I smelt the pollution, thought about the rainforests, the kookaburras, and the endless stars at night over my house in Australia, and suddenly felt homesick. The tranquility, the peacefulness that I had experienced there I would never find anywhere else. That was my home, my life. It seemed to be a lifetime ago since I had lived here.
At the flower shop on the corner, I bought a bunch of white carnations and walked slowly through the cemetery until I arrived at my parent’s grave. I stood motionless in front of the tombstone for several minutes, “Elisabeth and Wilhelm Young” engraved on the black and white marble. “You will always be in our hearts.”
I felt tears welling up in my eyes and running down my cheeks. What a short life they had. They died so young. The whole world was open for them. Why did they have to die, leaving two little children behind? They would never see their first grandchild. I placed the flowers in the vase and cried silently.
The driver had a seizure and lost control of the vehicle. I left the cemetery and took the tram back to the city, walking faster so as not to feel the cold as much.
I saw the Hohenzollern Bridge, close by the cathedral and the Opera house. In the background, church bells rang. Cologne was the city of churches.
I stopped at the Opera coffee house with its magnificent view over the Rhein River and watched the passenger ferries carrying people for scenic rides up and down the river. A young couple bought tickets at the boat kiosk. The woman looked at the man and kissed him.
My heart sank. How would I ever be able to forget the time I had with Jules?
The sun was warming up. I sat down at one of the free outside tables and ordered a cappuccino with Black Forest Cake. My stomach groaned, making an ugly noise. Breakfast seemed a lifetime ago. I did not know what the time was and the thought of calling Monika crossed my mind. I forgot to take her phone number and told myself she would understand when I explained why I did not call her.
Five minutes later the young waiter came back with my order. “What a lovely day it is,” she said in a friendly way and placed my order in front of me. She glanced at my light clothing.
“Aren’t you cold?”
I felt embarrassed.
“I am not used to this weather yet. I have just arrived from Australia.”
“Oh, Australia,” she called out. “Is it true a lot of goodlooking men are living there?”
She looked at me as if she was waiting for someone to come along to sweep her off her feet.
“I don’t really know,” I answered. “I guess so.”
“One day I’ll go to Australia, when I’ve saved up enough money. Are you here on holidays?”
“Not really, my brother is getting married.”
“How exciting that is! I wish him the best,” she smiled. “Have a nice time.”
She made her way to the next table. She was so happy and cheerful, not like me – doubtful, unhappy, and frightened about the future.
Everything was going to be fine, I told myself, while I was eating my cake. I could not think very well and blamed it on my condition. Once I had accepted my situation, surely I would feel better.
Life had to go on. Most important now was Roman’s wedding. He and Monika deserved my whole attention. Do not be so selfish and think about yourself all the time. I was not the only person, who was going through a rough time. Many other women went through the same.
I would have a wonderful time, helping Monika to choose the right flowers and music. I had to think positively. It would help me focus on something else. This was an important time for them.
“Don’t worry; be happy,” I said aloud. The woman sitting at the table next to me turned her head and looked at me. I bit my lip. This was crazy. Had it become already so bad that I talked aloud to myself? What happened in the last weeks was overwhelming.
I ate the cake as if it was my last meal. Everything was going to be all right. My child would have the best upbringing, and we would do all the things together that I could not do with my mother when I was growing up. My child would not miss out on anything. What did it matter what other people thought?
I reached for my purse and gave the waiter a sign that I wanted to pay. The woman at the other table was watching me. I felt her eyes digging into my back. Was I just another nutcase to her?
The traffic was heavier. The shopping centre was only five minutes away. I was going to make it, I kept telling myself. Once the wedding was over, I would think about my future. Now was not the right moment for it and I pushed any thoughts into the back of my mind.
It was half past two and Monika was probably already waiting for me in Roman’s apartment. I had better hurry up. I bought a beautiful beige cashmere jumper, a long charcoal cardigan, and a pair of white elastic drawstring pants. By the time I finished my shopping it was later than I thought. I felt guilty and hailed a taxi. I sank into the soft leather seats and felt as if I had run a marathon. Maybe Monika would be late and I could rest a little, but when I arrived at the apartment, her red Golf parked in front of the building.
Chapter 10
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The Say ran his left hand slowly over the long legs of the dark woman who was lying naked on his bed, legs, and arms tied to the four bedposts. With the other hand, he was holding a burning cigarette.
“Don’t let me wait too long,” she said in a husky voice, groaning softly.
“Be patient,” he said, touching her full breast. “Your waiting will be rewarded.”
He got up, dimmed the light, and went to the bathroom. “I’ll be right back.”
The woman moaned. “I am getting kind of impatient. Hurry up.”
He did not answer.
In the bathroom he opened the medicine cupboard, took out a small bottle and a cotton cloth. He was perfectly still, watching the contents of the bottle soaking into the material. He would not need much of it. Resistance was one of the things he did not like. There was no need for it.
The picture of another woman with soft skin and hazel eyes came into his mind and he stopped for a brief moment. She would end up like this, too, but first she had to lead him to that idiot. Love was blind, and she was in love. Love meant death, her death.
