I'm...
It's just, I've never...
That's not a problem.
You'll pick it up in no time.
NICOTINA? - STOLEN VAN SURVEILLANCE - CAMERAS?
WILD ANIMAL SMUGGLING CAR ACCIDENT? - KAPITÄN
DRONE WEIRD FAMILY
Hello, you have reached Officer Schellenberg.
I am not available at the moment.
Please leave a message after the beep.
It's a King's crown.
I thought she was being all, "Yasss Queen,"
but it's not a Queen's Crown, it's a King's Crown.
The King Bartels mentioned.
He's the one at the top of the whole wildlife trafficking ring.
Lenka was trying to expose him. That's why he had her killed.
Wanda must have seen something she wasn't supposed to.
SUNDERSHEIM NEWSPAPER THE BEAST OF SUNDERSHEIM
I thought it was your job to keep her away from us.
Well that's not exactly easy when you're shitting in people's bushes
and leaving your van abandoned in the middle of town.
You mentioned King.
She was trying to pin that crap about the missing girl on me.
I had nothing to do with that.
Tell King I did my bit by dumping that journalist across the border,
but I'm not taking the wrap for her murder.
King appreciates everything you've done for us.
Dominik.
Schelli, hey. I almost thought for a second there...
Actually, I have a little something for you.
A token of appreciation.
- Really? - Yes.
You're gonna love it.
- What is it? - Wait.
Here.
Open it.
Go on.
TELL KING IT'S DONE
Last orders!
- One for the road? - Thanks, bye!
Bye!
Wanda?
I'M SORRY X
Wanda!