After the Silence: Inspector Rykel Book 1 (Amsterdam Quartet) (14 page)

Tuesday, 3 January
15.51

‘… and you think you can just barge in here? Yeah? Big fucking cop? Fuck you.’

Jaap tweaked the poet’s arm slightly higher up his back towards his shoulder, grinding his face further down into the carpet – so stained it was hard to tell the original colour. It appeared to be moulting in patches, like a diseased dog.

He and Tanya had found Akster in a standard dingy council flat, social housing at its worst. It smelt of vomit, gas, and some floral scent which Jaap couldn’t quite place.

He didn’t like using strong-arm tactics, but when people drew knives on him just as he was asking questions he had to react, and was thankful that Akster, judging by the warm alcoholic stench rising off his breath, was drunk.

‘I didn’t barge in, you opened the door and let us in, remember? Or is your brain so addled by whatever it is you’re on you can’t even remember that?’

The response was a spit, which backfired as Akster’s mouth was too close to the dirty fibres.

‘So I’ll ask again, where can I find Ludo Haak?’

‘Fuck Ludo.’

‘I don’t give a shit about your love life, I just want to know where I can find him.’

‘FUCK YOU!’ – accompanied by a burst of wrestling and squirming, causing Jaap to jam the arm even higher.

‘Listen.’ Jaap bent down and spoke in his ear. ‘Either you tell me where Ludo is right now or I take you in for assault. You know what happens to people who assault police officers, don’t you?’

Less squirming, just heavy breathing.

‘So I’m going to ask again. Where’ – he started to push the arm even further – ‘is Ludo Haak?’

Voice tense, strained. ‘I don’t know, I haven’t seen him for, I don’t know, months.’

‘Cut the shit, you used to work with him. I know that, you were even arrested together for the same robbery.’

‘Yeah, well, that was then. Things change.’

‘Okay, what changed?’

‘He wanted me to help him out with something, he’d some plan to make a lot of money.’

‘And?’

‘And I said no, sounded too dangerous to me.’

‘Dangerous how?’

‘Weird shit, you know? Like making porn movies, and he said something about kidnapping someone –’

‘Kidnap who?’ Tanya asked. ‘Was it a child?’

‘I don’t know, yeah, it might have been, but when I said I wasn’t in he didn’t tell me any more, and he said that if I ever told anyone he’d kill me.’

‘When was this?’

‘A while back, I can’t remember, a few weeks maybe.’

‘Where can I find him?’

‘Look, I don’t want trouble and –’

Jaap yanked his arm even higher up his back, he could
feel it was close, something would give if he went any further.

‘Where can I find him?’

‘Let go!’

‘Tell me what I need to know, then I’ll let go.’

‘Okay.’ His voice tight from the pain. ‘But don’t tell him you’ve spoken to me, he’s got powerful friends these days.’

Jaap released it a bit. All the air went out of Akster’s chest, Jaap could feel it deflate. His phone had started buzzing in his pocket, he ignored it.

‘Trust me on this, I’ve got far more important things to discuss with him than you. Who are these friends?’

‘I think he hangs around with some people, foreigners, up by the ports, he’s got some work there.’

‘More specific?’

‘I don’t really know much about them, I think they’re Latvian or Albanian, or Russian. Something foreign anyway, I’ve heard they call themselves the dark tulips.’

‘Black Tulips.’

‘Yeah, whatever. Mean fuckers, they’d take you out just for fun, and they do weird shit to the people they kill as well.’

‘Where will I find him?

‘I don’t know, I really don’t. And can you get the fuck off me now?’

Jaap could see that was as much as Akster knew.

‘Only if you promise not to do anything stupid.’

Akster nodded, his cheek rubbing the carpet, and Jaap released his arm, standing up and back at the same time.

‘This your place?’

‘Kind of.’ Sullen, sitting up, twisting his shoulder and arm in a circular movement.

‘I’d get someone to come check the gas, and don’t smoke till you do.’

Once outside Jaap checked his phone, he’d missed a call from Kees.

‘Korssen’s prostitute friend said that he’d left no later than half one. So he was lying,’ said Kees when Jaap asked him why he’d called. They were driving past Dam Square, still full of tourists despite the freezing cold.

‘Which puts him right in the time frame for Friedman’s death.’ Jaap switched the phone to his other ear, one hand on the wheel. ‘Good work. We’re going to have to have another chat with Rint Korssen.’

‘And Zwartberg, Friedman’s dining partner. His address is up at Brouwersgracht, number seventy-three
.’

