The Judge and His Hangman

Hans Bärlach, the main character, is an elderly commissioner in Bern. His best assistant, Ulrich Schmied, was found murdered. The old and sickly commissioner brings in an assistant named Chanzy to help with the investigation.

Under suspicion is a certain Gastmann. Later it turns out that Gastmann and Bärlach are old acquaintances. Forty years ago, they made a bet in a small town in Turkey: Gastmann had to commit a murder in front of Bärlach, in which he would not be able to accuse him. Gastmann pushes an innocent merchant off a bridge and presents it in court as suicide…