Blue Blue Eyes: Crime Novel

by Helena Anderson

  ”What?” Nikki said sleepily holding up a finger in the air to Linn who stood in the door opening to the toilet.

  ”It’s Rick. You said to get in touch if I found out anything strange…you showed me a picture of a man you were looking for.”

  ”Patrik? Do you see Patrik?” Nikki woke up completely and every muscle in her body became tense. She almost shook. Linn also reacted and Nikki could see how she stiffened.

  ”No, no, no I don’t see Patrik. But I can hear strange sounds coming from a boat. It sounds like somebody in pain. Badly.”

  ”It’s not a love couple you’re hearing?” Nikki pressed her lips together while her thoughts went on a rampage. She saw how Linn’s eyes grew wide and she stood with one hand over her mouth before slowly sinking to the floor.

  ”I wouldn’t call that sound love. I thought that it might be Patrik, if you haven’t already found him.”

  ”No, unfortunately we haven’t found him yet”, Nikki said with the phone stuck between her ear and shoulder while fighting with the buttons of her red shorts.

  ”Are you by your boat now?”

  ”Yes”, Rick replied with a new intensity in his voice.

  ”Stay there. I’ll be with you within fifteen minutes.”Nikki hung up and stared at Linn. Could it be that Patrik was after all in the harbour area all the time without them knowing it?

  ”Has somebody found Patrik?” Linn asked choking. Her eyes were desperate and she scratched her arm nervously.

  ”I don’t know Linn.” Nikki fastened her bra and put the vest over her head. ”A guy living on a boat in the harbour called. He says he hears strange sounds from a boat close-by so I have to go and check it out.”

  ”But wait for me. It’s actually my husband.” Linn immediately ran to the bedroom and changed. She was ready in no time and already stood in the hall with her hand on the handle. ”But come on now, hurry up.”

  ”Linn you can’t come along”, Nikki tried patiently. ”It could be dangerous.”

  ”Ah, stop it. If it had been your husband you would never have stayed at home.” Nikki saw in her eyes that she had made up her mind and finally gave in. Linn was right of course.

  The lamps lit up the dark night and she saw a hedgehog crossing the street further down; A tense feeling spread in the car, like a rash which won’t stop itching. Nikki held the wheel tighter, afraid that her sweaty hands would make her lose her grip. She looked at the time and stepped on the gas since she knew they didn’t have much time. Already six days had passed since Patrik disappeared and she didn’t even want to think about what condition he might be in. If it was him that Rick had heard.

  ”Aren’t you going to call for back-up?” Linn asked nervously while twisting her wedding band.

  ”Not until I know if it’s false alarm or not”, Nikki said tensely and passed a black taxi. She couldn’t stand Carlos’ sarcasm if she called him out unnecessarily.

  ”But what happens if a dangerous situation occurs?” Linn’s eyes were wide open in the dark and Nikki felt the fear in them.

  ”I’ll take it as it comes. You stay in the car until I tell you, understand?”

  ”But…”

  ”No buts”, Nikki said seriously and Linn realized that there was no point arguing.

  It was dark outside and the only thing lighting up the night was the pale moon. The streets were almost empty, apart from a few taxis circulating around town looking for customers. By the new shopping mall Nikki turned right toward the harbour and then followed the street’s pale light. Without hesitating she continued driving on the promenade and parked next to the pier where Rick’s boat was moored. Linn was tense but managed to keep her tears at bay but Nikki could see how her whole body was trembling with worry.

  ”You stay in the car until I give you the green light, OK?” Nikki’s voice was hard and determined. ”Linn, everything will be alright. We’ll find him, I promise. Maybe not here or now but finally.” Linn’s eyes filled up with tears and she just nodded in reply. Nikki jumped out of the car and closed the door as quietly as possible. Carefully she went passed the large rosemary bushes smelling like oven-roasted vegetables. The outdoor restaurants were empty and the only thing you could hear was the loud sound of crickets. Suddenly she saw a shadow moving towards her and Nikki automatically put her hand on the gun she had in her back pocket. She knew very well that she was in big trouble for stealing the gun from the gorilla she knocked out on the Mafia’s boat, but what choice did she really have when Carlos refused to give her one.

