[Oskar] Burglary.

Not really my department.

Why don't you let one of the juniors handle it?

Someone I know is suffering.

His name is Captain Georg Steiner.

Once evil has been released into the world, it cannot rest, until it has claimed its victim.

[laughing] He told he was cursed.

You think you can help him, Max?

Or is he beyond your healing now?

The poor Captain Actually, the "Panther" is a ship.

An Austrian steamer.

Made regular voyages from the East.

[Jaeger] Cuts to his feet.

Another break-in.

There you are.

They tortured a frightened man into believing this was real.

[theme music playing] [music fades] Hmm.

[Hammer whispering] You want to know about Georg?

What?

Did you hear that?

You asked about Steiner, before?

You are a little more lucid than you were last time.

I don't talk in front of the nurses and doctors.

Look at what they did to my poor friend, the Captain.

Tied him to his bed and injected him with their filthy medicines.

There were two of them.

Him and one other soldier.

What are you talking about?

Smuggled some treasure out of China.

On board a ship.

Bound for Vienna.

It's The Panther.

Stole the treasure in Peking, when they were stationed there, during the rebellion.

People were terrified... fleeing from the militia...

The sound of drums in the night... [crying and shouting] ...sound of chanting...

Some Chinese merchant he escaped into the quarter to find sanctuary.

He brought the treasure along with him.

Steiner and his comrade, they stole it from him ... ...murdered him.

[grunts] You're saying Steiner was a killer?

No.

The other soldier did the deed.

Steiner was just an accessory, admitted everything.

Dark times, they were.

Men behaving no better than beasts!

They shipped the treasure back to Austria in secret.

Hidden on a steam ship.

What was it?

The treasure?

Wouldn't tell me anymore.

Said it was too dangerous to speak of it.

There's a bar where all the soldiers used to meet, all the ones who served out there in China.

Someone there, they warned him about an ancient curse, told him the curse would haunt him because of what he'd stolen.

Who was this other man?

The killer?

Some soldier in the regiment.

He came here.

Steiner told me.

What?

When?

Just weeks ago.

Wanted to see his old comrade.

He came here to visit him?

-Thank you, Lieutenant.

-Yes... His name must be here somewhere.

Here.

The signature's illegible... A month ago, Oskar.

That's when his madness truly took hold.

When his colleague came to visit him...

But which one is the killer from the past.

Yanwang.

One of the oldest Buddhist deities.

The vengeful God.

The God of Shadows.

Makes us answer for our sins.

Where did you find this?

Hidden in the military home.

Fraulein, someone tortured Georg into believing he was cursed.

What?

How terrible.

Poor Georg...

Think how easy it must have been, someone who already doubts his sanity, how easy to drive him into madness.

[Lisa] I always remember the legend...

He comes to make us answer for our sins makes the wicked walk on knives.

Someone tortured him in his bed.

Cut his feet into ribbons.

Perhaps the other soldier from his regiment?

The only way to ward off this evil is with a blood sacrifice.

Or with a bough of the "Prunus persica".

The sacred peach tree.

I remember these stories from when I was a child.

He ties the wicked down on red-hot copper pipes... so their sins are burnt out of them...

But why torture him?

Because someone wanted to frighten him into giving up a secret.

The location of a priceless hidden treasure.

Look what else I found, Inspector, from Georg's regimental records.

Georg was in prison for one year, in Tianjin.

So, he was delayed from returning.

And unable to collect the treasure.

Please, Frauline, find the name of the other soldier.

Keep trawling the military records.

Haussmann!

Haussmann!

Locate the bar where the soldiers meet.

The Veterans... Of course... And, Max, we should find out precisely what was hidden on that steamer.

I don't understand.

Why are you asking me?

Well I know nothing about the orient.

My taste is more avante guard.

That's one way of putting it... And you've had several pieces shipped back from Peking.

Where do you acquire them, Heir Liebermann?

Well, one auction house, mainly.

Holzinger's.

I have a contact there.

Also, there's a darling little shop near the flea market.

Would you care to see it?

I can take you there now it is lunchtime, Leah, yes?

Come along... Fraulein.

[Mendel] Chinoiserie is suddenly all the rage.

Everyone loves the Chinese Room in Schonbrunn.

You can pick it up these days for prices that are really quite reasonable.

What would happen if a shipment arrived from China but it was never claimed?

It would sit in a warehouse, I suppose.

