Blue Blue Eyes: Crime Novel (22 page)

”Hello”, she called out loud. Nikki noticed that the man was tall and muscular but lean. In no time he had got out of the hammock and approached her on the pier. The light from the pier as well as the boat’s lamps were pleasant and now she recognized the guy with the cut-off shorts, but couldn’t quite place where she had seen him before.

”I’m looking for this guy, his name is Patrik Kroona, you don’t happen to recognize him?” Her thoughts were churning as to where she had seen him before, but she was too tired to think clearly. The man smiled, took the paper copy and looked at the photo for a long. ”No, unfortunately I don’t recognize him. But I do recognize you…it’s Nikki, right?”

Nikki felt her cheeks changing colour and without warning she remembered. The guy from the gym, Rick.

”But didn’t you go home?”

”A few things came up in between…”

”The guy in the picture?”

She nodded and put her hands in the pockets. ”Do you live on the boat?”

”Oh yes, nice and relaxing like this in the middle of the summer.”

”You haven’t noticed anything strange in the harbour lately?”

”Strange, like what?” Rick pulled his hand through his summer bleached hair and smiled lopsidedly.

”Anything. We believe that the guy on the picture has been taken against his will a few days ago.” Nikki stood with her legs crossed and swayed to and fro. She needed to pee.

”Oh God how scary. But as I said, I haven’t seen or heard anything unusual. But I promise to keep my eyes and ears open.

”Thanks.” Nikki took out a business card from her handbag and handed it over.

Rick smiled at her warmly. ”Ah, you’re a police woman, that explains it. How long are you staying for? I mean in Cyprus.”

”Until the cases are solved.” Nikki felt at a disadvantage. She wanted to continue.

”Which means?”

She shrugged. ”Hey, I have to go...duty calls.”

”By the way, if you have time. Come over to the studio and train Krav Maga with us.”

”I just wish the day had more hours, but thanks for the invitation.”

Nikki continued asking at the boats with somebody on them. But nobody had either seen Patrik or anything else strange in the area. By the far end of the pier she stopped for a while. The sea breeze was hardly cooling and she was really worried. The feeling of wanting to shout out all her frustration, as she had down by the sea when life was at its hardest, quickly came over her again. But how would that seem? A policewoman shouting out loud just like that. Nikki tried pulling herself together by breathing deeply. She looked out over the boats mirrored in the dark sea with the help of the moon and all the stars in the sky.
Give me a sign Patrik. Just a small one, please.

1979

The middle school had been one long suffering for Big brother with both bullying and being ignored. He had worn unfashionable, used clothes which had seen better days and the insults and wicked laughter had never stopped echoing in the bare corridors.

The school nurse had given Little brother an inhalator for his bad asthma, but when it was finished it was finished. The parents never renewed the prescription and the bad influenzas during the winter had hit Little brother really hard. The school nurse continued making notes in the brothers’ files but without giving any further notice to the social authorities.

On the other hand the brothers had learned to eat as much as possible during school hours since the pantry and the fridge were empty at home. This winter Big brother had also been into town and managed to steal two warm down-jackets and a couple of thick winter boots each. The brothers had also started collecting empty bottles so they could eat more than one meal a day and buy other necessities.

The summer holiday on the island had been marked by alcohol and abuse. The farm had finally looked like a hostel for alcoholics instead of a lovely summer retreat. The mother had not had anything to say and spent most of her days in bed, drugged with valium and with the curtains drawn.

The father on the other hand had shown an even more aggressive side because of the alcohol. He taunted the boys even more and abused them brutally both psychologically and physically. The nights had calmed down a bit, though, since their father was usually lying drunk in his own vomit together with the other drunkards. But the days. The days were filled with dampened screams and pain. Little brother had his arm broken during an asthma attack since the father thought he was a girly wimp. The nose had been crushed by a stone during another attack the same day and finally Little brother had learned to hide when his asthma was at its worst.

The first time it happened Big brother had tried to go in between Little brother and the father but Daddy had used a knife and cut a sign of warning along Big brother’s thin neck. After that he had not tried to overturn any more attacks.

