: Brown visits "Blue Sophie," who reveals that two different groups—Karl and Lotte, and Edmund and a "friend" (Johan)—had recently visited her claiming to be related to Schuwald. Key Character Developments

: Johan continues to foster a close relationship with Karl Neumann , Schuwald's actual (but unacknowledged) son. Johan manipulates Karl into believing that Schuwald is indeed his father and encourages him to reveal his identity to the billionaire.

: Schuwald hires Richard Brown , a private investigator and former police officer struggling with alcoholism, to look into the alleged suicide of Edmund Fahren . Brown consults his psychologist, Dr. Reichwein , noting suspicious details such as an underlined passage in a copy of Julius Caesar’s The Gallic Wars found in Edmund's room.

: Introduced as a "cliché" alcoholic detective who soon becomes a pivotal figure in uncovering Johan's past murders.