Blue Blue Eyes: Crime Novel (16 page)

”Were there any threats against Karl or anybody else in your family?” Both Barbro and Therese shook their heads.

”Are you really sure?”

”Yes, at least nothing that we’ve noticed and Karl had not been behaving strangely or anything lately.”

”When did you realize that Karl had disappeared?”

Barbro thought and answered honestly: ”Karl went to a meeting straight after breakfast last Friday. It was around half past eight when he left. I know that since I was listening to the weather forecast on the radio as he was closing the door.”

”Do you know who he was meeting?”

”Sorry, I don’t have a clue. Do you think that…?” Barbro never finished the sentence but looked around with fear.

”I don’t think anything. What did you do Friday morning?”

”After Karl had left I took my car and drove to Pafos to have my nails done. It was just before ten o’clock. Then Karl and I were supposed to meet up at the Zeus restaurant in the harbour to have lunch together. But as I mentioned he never showed up.” Barbro turned around and looked out over the beautiful garden with her trembling mouth closely shut.

”That’s your white Mercedes SLK standing outside the garage?” Barbro silently nodded in reply.

”Do you have any more cars in your family?”

”Sure, Karl had one too. I usually drive the white one. I pointed out to the Chief of Police that Karl’s car had disappeared so I hope it’s been found.

Nikki looked carefully at Daphne and made a mental note to ask her to check it out with Carlos.

”What kind of car did he drive?”

”He was driving a black BMW 740. But I’ve already told you that. The Chief even got the number plate.”

Nikki sighed within herself and wrote down the information in her notebook. ”Do you know if Karl was involved in any business here in Cyprus?”

”Karl was an amazingly gifted businessman. Some were trying to persuade him to participate in different projects but he almost always declined. Of course my husband got curious sometimes and went to a meeting or two but usually the result was him rejecting the ideas. You see…Cyprus was Karl’s oasis. He just wanted to be left in peace here.”

”Who do you associate with when you’re here?”

”We usually come here to get some peace and quiet. Karl works incredibly long hours at home. But now he is passing most of it on to our eldest son, well at least he was doing that. So the answer to your questions would be not so many. Some from the golf club as well as a few of the neighbours here on our street.”

”I see”, Nikki replied. She felt there was a flow now in the questions so she continued. ”Did Karl have any computer or mobile phone or anything else which you think could be of interest to the investigation?”

Barbro’s hand once again touched the necklace while she was thinking.

”I haven’t seen Karl’s mobile and I’ve even tried calling it a few times without having a reply. I suppose it’s missing or in the car. But his computer is here.”

”Is it OK if we take it with us to have a look? We’d also like to have Karl’s mobile number.”

”Of course. I’ll write down his number while I get the computer.”

”No, Mummy, you stay. I’ll get it and write down Daddy’s mobile number so these cops might finally leave.” Therese quickly got up and knocked over her coffee cup on the glass covered table. Barbro looked at her daughter lovingly and put a few forgiving paper serviettes over the dark brown liquid.

”Here, is my number”, Nikki said and gave her a business card.” Call if you have any questions or if you think of something. It can be anything even if you think it’s insignificant but which actually could be useful for us. And of course any time of the day. Can we do anything for you while we’re here?”

”Thanks for your offer, but I think I’ll be alright. My daughter is a great help even if she’s a bit rude to you. She is really mourning her father. Karl and Therese were very close. Please excuse me. Barbro unsteadily got up from the sofa and went into the enormous house.

Nikki’s thoughts were swirling around her head. The feeling that she had missed something came over her again. She tried to catch the fleeting thought which disappeared as fast again. Her vest was sticking to her torso and Nikki didn’t want to know what she looked like. Sweat was one of the worst things but at least she wasn’t smelly yet.

”Here you are”, Therese said grumpily and handed over Karl’s Mac-book Air.

”As far as I know there shouldn’t be any passwords on it. Here is Daddy’s mobile number. He only had one contract and it was Swedish.”

”Thank you”, Nikki said. ”When did you come to Cyprus by the way?”

”Last night.”

”How long will you stay?”

”For as long as it takes. I bought a one-way ticket.”

”Good, that’s very considerate”, Nikki replied kindly. ”We’ll let ourselves out and thanks for your time.”

