Blue Blue Eyes: Crime Novel

by Helena Anderson

  Ten minutes later she excused herself, closed the computer and put it in its bag and went home. It was eerily quiet in the flat when Nikki walked in through the door. The door had been unlocked and the first thing she saw was that the drawers in the entrance were half open. Had there been a burglary?

  ”Hello.” Nikki took off her sandals and quickly went into Linn’s bedroom. The bed was made and the cushions were organized on the bed cover. She continued to the other rooms but it wasn’t until she went out on the balcony that she found her childhood friend sitting with a bottle of wine in her hand.

  ”But how are you doing?” Nikki crouched and looked inquiringly at her friend. The blue and black shades under her eyes made Linn’s already sad face look worse and her thin lips seemed to have lost the colour of life.

  ”Sweet-heart.” Nikki’s tone of voice was filled with love and empathy.

  ”Do you know how many times I’ve been close to opening this bloody bottle today?” Linn said with a look of both shame and honesty in her eyes. Nikki comfortingly put her hand over Linn’s and slowly shook her head in reply.

  ”About every thirty seconds”, she answered with tears in her eyes.

  ”I’m so bloody tired of fighting with these bloody wine-bottles 24 hours a day. Do you have any idea of what it feels like?”

  ”Actually not. But you…you didn’t open it so you are stronger than you think.” Nikki carefully took the bottle from Linn, put it down on the balcony floor and sat down in the lounge chair next to her.

  ”I can’t cope with it anymore. I’m getting bloody crazy now. I can’t just sit in here and not do anything useful. You have to let me participate in looking for Patrik or I’ll not make it.” Linn sounded desperate and dried some tears that were rolling down her cheeks. She still felt grateful that Nikki had come home in a reasonable time so she didn’t have to be alone for the rest of the evening.

  ”Sorry”, Nikki murmured and stroked Linn’s hair. ”Sorry for being such an asshole and not involving you more in Patrik’s disappearing.” Nikki felt really bad and couldn’t understand why she hadn’t engaged Linn more in the case. But now there would be a change.

  Linn looked up at Nikki with confidence. ”I resisted the urge today. Damn it, I had to fight, but I managed. I might make it after all…”

  ”Of course you’ll make it. But you have to be prepared that it will be terribly tough”, Nikki said kindly but could hear the worry in her own voice. She gave her friend a long warm hug and rocked her like a baby. When she opened her eyes she could see that Linn had almost finished all the crisps in the bowl standing close-by, there were only a few crumbs in the bottom. The urge for something salty overcame Nikki and her stomach started grumbling loud.

  ”Tell you what, I’ll go down to the corner shop and buy some swordfish which we can grill on the balcony tonight. What do you think?”

  Linn nodded and a faint smile showed in her worn face and Nikki looked forward to a sober, nice evening with her best friend.

  Thursday June 13th

  Just a few sea-gulls were screeching when Nikki dropped Linn off at the promenade in Pafos harbour. The morning was still quiet but in a few hours’ time the harbour’s outdoor restaurants and shops would all be busy. The sea was calmly rolling in against the stone-wall and a few fishermen were already at the side of the pier. Rucksacks and thermoses and fishing equipment were all on the ground and close-by there were hungry cats waiting for the day’s first catch.

  ”This is the area where Patrik was last or at least his mobile was here before the battery probably died. We have already spoken to every shop-owner around here but it doesn’t hurt at all to repeat the procedure again. Show the pictures of Patrik when you are knocking doors since it will help them remember if they have seen him. Here’s the tape for putting up pictures of him on different notice-boards and poles.” Nikki looked worriedly at Linn before continuing:

  ”Are you really sure you want to do this?”

  ”Don’t worry about me, I know exactly what to do”, Linn said and nodded eagerly at Nikki. She had really made an effort this morning but Nikki could still see the bottomless despair in her eyes.

  ”OK, you can reach me on the mobile if...”

  ”I know but I promise, it’s OK and I will make it. You don’t have to worry.” Linn looked out to the sea and laughed when one of the cats tried to catch the fish the fishermen had caught.