They thought they were clever, could fool him. Did they not learn by now that they were wasting their time? When would Woods finally leave him alone? Soon he would run out of patience and then there was nobody to blame except himself. He had to keep a close eye on her until she found that idiot. Oh, how he hated him. He got him into this. Until then everything was fine. It was business for him, strictly business. The rest was easy. Things were heating up now.
The bitch next door was not aware of the situation. She had followed him so willingly to his hotel room, too easy, all for money. She had a husband and kids at home. Greed was one of the seven sins did she not know that? As soon as he gave her the money, her attitude changed. They were willing to do anything for money. They were all the same, like his mother with that scum who had abused him for years.
His memory went back years ago, when they locked him in a tiny dungeon. He had to do things he would never forget. Sometimes he did not see daylight for weeks until they let him come out for an hour. Only his mother and that scum of a boyfriend knew the code for the iron door to his prison. They used drugs when they played their filthy dirty little games with him, but one day his mother forgot to close the door. That was his day, and he had escaped. He had cut their throats with the kitchen knife, burned, and dumped their bodies at the rubbish tip near their house. The overwhelming power had never left. Since then he needed to feel the rush again. At sixteen, it was the first time in his life he would felt power over others. That was the beginning of a long chain of murders, which went on for years. He was in control; the voices helped him to get through this.
The last year he had been restless, missed the adrenalin pumping through his veins, but now he was back. He finally was on top again, untouchable because of his brilliant mind. He was the mastermind, the most wanted
serial killer in the world more famous than Jack the Ripper. Normally he was not anxious but this time it was different. The emotional change it gave him made him feel more alive. No one had ever seen him, until now. Before he could go anywhere, do anything he wanted. Now it was different. He was not only stunned that this could happen but also very angry. When he came out, he had changed. His face was a mask, not showing any emotion. He turned the light down and lay next to the woman, hiding the bottle and cloth behind his back. He buried his face in her neck; one hand pressed the cloth firmly over her mouth.
“Enjoy the ride,” he hissed into her ear.
The look in her eyes changed. Then everything happened very fast. She screamed the sound of terror filling the room, but only for a few seconds. She gasped for air, looked at him in horror and tried to push him back but gave up after a few seconds. With the swiftness of a snake, he grabbed the cloth, pulled her head back, and stuck it in her mouth. His bodyweight came down on her.
He waited until she was unconscious - that was less work for him – and then he strangled her. He backed away when he felt her stiffen. Her eyes became distant, her breathing irregular. He lit a cigarette and burned the letters, “T S,” into her forehead.
This moment he waited for; adrenalin was rushing through his veins. His face was almost unrecognizable, his pupils huge. He dragged the body onto the carpeted floor. There was no blood, no evidence. In a couple of hours, it would be dark and then he was going to dump the body in the river. Until then he would make sure he had some fun with it.
Chapter 11
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Kevin stood in front of the large tinted windows of his penthouse apartment, overlooking the city of Cologne, newspapers scattered all over the soft grey carpet. “Serial Killer Back” the first page read. He had strangled a high-class prostitute in Cologne, leaving his trademark behind.
There was no sign of him as usual. Nobody had witnessed anything.
Kevin froze. He did not care about the one million dollar view out of his window. The killer had struck again, as Woods had predicted. Kevin did not want to believe it at first. The killer was in Germany. Was that a coincidence? Did he know that Kevin was here? Where did he get his information? How could he have found out? Kevin had asked himself the same questions repeatedly.
He went to the mini bar, pouring himself a scotch. The liquid burnt his throat. He swallowed hard. Kevin had been in Germany for two weeks. The FBI was generous and supplied him with everything he wanted. Kevin did not care where he lived, whether in a penthouse or a cheap hotel room. All he wanted was his real life back with an end to this nightmare. It had gone on for too long. He was now sick of hiding, changing names and places. Why had the FBI not caught the killer after such a long time? He was not convinced any more that they would ever get him.
He stared at his empty glass. Would he ever be a free man again? How easy it would be to end all this right now, open the window, and jump out, forty stories. Would that not solve all his problems? He knew he could not do it. Something held him back. Allie. There was still a faint hope of seeing her again. He did not want to think otherwise. He hoped one day that they could reunite. The thought that she would not forgive him had never crossed his mind. She had to know he would come back and that he did not leave her because he wanted to.
Kevin began to shake all over. Was he fooling himself? What if she moved on and found somebody else?
No, he did not want to let doubt take over. He would not give the killer the power over him. His feelings were free, not controllable. The killer’s arrogance was about to take him down, as Woods had said, one day.
Seven-thousand people lived in this building. That would not be a solution, jumping out the window. Kevin was a fighter. He never gave up. There was still hope as long as he stayed focused.
The view was spectacular - the Rhein River, opera house, parks, buildings - and it astounded him the first day he saw it. Now he did not feel anything. It was like a movie that he was not watching.
