Sarah washed her face in the bathroom sink and walked quietly to the kitchen where she put on a pot of coffee. She sat at the table where only two days ago she’d shared dinner with her new friends. It didn’t seem possible that it was such a short span of time. It didn’t seem real that something so horrible could have happened to that sweet, innocent boy. The dam finally broke and Sarah cried. She’d come to Europe for an education, but the one she was getting was more pain than pleasure. People she cared for either left or got hurt. It just wasn’t right. She felt exposed; to both the best side of people, and the absolute worst side of human nature.
Wiping away the tears, she tried to pull herself together. She would need to call Paul and let him know what happened. At least she didn’t have to tell him ‘Sorry, I’m canceling our date so I can run off to Amsterdam to be with another man.’ She would also have to message Anthony. Would he understand?
Looking down at her watch, she noted that it was nearly eight. It was early yet, but she had no idea what the day would bring, so Sarah pulled out her mobile and dialed Paul. On the fourth ring, he answered.
“Yes? Who is it?” Sounding gruff and grumpy, he waited for a reply.
“Paul, it’s Sarah.” Sarah’s voice was raw after so little sleep and her tearful breakdown at the table over coffee.
“Sarah? What’s wrong?” His tone shifted from irritated to concerned.
“I have terrible news. Last night, someone took Anno.” She had to stop. Just saying it out loud brought a huge lump to her throat that threatened to choke her.
“Took him? What do you mean?” Paul sat up in bed. An alarm bell started ringing somewhere in the back of his mind.
“Someone broke into Elsa’s flat while she was at work and took him. The police found a rag soaked in ether, and the landlady’s surveillance camera identified the guy. Some sex trafficker from Amsterdam. Something Gruber.”
Paul stopped breathing. Gruber. He knew the man. Knew he sometimes worked for his uncle. Knew that Gruber was paid now and again to retrieve certain types of women from small towns in Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, and Croatia, according to Greta. He was a dangerous man. Paul sat, stunned. Thoughts ran rampant through his head. He knew his uncle was behind this, but somehow, he couldn’t quite believe he’d go so far as to kidnap a child and have him secreted out of the country, have the boy brought to him. Yet he was more than aware of the kind of monster Peter was—always would be. If he said nothing, the boy would be abused in ways he’d never be able to forget, to heal from. Anno would be scarred for life...just like Paul. He’d feared his uncle for so long, but then he only had himself to worry about. Now, an innocent and wonderful boy was in great danger. He couldn’t just slink away and hide—not anymore.
“Sarah, listen to me. I can’t explain over the phone, but I know who this man is. I know who he works for. I’m coming over. Call your policeman and have him meet me there.” Paul stood up, looking around for his clothes. “Wait, text me Elsa’s address.”
“Paul, how do you know this man? He’s a criminal! Why can’t you explain now?” Sarah’s voice rose, and she had to force herself to take a few breaths.
“Sarah, do as I say. Time isn’t on our side. Call your detective. I’ll be there within the hour.” Paul hung up and began throwing his clothes into his bag. He would need to be ready to get on the soonest flight back home. This time Uncle Peter would not get away with his crimes. It was time for him to meet Paul Christiansen, the man. He couldn’t save himself all those years ago. He was too small, too young, and not even his own mother had believed him. No one helped him, but he’d be damned if he’d stand by and let this happen to Anno. No one was there to help him then, but he was here now to help this young man. A quick shower found Paul dressed, but unshaved. He didn’t want to spare the time. Every moment would count from here on out.
He grabbed his bag and room key and went down to the lobby where he tossed the key on the desk and left. He didn’t give a damn about a proper checkout. It was all on Peter Knudson’s tab anyway. Fuck him!
He hailed a taxi and gave the driver the address glowing on his mobile screen. As they pulled into traffic, Paul called to reserve a flight back to Amsterdam. There was one leaving that afternoon. It would have to be soon enough because there were no others. If anything has happened to that boy, I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you, Peter. Paul made the silent promise, his fist clenching as he stared out at the passing buildings.