‘I’m close to there now, I’ll cover that. You track down Korssen, find out where he is, and Kees?’

‘Yeah?’

‘Call me when you’ve got him, I want to be there when he’s arrested.’

I want to see his reaction
, he thought as he hung up, flicked on the sirens and lurched the car forward.

‘Looks like you joined us just at the right time.’ He glanced across at Tanya as she re-did her ponytail, snapping the band into place.

She’s not bad looking
, he found himself thinking.

‘I hope so.’

They were there in four minutes. Jaap extinguished the siren and parked right outside. The house was older than Friedman’s; Brouwersgracht was in the Jordaan, a full century older than the central canal district, but just as expensive. Until recently the Jordaan had been a working
class district, but had turned trendy during the boom years. Maybe now the Netherlands were in a triple-dip recession it was destined to return to its roots.

They got out and ran to the door. Nobody answered the bell.

He pushed it, and it swung open.

Both he and Tanya drew their weapons, before stepping quietly inside. The hallway was dark, the only room on the ground floor empty.

They found him on the first floor. Naked, lying on the floor, a purple stole with two white and gold crosses at each end round his neck.

His mouth was slightly open. Jaap holstered his gun, pulled out some latex gloves, and wiggled the phone gently out of the body’s mouth. It was identical to Friedman’s. He didn’t need to open it up and look at the number on the screen, but he did anyway.

Why is the killer leaving these?

‘What is it?’ asked Tanya from behind him.

‘This,’ said Jaap dropping the phone back into Zwartberg’s mouth, where it clattered against his teeth, ‘is us being too late.’

Tuesday, 3 January
16.34

Tyres shrieked against asphalt.

‘Is that Kees Terpstra?’ asked Tanya as their car stopped, rocking forward.

‘You know him?’

‘Yeah.’

She didn’t sound that enthusiastic. He didn’t blame her.

They jumped out of the car and ran towards where Kees was waiting by Korssen’s house.

‘Not here?’ Jaap shouted as he neared.

‘No. What about Zwartberg?’

‘Dead. With a phone, just like Friedman.’

‘Shit.’

Kees looked at Tanya then turned to Jaap.

‘What’s she doing here?’

‘Helping us.’

‘Nice to see you too,’ said Tanya.

Jaap looked from one to the other. He didn’t have time for this right now.

‘Just put it aside, whatever it is. Zwartberg’s phone had a call this afternoon from the phone that had only called Friedman before, I think it could be Korssen,’ he said.

‘Makes sense, I just spoke to a neighbour who said he
bundled into a cab not long after we spoke to him earlier,’ replied Kees.

‘Have you traced it?’

‘I put a call out, so far nothing.’

‘It’s got to be him. He lied about the timing then does a runner. Let’s get in.’

‘I’ve got just the thing to open this up.’ Kees sprinted over to the patrol car he’d come in, yanked open the boot and brought out a standard-issue battering ram.

‘I made sure the car had one of these, just in case.’ He was grinning, like he was about to start enjoying himself.

Two swings and they were inside.

The open-plan living space was just as it had been when they’d seen it before. They took the large spiral staircase, and nearing the top they could hear the sound of a TV or radio.

All three instinctively drew their weapons, and crept forward, gently placing each foot heel to toe.

There were four doors on the landing. The sound was coming from the third along to the left. They paused either side, listening. Nothing but voices, some talk show with talentless celebrity morons giggling and preening. Jaap nodded to them both and counted down from three with his fingers.

The door flew inwards with such force that it sprang back and knocked Kees’ outstretched gun as he leapt forward. The sound of the shot made Jaap instinctively drop to his knees, even though he knew it was Kees’ gun which had fired.

There was no extra noise from the room, or anywhere else in the house.

Kees, embarrassed, pushed the door open, and entered followed by Tanya, then Jaap. The room was brightly lit, the sound coming from an enormous television hanging on one of the walls.

‘Shit, now I’m going to have to fill out one of those stupid report forms.’

‘Don’t forget the bullet, dig it out.’

Jaap turned the TV off. Kees was already checking the unmade bed, and Tanya the walk-in closet towards the back of the room.

Near the back she came across a dark wooden chest, a reproduction antique, out of place with the ultra-modernity of the rest of the house.

It was locked.

‘Anyone want to open this?’ she asked.

Kees stepped forward. Jaap could tell he liked this kind of stuff, but then who didn’t? Most detectives got some kind of a thrill from breaking things. It was so immediate, unlike most of their work.

