Blue Blue Eyes: Crime Novel

by Helena Anderson

  ”It’s the same here in Tel Aviv so I’m staying indoors. Now I’m going to a meeting but as soon as I have more information about the gentlemen’s mobiles I’ll be in touch.”

  ”Thank you David. I really mean it. Speak to you later”, Nikki concluded and hung up. She waived the mobile in her hand and felt warm at heart. David really was somebody you could trust. Stable and secure like few others. Nikki was more than grateful that in addition he was intelligent and had access to the most incredible systems at his work. He had saved many investigations when she got stuck. Her thoughts were interrupted by a beep from the mobile and Nikki curiously opened the message.

  ”Just wanted to tell you that you are more beautiful than ever. Yours David.”

  With the sun shining in their eyes Daphne and Nikki drove through the Old town and continued to the harbour. They were enjoying the cool air inside the police car and didn’t ever want to step out into reality again. It was four o’clock and Nikki hoped that Linn’s day at the harbour had been fine. She took it for granted that her friend didn’t have any revolutionary news since her mobile had been quiet the whole day. Nikki was just about going to dial Linn’s number when she saw her boss’ serious picture on the display. She answered curiously and put the headset in one of her ears.

  ”Goran has checked out who inherits Karl Hofvenskold and there is nothing strange in the will”, she said with a stressed voice. ”Barbro and the children inherit, just as it should be.”

  ”Good, then we can exclude that from the investigation”, Nikki replied. ”I just have such a problem imagining who would want to see Karl Hofvenskold dead. I wonder what kind of maniac he has encountered?”

  ”Yes, well we are all wondering that”, Kerstin answered pensively. She paused as if she was thinking of how bizarre the situation of Karl Hofvenskold being murdered actually was. ”By the way, while I still remember. I had a surprising fax from the Chief of Police in Coral Bay.”

  Nikki sighed deeply. ”Sorry, but before starting with the sermon you’d better know he’s a bastard.”

  Kerstin laughed heartily in the phone. ”He wrote that you are destroying the ongoing investigation and that I should send somebody else down immediately. He insisted that it should be a man. What actually happened?”

  Nikki told her about the evening in the harbour. She also explained everything else going on around the mad Spaniard and didn’t spare any negative superlatives.

  Hogstrom laughed loudly and heartily. ”That explains quite a lot. I was surprised and had to read the fax several times before realizing that the man must be mad. Carlos kept on calling me Mr. Hogstrom and wrote a lot of nonsense about us men sticking together and that female police didn’t have any place in the force. But he didn’t mention a word about you beating him up.”

  ”No, wouldn’t think so. I embarrassed him really badly you understand. A woman beating up a male chauvinist like the Chief…he would never admit to that. You should see his bruises.”

  ”Don’t worry, I’ll take care of Carlos”, Kerstin said in between laughing. ”Continue as usual and I’ll take care of any consequences.” Nikki updated her boss about the visits to Barbro Hofvenskold and Petros Christou before smilingly hanging up.

  Fifteen minutes later the two detectives entered the Mafia’s restaurant in Pafos harbour. Thanks to the heat the bar was quiet. A few regulars were having large glasses of ale and talking about the problems in the real estate market. Daphne nodded at Nikki who went up to the bar and asked for Oleg. The young waitress, who was too thin and made up and had a too deep neckline, showed them upstairs. In the corner of the upper floor two muscular men in tight suits were sitting. Nikki and Daphne showed their police credentials and then sat down opposite them.

  ”So ladies, how can we be of service?” Vladimir said and touched his enormous wart to the right of his nose.

  ”We don’t have to beat around the bush since we know about your business”, Daphne said straight out and pulled the chair closer to the table. ”We were just wondering if you knew a Sten Arvidsson? He had his boat here in the harbour.” She nodded toward the window facing the piers. Vladimir and Oleg looked at each other long and remained quiet for a while.

  ”You mean the Swedish old man?” Vladimir said in surprise. ”Him with the white and green motorboat?”