The night when Little brother had his arm broken Big brother had stolen the family’s car and put Little brother in the back seat. At the hospital they didn’t ask any questions since Little brother had lied and said that he had fallen on the stone stairs on the way down to the cellar. The nose and the right arm had been put in plaster and the next morning their father hadn’t said a word about it. The nights had become the brothers’ key to freedom. They had taken the car and driven to different farms to steal fruit and vegetables and to steal suitable clothes hanging on the washing lines. A star-filled night they had been sitting for hours under an apple tree and eaten so many apples that their stomachs rebelled. But they had experienced the feeling of eating to satisfaction for the first time in years.

Monday June 10th

The moths were fluttering around the lit lamps on the pier and the scent of salty water came up into her nose. Nikki stopped for a moment and smiled a little despite the serious situation. How come the smell of sea satisfies my soul? She already knew the answer. The scent took her mind back to when she and the kids had been out sailing with Linn’s family. Was it two years ago? She couldn’t quite remember. One night they had been anchored at a natural harbour outside the Bohus Malmo. In the evening they had barbecued on the cliffs, had some wine and then came up with the idea of swimming in the dark. By the anchor cord they had seen the bioluminescence playing on the surface and they had all swum there to admire the natural miracle. Nikki’s heart warmed from the memory.

The mosquito bite kept itching but Nikki tried ignoring it and continued along the pier instead with renewed concentration. She passed several dark boats but then she saw something which made her turn around. Wasn’t that a Swedish flag on one of the boats? When she was about a meter away from the motor boat she realized she’d been right. A Swedish boat here in Pafos’ harbour? She asked herself curiously and reflected on the boat’s name.

”Dikla”, she said out loud. ”Dikla, damn it where have I heard that name before?” Nikki thought for a short while and then she got it. Sten Arvidsson’s wife had been called Dikla. The picture of the beautiful dark-skinned woman once again appeared in her mind as she looked at the boat.

”Hello”, she shouted loud and clear but there was no response. She took hold of the dark coloured rope, pulled the boat closer and carefully jumped on board.

”Hello”, she shouted once again but it was quiet like the grave. After a quick look around Nikki touched the door leading down to the salon. It was locked. Without hesitation she looked for the bunch of pick-locks in her handbag and had a look around. A few minutes later Nikki closed the door behind her, and excitedly went down the mahogany steps and tried seeing in the dark. The air was stuffy and damp and the blinds on all the small windows were drawn. Instead of putting on the light she took out her mobile and activated the lamp since she didn’t want to draw any attention.

There were a lightly coloured group of sofas to the left of the stair case and opposite there was a modern functional galley. Without a sound Nikki pulled out every single drawer in the galley and could soon confirm that they only contained utensils, cutlery and other kitchen stuff. The same with the galley cupboards. Only some china, pots and pantry items were behind the doors. But with a new focus she carefully looked around, saw two cabins and went into the largest one. A big bed was made up well with a red bed-cover and little decorative cushions were up by the headboard.

Nikki opened the wardrobe, there were some sailor’s jackets in a man’s size hanging in there. Quickly she looked through the pockets but found nothing worthwhile, just a lighter and a few old sweets. She continued in to the other cabin. Nikki didn’t know what she was looking for but still wanted to search through the boat before getting off it. She lit up the room and saw some swim-trunks messed on the sofa. Was there something under them? Nikki frowned and bent over. The next second she was holding a notebook and a few plastic folders in her hand.

Page after page was filled with different dates, positions and times. What the heck did this mean? Nikki thought and continued reading. On the first page it said 04/04/2011. The time was 03.00 and the position 35°45.16N 35°42.57E. She continued reading but finally gave up since she couldn’t understand anything without a chart. Carefully she put the notebook aside and continued searching the plastic folders. She felt tense when looking through the different documents. A registration certificate made Nikki startle. She read it carefully, line by line, and stopped abruptly when she found Sten Arvidsson’s name. He was the owner of the boat.
Well, Sten, you had your fingers in a lot of pies.
. Nikki shone her mobile light on to the bed which was half hidden in the corner of the room.