  ”Rick?” Nikki’s voice rang out in the night despite the fact that she was whispering. The silhouette of a large man came closer and she could hear the stranger’s heavy breathing. Nikki squinted and tried to see if it was Rick but the night was too dark. A bad feeling ran through her body. She stopped abruptly and sharpened her senses. The shadow disappeared behind some palm-trees and further down in the light of the street lamp Nikki finally recognized the person. It was the gorilla from Zeus. She wouldn’t quickly forget his mean face. Nikki dashed behind some bushes and slid into invisibility.

  She tried pushing away her feelings it wouldn’t help her to be petrified right now. She was here to find Patrik. Her heart beat a little faster and she took a few deep breaths and followed the back of the gorilla when he almost ran to Money Talks. When Nikki was sure she couldn’t be seen she quickly dashed to Rick’s boat. From out of nowhere yet another shadow appeared and gripped her shoulder hard. In response Nikki automatically aimed a blow at the unknown who in turn met it without difficulties.

  ”Damn it Nikki, it’s me Rick.”

  Nikki let down her guard and heard her own heavy breathing when replying:

  ”Damn it, you never thought of saying something first. I could have hurt you.”

  Rick smiled in the dark and Nikki felt stupid.

  ”Follow me”, he whispered and turned to the pier opposite where the outdoor lightning was on. Moths and other flying insects were frantically swarming toward the light and Nikki started following Rick. The tension was vibrating in the air. She felt something soft by her leg which frightened her and she jumped to the side.

  ”Ah, that’s only Baloo, he lives here in the harbour. He’s not as dangerous as he looks.” Rick laughed quietly and bent down to pat the big brown mongrel.

  ”Ah, I’m not scared of dogs at all but I didn’t see him. I did see one of the Mafia’s boys leaving your pier just now. Do you know what he was doing there?”

  Rick turned his head and looked with surprise at Nikki. ”No not a clue. Did he see you?”

  ”I hope not, if he did I’m in deep trouble.” Nikki quickly wondered if he was the man dressed in black outside her flat but dismissed the thought as she was actually here to find Patrik.

  Rick stopped and listened. Nikki suddenly thought he looked like a ghost standing there with half his face in the shadow.

  ”Where did you hear the sound when you called?”

  ”On this pier. I took a walk out to the end of the pier when coming home from a night out with the boys.”

  They were looking out at the boats in the harbour and everything looked eerily peaceful. Although the breeze was light, some of the yachts’ sails were flapping and Nikki remembered the weeks of sailing with the Kroona family. Rick continued listening for a while on the pier and put his hands behind his ears. Nikki also stopped and listened extra carefully but couldn’t hear anything out of the ordinary at all.

  ”Do you hear anything?” Nikki whispered tensely.

  Rick shook his head and continued walking to the very end. They decided to walk back one on each side of the pier so as not to miss anything. After passing a few boats Rick suddenly stopped.

  ”Did you hear that?” Rick was all tense and put a finger across his mouth. Nikki got his look and slowly shook her head.

  ”Ssh…there it is again.”
<
br />   Nikki went up to the side of Rick and leaned so close to him that his stubble scratched her cheek. She felt that he was just as tense as she was. They stared out in the dark night and looked at every boat rocking close-by. Nervously Nikki bit her lip and felt the taste of blood in her mouth. Even though she had made up her mind to control her feelings the anguish rose in her chest like a big bloody black balloon. She thought of Linn and hoped that she was still sitting in the car with the doors locked. Then she heard the sound again.

  A very low moaning sound. Nikki stiffened. They tried following the sound but it was very weak and hard to localize. A cold shiver spread through her body and Nikki could hardly breathe. Then it came again, a slow moan. Nikki ran up to the motor boat opposite, stopped and put her hands behind her ears again. Her hair stood on end and the thought of Patrik maybe being a prisoner on a boat hurt tremendously.

  The moaning got more pronounced and Nikki didn’t hesitate for a second.