  ”Yes, unless there are any more Swedes with that kind of boat down in the harbour.” She calmly waited for his reply while studying both of the men. They looked really mean and Nikki didn’t want to get on the wrong side of them.

  ”Knowing and knowing”, Vladimir continued without looking at her. ”He’s a little jerk who provides weapons to the rebels in Syria. That’s the only thing we know about him.”

  Daphne and Nikki nodded at each-other in confirmation. ”You didn’t feel he was a threat when it came to selling weapons…?”

  Vladimir laughed out loud. ”That little sparrow is no competitor if that’s what you think.”

  ”Why not?” Daphne shook her head at the waitress who asked if they wanted to order anything and then turned her attention to Vladimir again.

  ”Young lady, that little old man doesn’t sell great quantities you see. So we let him continue since we knew about his aim.”

  ”Which is?” Daphne pretended to be stupid and set up an innocent face.

  ”Haven’t you heard that Sten’s wife was killed by the government troops in Syria a couple of years ago? That’s why he is supplying the opposite team with weapons. Revenge sweetheart. We are talking about revenge.” Vladimir lit a cigarette and put the pack back in the front pocket of his shirt.

  ”Oh, shit.” Daphne pushed her chin out while a few pieces of puzzle fell into place. ”Now this weapon smuggler has been found murdered. I wondered if you know anything about that?”

  ”Dead? Shit, is the Swede dead?” Vladimir scratched his chest and shook his head. ”No, damn it. We had no idea.” He sat quietly with his head leaning in one of his hands and Daphne could see how he was thinking. ”Who the hell will take revenge for his wife’s death now?”

  Yeah, that’s a good question, Daphne thought and glanced at Nikki. Or he’s already got his revenge. ”When did you see him last?” Vladimir shrugged. ”About a week ago or so.”

  ”Have you seen this man by any chance?” Daphne gave Vladimir and Oleg a picture each of Patrik.

  ”No, should I know who it is?” Vladimir casually raised his hand to one of the well-built waitresses to motion for a refill.

  ”I don’t know”, Daphne said without moving her gaze a millimetre. But she didn’t see any change or shadow passing over Vladimir’s face. She tried another track. ”Do you know another Swede by the name of Karl Hofvenskold?”

  ”What is this? A cross examination? No, we don’t know any Karl Hofv...something”, Vladimir answered irritated and took a frappé from the red haired waitress.

  ”Karl Hofvenskold’s car was found in the harbour last Monday and we also have proof that Patrik Kroona has been around here or at least his mobile has. And then it’s not so strange if we think of you guys. I mean, maybe you had something against these gentlemen?”

  ”You’re speaking in the past tense.” Vladimir carelessly put the straw in his mouth and looked inquiringly at Daphne. ”Are Patrik and Karl also gone?”

  ”Yes, all three are gone but Patrik could still be alive if we find him in time. You didn’t have any business with these gentlemen?”

  Vladimir laughed hard. ”No, we knew who Sten Arvidsson was and it’s tragic that he has passed on. But the other two we unfortunately never got the chance to meet.” Vladimir smiled sarcastically and put the glass down on the lacquered table.

  This wasn’t exactly the information the detectives had expected. They were stupid enough to think that the Mafia had something to do with the murders or Patrik’s disappearance.

  ”OK, then I have one last questi
on. What were you doing on these dates and times?” Daphne listed the times of the murders and leaned back in the white armchair. It was way more comfortable than the hard chair in Petros’ office.

  Vladimir smirked. ”My dear detective…Daphne”, he read on the name tag on the light blue blouse. ”It doesn’t matter what we were doing on these dates because we can always get an alibi. If we had wanted to get rid of these gentlemen it would have been very easy for us. But now we haven’t done that and you and your little chicken colleague just have to take my word for it.”

  Daphne sighed out loud. ”But if you say you’re innocent maybe you could tell us what you were doing on these dates?”

  ”Are you daft or what? We didn’t have anything to do with those murders. But if you don’t stop being so bloody cheeky maybe your boss will have another murder to solve.”