There was something lying under it. She lay down on the floor and slid into the narrow place. Her finger tips were looking around until she got hold of the bunch of papers and smiled widely when she saw that it was a detailed sea chart of Syria.
Did you get the weapons from there?
Her thoughts were reeling and Nikki startled suddenly when she heard voices outside. Quickly she closed down her mobile screen and sat quietly on the bed. Without warning she felt how the boat moved.

Damn it, somebody came on board.
Nikki felt a chill along her spine. This was definitely not good. She put her hand across her mouth and stared at the ceiling while trying to find out where to hide. Steps were approaching and Nikki’s pulse increased. As in a silent movie she stood up without a noise and assumed a fighting position.

Somebody was coming down the stairs and she cursed herself for not locking the door behind herself. Nikki was breathing soundlessly and waited for the intruder. Without warning the steps stopped and Nikki knew that the person was just a metre or so away from her. She closed her eyes, sharpened all her senses and listened carefully for which direction the stranger was moving.

A sliver of light lit up the salon but Nikki could only sense it through the opening where she was hiding behind the bedroom door. The intruder’s heavy breath was approaching and Nikki was sure her high pulse could be heard from afar. She sensed the shape of a man, and the second later she attacked. The man was screaming for his life and fell down with a loud noise on the wooden floor when Nikki’s blow hit him. He gasped for air and then she took a police grip on him and bent up his arms behind his back.

”Let me go”, the stranger who was lying in foetal position hissed.

”You wish”, Nikki said panting but firmly.

”I’m a bloody police!”

Worried Nikki switched on the light and had a minor shock when she saw that it was the Chief of Police lying there on the floor with a bloody face.

”Carlos?”

She got a murderous glance in reply. The Chief was bleeding from nose and mouth and also had one of his eye-brows cracked. His right eye was beginning to swell and Nikki couldn’t stop staring at him. She felt ashamed like a dog although part of her just wanted to laugh at the situation while the other was warning her of the dire consequences. Nikki knew that the blows were hurting like hell and that the Chief would be having some pretty nasty bruises for a while.

”Sorry, I thought it was the Mafia or a burglar...” Her tone of voice was repentant and Nikki’s body language looked like a big I’m sorry.

Carlos coughed and held his neck. His voice was coarse and Nikki knew that he wouldn’t be able to talk properly for a few days. A bruise was slowly spreading around his Adam’s apple and he sounded like a crow.

”You’re bloody mad! I will personally make sure that you regret even being born on this earth.” The blood was pouring from his nose and made his teeth red. The Chief looked grotesque and he was furious. With great effort he got up on all fours and tried getting up. His stomach was hanging heavily over the trousers and a couple of buttons had fallen off the stinking shirt. Nikki offered her hand but Carlos gave her a poisonous look and hissed:

”Don’t you dare.”

Nikki had made a mistake but how could she have known that it was Carlos of all people who had come onboard. Embarrassed she turned around and went to get the new evidence. She hid her face in her hands and quelled a laugh. Her pulse was running high and her stomach was turning as she worried about what kind of revenge Carlos would take. For sure he would try getting revenge. Nikki tried shaking it all off and put the things under her arm, put the furniture straight and then continued up the stairs. The Chief was already standing on the pier. His embroidered handkerchief was dripping with blood and the front of his shirt and trousers were also ruined. Nikki hoped his nose wasn’t broken. It was enough that his eye-brow was in need of stitches. Not until now did she realize that her hand was sore, her knuckle was all red and swollen. She saw how Daphne was helping Carlos wipe off most of the blood from his face with wet ones. Then she heard the Chief starting to shout and scream.

”Nikki?” Daphne shouted in surprise when she saw Nikki jumping ashore. Quickly she weighed up the situation and knew that any comments would be too much at this sensitive moment.
What goes around comes around.
Daphne took her colleague to the side. ”What the hell were you doing on the boat actually?” Daphne whispered while covering her mouth with her hand to hide the laughter bubbling up.

Nikki had a quick look at Carlos and felt regrets. ”Let’s talk about that later. Carlos needs stitches; do you think he can manage to drive by himself?”

