“Well, I wanted to set up something special for Henrik’s birthday—”
“His birthday?!”
“Yes, his birthday.”
Lea sat back with a slump. It certainly wasn’t the kind of secret rendezvous between Stig and Kenneth that she had concocted in her head. But then why was Henrik handing over money—
“…round one.” Kenneth peered at her. “Are you listening, Lea?”
Henrik is round, portly… Lea looked puzzled.
“His birthday, Lea! It’s a ‘round’ one. A milestone.”
“Oh, yes, of course, right.” She lifted up her wine glass.
Kenneth sipped and continued. “He’ll be fifty.”
“Fifty?!” She managed not to spit out her wine. More like fifty-five or sixty! Though any tangible proof, like Henrik’s birth certificate, had probably been burnt many moons ago.
Kenneth held his glass in mid-air and fixed her with his eyes. “Yes, Lea. Fifty.”
“Oh, yes, of course. Fifty it is then.” She sneaked a look at Daniel who seemed to be in Karsten’s comedy clutches. She was sure she wasn’t imagining it – Daniel definitely seemed to be interested. Something in the way he looked at her. Or didn’t look at her. But what about Mads, Lea? Mads Sørensen could go take a hike! And take his stupid bunch of petrol station flowers with him. Daniel gave me his card, now where exactly did I put it?
“Is he watching me?”
“Who?”
“Commander Bro?!”
“Oh, no, you’re fine. I was just checking. Go on…”
“I thought it would be fun to throw Henrik a huge surprise party.”
“Uh huh.” Lea couldn’t help thinking that the very idea of Henrik turning 50 would be a surprise for the whole village. You can see he’s dyeing his hair a mile off… “But where does Stig come in?”
“He said he’d fix it with Karsten that we’d have a little party here right after the Moonlight Bathe.”
“So that’s why you were handing him a lot of cash, then?”
“How do you know about that?” Kenneth shot another glance at Daniel, but was relieved to see that he was happily downing his first plate of skibberlabskovs.
“I was in the ladies toilets and, erm, happened to see you.”
“What? Does anyone else know? Who have you told?”
“Relax, Kenneth! Not a soul.” Bent doesn’t count, does he? “But then Karsten must know? And Lisbeth and Johnny and—”
“No. You’re the only one. Stig was going to speak to Karsten about the party on Friday morning, before Johnny and the others arrived. It was to be top secret.”
“But why all the money?” She believed Kenneth and it sounded plausible, it really did. (Just not the ‘Henrik turns fifty’ part.) But weren’t murderers always described by their neighbours as being “a really nice bloke, never had any trouble from him, kept himself to himself”? Lea wanted to be sure.
“Well, I gave Stig the money, because he was going to be ordering the hors d’oeuvres for the party. They’re coming from that wonderful Spanish tapas bar in the city. Mi casa, su casa. Do you know it? Lovely little place. Rustic. They do the most wonderful albóndigas and Henrik is just crazy about their spicy mejillones and patatas bravas—”
Lea speared a piece of cheese from the platter in front of them. “So have you told Commander Bro?”
“Have you gone mad, Lea? Of course not! If he finds out, he’ll put two and two together and get five!”
Lea wasn’t so sure, to her Commander Bro looked pretty competent. And he had such a thick head of hair. She grabbed another piece of bread. “According to what I read, when they found Stig, all he had on him was his wallet. No keys, no phone. And the wallet was empty. Bank cards but no mention of cash—”
“I know, Lea! I read the same thing in Kystbladet.”
“So whoever killed Stig must have pocketed all that money?”
Kenneth nodded. He was sad about losing the money, but was prepared to sacrifice the loss in exchange for being kept out of police enquiries and having desk lamps shone in his face.
Johnny popped up from nowhere and beamed. “More bread! And another glass for you Kenneth. Karsten says this one’s on the house.”
“Oh, I say, that’s very kind.” Kenneth raised his glass and waved over at Karsten.
“You’re looking very dapper, Johnny. Hot date tonight?”