  Daphne gave in and the said thank you. She took a quick trip to the Ladies while Nikki continued down the stairs. A pleasant scent of garlic filled Nikki’s nostrils the closer she got to the entrance and she supposed the kitchen was somewhere around there. At the same moment as she picked up the mobile from her handbag she saw a very familiar face. She did all she could to hide her identity but knew it was in vain.

  ”Hey you”, she heard the man shout. Nikki ignored the call and was just about to open the door when she felt somebody taking hold of her from behind.

  ”You little rat, don’t think I’ve forgotten you.” The man hissed the words in her ear and pulled her arms harder behind her back. ”How the hell did you manage to escape from Money Talks?”

  Nikki couldn’t say a word while the man asked the question again. Now the guard from the yacht put a knee in her back and Nikki panted with pain. Her heart was beating hard but she wasn’t afraid. She just felt surprised. If she wanted to she could take him down any time but she didn’t want to create another situations.

  ”Answer me!” The gorilla shouted irately.

  Nikki opened her mouth and was just going to start shifting the blame when she saw a shadow in the corner of her eye.

  ”Let go!” Daphne shouted loudly and put her hand on her gun. ”I’ll fire the weapon if you don’t let go now!”

  The Money Talks’ guard eased his hold and turned around.

  ”Violence against an official will put you behind bars you bastard!” Daphne continued shouting. She still had her hand on her service gun and stared at the grotesque man.

  ”Official? That little whore?” The man laughed viciously and looked at Nikki. ”Be really careful. Next time you’ll be mine and then you’ll not have anybody backing you up.” He let go of Nikki and gave her a poisonous look before he started walking up the stairs.

  Oleg and Vladimir who had run halfway down the stairs were like two question-marks, looking at the scene.

  ”Did you get out of bed on the wrong side of the bed?” Oleg asked the guard.

  ”It was that little whore sneaking around our yacht the other night. Believe it or not but she beat up both me and Antonov.”

  ”There was a bloody cop onboard our boat?” Nikki heard it at the same time as Daphne hurried to open the door.

  Once out on the harbour area again the detectives sat down in the shade at an outdoor cafe’ far away from Zeus. They both ordered a freshly pressed juice and a bottle of water.

  ”What was that all about? Who was that giant anyway?” Daphne opened the bottle and filled their glasses to the rim. Carefully Nikki swallowed some water and then rinsed her parched mouth.

  ”What he said was correct”, Nikki said clearing her throat. ”To make the story short, I also beat up a guard on Money Talks. Of course it was self-defence.” She put her hands out in front of her and looked in shame at Daphne.

  ”You’re bloody mad, do you know that?” Daphne looked in amazement at her colleague and could hardly believe what she heard.

  ”Yes, yes you’ve told me that a number of times now. It’s nothing special but I had to defend myself.”

  ”Do you want to have the Mafia looking for you now too?” Daphne continued and didn’t know if she should laugh or cry.

  ”Take it easy, they don’t care a shit about me.” Nikki was hoping she was right but deep down she was not too sure. She knew what the Mafia could do and didn’t feel like getting under their scrutiny. But maybe that was already too late.

  On the way to the parking lot Daphne and Nikki passed a number of outdoor places beginning to fill up with the passing tourists. The aromas made them want to eat even although they weren’t hungry. A hysterical scream of a woman made them both react quickly. While turning around and beginning to run toward the noise they saw how Linn threw a wineglass at wildly gesticulating waiter. The glass crushed against the tarmac while the waiter hid behind the bar counter with both of his hands over his head. Nikki probably beat her own record when she ran zigzag and passed all the lightly clad tourists. She didn’t stop until she was standing panting opposite her childhood friend.

  ”Arrest him Nikki. Tell him you’re a bloody cop.” Linn was slurring and couldn’t talk coherently. ”He refuses to take my order although I can pay.”