  ”Stay here and keep guard while I go onboard.” Nikki pulled one of the ropes, jumped onboard the stern and made a mental note of the boat’s name, Daniela. With her heart beating she stealthily walked up to the sliding door and touched it. Locked. With the speed of lightning she got her bunch of pick-locks up from her handbag and tried finding the one to use with the help of the moon light. Silently she put it in the lock, turned it as quietly as she could until a metallic click reached her ears.

  Silently Nikki pushed the door aside and went into the dark saloon. She stopped on the soft carpet and listened carefully. It was completely silent. The squeaky noise from her own steps made her stop suddenly. The memories from Money Talks made Nikki give priority to her own safety first. She had no idea who was onboard this boat and she’d rather not get caught again. To be sure she turned around to see if Rick was still there. She saw that Linn also stood next to him. I can’t blame her, I would have done exactly the same, Nikki thought. Then she heard the sound again. Was she hearing Patrik or was it something else playing games with her in the darkness of the night. She continued straight but soon realized that she had to use the torch on the mobile to be able to carry on. Suddenly she felt watched and frightened turned around.

  ”Damn it Rick”, Nikki mimicked with her heart in her throat. ”You almost scared me to death.” Nikki took her hand off the gun which she had hid under the vest in the front and relaxed.

  ”I didn’t mean to but I can’t let you go onboard by yourself.” Rick sounded worried and she put her index finger in front of her mouth for him to lower his voice.

  ”And Linn?” Nikki whispered.

  ”She is waiting on the pier. But I gave her my mobile so she can call if something happens.”

  Nikki wasn’t happy with Linn being by herself but left it at that. She didn’t have time to play mother hen because now it was a dangerous situation. The boat wasn’t in a good shape and Nikki thought it smelled stale. She showed Rick with her hand that she would creep down the spiral staircase and then she made a stop sign to Rick telling him to stay and keep guard. Every second step squeaked loudly and Nikki cursed herself for not being able to move more stealthily. Down below she heard the weak sound again. Her nerves were like an electrical fence and without reason she felt trapped.

  The claustrophobic feeling couldn’t have come at a worse moment and she fought back the panic she felt. After five deep breaths she opened her eyes again and it felt as if there was no oxygen. The air was stuffy and closed-in and the smell was rancid. She wrinkled up her nose while taking out the gun and continued toward the dark mahogany door straight ahead of her. She tried pushing all her fears aside and act professionally but it was easier said than done. Quickly she put her ear toward to the door and as silently as possibly pushed the handle down. Locked. With concentration she managed to put the gun back in her shorts and hoped the pick-locks wouldn’t make too much noise when she took them out again.

  Two minutes later she lowered the light on her mobile, took a deep breath before carefully opening the door. The disgusting stench was so strong she felt like vomiting. What the hell is this? Nikki though at the same time as she saw something on the floor. The memory of the dead dog in the Mafia’s boat quickly came back to her and then she heard the moaning sound again.

  She hurried to the thing on the floor and at the same time she felt the boat moving. Several strong shouts and hard hits echoed through the silent night. Damn it. She lost her balance and Nikki hoped that Rick really had it all under control. The moment she activated the lamp on her mobile she recognized the green shorts. He was almost unrecognizable but she knew that it was Patrik. She immediately put her fingers on his pulse, noticed a weak pulse and called for the ambulance.

  What the hell have you been through? Nikki carefully put him on his side. She couldn’t help him lying in a pool which smelled so bad she could hardly cope with it.

  ”Patrik it’s me, Nikki”, she whispered while keeping an eye on his pulse. ”You’ll see we’ll make this together. You will be fine, I know that because you have always been a fighter.” Nikki saw Patrik’s eyelids flutter but then he lost consciousness again. ”Damn it don’t give up. Stay with me.” Nikki found the mobile and put the headphone in her ear. Then she called Daphne and told her about the night’s adventures. She promised to come immediately together with Sam. Patrik started moaning and Nikki continued repeating that he should stay with her. ”Patrik, help is coming and you are finally safe.” Nikki tried encouraging him to stay awake but he slowly lapsed back into unconsciousness again where there was no pain. Even though he didn’t reply Nikki continued talking to him. A head quickly appeared round the door and Nikki looked up.