”He would never accept a lift from a woman, especially not in these circumstances. Keep out of his way, it’s a hot tip.” Daphne winked with one eye. ”I’ll talk to him so we can sit down somewhere when he goes to the hospital.”

Nikki and Daphne ended up in Steve’s Cafe’. They found a table on the side and ordered a freshly squeezed orange juice each, souvlaki with salad and tzatziki. They were giggling hysterically at Nikki who actually had beaten up the Chief despite both of them knowing that the next day wouldn’t be much fun. Nikki was afraid of having to go to the station again. Thinking of Carlos’ revenge made her feel worried. They pressed the fresh lemons over their skewers in silence, had a few bites to stop the worst of their hunger and then Nikki started telling:

”I beat the crap out of Carlos on Sten Arvidsson’s boat.”

”What did you say?” Daphne put down her cutlery and stopped chewing.

”Sten had a boat. I noticed it since the boat had a Swedish flag. Then when I saw the name…it’s called Dikla. Sten’s wife was named Dikla, do you remember?”

”I’ll be damned.” Daphne turned her face toward the slight breeze and pushed her hair aside from the eyes. ”But did you find something on board, or?”

Nikki nodded toward the pile on the table.

”And what is it?”

”A chart over Syria, a notebook with different positions, times and dates and a few papers showing that Sten Arvidsson is the owner of the boat.” Nikki opened the chart and read the position in the notebook. She followed the longitude and latitude with her finger until she found the place. ”Have a look at this, what was Sten doing off the coast of Syria?”

”Syria?” Daphne said thoughtfully and drank some juice. ”Could it have something to do with the weapons?”

”You mean if Sten was buying weapons from there? You see I had the same line of thought when I was onboard the boat.”

”Well, why not?”

Nikki heard some familiar tunes and looked out over the illuminated fort where a cover band was playing old Beatle songs. ”Dikla was from Syria. Do you think there is a connection there?”

”Hm, probably. You also know that there is a civil war going on between the government and the rebels over there. A little over 100.000 have died in Syria over the past two years.”

”Ah, but you know”, Nikki said and brightened up. ”My colleague in Sweden told me that Sten’s wife was shot down by mistake by the government troops in Syria 2011. And check this out”, she said and showed the first page in the notebook.

Daphne whistled. ”The first note was taken in April of 2011. What the hell does this mean?”

”Do you think Sten started smuggling weapons to the rebels as revenge after Dikla died?”

”The Russian Mafia would never allow that.”

”But think Daphne. Sten could have provided the rebels with weapons in revenge for his wife’s death. Then the Mafia unfortunately found out and killed him for it?”

”Oh. Well, why not, it’s always a theory. But what about Karl and Patrik?” Nikki stretched out her tired sore muscles. A little massage wouldn’t be bad she thought in passing. ”We know that the Mafia work in the harbour area”, she paused and pushed her salad round her plate.

”Karl’s car was found here and we tracked Patrik’s mobile here. It can’t be a coincidence.”

”Mm”, Daphne yawned and looked at her watch. ”I’ll be falling asleep soon. Should we maybe head home? We can continue with these theories at the morning meeting tomorrow, if Carlos dares showing up?” Daphne laughed tiredly. ”Damn it how you beat him up Nikki.”

”Yeah, he’ll probably be in pain for a while poor soul. But if he had given some warning this never would have happened.”

”And we thought it was a burglar when we just saw some flicking light inside the boat as we were walking along the pier. Carlos decided to jump onboard and look what happened to him.” Daphne laughed a bit and then got up and put some notes on the table. ”Are you coming or what?”

”I’ll stay for a while, see you tomorrow.”

Nikki ordered a cup of green tea and was enjoying the lounge music coming from the loudspeakers. She logged on to the net to quickly check on her mail. Hogstrom had faithfully sent a list of all the men reported missing around Gothenburg. She actually looked more forward to getting Patrik’s call list but knew from experience that Telia was always slow. Curiously she opened the file and glanced through the list.

”So, this is where you spend your free time?”

Nikki looked up in surprise and gave a big smile. ”Rick..hi. I don’t know about free time… my colleague just left and I stayed a little longer to gather my thoughts.” Nikki looked down at her red knuckle.