  Nikki looked apologetically at the waiter and asked for the bill. When she had paid for two bottles of rose’ Nikki and Daphne took Linn in between them and dragged her to the police car. Linn immediately fell asleep in the back and snored loudly all the way to where Nikki was renting her house. Once inside the flat Nikki thanked her colleague for her help and once again put her friend to bed. Tired she had a look at the kitchen clock, noticed it was only a quarter to six and suddenly knew she would have a peaceful evening at home by herself. Nikki pulled her dress over her head and lay back on the lounge chair on the balcony with only her underwear on. She looked out over the sea while her thoughts were rolled around Linn and the alcohol. Did she need to keep an eye on her friend every minute from now on? The situation had really got out of hand. A roaring noise under the balcony interrupted her thoughts. Curiously she looked out over the fence and met a searching look from a person dressed in black on a motorbike. Nikki sank back in the lounge chair and fell asleep for a while, but woke up after a short while as she felt cold. Feeling chilly she pulled the sarong around her body and went inside again but when she turned around and looked out she became apprehensive.

  ”What the hell, is he still here?” Her pulse increased slightly when she saw the mc-guy with black clothes standing in the same place as before, still looking intently up at her balcony. Had the Mafia already fulfilled their threat? She tried seeing if the motorcycle had any registration plates but she couldn’t see any as it was parked the wrong way round, otherwise she could have looked up the number in the police records to see who owned it. Maybe the Mafia wants me after all. Nikki got goose-bumps just thinking about it. First she called Charlie to take her mind off the man down below her balcony and then she called David on Skype. When she saw his firm smile she suddenly longed for him.

  ”David”, Nikki almost whispered his name and felt warm inside as she looked at him. ”Can’t we meet? It’s been ages….” David’s eyes shone when she asked and he nodded his agreement.

  ”Come over to Tel Aviv when you’re done in Cyprus. There is a direct flight which takes less than an hour.”

  Nikki felt tempted and felt excitement in her stomach. ”I’ll think about it but you know that I have my children waiting for me at home. In addition Axel is by himself.

  David smiled and showed a perfect row of teeth. ”He’s 20. If you return home three days later his world won’t collapse. You don’t think he’s sitting at home longing for you?”

  ”Yes”, Nikki said and laughed out loud. ”Please, let me save that picture before you say anything else.”

  ”You are too sweet and naïve.” David sent her a kiss over the net before changing the subject. ”Speaking about other things, sweetie. I’ve just finished with Olof’s mobile but unfortunat
ely I didn’t find anything in particular.”

  ”Nothing?” Nikki asked disappointed and felt deflated.

  ”No, nothing. He’s been moving between a few 3G masts in Kathikas the last 24 hours and sent a few messages, that’s all.”

  ”Damn it. He works and lives in Kathikas so it’s not strange that you found him there.”

  ”He doesn’t seem to be a bad guy exactly. I got the impression that you don’t like him.”

  ”What do you mean?” Nikki crossed her legs and looked at the shimmering sea but was disturbed by the fact that she felt watched.

  ”He sends romantic messages all day long to his wife.”

  ”He does?” Now Nikki was surprised and raised her eye-brows.

  ”I didn’t get that impression of him.” She scratched her head and felt that this information wasn’t correct.

  ”Yes, it’s Barbro this and Barbro that. He seems to have just fallen in love”, David said convincingly.

  ”Hang on a minute, did you really say Barbro?” Nikki kept quiet and covered her mouth with her hand when she realized the situation. ”Olof’s wife is definitely not Barbro, just so you know it. Barbro is the widow of one the murdered guys.”

  Friday June 14th

  The night sky met with the sea along the dark horizon. The pale moon moved in the starry heavens and from the mountains you could hear some dogs howling. From a deep and dreamless sleep Nikki suddenly woke up within seconds. Abruptly she sat up in the bed and wondered what woke her up when she heard the sound again. The bed shook when she quietly rolled out of it with the sheet around her. Then she continued stealthily into the living room where the sound came from. Her mobile was lying on the edge of the sofa , blinking and playing Coldplays’ ”A sky full of stars” while there was a roaring loudly in the mountains. Thunder, Nikki thought tiredly and answered her mobile.

  ”Sorry for the late hour” a voice whispered. ” But I can hear very strange sounds from a boat here in the harbour.”