Chapter 28

Summary

• The chapter takes place over several weeks where Breitwieser is in jail awaiting official charges while the authorities secure an international search warrant. He is limited to contact with legal personnel only and feels isolated, receiving no communications or assistance.
• Breitwieser, unaware that a search warrant is pending, is unsure of what future he faces. He is nearly in solitary confinement and is consumed by negative thoughts.
• Meier, the investigator, approaches Breitwieser several times, inviting him to confess his crimes. Initially, Breitwieser refuses to cooperate.
• As time passes, Breitwieser grows increasingly distressed by his situation and the lack of contact from his girlfriend and mother. His anxiety leads him to believe that his refusal to cooperate will lead to a lengthier prison sentence.
• Eventually, Breitwieser succumbs and agrees to provide a confession in which he admits to stealing the bugle. This confession is carefully crafted to protect his mother and girlfriend from involvement, deny the existence of his extensive art collection, and present his actions in the most sympathetic light possible.
• Breitwieser's confession is not entirely believed by Meier, who considers some of it to be fabricated.
• Despite his confession, Breitwieser continues to receive no communication from his mother or girlfriend, leading to increased despair.
• Eventually, the awaited search warrant is approved and Meier, along with other officers, travel to Breitwieser's home in Mulhouse, France. Despite adamant denial of any knowledge about stolen items from Breitwieser's mother, the officers conduct a search.
• To their surprise, they find the attic completely bare, with no sign of the bugle or any other stolen items. This puts Breitwieser's confession into question.