Johnny spied Karin coming in through the side door of the Kro and winked. “Maybe I have and maybe I haven’t, Lea.”
Lea turned around and followed his gaze. “Karin?”
“Sssh! Keep your voice down – and stop looking, will you?” Johnny was hopping from one foot to the other and trying to smooth down his hair, with little success despite his best efforts.
“Is Karin here to meet you?” Lea was astonished to see Karin out and about. Never mind out on a ‘hot date’ with Johnny.
“I’ve been round to see her a few times. Told her that I’m here for her.”
“Well, I never saw that coming. Good for you, Johnny! Go to her!” Kenneth was lying through his teeth. He didn’t see any future for Johnny and Karin as a pair. Stig had been Karin’s soul mate and he couldn’t see any man – least of all Johnny – fulfilling that role. Whether platonic or romantic. But Kenneth was pleased to see Karin come out of hiding. And pleased about this unexpected diversion that would surely remove Johnny from their immediate vicinity.
Johnny preened himself, his confidence rising by the second. “Well, Lea, I’m just like your Mads. I like to keep them guessing—”
Lea, lacking Kenneth’s intake of alcohol and apparent benevolence, was beginning to see red. “Johnny, for the last time, he is not ‘my Mads’!”
Johnny nodded over towards the door. “Oh really? Talk of the devil and he’s sure to appear!” Lea turned around in her seat and craned her neck. Mads was standing in the doorway, waving over at them. Oh please God, not again!
“If it ain’t lover boy now!”
CHAPTER 36
Karin stood on the mat, stamped her feet and tried to get the feeling back into her toes. She pulled back the furry hood of her purple goose-down coat and shook her hair loose, taking a furtive look behind her, but there was no-one there. All the noise was coming from within. She pulled off her thermal gloves and gave her hair a quick fluff up with her fingers. The ends of her hair were still slightly damp: she really should have used the hairdryer after her shower. She took one last deep breath and opened the door of the Kro. And was almost caught off guard by an unexpected blast of dry heat coming from the little fan above the doorway.
Karsten looked up and smiled as she walked in. She hesitated for a moment, but decided that she really didn’t want to sit right there at the bar. First off, she knew his jokes too well and secondly, she’d much rather be on her own. To be honest, she would much rather be on her own at home.
Karin looked around the room, trying not to focus on anyone in particular. Damn, he wasn’t here yet. She resisted the urge to look at her watch and decided to cut her losses and sit down at the first free table, one of the tables closest to the bar. It had been such a long time since she had been at Strandhøj. She thought about the last time she had been in here just a couple of weeks ago. It had been with Stig, of course. Come to think of it, had she ever been in the Kro without him? This is where they came under-age drinking together. Where they had been on their first real date together. And for the past ten years (or was it twenty?), she had been sitting at the bar alongside him, or watching him work on the other side of it. Her stomach somersaulted. Yet here she was. Standing at a table. Meeting someone else. It all felt…wrong.
She felt so guilty. Everyone from Strandvig had been so kind after what had happened, everyone had rallied round. But the attention had almost been too much, too intrusive. Karin looked after others: they weren’t supposed to look after her. She struggled to pull the chair out from under the table and was convinced that every eye in the Kro was watching he
r every, awkward move.
She sat down and moved the candles and vase into the very centre of the table. Then did the same with the salt and pepper mills, lining them up neatly. Took off her purple coat, folded her tartan scarf very carefully, paired her gloves together and placed them inside her handbag. All those years working with toddlers had resulted in an instinctive habit of putting things away when they were no longer in use. A place for everything and everything in its place. And here, on her own, she felt very much out of place. She checked her watch and tried to slow down her breathing, keeping her thermal winter boots very firmly on the floor. She had just finally made the decision to stand up and go over to the bar and order a drink when Johnny and Mads appeared before her simultaneously, as if by magic.
