When a priest discovers a baby left in his church, he is shocked to find that the baby is in fact dead. In lawyer Ambach's office, things are much happier as a young couple appraise a couple of babies with a view to adoption. While it's not obvious at this time, it doesn't take much in the way of deduction to realise that you can buy anything you want if you have sufficient funds.
Brandtner and Rex are passing time in one of Rex's favourite haunts - the pet shop. Pushing a trolley is all in a day's work for Rex when he can load it with as many toys as he wishes. When Brandtner notices an elderly lady concealing some tins of pet food under her coat, he acts quickly to prevent the woman from being caught by the shop owner. Kindness itself, he purchases the food and gives it to the woman once she's left the store.
Somewhere in a wine cellar, Gianni Costarella is informing Ambach about his wish to quit the
business. It's not a matter of money, Gianni is upset about an accident, by which he means the dead baby found at the beginning of the episode. He's overwhelmed with guilt but Ambach dismisses his concerns. Gianni is convinced it's a sign for him to leave, he has concerns about his soul. Ambach has concerns too and it's not about Gianni's eternal future.
Sandra Fossati, direct from Italy, books into Hotel Metternich. Sandra appears to be a friend of Gianni for she rings his number, although she hangs up when he answers. When Gianni traces the call back to the hotel, he appears to dismiss it as a wrong number. He's not expecting any out of town visitors.
Meanwhile, the Brandtner team are finally at the crime scene. Dr. Graf tells Brandtner the baby suffocated approximately 18 hours previously. No signs of violence. As the baby wasn't in the church when it was locked up overnight, it had to have been dumped early in the morning. Boeck isn't able to find any details of babies on the missing persons list. Unfortunately, the team have little to go on until Dr. Graf discovers a small feather from a blue-ear lory, a tropical parrot, in the baby's trachea and particles of dried bird droppings in her lungs. Seems like the baby was locked up with the bird. Big question is why? The baby's clothes also have Italian labels and smell strongly of petrol suggestive of a long car trip. Brandtner's first approach though is to check Viennese pet shops for sellers of blue-ear lorys. Kunz is asked to check out potential buyers. As always, he's a little put out.
Sandra has headed to Gianni's place. What could she want? Simple. She wants her baby, Marco, back. It seems Gianni has stolen him. Suddenly, it all becomes clear. Ambach is operating more than a private adoption agency, he's running a baby smuggling ring. Shocked by her arrival, Gianni agrees to help her get Marco back - only one condition, no police.
As darkness falls, Gianni and Sandra are seen climbing up a balcony into a large house. Once inside, and into a secret room, surprise, surprise, babies galore, including Marco. Sandra grabs him but they must move quickly before the carer returns. Sandra wants to take other babies but, in the end, they must flee as the carer is back from grabbing dinner. When the carer goes to check the crying babies, she notes Marco is gone and catches sight of Gianni and Sandra as they get in Gianni's car.
Sandra's plan is to leave immediately for Italy. Gianni makes an unfortunate decision though and returns to his flat to pick up his stuff first. He plans to leave also. Ultimately, he does, though not in the way he envisioned as he's surprised by one of Ambach's men. Endstation, Gianni, shot dead. Sandra and baby are taken to Ambach's wine cellar where she verbally abuses Ambach. He wants information about who from Calabria might know of his operation. Sandra tells Ambach if she doesn't return safely to Italy, her friends will call in the police and pass on information. Ambach isn't daunted though and Marco is sent back to the carer. The threat to Sandra is obvious.
Of course, Brandtner and team are on the trail. Seems Gianni was a bird fancier and regularly imported blue eyed lorys. At Gianni's apartment, Rex draws Brandtner's attention to a van in which birds have obviously been transported. Clever Rex also discovers a concealed section, filled with baby blankets. The link is obvious and forensics are called in. In Gianni's apartment, Brandtner finds a photo of Gianni, useful later in identifying his body, and discovers the last call from Hotel Metternich, from an Italian woman named Sandra Fossati. Suddenly things are starting to come together. The bird importation was just a front for the baby smuggling operation. When records show a previous conviction against Gianni, a former court translator, his lawyer at the time was none other than Ambach, whom Kunz proudly informs is also involved in adoptions.
Sandra, left alone, is trying to escape. With lots of bottles of wine in the cellar, it's not long before she's broken a bottle and has used the glass to cut her ties.
Brandtner and Boeck visit Ambach. Brandtner gets straight to the point - an Italian that Ambach represented, a dead baby and adoptions. Can Ambach join the dots? Ambach is put out, denies any knowledge and is outraged at the suggestion of baby smuggling. His callous attitude incenses Brandtner, even more so when Ambach labels Rex a mongrel. Oh, oh, you've done it now, Ambach. Forget the baby smuggling, you've insulted the dog.
Ambach is rattled though and tells his accomplice to go sort out Sandra. It's not quite Endstation Sandra though as she's finally worked her way free, just in time to smash a bottle over the accomplice's head. Grabbing his gun, she forces him to tell her where Marco is.
Sandra turns up at the address given to her. The adopting parents are shocked when Sandra bursts in and tells them their baby is hers. Ambach is nothing more than a criminal. The couple call Ambach. Ambach threatens them. They're caught up in this too. Tough luck. Ambach has a lead in that Sandra has left behind a ticket for Italy. The accomplice sets out for the station while Ambach calls the baby carer and tells her to disappear. As Brandtner chooses this moment to turn up at the house where the babies are kept, she leaves the babies behind. However, Rex spots her leaving and, as she tries to flee, she is involved in a car accident.
Kunz calls Brandtner to tell him that he's found out that Sandra has checked out of her hotel and is on her way, with baby Marco, to the station. Brandtner leaves. Boeck notices a baby bottle in the carer's bag and heads to the house looking for babies. When he hears a baby crying and cannot find the baby, he heads outside and soon works out from window positions that there must be a secret room. Soon Boeck has his baby.
Meanwhile, at the station, Ambach's accomplice has caught up with Sandra. Brandtner is there too and the accomplice spots him but not before Brandtner and Rex see him. The accomplice grabs Sandra and pushes her onto a moving train. Brandtner and Rex give chase while Sandra refuses to give up. When Rex jumps on the train and attacks the accomplice, Sandra jumps with her baby, ending up in the path of a train. Brandtner manages to switch the line just in the nick of time. Kunz gets the pleasure of arresting Ambach.
Happy endings as always, oh, except for Boeck and a dirty nappy.
A single Recycled Rexer in
Hilde Berger, above, not credited for this episode but also appearing in 'Mord a la carte' (1997) as Elvira Konrad and 'Ein feines Haus' (1994) as Helga Riedl.
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