The cab finally pulled up in front of the faded yellow apartment building. Sarah stood outside, pacing back and forth. She waited for Paul to pay the driver, then could wait no longer.
“Tell me how you know this man who took Anno? Did you have something to do with this?” The anger and outrage in her voice took Paul by surprise. Never did it occur to him that she might blame him when he divulged his knowledge of Gruber.
He grabbed both of her arms, holding them at her sides and looked her in the eyes. “Sarah, I swear to you that I had nothing to do with this.” The fire in her expression said she didn’t believe him, but her silence told him she was waiting for his explanation.
He sighed. “But I know who did.” The tension around his mouth showed in small lines at the corners. She hadn’t noticed them before. He was usually smiling and behaving in a devil-may-care manner. Not today. Not now.
“I’m waiting, Paul.” She crossed her arms over her chest, effectively putting a barrier between them.
“My uncle, the one who sent me here to try and hire Elsa...it was him. I didn’t know what he was up to, I swear, but now I do. He only wanted her to get to Anno.”
“That doesn’t make any sense at all, Paul. Why would he want to hire Elsa to get to Anno? He’s just a kid. He wouldn’t even have met or known him!” She was getting worked up again and completely missing what he was trying to say.
“Sarah, my uncle is a very sick individual.” A haunted look came into Paul’s blue eyes that changed his handsome face from gorgeous to tortured; as if he’d survived the worst possible circumstances that a person could endure. “He’s seen him before. I’m sure of it. He was in Berlin last fall, and then something happened. I don’t know what, but he said he couldn’t come into the country anymore. That’s why he sent me. At first, I took him at his word that all he wanted was to hire this dominatrix for his club, but deep-down, I knew better. I knew it couldn’t be that simple. He was up to something. I just didn’t know what it was, until you called me this morning.”
Sarah blew out a frustrated breath. Then understanding dawned and her expression became horrified. “He likes boys, doesn’t he? I mean, sexually?”
“Yes.” Paul stood with his hands on his hips, looking down at her.
“How could you know this about him and do nothing?” She threw out the accusation before realizing that Paul couldn’t have possibly known this would happen, just as he said.
The dark look clouding his light blue eyes made them appear as black and deep as the ocean in a storm. “I’m not ‘not doing nothing!’ Why do you think I’m here right now? And where is that detective? Where’s Elsa? I need to tell her...to tell her I’m sorry. Tell her I’m going to get her brother back.” Paul paced, nearly tripping over his suitcase where he’d set it down and forgotten all about it.
Sarah instantly felt bad. “I’m sorry, Paul. I believe you. I believe you didn’t know, but you can’t blame me for the misunderstanding. The detective is on his way, and Elsa is still sleeping. She had a bad night, so I didn’t want to wake her until you got here.” Sarah waited, but he didn’t say anything else. He seemed lost in thought.
“Just how do you know your uncle likes boys in that way, anyhow?”
Paul came back into himself upon hearing her question. He licked his lips, looked down at the grass, and then slowly lifted his shame-filled eyes to hers.
She was horrified. “No!” She didn’t want to believe it.
“Yes, Sarah. From the time I was just a little boy, he...” Paul couldn’t get
the words out, so he skipped over them. He couldn’t look at her. “No one believed me then. Not my mother, no one. Eventually, it stopped because I grew up. Peter doesn’t like men, or women for that matter, in that way. Just...boys.”
Sarah threw her arms around Paul and hugged him tight. The idea that a little boy could be so abused, and no one protected him was unimaginable. What kind of mother doesn’t believe her child when he says he’s being molested? Her heart broke for that little boy, and it wept for the man who, at this moment, seemed completely broken. He stood with his arms down at his sides while Sarah held him, unable to accept her compassion, her desire to comfort. He felt nothing but shame and anger. Felt completely unworthy of this woman whose heart automatically opened to him in a way his own mother’s never had.