Although after a while it would be sold at auction anyway.

What?

Why?

Well, they like to cover their costs when goods are unclaimed.

So, if Steiner was delayed in China serving out his time in a prison cell then the treasure could have been sold!

Max, I'm so stupid!

The answer was staring at me!

Excuse me.

Yes, excuse us... Oskar, what are we doing here!?

A spate of burglaries I'm investigating... Burglaries?

He's come here to find the secret treasure.

Who has?

The God of Shadows.

It's him.

Behind the break-ins!

What break-ins?

Here you are...

It's about lacquered Chinese cabinets!

The theft of the other items was just a smokescreen.

He broke into their houses to find the cabinets.

Steiner's treasure must be concealed in one of them!

So... Max, Steiner came back to Vienna too late.

He didn't know the precise location of the treasure!

And now... His accomplice is back and he's... Tracking down all the cabinets from one particular shipment.

So, you're specialists in eastern artifacts?

Antique collections from China?

Indeed, we have quite a reputation: furniture and ceramics.

We're interested in items that were shipped here from Tianjin, via Trieste.

That's your supply chain, I understand.

Certainly, it is!

How exquisite...

Such pieces are rare.

We don't see that many of them.

Have you sold some in the past?

There was a shipment, I think, some years back.

And can you give us the names of the people who acquired them?

What's wrong?

We keep good records, of course.

But one of our record books was actually lost.

Lost?

We had a break-in some weeks ago.

I reported it to the police.

Must've been him who stole it?

What's all this about, Inspector?

We have a similar item... for sale.

And, uh, we'd like to offer it at auction.

-Do we?

-Yes, we do.

Uh, but it's not real.

We don't sell fakes, I'm sorry.

We're hoping you'll make an exception for us, Herr Holzinger.

But this is an antique.

Two hundred years old!

I can't simply reproduce one!

It just needs to be convincing enough for someone to steal it from us.

What?

You construct a fake one.

You can use pieces from the damaged one if you like.

And we agree to have it sold at auction.

The Director at Holzinger's has already agreed to help us.

We say it was mislaid from the original shipment and recently came to light.

Whoever's hunting them, they'll almost certainly come after it.

That is of course, once we advertise it... And how exactly are we going to do that?

Well, you've certainly aroused my curiosity.

Hello, Clara.

You said you had a story for me.

Yes.

So?

What is it?

Don't keep me in suspense any longer.

There's a sale at Holzinger's.

A Chinese cabinet.

It's been lost for years, but recently been rediscovered.

Uh-huh.

I thought you might like to write a feature on it.

Is this why you invited me here?

To write about trinkets!?

Max, I'm trying to build a serious career.

I thought you had a crime story for me!?

Trust me.

There is a crime story hidden in here, somewhere.

We've made it similar to the original.

It even has the same secret compartment.

So, what do we do?

Does one of us dress up as a collector?

I think we can find someone rather more convincing.

-You want me to what?

-Bid on the piece at auction.

Whatever the price you'll have to match it.

And you expect me to use my own money.

It's not real.

The piece is fake!

Well, presumably the money isn't!

Papa, no one will actually be paying anything.

Well, just explain it to me again.

-Oh!

-Oh!

Well, I'm rather baffled!

Oh, Papa, must you be so dense!

Well, forgive me, Leah, for not fully comprehending the mind of a criminal.

It's perfectly simple.

Whoever is hunting this missing antique...

It was presumed lost when it was unclaimed.

Is trying to track down every identical cabinet in Vienna.

Because there's something valuable hidden inside it.

Which means they'll come after this one?

-Yes.

-After me, in fact.

[both] Yes!

Chances are they'll burgle your home.

Welcome to the case, father.

It's just something we usually say round about now.

We've doubled our security, like you asked.

Gentlemen.

Drawn quite a crowd.

Yes, thanks to your article.

Now, you have to keep your side of the bargain.

You told me there was a story here.

I'm waiting.

Just a little longer, Clara.

He must be here somewhere, Max.

The God Of Shadows.

He's coming...

So, now, ladies and gentlemen, our last item for today... an exquisite pear-wood lacquered cabinet from Peking.

This is us.

This piece is in particularly fine condition, so let us begin.

Who will start the bidding?

-Eight hundred.

-I have eight hundred.

Can we say eight hundred and fifty?

And fifty, sir?

Do I hear nine hundred?

