Tailor Hofer, a resident of an exclusive retirement home, is found dead on a park bench. At first his death appears natural, but retired prosecutor Johann Mayerle insists that Hofer was murdered. Why? Because his tailor never used the common Windsor knot on his tie…

The autopsy confirms that Hofer’s death was a homicide. Somebody had mixed poison derived from a rare plant into his drink. It is also determined that Hofer had sex right before he died and was then apparently re-dressed and simply left on the park bench. Could it have been his last sexual partner who murdered the old man?

The investigators Mark and Rebecca check out Hofer’s granddaughter, the sole heiress of his wealthy estate.

She runs a flower shop and in her store they discover the rare and poisonous plant used in the murder. As Hofer’s heiress, she of course had a motive, but was she really the offender? The moonshiner Laurenz Pirngruber is the next to be questioned but he insists that Johann was the only one buying his schnapps at the retirement home.

As a matter of honor, Johann is unwilling to discuss with whom he shared his hard liquor, so he is taken into custody for further questioning.

Meanwhile, the woman who had the affair with Hofer is discovered through the results of a DNA test. It is Cordula Reich, the daughter of Witta, another resident of the home. Interestingly, it turns out that both women were in love with Hofer.

The trail of schnapps leads Mark and Rebecca to funeral director Alois Frühauf. Alois and Laurenz both had old scores to settle with Hofer. Hofer was responsible for Laurenz failing his trade test while Alois blamed the tailor for the loss of his arm in an accident. But with only one arm, Alois could never have knotted Hofer’s tie. The investigators learn Alois had made secret deals with some retirement home residents. Maybe the trail is finally getting warm…

Next Door Crimes: Black Tie
Detective
Movie, 1 x 90’
Directed by Dennis Satin
Starring Siegfried Terpoorten, Ursula Buschhorn, Lilian Klebow, Lambert Hamel
Produced by Annabelle Film- und Fernsehproduktion GmbH for Sat.1 in association with SevenOne International
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