  ”Patrik?”

  ”Yes”, she replied and felt everything let go. Rick switched on one of the ceiling lights and then squatted and held Nikki while she kept one hand on Patrik’s pulse. Nikki leaned against Rick’s shoulder and released all her worry and anguish. . She cried violently and Rick tried comforting her as well as he could. After ten eternal minutes they could finally hear the sirens getting closer.

  ”I’ll run up and guide the ambulance”, Rick said. He had a feeling that it was urgent. Really urgent.

  Nikki sat on the pier completely drained and dangled her legs towards the water. Rick was sitting next to her with his arm around her cold shoulders. Although the morning air was warm she felt cold. The picture of Patrik was glued to her retina and she couldn’t stop crying.

  ”Thank you, thank you for calling last night”, she sniffed. She had never dreamed finding Patrik so terribly abused.

  Rick searched for Nikki’s gaze and looked worriedly at her.

  ”Will you really manage this? Is there anybody you want me to call?” He noticed that she seemed lost when she looked up. Nikki shrugged and took a deep breath. Her head was swarming with so many different emotions she didn’t know her way out. She was surprised since she really should be upset, sad or angry but she only felt an uncomfortable feeling in her body. Who the hell had abused Patrik in such a cruel way? Nikki wasn’t quite clear about whom the offender might be but once he was captured, then all hell would break loose.

  ”Do you know who has done this to him?” Rick said with a kind expression on his face which couldn’t be interpreted as other than him being honest and very sad.

  Nikki wasn’t sure, she felt divided. But when she thought of the accountant her hair stood straight up.

  ”I have my suspicions...and I promise that he’ll pay.” Her voice was ice cold and her eyes full of hatred. ”Ah, I really feel sorry for Linn.” Nikki bent over with her elbows on her knees and put her face in her hands. Her eyes were overflowing and big tears streamed down her cheeks.

  ”It was good she could follow in the ambulance at least. Poor soul, she was absolutely shocked”, Rick said with clenched teeth. He felt lost and didn’t know if he should keep on talking or keep quiet. He decided on the latter.

  N
ikki looked up and out over the water. The moon was mirrored on the surface and she could almost make out a lighter sky.

  ”With good reason. I can’t even imagine how she must feel now.” Nikki paused and at the same time she realized how quiet it was. No sirens or loud crickets, there was only a sad silence sweeping in over the harbour.

  Rick frowned. ”It’s good that they gave her something to calm down.”

  ”Yeah”, Nikki agreed and quickly pushed the fringe away from Rick’s eyes. She gave him a hug and then turned toward the sea again.

  ”Thanks for getting in touch, I know that I’m repeating it but it’s thanks to you that we found him.”

  Suddenly Nikki heard the well-known sound of a lighter, worriedly turned around and saw Carlos with a cigarette between his lips. But where the hell is Daphne? Don’t tell me this bloody idiot came by himself? With shaking legs she stood up and didn’t care a bit that her face was swollen from crying.

  ”So here you are standing there, looking like hell.” Carlos’ eyes were black with fury. ”What the hell have you done now? Don’t think that I will clean up after you if you’re in trouble, that’s up to you. And couldn’t you have chosen a better time? Do I have to be out running around in the middle of the night when we’re supposed to be sleeping?” Carlos’ ice-cold look made Nikki feel sick. Without a doubt he was sick and a danger to everyone involved with him. The tears were burning behind her eyelids but she was fighting against them and felt at that very same moment a flaming anger growing stronger inside of her. But she didn’t have time to open her mouth before Rick was by her side.

  ”And who the hell do you think you are, ha? Coming here, accusing Nikki of this and that when in actual fact she’s the heroine of the night.”

  ”Get one thing straight, young man, there are no heroines. There have never been any and there will never be any in the future either. Never, ever.” Carlos inhaled the smoke deeply and carelessly blew it out toward Nikki and Rick.

  Rick backed off and thought that he hadn’t heard right.