Kees had to resort to smashing it against the wall, the lid finally splintering in two. He ripped it back and then emptied the contents on to the floor.

Whips, DVDs and a whole load of other objects whose use Jaap didn’t even want to think about spilled out.

Kees poked around with the toe of his boot, separating various bits of black leather to reveal a face mask.

‘Looks like he’s into exotic toys.’

‘That mask,’ said Tanya, her voice tight. ‘That’s like the one Haak was wearing.’

Tuesday, 3 January
23.07

As Kees walked into the bar, scanning for Carice and finding her, the back of her blonde hair coppered by the mood lighting, he wondered, for a split second, if he should be doing this.

Music pulsed, a couple at a table off to his left erupted with laughter. Then the pathologist turned, raised her eyebrows and looked at her wrist before swivelling back to the bar, and her drink, and he knew the answer.

The appearance of Tanya helped with the decision. He hadn’t seen her for two years, and there’d been a brief moment when he’d felt all the anger rush back. That was not good. Especially as they now seemed to be working together.

He felt the small plastic pouch he’d picked up on the way over and slid on to the barstool next to her, shrugging off his coat as he did.

‘Hey.’

‘Hey, are you always in the habit of keeping women waiting?’

He thought of Marinette, waiting at home for him.

‘Heightens the expectation.’

‘Hmmm, might not be such a good idea.’ She looked him up and down. ‘Expectation can be
too
heightened.’

‘You saying I’m a disappointment?’

‘Only visually.’

‘Not so hot yourself,’ he replied, motioning
same for me
to the barman.

She laughed, and flicked her hair back. The music shifted beat. The rowdy couple behind them were getting even louder. It wasn’t laughter any more, it sounded more like screaming. Just as they turned Kees saw the man spring up from the table and the woman hurl a half-full glass of beer at him. It bounced off his chest but wasn’t so lucky with the floor.

‘You bitch!’ the man shouted, his voice hoarse. ‘You crazy fucking bitch!’

She was up at him now, and before he could react she grabbed him by the shoulders and rammed her knee into his crotch. He doubled up with a cry. The music stopped, everyone else in the bar was watching the couple. The place seemed frozen.

‘Shouldn’t you go over there and put a stop to all this?’ Carice whispered into his ear. ‘You’re the cop, after all.’

‘Off-duty cop,’ he reminded her and they watched as the woman shoved the man over, toppling him on to the shards of glass on the floor, and swayed for the exit. Then people were helping him up and Kees and Carice turned back to each other.

‘That reminds me, you know the body?’ said Carice.

‘Friedman?’

‘Yeah, him. He’d had the …’ She made a scissors motion with her fingers.

‘Castrated?’

She squinted at him. ‘You were there yesterday, at the scene, weren’t you?’

‘Yeah, I –’

‘And even you would have noticed if he’d been missing something vital. He was lying naked, and I’m sure you guys must all check each other out.’ She raised an eyebrow. Kees felt sucked in.

‘Yeah, okay, so what do you mean …?’ He did a clumsy snip of his own.

‘You know, a vasectomy.’

He stared at her for a moment, and then found himself starting to laugh, a machine chugging to life.

‘You mean,’ he said, having to break off again for another round of laughter, Carice looking at him, ‘he was shooting blanks?’

Tuesday, 3 January
23.14

Jaap stepped out from Zwartberg’s front door.

After searching Korssen’s place, Jaap, Kees and Tanya had gone back to Zwartberg’s. They’d gone over the scene but it hadn’t turned up anything. Kees had left earlier, looking like he was in a hurry. Jaap glanced up at the sky.

The moon peered down at him like a sick eye.

‘I need a drink, how about you?’ he asked Tanya as she joined him outside.

‘Yeah, that’d be good.’

They found a bar, an old-time place which didn’t play music, and ordered: Tanya beer, Jaap water. They were too exhausted to do anything but look at the drinks when they arrived at their table. Jaap watched the head spilling over the side of Tanya’s glass, forming a puddle on the dark wooden tabletop.

‘You don’t drink beer?’ Tanya asked as she finally raised the glass to her lips.

‘Lost the taste for it a while back,’ said Jaap.

He always found people reluctant to accept he didn’t drink alcohol, and through experience worked out the best way for them to accept it was to imply he’d had a
drinking problem. He was a cop after all, so most people figured he had one anyway.

They sat in silence for a while, both absorbing what had happened over the last few hours.

‘How does this all fit together with Inspector Hansen’s death?’ Tanya asked.

Jaap took a sip of water before answering.