Johnny was grinning like a Cheshire cat and standing to attention like the proverbial soldier. If it hadn’t been so noisy in the Kro, you could have heard the clicking of his heels. “Hi, beautiful! Well, well, well – and here was me thinking you were trying to avoid me! Let me just serve a couple of customers and then I’m all yours. Now, lovely lady, what can I get you? A gin and tonic, that’s your usual, isn’t—”
Mads took off his black leather jacket, threw it down on the chair next to Karin, bent over and gave her a big peck on the cheek. “Hi Karin! So sorry I’m late.”
Karin didn’t get the chance to get a single word out.
Johnny leaned back and held his tray in front of him, like a shield. “Are you here with Mads?”
“Oh, erm. Mads thought it would be good for me to get out. You know, after what happened…”
“Oh, right.” For once, Johnny was lost for an answer. “I see.”
Mads smiled and rubbed Karin’s arm. “Can’t have Karin sitting all alone at home, can we now Johnny? Stig wouldn’t have wanted that.”
“No. No, we can’t. I told her the same thing myself.” He looked at Karin. “Didn’t I Karin?”
Karin felt the urge to bolt straight for home, back to the safety of the four walls and silence of her flat. She made a move to stand up. “I was just about to order at the bar—”
Mads stopped her. “Just you sit tight. I’ll get this – tonight is my treat.” He looked up at Johnny. “You’ll sort us out, won’t you, Johnny? Bottle of white wine and two glasses, please. Oh, and make sure it’s really well chilled will you?”
Johnny looked from Mads to Karin, who was rooted to her chair, sick with shame. “Thanks ever so much, Johnny. That’s really sweet of you. You were always such a big help to Stig. Always keen to lend a hand.”
Johnny turned on his heels and went through the swing door into the kitchen, tray hanging down by his side.
CHAPTER 37
Lea sat straight in her chair, eyes firmly planted on Kenneth, who was caressing his glass of Amarone.
“Lea, don’t pay any attention to Johnny. But look, you can tell me. Is there anything going on between you and Mads?”
“God, Kenneth, I’m so confused! You know very well that I don’t want to get involved with Mads. You saw what happened last time. It wasn’t pretty.”
“God, yes. But? I know there’s a ‘but’ coming...!”
Lea closed her eyes. “But there’s just something about Mads that I can’t shake off. Last Thursday night, the night Stig was killed, I almost ended up—”
But Kenneth wasn’t listening, he was too busy looking behind Lea’s head. Eyes almost popping out of his own head.
“Oh, Kenneth, what is it now? Is it Commander Bro again? Because, to be honest, I think he’s actually looking at me not you. Another one who’s been sending me mixed messages.” She laughed. “How absurd. Mads and Daniel Bro. No buses for years and then two come along at the same time! Skål!”
Kenneth wasn’t laughing. Or drinking. “Lea, I think you had better look for yourself. Karin isn’t here for a hot date with our Johnny. She’s here with Mads.”
CHAPTER 38
Karsten caught her as she was leaving. “Hey Lea, do you know where Mads is?”
“How would I know? Why don’t you ask Karin?” What is up with everyone tonight?
“No need to bite my nose off, love! Talking of noses—”
“Goodnight, Karsten!” She tried her best to slam the door behind her but, as it was a self-closing swing hinge, the effect was rather less dramatic than she had hoped.
Karsten looked back at the others sitting at the bar. He really didn’t care who his audience was – just as long as he had one. And Daniel, who had also watched Lea leave, still had his head up and appeared to be listening. “So, talking of noses… Do you know why the people of Aarhus have such big noses?”
Daniel pushed the empty plate away from him. He was feeling mellow after the skibberlabskovs. Relaxed and beginning to quite enjoy himself. “Erm, I’m not sure—”
“Because they have such big fingers! Ho ho, I thought a bright policeman like you would have figured that one out!”
Mads appeared at the bar, jacket in hand. “Did Lea leave?”
“There you are, Mads! Yeah, seconds ago. In a right mood—”
“Thanks!” Mads dashed towards the exit.
“Hey, come back! I need to talk to you about the Moonlight Bathe!”
Daniel looked on attentively. He finished his beer and patted the back of his hair. “So tell me, Karsten. What’s going on with that pair?”