Nine hundred, thank you, sir.

Nine hundred and fifty.

One thousand... Do I hear eleven hundred... No.

Any bids... Papa, aren't you supposed to be bidding?

-I don't want to make it look too obvious.

-One thousand, then.

You better start now or you might lose it!

Eleven hundred?

Thank you, sir.

Any advance on eleven hundred?

Do I hear more... All yours at eleven hundred, sir.

-Twelve hundred.

-Oh, blast!

Do I hear thirteen?

Papa, it's your turn quick!

Not so hasty.

I don't want to look too eager.

No?

Thirteen hundred.

Thank you, Madame.

-Leah, what are you doing?

-What does it matter?

It's not real money!

-Oh... -Fourteen hundred.

Thank you, sir.

My family seems to be bidding against each other.

I have fourteen hundred...

Sit still.

Don't move a muscle.

At fourteen hundred.

All done.

-[sighs] -Well, that was... stressful!

Try to look happy, Papa.

You just won.

Oh!

Thank you!

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you, sir.

[straining] Be careful of the woodwork... -So, what do we do now, exactly?

-Nothing.

Max said the thief will come.

It's like a ticking bomb.

Yes.

An outrageously expensive one-- Oh, do be careful ... -Haussmann, on this table.

-Alright... Good, good, good...

It might not even be tonight.

He'll come.

He's already waited too long.

I used to hide at the bottom of the garden, when I was a little boy, Oskar.

-Hmm, what playing?

-Mm-hmm.

What were you pretending to be?

-You'll laugh.

-No.

I won't.

A policeman.

I'm sorry... Hmm... Are you quite comfortable there?

Would you like me to bring you a cushion?

No, nothing, I'm fine, thank you.

Or maybe some supper?

Nothing.

Thank you.

New experience for all of us.

Darling... -Goodnight.

-Good luck...

Careful.

Someone spent a whole day making that thing.

You're under arrest, by the way!

[grunts] [grunting continues] What happened?

Did you catch him?

-Stop!

-Still a work in progress!!

-Ah!

-Hey.

[suspenseful music playing] It's the orderly!

It was him, dressed up in that mask.

He would have been at Steiner's side, day and night.

He must have started to piece the story together.

You can guess who killed him.

We know who else is after the treasure?

One more victim of the curse... [Oskar] Did you know?

You must have known what was going on.

Johann Graf was your lover.

We saw the two of you together.

We also found the hidden space in Captain Steiner's room, the mask, the costumes.

Someone had been visiting him at night.

Torturing him.

That was Johann, hmm?

I'm so sorry.

I tried to stop him.

Please believe me.

I swear to you.

The Captain, he... he would ramble on, day and night.

[sobs] Most days no one would pay attention.

But then... What?

What?

He had a visitor.

Johann overheard some of what they were saying... Who?

An old acquaintance from his army days.

Just returned from Tianjin.

Would you recognize him from this picture?

I...

I barely saw him.

Johann heard them talking.

The other man was desperate to get some information from the Captain.

Something about a fortune?

Hidden in an old cabinet.

The Captain couldn't tell him much...

So, Johann took it upon himself to find out?

He became obsessed by it.

A great treasure brought back from China years ago, on an old steam ship.

He traced the shipment to an auction house, broke in and stole their records.

He had to know who might have it.

And soon after he started to break into people's homes.

Fraulein, he was torturing Georg.

And you knew.

I begged him not to, but he wouldn't listen.

I couldn't stop him!

And then finally the poor Captain, he... [crying] Killed himself.

It was never supposed to end up like that.

The list, Fraulein, do you still have it?

The cabinet sold at auction.

Have you seen it?

I remember Johann reading it.

What... what will happen to me?

Georg Steiner was brutally tortured... you were an accessory.

You will be charged.

Don't leave the premises.

She could be lying, of course.

When she says she hasn't seen that list... We must have missed something, Oskar.

[sighs] Hammer mentioned the bar frequented by soldiers who served in China... Has Haussmann located it yet?

No.

But we have.

You won't be wanting a drink, then?

Just some information.

We were told some old soldiers gather here.

No one here at the moment.

You mind if we check in the back?

Sure.

Be my guest.

Step aside!

-You know that smell?

-Opioids.

How many soldiers came back from China as addicts?

Someone has been in here.

She rattled the keys to give them a warning.

Hmm.

It's not just alcohol you sell here.

