The inspector and the sea – In a starless night

7.11 million viewers: Anniversary with record ratings for Walter Sittler and his team in “Der Kommissar und das Meer” (The Commissioner and the Sea)

“In a Starless Night” is the 20th case in the Gotland series, which has been broadcast on ZDF since 2007

Henrik and Marlis Strömberg hold Robert partly responsible for the death of their 8-year-old daughter Lucie. The little girl had been reported missing by her parents – friends of Ewa.

Lucie can only be recovered dead on a lonely road at night. Robert feels partly responsible for the death of the 8-year-old. He and his officers failed to find the reported missing girl on the island in time.

A car was observed at the scene of the accident. Abandoned it now stands in the forest, driver fugitive. The owner is the well-known politician Hannah Kroog, who claims that the car was stolen from her. She gets her alibi from her nanny Jenny von Hofsten, who leaves a strange impression on Robert. What is the connection between the two women?
Henrik and Marlies Strömberg accuse the inspector of sending too few cars on patrol to find Lucie. Henrik turns his grief into anger against Robert, who throws himself into the investigation. Ewa finds the autopsy difficult. She has watched Lucie, only daughter of her old school friend, grow up from a young age. Is she withholding information?
Jenny von Hofsten, the mysterious nanny, seeks and finds address with Robert’s son Niklas, of all people. Robert is worried and warns Niklas, because something seems to be wrong with this girl.
A short time later, Hannah Kroog’s 5-year-old daughter Nilla also goes missing. Once again, the life of a young child is in Robert’s hands. He does everything he can to find the child quickly. Even the enormous ransom demand is met by parents and police. But during the handover, Nils Kroog, the politician’s husband, goes crazy and makes a momentous mistake.