  The feelings of guilt had eased up a bit with Linn’s good mood. But from talking to her in the car Nikki knew that she didn’t have a clue about Patrik’s secret, Anna. Jesus what a mess, Nikki thought but felt really relieved that it would be Patrik after all who would drop the bomb shell and not her. This was a family fight she would not get involved with, it would only go wrong. Nikki just hoped that Linn and the children would receive the news in a good way. How would she herself have reacted?

  Back at Coral Bay she was tempted by the scent of newly baked bread and Nikki went into the family owned bakery. Carefully she took a bag full of gluten-free walnut-bread filled with turkey and pastrami and a few bottles of freshly pressed juice. Then she slowly drove the short distance up the hill toward the scruffy police station. Hesitating she opened the door and wondered once again how it would be meeting Carlos. The fine was nagging her and she wondered what Hogstrom would say. Nikki quickly forgot her boss when she stopped by for a while with Katerina.

  ”Is it new?” Nikki touched her lip to show what she meant. Katerina happily nodded. ”I got the piercing last night and then I had new nails.” She showed her long pointed nails which all were painted with a leopard pattern and a purple base.

  ”Neat”, Nikki said and showed her thumb up. ”Are the others here, or?”

  ”Everybody except Carlos but he’ll soon be here.” She smiled insecurely and touched the little diamond on her lip. ”Don’t let Carlos get to you too much, he…” Katerina bent forward and lowered her voice to a whisper. ”He’s living in a fantasy world and thinks that men are a gift from God and that women don’t belong on the earth.” She didn’t have time to say more since the telephone’s shrill ring cut the air.

  Nikki could only agree and continued into the kitchen to get a bread basket before joining the others in the conference room. It was still hot in the room despite the air conditioner being on so she went and pulled the curtains at the window where the sun was shining in.

  ”Good morning, I brought some breakfast if anybody feels like it?” Nikki put down the bread basket on the table next to the tea-pot and the thermos with coffee. She felt a bit better today and had decided this morning to ignore Carlos’ strange attacks from now on.

  ”Great”, Sam said and smiled broadly. He had just had a shower and the veins were well visible on his big arms. Nikki supposed he just came from the gym and wished that she too could fit in some exercise soon. But when? She had enough with supporting Linn and the murder investigations didn’t solve themselves. Daphne looked tired. She was leaning with one elbow on the table and had her head in her hand. Her eyes were staring straight out as if they had got stuck and the lines from the pillow were visible on her face.

  ”What do you say Daphne?” Sam said and poured some coffee.

  ”You seem to need something stronger than tea to wake up, what’s up?”

  ”Sorry, didn’t get too many hours last night, the little one is still not well.” She gave a big yawn and stretched her body. ”Hell, no coffee. I’ll stick to my tea thank you.” She leaned over to take the tea-pot and filled her mug to the brim.

  ”Should we wait for Carlos or should we start the morning’s meeting anyway?” Sam took a big bite of the sandwich and hummed with pleasure. His cheeks became big like a hamster and he washed it all down with some coffee.

  ”Ah, let’s start. He could come after lunch if I know him right.” Daphne stretched her hand to the bread basket and took a sandwich as well.<
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  ”OK then let’s go.” Sam had another bite and laughed when he realized that the girls were waiting for him to continue. A piece of cheese fell out of his mouth and he easily wiped it down on the floor. ”I can start by saying that Cyta has faxed us the call lists of Olof Stenvall and I have had time to go through them. Nothing really noteworthy except for a Swedish number which I unfortunately can’t identify. But maybe you can?” Sam looked at Nikki with the question, winking.

  Nikki took the list and wrote down the Swedish number marked with yellow. She didn’t recognize it but went up to the computer and wrote www.find.se in the search-field on the browser.

  ”I’ll be damned, I must have made a mistake”, Nikki muttered surprised and entered the telephone number again. Then she scratched her head, turned around and looked in amazement at the others. ”The number is listed with Hofvenskold’s Fastighet AB.” Nikki got up and sat down opposite Sam, studying the call lists again before passing it on to Daphne.

  ”Hofvenskold’s...what does that mean?” Daphne asked with an excited expression.