“What are you going to do?” She looked up and saw the moisture in his eyes.
“I’ve booked a flight back to Amsterdam this afternoon. Lufthansa. I know where Gruber might take Anno. He won’t be traveling by plane, but probably by train and private driver too.”
“I don’t understand. How would he know how to evade police?” Sarah’s naivety showed.
“Gruber sometimes...procures women from the Czech regions to come work in the brothels my uncle runs.” Saying it out loud made it sound as terrible as it actually was, even though prostitution was a legal business in the Netherlands.
“He takes them? Are you serious? I thought it was legal in Amsterdam to prostitute yourself out?” She stood back, feeling outraged again.
“It is. But not every woman wants to be a prostitute, and there are illegal sides to the legal business of being a paid whore. I know. It sounds bad. It’s just life, Sarah. It happens all the time.” He tried to sound blasé about it, but he knew that wouldn’t set well with this woman even as the words left his mouth.
“That doesn’t make it right, Paul. I can’t believe that after what you’ve just told me you went through that you’d think it was okay, that it’s ‘just life’ for someone else to be taken and sexually abused. And you were going to take Nadia to him? What were you thinking?” She poked a finger into his chest to punctuate her last words. He felt like an ass.
She was right, of course. But until this moment, he’d not thought beyond himself. He had the good grace to feel remorseful. “I’m sorry. You’re right, Sarah. But Nadia wouldn’t have been in any danger. She would’ve worked in one of the legitimate clubs. Still, I actually did think about that, and that’s why I made sure he didn’t hire her. Uncle Peter never actually rescinded that offer. I just didn’t want to embroil her in his sick world, so I made that up. I lied to you. For that, I’m deeply sorry. But we need to focus on Anno right now.”
“So now what? How will you get him back? Your uncle sounds dangerous.” She asked the obvious question, one that didn’t have an obvious answer.
“That’s why I need to talk to your detective. We’ll need help from Interpol. But we have to act quickly. Uncle Peter must have felt desperate to go to these lengths. I don’t think he’ll wait long once he has Anno in his grasp.”
“Oh my God, Paul.” Reality hit Sarah all over again, and she choked up, starting to cry.
Paul wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll get him back, Sarah. I’ve spent my life trying to avoid this man, but I’ll be damned if I let him hurt Anno. I won’t let it happen. I promise you.”
She sobbed briefly, then wiped her eyes. Paul waited the few minutes it took her to get herself together. He admired her strength, her values. He wanted nothing more than to live up to the high expectations this woman would have for the people in her life, for the man she might love. “Come on. Let’s go wake Elsa.”
As they turned to walk into the building, the police Volkswagen pulled up and detectives Heinz and Mahler stepped out. While they entered the building together, Paul told his story for the second time that morning. By the time they reached Elsa’s door, Heinz was on his phone with a contact at Interpol, and Paul waited for Sarah to awaken Elsa so he could launch into a third telling, and a most sincere apology although he wasn’t sure why he should be apologizing for Peter Knudson. He just knew that he needed to do everything he could to make things right.
Sarah came and sat next to him on the couch afterward. “I’m going with you. I already have the flight booked. You’re not doing this alone.” She put her hand over his.
“It’s too dangerous, Sarah. I can’t let you do that.”
“It’s done. Elsa must remain here in the unlikely event we’re all wrong and Anno shows up. I also have a friend in Amsterdam who can help. He’ll look out for me. Don’t worry. But we’ll both help you, so just stop arguing and say, “Thank you, Sarah.”
He shook his head and smiled. “Thank you, Sarah.” It was the first time in his life that someone said they would be there for him. It was an overwhelming feeling. “Wait, you said you have a friend there? A man friend?”
“Yes. His name is Anthony de Luca.” The look in her eyes when she said his name hit Paul with the force of a fist in the gut. He realized she had feelings for this man. Competition. Great. He shook himself. There was time to worry over that later. Right now, Anno was the priority.