‘Andreas and I were working a case together, trying to get to this gang I told you about.’

‘The one Akster mentioned, the Black Tulips?’

‘Right. They killed someone and we’d been on the case for a while now, and Andreas had discovered a way to get to the gang, right before he was killed.’

‘So they did it, to stop him exposing them?’

Her phone rang and she pulled it out. Jaap watched as she hesitated before answering. She had a brief conversation, explaining where she was before listening. Jaap could hear the voice but not the words. Whoever it was sounded angry.

‘Trouble?’ he asked once she’d hung up.

‘That’s the guy I work with, he’s … well, let’s just say we don’t get on. And he’s ordered me back to Leeuwarden.’

‘Got a better lead up there?’

‘No. But he doesn’t like that I might be on the right track.’

She took a huge gulp of beer, the glass hitting the table as she lowered it too fast.

‘Anyway,’ she said, ‘you were saying, about Andreas?’

‘Uhh … yeah, I think they killed him because he was getting too close. But they didn’t just stop there. The person he’d found was Friedman.’

‘Your first body.’

‘Exactly. The problem is, nobody else knows the two cases are linked, if they did I’d be pulled off this one straight away,’ he said.

‘Kees doesn’t know?’

‘No. Partly as I reckon if he knew, I’d be off the case real quick, and partly … well, you’ve clearly met him before.’

Tanya nodded; she looked embarrassed.

‘We were at the academy together, we had a thing for a little while,’ she said.

‘And it didn’t end well, I’m guessing.’

‘They didn’t make you a detective for nothing then.’ She smiled.

She’s really cute
, thought Jaap as he finished his water.

A waiter walked past telling them they’d be closing soon.

‘Did Andreas have a partner?’ asked Tanya.

‘Married three years and expecting a baby in a few weeks.’

‘That’s just awful.’ She shook her head and fiddled with the glass. ‘Did you know her well too?’

‘You could say that, we were together for a couple of years. And before you ask, no it wasn’t a problem when she and Andreas started seeing each other.’

‘I wasn’t going to.’

‘You’d be the first not to. People thought it was strange, but we’d been together and it didn’t work.’

‘So you’re still friends?’

Jaap thought back to the night last spring when Andreas had been away for a few days. Andreas had called Jaap and
asked him to look in on Saskia, she’d seemed to be down about something. Jaap had called her and gone round that evening.

Then he’d stayed the night.

He’d felt guilty about it for weeks afterwards. Working with Andreas every day hadn’t helped.

But when Andreas didn’t say anything he figured Saskia hadn’t said anything either. So he’d tried to forget it, figuring that most people ended up sleeping with their ex at some stage.

‘We got on better when she was with Andreas than we ever did on our own,’ he said.

Though that may change now
, he thought,
she might still blame me for not going with him.

He rubbed his eyes.

‘You look tired,’ she said, ‘maybe we should call it a night.’

‘Exhausted, in fact. Are you going back up?’

Despite his fatigue he hoped she wasn’t.

She looked at her watch.

‘Way too late, but I can’t anyway. I’ve got to be here to find Haak. And the girl.’

‘I could do with the help, do you want to give me your superior officer’s name? I’ll talk to him in the morning, see what I can do.’

‘He won’t like it, but you’re welcome to try.’

‘You got somewhere to stay?’

‘I booked a hotel, somewhere by the Rijksmuseum.’

That’s kind of a shame
, he thought as he offered to drop her off.

They drove in silence, both consumed by their own
thoughts, and agreed to talk first thing. Jaap dropped the car back at the station and started walking towards his houseboat.

He called Saskia, aware that he’d not spoken to her all day. She was doing okay, she told him, she’d had various friends round during the day and evening, and he promised to drop in tomorrow.

Jaap hung up and stopped short four houseboats along from his own.

Street lights dripped light along the canal edge.

Had he seen something, or was he just being paranoid?

He found he was holding his breath, and he only released it when he spotted the glowing tip of a cigarette in the darkness less than twenty metres from his houseboat, no figure visible.

Moving forward as slowly as he could, he tried to place his feet carefully but on the third step he hit something, a crushed drink can, which scuttled along ahead of him. The glowing tip lurched wildly, hung in the air for a moment, then fell to the ground.

A motorbike roared. Jaap was running but the trail of noise was receding fast.

Then it was gone.

When he went to bed, after having tried to sit and clear his mind, and failed, he jammed a chair against the front door.

It wouldn’t stop anyone getting in, but it would make enough of a racket to give him some warning.

He hoped.