1978

Little Brother still had nosebleeds all the time this year. Every time the father had seen any little drop of blood Little Brother had got a real punch. Big brother had hidden their mother’s medicines and tried shaking her back to life but without success. The brothers had also noticed how their mother was full of bruises this winter. Big brother had continued training in secret. Big brother’s desire for revenge had started to take shape, just like his puberty, despite the fact that he was small and skinny.

This summer Little brother turned eleven years old. He’d had one sickness after another and he had developed severe asthma. The father naturally had refused to let him to go to the hospital in Visby, but Big brother had been there for him with steaming hot water and a cuddle. Little brother’s thin body had become even thinner since their mother had stopped cooking. They’d eaten yogurt and crisp bread which had been on the dining table as the fridge and pantry were completely empty.

This summer Big brother was subjected to the worst abuse. The Father had forced Little brother to sit during the nights in the damp barn to look at Big brother’s body being in spasm from all the electrical shocks. Any little noise from Little brother led to a slap and finally Little brother had stopped talking completely. When Big brother’s voice of puberty broke the father had taken the knife out of its sheath and pressed it hard on his Adam’s apple.

”No bloody women’s voices in my house.”

Their mother’s rheumatism had improved a bit in the summer heat and the brothers had some little hope about getting their old happy mother back again. But her gaze became more apathetic and empty from all the tablets and all the violence her husband subjected her to. The mother’s desire to live had slowly, but surely, disappeared as the bruises and injuries on her body increased.

The nights were the worst. Many times the brothers were lying down in the same bed staring out into the darkness waiting. Sleep became a lacking commodity and their black hollow eyes were empty and tired in their sunken faces.

Sunday June 9th

He only slept now and then since he had to change position every half hour as the pain was unbearable on the hard floor. The night had been a real hell as the anguish had been pulsating together with the immense pain. Once again Patrik tried to scream, but only a hoarse whisper came out of his dry throat. He had screamed his voice away in vain without being heard. The fear had become intense during the night and Patrik wondered if it really was worth it refusing to sign the bloody documents. One second he would do anything to get out of here and the other he felt stubborn as a mule.

Why should Petros have his assets? The walls were moving too fast, as well as the plastic looking ceiling. The nausea was moving in Patrik’s stomach. He turned around and threw up on the meshed wooden floor. Over and over again he tried to find a way to dry his mouth but both hands and feet were bound. The strong taste was burning his throat while his temples were hurting. The heat in the little room made him suffer even more. It felt as if the oxygen would disappear any second and his thirst was enormous. The panic would soon get a hold of his beaten body and he tried to ignore his wheezing heavy breathing by thinking of his children instead.

The narrow slits of eyes managed to catch the light which trickled in through the narrow openings up by the ceiling and he realized that it was morning. Carefully he rolled over in his own vomit and felt how the clothes sucked up the smelly mess. Sticky and disgusted Patrik tried shuffling backward against the wall in an attempt to sit up. The pain shot up like arrows through his body and the plastic cable ties were cutting like knives into his wrists and ankles. Out of breath he leaned his aching head against the wall and felt how the nausea once again got the upper hand. He just about managed to avoid vomiting on himself and the orange cascade fell next to him instead.

As an experienced sailor Patrik had figured out that he was captive on a boat but he still didn’t know where. The trip between Petros’ office and the boat was as dark as night. He supposed that he had been drugged. At times he wished to put back the time so he wouldn’t go to Petros’ office but on the other hand he wanted his money back.
Should I give away my 30 millions to a maniac without putting up a fight?
His pocket was flat and suddenly Patrik knew that he had lost both his mobile and iPad.
How the hell would he be able to call for help?
His shoulders slumped and he realized that he was trapped.

I wonder what Linn and the kids are doing? Damn it, I must try and save our marriage. Sorry Linn. Sorry for behaving like a bloody pig this past year.
Salty tears were pouring down his cheeks and it hurt. Hurt his soul. Hurt his heart.
Damn it, I have to get out of here.
Patrik tried looking around but the room was as empty as before. The only way out was the door to the cabin.

”Damn it”, he wheezed while panic overwhelmed him. He started shaking and Patrik didn’t know how to handle the situation. He was scared. Scared of dying.
Would it really be worth signing those bloody documents anyway? But what if they kill me after I’ve signed them?
The questions were many and he decided not to sign any papers despite the pain and the fact that he was playing Russian roulette. Then he suddenly heard some keys in the lock and the dark mahogany coloured wooden door was opened.