We found opium.

It's not illegal.

No.

But it is illegal to harbor a killer.

I recognize your face.

You were at the auction house.

I buy and sell trinkets.

So what?

Who has been here recently?

Who comes here to buy the drugs that you sell?

I don't know their names.

I don't even look at their sorry faces.

An old soldier named Steiner: we think he was once here.

Boasting about a treasure of some sort?

All of them come in boasting about something.

I don't listen.

Someone in here told him a story about an ancient curse.

Someone who wanted to frighten him.

Means nothing to me.

Now, do you mind?

I'm busy!

You were a soldier once, weren't you?

I can always recognize one.

You know what your comrades did to the East?

Makes me glad when I sell them black seed and they crawl on their bellies like vermin.

Second platoon.

It's taken me a while, but these are the men who went to liberate Peking.

I've cross-referenced all of their names.

Of the thirty-two men in this squadron, twenty-four died in China, in the fighting.

They were buried in a war grave in Peking.

-And the other eight?

-Four died later of natural causes.

Steiner makes five.

Two others are still living in Vienna.

Haussmann went to their addresses.

They both have alibis.

-That doesn't add up.

-No.

-Thirty-two men?

-Yes.

-So, one is unaccounted for.

-Yes.

And.

As far as we know he never made it back from China.

Franz Ebner.

[Oskar] Ebner?

Mm-hmm.

A Lieutenant.

Stationed in Peking during the rebellion.

Not a single trace of him now.

You mean, he's just a shadow...

Lieutenant Franz Ebner.

Arrested in Peking and court-martialed.

-What was his crime?

-Killed a merchant in the fighting.

Two men were arrested.

Ebner, for carrying out the illegal killing and Steiner as an accessory to murder.

So, Steiner put the treasure on a steamer back to Austria.

But he and Ebner were arrested soon after.

Yes.

By this time the Panther had already sailed.

Steiner is released after just a year, makes it back here, but it's too late, the treasure's gone.

Ebner returns years later tries to find it but Steiner's too sick to help him.

The Orderly overhears them talking, goes on the trail and gets killed.

Ebner is somewhere in this city Oskar.

Hmm... [door knocks] Doctor Wiesinger asked me to come down here and pack away Graf's things.

I want to do it.

Please, let me do it.

But the Doctor insisted...

But I was the one who was closest to him.

Could you... leave me alone here?

I want to say goodbye to him.

Thank you.

[gasps] [chuckles] [screaming] She knew.

She must have known.

Alright.

Let's assume she knew the location of the treasure.

Means she must have seen that list.

She asked me to leave her alone in here... Gentlemen... Look, Max.

The last cabinet.

It's here.

[Oskar] Ebner?

Give yourself up.

You know how long I've waited?

How long I was rotting in a Chinese prison?

Steiner was lucky.

Not me.

I'm not giving these up for anything.

Who is it?

Who's there?

[gunshot] Max, down.

[screams] Police!

Stop shooting!

Stop!

[Oskar] Ebner, stop!

[grunting, screaming] Stay, wait, wait...

This way...

He's wounded.

He won't get far.

We know where he's going!

[whimpering] You have to hide me.

They'll find me.

They are coming.

You are my friend.

You are the only friend in this city Xiuying.

Help me!

What's that... Diamonds.

I need something for the pain!

Please!

Thank you...

I watched him fall...

I couldn't save him.

Dammit.

No arrest.

No killer.

Not even the burglar.

Ahem!

-What about the woman?

-Disappeared as we were searching the river.

No sign of her since.

That's a... a rather disappointing result.

Still.

You're not to blame, Rheinhardt, you have tried.

It's not your fault... No, I-I-I'm grateful.

I will cover up for you, don't worry.

I'll smooth everything out.

[sighs] How many people died because they touched that treasure?

The curse is very real, Oskar.

But it's not some ancient God.

The curse is in all of us.

Simple, human greed.

-Clara.

-Max.

Well.

Congratulations.

For what?

Becoming the best crime reporter in the city.

[chuckles] Thanks to my secret source.

Not so secret, not really.

I wanted to thank you.

For your help.

You could thank me... by having dinner with me... We've found a way to co-exist.

Better if we don't spoil it... Would you agree?

Champagne please.

For two.

Oskar, I didn't expect to see you again.

I wonder would it be too presumptuous if... You want to come in and spend the evening?

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