Die Kaltenbach-Papiere (1991)

Istvan Kaltenbach is an unscrupulous arms dealer. No court in the world has ever been able to prove his involvement in this murderous business. Together with his beautiful daughter Sharon he lives a quiet life in a dreamlike villa in southern Portugal. But peace in Kaltenbach's home is threatened. The German Federal Bureau of Investigation BKA has succeeded in putting together a file proving that Kaltenbach was involved in the construction of a toxic gas plant in Iran. The BKA threatens to use this file against Kaltenbach should he refuse to comply with the wishes of Dr. Goetz, a BKA staff member. According to information in the possession of the BKA, three nuclear warheads are to be sold on the international black arms market. Kaltenbach is to introduce himself as a front man and pretend to be interested in buying the warheads. Thus the BKA hopes to find out the identity of the sellers. Journalist Tom Severin is also interested in Kaltenbach's activities. He wins Sharon's confidence and affection and meets the arms dealer via his daughter. Kaltenbach decides to use Tom, who, being a journalist, is always in want of a scoop, for his purposes. He offers him a job as a go-between who is to try to break through the sellers's reserve. Sharon, who has fallen in love with Tom, insists on accompanying him on his mission - about the nature of which she knows nothing. He picks up the track of an Algerian ship owner, Fraghani, who, however, refuses to have anything to do with Kaltenbach, whom he suspects of having killed his brother. Via Algiers, Zurich and Francfort, Tom is able to get hold of the sellers of the nuclear warheads and to arrange a rendez-vous in Lisbon, where the hot goods are to be handed over. Shortly before Tom and Sharon leave for Lisbon, Tom's wife Eva turns up in Francfort. She as yet knows nothing about Sharon. She has been lured to Francfort by a bogus letter and surprises her husband in the company of Sharon. But Eva, a successful journalist herself, surmises Tom is merely using the younger woman to serve his professional interests, and so departs. Meanwhile in Lisbon, Dr. Goetz and a huge police detachment are waiting to arrest the criminals red-handed. But the sellers do not turn up. When Tom tries to contact the sellers on Kaltenbach's car phone, the car explodes. The police, Kaltenbach and Sharon believe that Tom is dead. Nobody has noticed Tom leave the car just before the explosion. Sharon, who is in a state of shock, is kidnapped that very evening. One of the victims of the explosion is identified as Tom and buried in Hamburg. Eva decides to investigate who could have killed him. In spite of Dr. Goetz of the BKA, who warns her not to get involved, Eva calls on Kaltenbach at his villa in Portugal. But he pretends not to be able to help her. He appears to be in a state of shock due to Sharon's kidnapping. Eva travels to Lisbon, where, to her great surprise and relief, she runs into Tom. Tom explains he has been hidden by Dr. Goetz and is now working for him. He tells Eva to return to Hamburg, because the whole affair is too dangerous. But Eva refuses to go home. She begins her own investigations. She picks up the track of Fraghani, who tells her that years ago the unscrupulous Kaltenbach sacrificed the lives of his wife and son for the sake of his dirty dealings. He suspects that Kaltenbach is also responsible for the kidnapping of his own daughter. He has probably hidden Sharon at the house of his nephew in Erfoud, Fraghani says. The following night, Eva sees crates being carried aboard Fraghani's ship, supposedly containing irrigation pumps. Her suspicion that the crates contain the nuclear warheads proves to be correct. Obviously Fraghani is also involved in this business. But Fraghani is murdered and the warheads are stolen. Although Eva is well aware that it can cost her life, she continues her investigations. She goes to Erfoud where she tracks down Kaltenbach and his nephew at a hotel. Tom and Dr. Goetz also turn up at Erfoud. Dr. Goetz confirms Eva's suspicion that Fraghani had stuck his nose into Kaltenbach's business and therefore had to die. The warheads are to be transported to Erfoud, and taken to Libya from there. With the help of Ibrahim, a lorry driver, Eva discovers Sharon shortly afterwards. The girl is stunned by the fact that her father is an unscrupulous arms dealer who has killed her mother and her brother. Together with Ibrahim, the two women drive to a village where he is to pick up three crates to be dispatched to Libya. Of course, they contain the nuclear warheads. Now Kaltenbach and his men appear, at the same time as Dr. Goetz and Tom. Kaltenbach takes Eva as a hostage and demands safe conduct on the lorry. Dr. Goetz agrees to Kaltenbach's request and promises to let him have the documents incriminatory to him. But he refuses to surrender the warheads to him. When Kaltenbach realizes that he has no chance of getting his way, Tom tries to overwhelm him in order to save Eva. But Kaltenbach forestells him.