Blue Blue Eyes: Crime Novel (36 page)

The new information was very important. ”But damn it, then we know it’s connected to the murders we are investigating…” Nikki suddenly sat up on the office chair and her tiredness disappeared at once.

”You know that our murder victims are missing their eyes, don’t you?” She felt shivers through her whole body and could feel Daphne’s burning gaze on her side. ”Don’t tell me she had blue eyes just like Sten Arvidsson and Karl Hofvenskold had?”

”One moment, yes she had blue eyes.”

Blue blue eyes, Nikki thought gasping for air. The pieces of the puzzle were finally falling in place and she felt how it turned her stomach.

”I’ll mail you a copy of Gunvor Christou’s papers so you can read it yourself. Hope this will help you solve the cases over there.”

Nikki was sitting surprised still holding the phone and relating the conversation to a very much surprised Daphne.

”I don’t care what time it is, let’s pick him up.” Daphne comfortably got up from the chair and put her hands in her pockets.

”Who are you picking up?” Sam asked as he re entered the room.

”Nikki’s landlord, Theo Aristou.”

”Why on earth are you going to pick up Nikki’s landlord?”

”Because he is Petros’ big brother and son to our latest murder victim.” Daphne smiled in triumph. Finally it was her turn to inform them of this important lead.

Sam looked like a walking question mark and stared at his colleagues with an open mouth. ”Do you mean that your landlord has something to do with the murders?”

”Absolutely.”

Saturday June 15th

After six hours of sleep Nikki woke up from a terrible nightmare. It was hot and her head was full of horrible scenes. After twisting forever in bed she got up and wrapped the bed-sheet around her naked body and took a cup of tea out to the balcony. Eager birds chirping could be heard from the bushes in the yard and the cocks early crowing could be heard as usual all over the village. It was just after five in the morning.

Nikki was tired. Tired of twisting and turning everything to see the cases from different angles. Tired of being questioned and to be resisted. Tired of being worried and having a bad conscience. She longed to go home and soon she would finally be able to get on a flight back to Sweden and Gothenburg again. The trip hadn’t been at all what she had expected from several aspects but she was relieved to finally have solved the cases. Now they just had to get the two brothers to confess and find more binding evidence.

Leaning against a bunch of cushions Nikki was sliding her index finger over the round rim of the blue-patterned teacup while trying to sort out her thoughts. It didn’t feel safe staying in the flat any longer and she wondered worriedly where Theo was. Last night they had looked for him everywhere but they couldn’t find her landlord anywhere. A sound from her mobile interrupted Nikki’s thoughts and she wondered curiously who it could be sending her messages this early in the morning.

”Are you awake? Hugs Linn”

Nikki at once called her childhood friend.

”I’m sitting on the balcony. Can’t sleep. Anything new about Patrik?”

”No, everything is the same.”

”OK. How are you then?”

”If I look at my husband and compare myself to him I’m doing great. But if I think about it I’m feeling horrible.” Linn sounded vulnerable and Nikki could see her skinny body in her mind. Life had already been hard and trying for Linn, how would she take care of the kids, the economy, her drinking if Patrik…Nikki quickly pushed the thought away and breathed in the fresh air deeply into her lungs.

”It’s empty in the flat without you. You know what, I’ll come up for a while before going to the station. I’ll just have a shower and get ready. Do you want me to buy something on the way?” Nikki finished her tea and pulled her knees up under her chin.

”Oh thanks, breakfast would be nice.” Nikki sensed a weak smile on the other end of the line and finished the conversation. At the same moment Nikki remembered David’s call last night. She had forgotten the recording he had sent her. Damn it. She found the mail on her mobile and pressed play.
Don’t I know these voices? Damn it, what is actually going on?
Nikki made a face at the same time wanting to cover her ears. Deeply shaken she forwarded David’s mail to Daphne and shared her theories while writing that she would be in a little later. After a quick shower she sent a message to Linn saying she was finally on her way.

Nikki switched off the lights in the flat, locked the balcony door and slung her handbag over her shoulder. She ran down the stairs and dreamed of the scents from the bakery while thinking of what to have for breakfast. The morning was warm and she felt full of hope for the day. Her car was parked along the street and at the same moment Nikki was going to open the door she felt the smell of after shave.