He turned away and started to pace through the room. It all looked so small, just as his life was. It had all disappeared in front of him, so unbelievably unimportant.
Was he anonymous here, as Woods said, or had the killer already found out where he was hiding?
The killer knew about his life in Australia. What else did he know? Did anybody tell him he was in Cologne? It was only a matter of time, if he did not know yet.
Kevin expected a call from Woods any moment. He had to be very nervous that The Say was back. Woods had waited to hear from him for such a long time. He always knew he was still alive.
Kevin wondered if it was, in fact, The Say. There was still the chance it was somebody else who had committed the murder. They had studied him for so many years but still could not work out his mind. One thing Kevin had learnt over the last five years was not to expect anything from life, from people. It all could change in a fraction of a moment. It did not help getting angry or blaming himself for taking the shortcut that night. It was as if someone was leading him that night, and he could not do a damn thing about it.
“You’ll never catch The Say. He will catch you,” Kevin had said to Woods one day. One thing he knew for sure, if the FBI did not have him under witness protection, he would have been dead a long time ago. That proved many times, such as when they moved him to Papua New Guinea where he got the identity of a pilot who worked for a small aircraft company. Kevin had lived on a banana plantation for six months until The Say found out where he was. He had made his main amusement chasing Kevin. It was like a cat and mouse game and Kevin was the mouse.
An idea shot through his head, to ring Allie, despite all the warning Woods had given him. The desire to hear her voice was so strong that he could hardly resist picking up the phone and dialing her number. His heart started to hammer. Think about the consequences! It could have a big impact on Allie. Do you really want her in danger? What would she say? How would she react?
As quickly as the idea came, Kevin put it out of his mind. That would not be an option. He just had to be patient and hope they would get the killer soon. Then he would ring Allie. All he needed was to stay focused and positive.
He jolted back to reality by the shrill sound of the phone. “Hey Kevin, I suppose you’ve heard?” Woods voice sounded nervous.
“It’s written over every paper,” Kevin said.
“I have waited for this moment for a long time; I knew he would be back. I would not be surprised if he knows where you are hiding. So we’ll have to be extra careful from now on.”
“I can’t believe he found out where I am,” Kevin said frustrated. “Are you really sure it’s The Say?”
“I'm one - hundred percent sure. He called me this morning. I have the feeling this time we will get him. He’s been away for too long and will make a mistake very soon.”
“So you’ve been saying for years.”
There was silence.
“Let’s pray he’ll call you, and then we will try to track him down, unless he uses a pay phone. In any case I am looking forward to hearing his voice. I can’t wait.” Kevin did not hide his sarcasm.
“We have a lead that could bring us to him.”
“I only want to hear about it when you are definitely sure. Don’t get my hopes up.”
“You are angry and you have the right, but hang in there. We’ll get the scum.”
Kevin blew out a frustrated breath.
“Get some fresh air,” Woods suggested. “I’ll call you later.” Then he hung up.
Kevin felt claustrophobic all of a sudden. Woods was right. Get out and get some fresh air. The ceiling seemed to come down on him; he had to leave this place for a while. He reached for his brown contact lenses, and attached the false beard. The beard made him look ten years older. Nobody would recognize him. It did not take long to get used to the change of different characters. It was all part of the plan. The building had three elevators. Kevin pushed the button, and in a few seconds, the do
or opened. In no time, he was downstairs. As soon as he left the building, he felt a fresh breeze. He tightened his scarf and observed the area carefully. Was somebody watching him? Cars and people were everywhere. Somewhere here was the killer.
Kevin knew he was helpless although Woods had given him a gun. He hoped he never had to use it. His bodyguard followed him to the city, a thirty-minute walk. The days of being a free man were over.
He had to find a way that would give him at least some reason to go through it all. Right now, he needed to see normal people, not people from the FBI.
A strong-shouldered person, who could break his wrist arm wrestling if he wanted, followed him across the road. Kevin noticed him straight away - his bodyguard who had become part of his life. It would be the end of him if the bodyguard did not do his job properly.
The bodyguard kept enough distance so that nobody would notice him. Under his jacket, he had a 9 mm semi-automatic Glock 22, a Glock 23 as a back up with the Lasermax, and a G 27 attached to his ankle. His job was to make sure Kevin stayed alive.
Chapter 12
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That night Roman cooked roast duck with dumplings and applesauce. Mum used to make it every Christmas Day for us when we were kids. We could not get enough of it. After dinner, we used to unpack our presents and then we went for a walk in the snow. One year we got sleds as presents and Dad took us out for hours. I had only a few memories and I would always cherish them. This time it was not Christmas, there were no presents, and we were not kids any more. Roman had brought back a hidden memory. For desert, he made lemon cheesecake with passion fruit, my favorite. “That was so delicious,” I said after we finished. I could not remember the last time I had such a good meal. This evening, my life was under control again.
Roman had been always a great cook. I could never understand why he became a waiter and not a chef. Monika wiped over the expensive mahogany dining table with a cloth after I had helped her clean up.
To Catch A Butterfly You Need A Net Page 5