”What a stench, what the hell have you done?”

Patrik didn’t answer but instead made sure to fill his lungs with the fresh air coming through the door. His heart was beating fast and he thought of something he’d read once. ”The mirrors in your mind can reflect the best in you but also the worst in your enemy.”

”It’s completely up to you how long you want to stay in this stench. As soon as you’ve signed the papers for our extra little dividend you’ll be a free man.” Petros’ laughter echoed in the hot little galley before he locked the door behind himself.

I’ll bloody not sign your papers Patrik thought as he realized something. His medication. He didn’t have any medicine.

Sunday June 9th

Daphne switched off the engine outside Sten Arvidsson’s splendid villa. Amazed she listened to Nikki who carefully updated her on what Barbro and Therese had said during the brief visit. When they opened the gate they saw that Sten’s garden was as meticulously looked after as that of the Hofvenskold family. The jasmine’s light flowers spread a pleasant scent which reminded Nikki of a shower gel she used to have.

Nikki went up and knocked on the big oak door while looking around in her handbag which was hanging comfortably across her shoulder. When nobody answered the door she picked up a bunch of pick-locks in different sizes and looked inquiringly at Daphne.

”Wait, first I have to check if Carlos really has got the decision of the DA. But, don’t you think we should call a lock smith instead?” Nikki laughed a little and dangled the pick-locks in the air.

”When I have these? Don’t think so. But call Carlos while I try the lock.”

Daphne went back to the police car, took out two pairs of plastic gloves as well as shoe protection while waiting for Carlos to answer. Five minutes later they were both inside the door in a big entrance with white booties on their feet.

”That wasn’t the first time you opened a door with the help of that bunch. Is that what you do in Sweden every time you have a problem?”

Nikki gave a tricky smile and didn’t quite know how to deal with the sensitive question. ”No, only when it’s an emergency.”

Both started smiling widely and laughed while putting on the latex gloves, walking straight into the hallway which was decorated with oriental carpets in muted colours. Surprised, they saw how different kinds of cloth were mixed in a sea of silver- and gold coloured lanterns in different sizes.

”Come and have a look”, Nikki said fascinated. ”It feels like being in Morocco.”

”Wow, look at the colours. Have a look at the wardrobe. You can’t imagine it being so big in here when the doors are closed.”

”Yeah, by the way, had Carlos got the search warrant?”

”Do you really think I would have let you finish fiddling with the lock otherwise? The district attorney Carlos usually contacts is his uncle. I do have to commend Tristan Papandreou because he’s usually very quick and accommodating to us.”

”Are you all related with each-other on this little island, or what?” Nikki closed the doors and smiled.

”No believe it or not, but it’s almost the case. For good or for bad. For the good of Cyprus we should really employ people from other countries who with fresh eyes can see how to save our little island. That would probably deal with all the corruption here too, but that’s not the way it works in the democratic world now, is it?”

”No, but it doesn’t sound bad to have some fresh blood”, Nikki honestly replied. She stopped by the staircase and curiously looked around.

”I think we should split up to be more effective. If I take the upper floor maybe you could do the ground floor?”

”Sounds perfect.” Daphne went into the modern kitchen and started looking for clues which would bring them closer to the answer as to whom Sten Arvidsson was and why he had been murdered.

Expectantly Nikki went up the light marble staircase and was amazed at seeing how wide it was when she got on the last step. A large living room which also had been influenced by Moroccan style was apparent. She stood for a while and looked at the space and light in the room. But most of all she was admiring the view, sea, sea, and once again sea. Systematically she started looking and after 20 minutes she realized there was nothing of interest in the room.

The right wing had a beautiful and light marble floor which was shining in the sun. Nikki counted three rooms but started with what she supposed was Sten’s bed-room. Nikki wondered if she had seen correctly when her eyes fell on a mobile on one of the bed-side tables. She immediately put it in an evidence bag and hoped that it would reveal some more information about Sten Arvidsson. With renewed energy she continued searching frenetically in the drawers and wardrobes but without any success at all. Before leaving the room she lifted the heavy triple mattress on the large continental bed, but found nothing interesting there either. A photograph made her stop, though.