”You, what the hell are you doing here?” No, she had to think before the stun gun completely paralyzed her.

She was dizzy and for a short while Nikki saw nothing but stars. Her eye-lids were heavy and when she managed to open them the strong light was hitting her eyes like needles. Something was wrong, the picture was blurred and her field of vision was too narrow. She felt strange. The smell of something strange came into her nostrils and she made a face. Then she felt the pain in her back and the groins, it hurt really badly.

What the hell was she lying down on and where? Instinctively she tried lifting her arm but realized to her great fear that she was tied. She lifted her head and looked in panic at the leather straps around her arms and legs. The pain in her groins was brutal and she couldn’t understand why the legs were open so wide. Nikki started shouting at the top of her voice.

”Help! Help! Let me free! Help!”

”So you are awake now.” The voice was mild and when Nikki met his eyes she started shaking even more. Nikki was terrified and an ice-cold anguish was pressing hard over her chest.

”You bastard. What the hell do you want from me?”

Theo Aristou didn’t reply but stood with his arms crossed smiling viciously. Now that Nikki knew that Theo and Petros were brothers she could see a certain similarity between them. But Theo was quite a lot taller than his brother and his face was shaved. Nikki who had only seen him in a suit thought he looked funny in his shorts and worn short-sleeved shirt.

”We are far out in the wilderness. You can shout as loud as you wish without anybody hearing you.” Theo’s tone of voice was neutral and his eyes were hidden behind a pair of round sunglasses. But Nikki could still feel how he looked at her in an evil way. Her heart was racing and the feeling of not being free was claustrophobic. She pulled the leather straps until she could hardly breathe. Horrible memories of her ex-husband were fluttering past.

Stefan had also preferred binding her both to control and beat her. Nikki hated being tied up. Hated. Oh God this is not happening to me, she thought petrified while turning her head from left and right. Terrified she tried finding a way to escape but couldn’t find one. She then recognized the power game about to take place. Stefan had done it exactly the same way. He had loved looking on while she became smaller and smaller and hadn’t stopped beating her until she was completely broken. She had to break the pattern right now. Nikki tried thinking clearly, she knew that she had to look strong because otherwise she would die.

”What do you actually want from me?” She was surprised at the strength of her voice but could feel the pain shooting like arrows through her hips. She tried closing her legs but the few millimetres didn’t help much.

”Because you are a little too curious for my taste. I don’t like curious people in general. And least of all not cop whores”. Theo pushed the sunglasses up on his forehead and Nikki witnessed a couple of flashing black eyes. She followed him with her eyes as far as she could and saw how he went and got a black bag standing close to the grey concrete wall. There was grey concrete everywhere and Nikki supposed she was in a housing complex the brothers hadn’t finished yet.

She turned her gaze and noticed dark spots where she was lying and guessed that it was blood. A shiver went through her body and she could feel the fear the murder victims probably had felt too. Think, she told herself while seeing how Theo took out different tools and scalpels. Nikki felt like vomiting. She had a problem breathing and her body started fighting the too tight straps.
Calm down. Use your brain.
Nikki flexed her muscles in the hands, arms and legs to try and ease the straps a bit. She repeated this over and over again.

That was one of her chances and she knew that it was more or less useless. The other alternative was to talk and distract, asking questions and interrupting for further questions. Her body was in pain and resisted every effort and she tried breathing calmly and methodically so that her body’s muscles would cooperate. But her legs were far apart, just on the border of what she could take. It hurt. Terribly painful. Every-time she flexed the front of her thighs and butt it burned in her groins.

”Unfortunately that will not help”, Nikki heard behind herself. ”You will not get free however much you try. You should have seen how both Sten and Karl were fighting”, Theo grinned proudly.

”Bloody hell”, Nikki murmured. He is really sick. She quickly realized that she would have to drag out the time as much as possible so she continued talking. ”And what about your father? Why did you actually kill him?”

Nikki felt Theo stopping his preparations. ”Father? I don’t have any bloody father.” Theo stared at Nikki as if she was a disgusting hairy insect. He clenched his fists and Nikki thought for a brief second that he would hit her but instead he continued?” That devil was no father to me. Maybe on the paper but not in reality.”

His voice was now very bitter and he looked worried.

