Rex Resolution 79: Jagd nach dem ewigen Leben

The Great Hall in the Austrian National Library features a stunning ceiling, a view of which forms the start of this episode. A tour is in progress, highlighting a new exhibition of the newly discovered works of Count Egon Reichenberg, traveller and botanist. Reichenberg was also believed to have developed an elixir for prolonging life, living to the ripe old age of 150 himself. The tour guide, Dr. Jungwirth, tells visitors that as yet no mention of the elixir has been found in the current works but that they are still being studied.

There certainly appears to be more than a passing interest in the material. Felix Nordegg, a distance relative of the Count, seems particularly keen to examine the books more closely but, as Dr. Jungwirth explains, the books are not yet available to the public as they are still being researched. With the tour ended, a couple of men loiter around the exhibited books before moving on. Nordegg has no plans to move on though. With the museum about to close, he conceals himself in a storeroom.

With the museum closed, he soon emerges and breaks into the cases holding his relative's works. A piece of paper seems to be guiding his actions - it's a list of volumes and page numbers, none of which matches the books he's looking at. From above, comes a distant rumble. A book is being slid along a bannister above and wouldn't you know it? It just happens to fall on Nordegg. Endstation 1. The list is taken and Nordegg? Well, he ends up in an old cart at the Vienna goods station.

At work, the following day, Dr. Jungwirth has noticed the books have been disturbed. The pair of men are also back lurking, watching what happens. A Buddhist monk also seems to have a keen interest in the books.

When the body is discovered, Nordegg has been well buried in coffee beans. Don't say you never learn anything useful from Inspector Rex Apparently, coffee is good to mask the smell of a corpse. I'll stick to my rather benign latte, thanks. Learn also about the Hat Brim Rule. Head injuries usually lower than the brim of an imaginary hat are usually due to falls or accidents, injures above the result of blows. Eat your heart out CSI!

Dr. Graf thinks it's all very strange. The injury suggests the victim was hit by someone at least one metre taller which isn't really feasible. When Boeck notices there are no labels on the man's clothes, Brandtner realises the clothes must be tailor made, otherwise why bother to remove labels? In a scene out of Cinderella, Brandtner sends Kunz with the man's shoe to track his identity from the records of Walter Schubert, shoemakers.

Back at the library, Jungwirth and the library archivist Lutz put the Count's works back into the store room for safety.

The two men from earlier are seen chatting at the end of a lecture. One tells the other he shouldn't have killed Nordegg for the list. Now their purpose becomes clear. Students of chemistry, they want the formula, they want to produce the elixir.

Nordegg was a loner, a translator, in debt from living beyond his means. His housekeeper tells Brandtner that he'd said he would be rich one day. Obviously he had plans for the elixir also.

Graf has determined that Nordegg was killed elsewhere. He also finds strange materials (linen, glue, gold colour) in the wound. He has no idea what the weapon could have been but then Brandtner notices books on Graf's shelves made of linen, glue and gold paint (what a coincidence!) and reenacts the crime on poor Graf.

With nightfall, Lutz is finishing up his work at the museum. When he hears a noise in the storage shelves, he investigates, only to be crushed between moveable shelves by the two chemistry students. However, they didn't reckon on Dr. Jungwirth still being around and she tries to rescue poor Lutz. Too late though. Endstation 2!

Graf tells Brandtner two people had to be involved in order to be able to crush Lutz. Dr. Jungwirth is too shocked to be questioned. Rex finds a trail and leads Brandtner to the window where the students got in. They are back at their 'lab' preparing drugs for sale. A heated argument about the plans for the elixir ensues.

Brandtner is talking to Dr. Jungwirth at the library about the missing books. Rex picks up a scent to the spot where Nordegg was killed. When Brandtner goes up to the second floor, Rex shows him the exact book that was the murder weapon. Smart doggy. Brandtner also notices he is being watched by the Buddhist monk and races off to talk to him. The monk wants to find the elixir also but wants to return it to its rightful home in Tibet.

One of the chemists finally thinks he has cracked the codes on the list. He thinks the numbers are telephone numbers. When the other student is less than receptive, he starts ringing the numbers. The argument becomes more heated.

Brandtner visits Nordegg's relatives. The relative thinks Nordegg was after the formula and denies any interest himself, thinking it would bring bad luck as it had been stolen in the first place from Tibet. Of course, this being Rex, we know he's lying.

Back at the library again, Brandtner is looking for a sandalwood box, supposedly the home of the formula for the elixir. Rex traces the box to a globe and Brandtner leaves it there in order to trap the murderers.

With more work, the chemists have finally cracked the code. 'The secret is there at the centre of the earth.' The clue doesn't make much sense to them. However, Brandtner has set up an interview about the murders and in it he slips in information about the globe. Bingo. The trap is set.

At the museum, there's quite a crowd gathering. The monk, the relative of Nordegg and the two chemists. Once the museum is shut, the students plan to open the globe, get the box and leave again in the morning unnoticed. Boeck, on security details, spots them. Once he's gone, the chemists emerge to break into the globe, only for one to get nabbed just as they take the box. Endstation 3! The other gets away but then mysteriously collapses dead. Endstation 4!

The monk appears and tells Brandtner the formula was probably poisoned for protection. Rex rescues the box before Brandtner can stop him and Rex is critically sick when Brandtner catches up. The monk lays his healing hands on Rex and revives him. Tissues all around! Sniff.

However, the box is gone. Guess who's taken it? The relative of Nordegg. Endstation 5!

The box is returned to the monk and it's rightful place on earth.

Other players include Konstanze Breitebner as Dr. Jungwirth, Christoph Dostal as Felix Nordegg, Nils Nellessen as Michael Stoll (a chemist?), Dennis Grabosch as Sascha Lechner (a chemist?), the late Kurt Weinzierl as Lutz, and Gerhard Toetschinger, not listed with IMDB for this episode.

A Recycled Rex free episode!