  ”Just that Olof Stenvall must have called Karl Hofvenskold.” Sam raised his eyebrows and looked surprised too. He put the rest of the sandwich in his mouth and made a thumbs up to Nikki. ”Mm, yummy.”

  ”Why would Olof call Karl?” Nikki leaned back in the office chair with her hands behind her neck, thinking.

  ”Olof told us straight out that he didn’t know either Barbro nor Karl when we interrogated him. How come he’s been calling this number so frequently then? Something doesn’t add up here.”

  ”But maybe they associated privately after all?” Daphne suggested doubtfully.

  ”But why would Olof lie about their friendship then and why hasn’t Barbro Hofvenskold mentioned something before?” Nikki removed the elastic from her handbag and put up her long newly washed hair. ”Can I see that list again?”

  Daphne pushed the list across the table and Nikki studied it carefully as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.

  ”Hang on a minute. Olof has called the number after Karl Hofvenskold was murdered.” Nikki got even more confused and didn’t know what to believe.

  ”That’s really weird.” Daphne took a sandwich and methodically started biting off the green lettuce hanging out before biting into the fresh bread.

  ”Let’s play with the thought of Olof murdering Karl. Why would he then call Karl’s number after he had killed him?” Nikki looked at her colleagues with the question but turned around when she heard a meowing in the corridor.

  ”Hm, I don’t know. What do you say? Any theories?” Sam looked up and opened one of the bottles of juice. ”Would somebody like some?” Both Nikki and Daphne said yes and Sam opened another two bottles.

  ”I’ll try calling the number.” Nikki took out the mobile from her handbag, dialled the Swedish number and heard the dialling tone ringing.

  ”Yes, Barbro here.”

  ”Barbro?” Nikki sounded surprised and turned toward her colleagues.

  ”Yes, Barbro Hofvenskold. Who is speaking?”

  Nikki was astonished but quickly gathered her thoughts so she didn’t think Barbro noticed her surprise. After a few minutes of questioning she hung up sighing. ”I’ll be damned”, Nikki said and told her colleagues what Barbro Hofvenskold had said. She hadn’t had any reasonable answer as to why Olof had called her and seemed as if she had come up with several excuses.

  ”But was the number really Barbro’s mobile? It can’t have been a mobile used by both her and Karl together?” Sam raised his dark eye-brows and looked at Nikki who was twisting her pony-tail around her finger.

  ”According to Barbro not. This is her number although it’s in the company’s name.” Nikki scratched her head and continued. ”What does this actually mean to you?”

  ”Well. Could the spouses have had a business relationship with Olof?” Sam asked and stroked his fingers around the coffee-mug’s round rim. They were sitting quietly thinking when they heard Carlos’ voice in the corridor. He was cuddling the Panther.

  ”Could Barbro and Olof have killed Karl together?” Daphne felt scared by her own question and swallowed loudly.

  Nikki gasped. ”You mean that Barbro would have asked Olof to help her get rid of her husband?” Nikki shook her head. ”Sorry, but that’s not the impression I have got of the Hofvenskold marriage at all. I think they had a happy marriage. There have never been any rumours of unfaithfulness around them as far as I know. I mean, she had everything and more which normal people only dream of. Plus the fact that they actually seemed to be happy together.” Nikki poured another cup of tea and the scent of vanilla spread in the room. ”No, I can’t make out Olof Stenvall. What the hell did he call Barbro for?”

  Nobody answered the question. Each one continued sitting there thinking of the connection between Olof and the Hofvenskold couple.

  ”Who will inherit Karl’s fortune by the way?” Sam said.

  Nikki turned to him inquiringly. ” Could the motive have been money do you think? The question then is why Karl was murdered so brutally?”

  ”Maybe he owed Olof money?” Daphne said and looked as though she was finally coming to life.

  ”Karl was worth several hundreds of millions of crowns. Don’t forget that. But I will check with my Swedish colleagues about the inheritance just to be sure.”

  ”Maybe we should pass by Barbro’s today?”