Nikki felt at once that she was on thin ice. She didn’t want to trigger his personality problem so he became even more aggressive than he already was so she chose to change the topic. How she would be able to get Theo to admit to murdering his father had to come later.

”What about your brother, where is he?”

”Don’t bloody mix him up with this. He only thinks of money and totally flipped when the idiot was lying here.”

”The idiot? Who are you talking about now?”

Theo stared down at Nikki and something sad came over him. ”The one who has never been there for us. The monster.” Theo’s face contorted with pain and he looked really grotesque.

”You mean your father? But why?” Nikki stared up at the grey concrete ceiling and thought of Linn. Shouldn’t she wonder where she was and maybe call her? The mobile. Where the hell was her mobile? Nikki thought and tried looking around. In the corner she could see her handbag and next to it were the remains of her telephone. Theo had of course destroyed it in case she had some tracking device in it. How would they find her now? She could feel the tears emerging and blinked. She couldn’t seem weak.

”Have you ever felt a rage within you coming by surprise like a powerful tornado?” Theo clenched his teeth and he looked dangerous.

Nikki shook her head scared and started quietly affirming to herself.
Thanks for being alive and not being harmed.
She repeated the sentence like a mantra while hearing the dark voice continuing:

”You see, it’s like a fire which can’t be put out. It’s as though I walk into a black hole and there I am transformed…Unfortunately I can’t direct my dark actions since it’s the peace I want and the peace, it’s only afterwards that I can enjoy it. After I’ve harmed or killed somebody.

Nikki heard the words as if in a fog and wondered what he was talking about. She felt the atmosphere getting more and more aggressive and repeated her mantra a few times until coming up with her next question.

”But why did you kill your father?”

At first Theo burst out laughing but then there were flashes in his pitch black eyes.

”Don’t call that swine our father again. Understand?” Nikki remained silent. She was shaking and realized that she was dealing with a really sick person. Would it really work to talk away his evil intent? Hardly.

”Sorry”, Nikki whispered barely audible and then realized she had just shown herself as being weak. Damn it. But for some strange reason Theo had not felt her but was completely engulfed with his dead father.

”To answer your question his time had come. Both my brother and I felt that we wouldn’t have peace otherwise. You know that peace I spoke about before…so we took things into our own hands and killed him.”

Now Nikki knew and started to see the thread through all the cases.

”What kind of building is this anyway?”

”This? I’ll tell you now you curious bloody cop.” Theo’s mood drastically changed and the old wrath surface again. ”This is a dream being crushed. Do you get it? My first building project which went straight to hell. Guess whose fault it was?”

”Your father” Nikki whispered terrified. Damn it, she shouldn’t whisper but she was crossing her fingers that Theo hadn’t noticed the sign of weakness. She felt the man was speaking incoherently and didn’t understand everything he said. But she also knew that she had to keep up the conversation because otherwise she would be finished. So as long as he was babbling she could win some time.

”Now let’s see”, Theo said sweating and took out the smallest scalpel.

”I’m babbling too much so I almost forgot what I should do.” The panic came the same second as Theo showed her the sharp knife and Nikki frantically tried to think of something to ask him about.

”By the way, tell me more about your father. Why was he no father to you? Did he treat Petros in the same way, or?”

Theo stiffened with the scalpel in the air and turned his look to Nikki.

”Do you really want to know?”

Nikki swallowed and swallowed and could barely move her head in an affirmative reply.

”What do you really know about growing up in a heartless family where your father only wants to see his family suffer?”

”Quite a lot actually, don’t forget that I’m a police women.” Nikki thought about her time with Stefan and shivers came crawling along her body. ”Tell me, what happened?”

Theo studied her, unknowingly put the scalpel to the side while he sat down leaning on the wall. ”There is not much more to say than that mine and Petros’ childhood was a hell. A pure bloody hell. Our father was our tormentor and he really enjoyed hurting us.” He pulled up his legs and put his arms around his knees. His knuckles became white and his jaw tense. ”My mission in life has been to take revenge on Dad and now finally I can breathe. Start living my life without him finding me or Petros for that matter.

Nikki felt sorry for the man. How strange it might sound she felt sorry for him. No, it wasn’t anything like the Stockholm syndrome but she felt that all kids should have the right to a safe and loving childhood. During all her years in the police force she had seen so many children faring badly and she hated it.