Heinz interrupted. “Christiansen, we need to talk.” He indicated Paul should follow him. He rose and they exited the room heading out into the hallway. Elsa looked up from her conversation with Mahler. Dark circles stood out under her green eyes.
Sarah looked at her friend. “Don’t worry, Elsa. We’re going to get Anno back.” She said it with such conviction that Elsa simply nodded in the affirmative. Her shy American friend was exhibiting a spine of steel. She might be naïve in the ways of sex, but when it came to being strong for people, she was a superhero.
Mahler, too, was impressed. A case like this had never come across her purview before. A home invasion resulting in a kidnapping was rare. More so was having anyone know who did it and for what reason. The kicker was having the intel on where to find the victim. She felt optimistic for once, and she was glad. Knowing her partner’s background and what he’d seen in his twenty years in the police department, ten as a detective, she knew he needed for all to turn out well here. A case from two years back had left Heinz a cynical and emotionally distant man. That case scarred Joseph Heinz so badly that he turned to drinking, which led to divorce and the loss of his own family. He just couldn’t get over it, and the perpetrator had never been caught. It was now a cold case file that sat on Heinz’s desk as a constant reminder to him of what he considered his greatest failure. Sitting next to it was a picture of his family on vacation in France several years before. In it, smiling and happy, was his ex-wife and his daughter, who was twelve at the time. Both represented all that he’d lost, the time when his entire life fell apart. All he had now was his job, and even that hung by a thread for a time until he joined a counseling group for alcoholics at the request of his department head, a request in the form of a demand, one in which he could not refuse unless he wanted to hand in his badge and firearm for good.
Now Heinz was like a man possessed with the Kreiss case. Mahler recognized the determination in his eyes. He wouldn’t rest until young Anno was home safe in the protective and loving arms of his sister.
Out in the hall, Heinz outlined the plan with Paul. “We’ll be met on the ground by Interpol. From there, you’ll head home as usual, and we’ll follow from a discreet distance.”
Paul stared. “We? You’re coming too?” He was surprised by this, but secretly glad. He truly wouldn’t be alone. Still, he had a sick feeling in his gut that despite all the help and tactical support, things were going to get ugly fast.
“You didn’t think I’d let you go on your own, did you?” Heinz asked. He’d felt more than sorry after hearing Paul’s personal story. No child should go through what Christiansen had endured. But now was his chance to help save another, so he would do all he could to put an end to the monster that had plagued this man, the monster who now had An
no, and he would do it gladly. In the end, he hoped all of their demons would be purged. “Don’t worry, Paul. You’ll be tracked by GPS, and we’re outfitting you with a wire. We’ll get the bastard, once and for all.” Heinz placed a fatherly hand upon Paul’s shoulder and gave him a reassuring pat. “Now, are you ready?”
The time had come to act. It was put up or shut up, and Paul steeled himself for what would surely be the hardest thing he would ever have to do. It was “Go” time.
“I’m ready.” Paul forced confidence into his voice but fear still gripped his soul.
Chapter Twenty-Four
THE FLIGHT TO AMSTERDAM was tense for all. Paul knew he was about to face his life-long worst nightmare. His gut was in knots. Beads of sweat dotted his otherwise perfect forehead. Kriminalkommissar Heinz felt the thrill of the hunt for the first time since the cold case that haunted him for the past two years. He was re-energized and ready to take down Peter Knudson and Aleks Gruber. He was even more thankful that his contact at Interpol had granted him the authority to cross international lines and participate directly in the operation rather than sit back in Berlin on the sidelines. Thanks to Bjorn explaining to the director how deeply personal this case had become to Heinz in a short period, he would experience the satisfaction of seeing Knudson arrested, and he would also be the one to bring Anno back home to his sister. His heart came back to life, beating with purpose. Hope and the advent of justice had brought him back from the dead.
The Checkpoint, Berlin Detective Series Box Set Page 18