Karsten looked towards the door. “Mads and Lea, you mean? Oh, they’re old friends.”
Daniel looked at him inquiringly. “Just old friends?”
“Well here’s the thing, Commander,” said Karsten, leaning in and winking, “between you and me, I really don’t think they quite know themselves…”
CHAPTER 39
Mads ran to catch up with Lea, who was hotfooting it over to her bike. “Hey, Lea! Wait up! How about a nightcap, I’ve got a bottle of white wine in the fridge.”
Lea stopped, dumbfounded. “Are you serious?”
He reached out to put his arms around her, “With you, Lea, I’m always serious.”
“And Karin?”
“Karin? Karin’s a good friend.” He laughed. “Oh, Lea, surely you don’t think me and Karin..?”
Lea didn’t know what to believe, she was hurt and annoyed. She shook him off. “Mads, I went to the Kayak Club and you weren’t there.”
“What?”
“The night Stig died.”
“What are you on about?”
“You invited me round, remember? For a glass of chilled white wine, you said. ‘You know where to find me, Lea. Day or night, Lea’”, she added, imitating him. “So I came by. And you know what, I rang the doorbell and you weren’t there.”
“Yes, I was.”
“No, you weren’t!” By now she was angry. “Do you want to tell me where you really were that night? Because I can go right back into the bar and speak to my good friend, Commander Bro.” Now she had his attention. “And he can take you down to the station for questioning!” she added childishly.
He backed away and shrugged, “Well, I must have gone to bed and didn’t hear it.”
Lea gave up. “Mads, you know what? I don’t care. No more stupid flowers. Just leave me alone from now on. Okay?”
CHAPTER 40
Lea turned down the radio and answered her phone.
“Godmorgen, Lea Mus!”
Why on earth was Bent calling her this early? “Godmorgen, Bent! What’s up? I’m just on my way to the Vikings now—”
“I thought you would want to know.” Bent sounded worried. “The police have taken Mads in for questioning.”
CHAPTER 40
Bent and Lea sat in the sauna. Lea had been in the water three times in a row in an attempt to calm her galloping brain, but it hadn’t had the desired effect. She felt like an overwound clock. “But, Bent, why on earth would the police suspect Mads?”
“Seems they got an anonymous tip.”
“How do you know that?”
“Do you know Mrs Meyer?”
“Oh, I didn’t hear it from her, Lea Mus. I heard it from one of her friends.” He winked.
“Okay, no names then. But Mads? He can’t be involved!”
“I don’t like it either, Lea Mus. But look at it from the point of view of the police. Mads seems to be the last one to have seen Stig on Thursday night.”
“I know. But that doesn’t mean he killed him. They were friends. It just doesn’t make sense!”
“All I know is that Mads has been taken in to the local station.” He looked dejected. “Mads is a good lad. I’m sure he has nothing to fear. You’ll see.”
Lea rubbed her forehead with her towel. She felt sick to the bottom of her stomach.
CHAPTER 41
Lea had just left her office and was rooting around in her bag for her bike keys and lights when she saw Mads speeding towards her across the council car park. Her heart began to race. What should have been a very productive, long day (the council was open until 6 pm on Thursdays), had instead turned into a marathon session of frantic texts from Kenneth, misspelled (and incomplete) messages from Bent and – worst of all – yet another cupcake reminder from Holy Helle. And now here he was, the man of the moment. Should she be relieved or afraid?
“I was down at the station today, at the invitation of your…” Mads stopped and changed track. “At the invitation of Daniel Bro.”
Lea looked up at him. “Mads, I swear to you, I had nothing to do—”
“It’s okay, I know you didn’t. I just… I just wanted to come and tell you first, because I know the whole town must be talking about me. I’m sorry, Lea. I’m really sorry for all this…mess.”
Lea desperately tried to appear calm, but all she wanted to do was apologise to him, flinging herself straight into his arms. Why did Mads still have this effect on her? “So what happened? Why did they take you in?”
Death Comes to Strandvig Page 11