  Nikki made the thumbs up to Daphne’s suggestion and then heard how the door to the conference room opened. Carlos came limping in with the Panther and a chocolate croissant in his arms. Carefully he sat down on the desk and raised a hand.

  ”Listen. Sunday night there was a report to the island’s police stations from the car rental Hertz at Larnaca airport. For some strange reason the report was not included in our system.” He looked at them all with an unhappy expression. ”What I am saying is that there was a report about a red Mercedes convertible which was rented by Patrik Kroona at Larnaca airport last Wednesday.” Carlos’ voice was tight and he cleared his throat several times. His nose was still covered by a protection and the bruise was more a yellowish green.

  ”It seems there is always something wrong at our station. When are we going to get a complete renovation?” Sam sounded irritated and gave his boss an upset glance.

  ”Could you shut up for a while. This is completely the wrong place to discuss renovations since we have several unsolved murders to deal with. Besides I’m just temporary here so that discussion you’ll have to have with my brother instead when he comes back.” Carlos stared angrily at Sam while stroking the Panther on his back. ”Ten minutes ago a man called from Old Town in Pafos. He had chased away a group of youngsters smashing a window on a red Mercedes. The registration number corresponds with the car that Patrik Kroona rented.

  Sam stood up quickly while emptying his white coffee mug.

  ”Listen, I think we can all sign that our place of work is bloody bad and not modern. We must have good, working systems and furniture. Can’t you please suck up to your cousins and relatives at the next board meeting?”

  Daphne clasped her hands, nodding intensely.

  ”I couldn’t have said it better myself, Sam. Thank you for bringing it up. We really want answers Carlos. Look around, a renovation is really needed.”

  ”But are you out of your minds.” Carlos was boiling with anger and had become bright red in his face. ”We have an ongoing murder investigation on our hands which I’m trying to solve and the only thing you are talking about is how this bloody station looks.”

  Carlos outburst brought order into the conference room and they all went quiet. Nikki felt sick with the Chief’s cold eyes on here but for once she agreed with him. The question of renovation came second, even if the station needed a real face-lift. Sam broke the silence. ”I’ll take the bike to the Old Town and check on the car. I’ll
call Forensics as well. There might be some interesting finger prints we can use.” He took his sunglasses from the table, hung them on his coarse silver necklace and went toward the door.

  Yes mine, Nikki thought while biting her lip. The memories of the first days with Patrik quickly came over her and she felt nostalgic. Finally she too stood up. She had to get out before Carlos felt like bothering her again. Daphne looked inquiringly at Nikki and quietly followed her out to the parking. Nobody cared about the worked-up Chief who hissed that the meeting wasn’t finished yet.

  Daphne caught up with Sam as he was just putting on the helmet. ”We’re going to Barbro again to find out about Olof Stenvall’s calls. Do you have the call list?”

  ”Of course”, Sam said and took the folded paper out of his back pocket.

  ”I also think that Nikki and I have to visit the accountant again. Keep us updated please if you find out something important.” Daphne had to shout the last sentence to overpower the bike’s noise.

  With a sinking feeling Nikki stood under the parking’s magnificent tree, eating figs matured in the sun. The sweet flavour melted in her mouth and without wanting to she came to think of her mother’s delicious fig dessert. She hadn’t heard from Linn all day. Should she be worried? Nikki didn’t think there was any danger, after all she had been in her very best mood so far. And as she herself had said, she wanted to participate in her husband’s disappearance.

  Thursday June 13th

  Nikki fanned the notebook in front of her face but it didn’t help much since the breeze was hot. Her hair on her neck was damp despite the fact that she had tied it up on top of her head in a ponytail. She had always been fascinated by flowers and well kept gardens and the Hofvenskold family’s garden was really something above the normal. Even if she loved beautiful gardens she would never waste her life by standing with her bottom up weeding the flower beds. Life was too short for that. She’d rather stay with her face to the sun, reading a good book or looking through a magazine on cooking. While Nikki went around sniffing the different spice plants Daphne put her finger on the Hofvenskold family’s doorbell. A pleasant ringtone sounded both through the walls and outside. It took only a few seconds before the massive door was opened. Barbro stared at the two detectives with a suffering expression without saying anything.