Sten Arvidsson was dressed in tuxedo and was holding a beautiful woman with a pleasant smile. She must have been his wife, Nikki thought sadly to herself. She had read in the police report that he had been a widower for a few years and wondered curiously what had happened to his wife while she continued to the next room. Different machines were lined up and by the wall there was a shelf with loose weights. A gym, she thought, and felt the need to exercise stir in her veins. She walked quickly through the room which smelled of gym equipment while looking curiously at a closed door.

When she pushed the handle of the door she found it was locked. Carefully she started to press the handle while pushing the door, but it didn’t budge even a millimetre. She noticed how solid it was. Purposefully she made a fist and carefully knocked on different parts of the door and quickly realized it was made of steel.
OK, Sten. What secrets are hidden in here?

”What’s going on?” Daphne was a little out of breath after the short run up the stairs when she had heard Nikki calling.

”The door is locked.” Nikki showed by pressing the door handle. ”Check out the lock. A little advanced, don’t you think? Even the door is special, it’s made of steel.”

Daphne gave a knowing smile and her eyes shone with expectation.

”Damn it, we’ll have to call for a lock smith.”

Nikki could see the wheels spinning behind her colleague’s beautifully multi-coloured eyes when she picked up her bunch of pick-locks again.

”Lock smith? When we have these?”

”But can you really handle this kind of complicated lock?” Daphne smiled hesitatingly while leaning against the whitewashed wall.

”At least let me have a go.”

Nikki started working the lock, cursed a few times and dropped the pick-locks several times on the hard marble floor. But her drive and curiosity stopped her from giving up.

”But I’ll be damned. Come on now.”

Nikki tried one pick-lock after another but it was impossible to open the door. Finally she remembered a trick that David had taught her. With concentration she tried with three pick-locks at the same time and after many attempts they heard the desired sound. Nikki looked Daphne in the eyes and made a sign that they should cover each-other. Daphne took out her service weapon, un-cocked it and nodded at Nikki that she should follow.

”Clear”, Daphne said automatically after she had checked that the room was empty.

At first glance Nikki couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. The office was tastefully decorated and the furniture was neutral in colour. A clever feature on the wall in the shape of a world map lit up the room and little green pins were stuck in different cities and countries. A pretty cloth-painting adorned the blank wall over the white sofa. Nikki clearly recognized the cloth in green and white looking like several women’s faces from Marimekko. She had a similar one at home. Sten Arvidsson’s chair was pushed next to the desk and when she pulled it out it had wheels but no armrest.

Hesitating she sat down in the chair and let her eyes move over the neat desk. A feeling of unpleasantness settled in the pit of her stomach since she actually didn’t like invading people’s private domains. A few piles of papers were lying in a neat row in the left corner and when she lifted the papers on top Nikki could quickly see they were dealing with gardening. She pulled out the top drawer to the right under the desk and only found some stationary.

The next drawer contained a few other things, a stack of CDs, different chargers and a small video camera. Nikki turned the camera upside down but unfortunately she could see that the memory card had been removed. The other drawers were empty apart from a small photo album. Carefully she leafed through the pictures and looked into a beautiful woman’s dark eyes. The plastic pockets were filled with photographs of Sten’s wife.

A sad feeling went through her body and Nikki put the album back in its place and carefully closed the drawer, as if she didn’t want to cause any more harm for the deceased wife. Thoughtfully she clasped her hands behind her neck and rolled around with the chair.
Somewhere you are keeping secrets, Sten, but the question is where?
She looked around the room once again and rested her eyes on a few paintings of zebras in different positions. The wall next to it was also covered with black frames but with different dog motifs. She couldn’t see any computer which puzzled Nikki. Most households today had a computer in the house?

”Think about it, where would you hide something you didn’t want to be found?” Daphne asked while she pulled out file after file in the bookshelf with glass doors.

”You don’t find anything either?”

”No, nothing interesting. Let’s see if the other bookshelf will yield some results instead.”

Nikki got up and tried looking at the room with a new look.

Where would I hide my secrets? Where?

An hour later Nikki and Daphne were still sitting in the office feeling puzzled and both had a gut feeling that they had missed something important. They felt totally frustrated as they watched specks of dust from the curtains dancing in the bright sunlight.

”I can’t believe it. We haven’t found a thing. But I’m sure there’s something in here, otherwise Sten would never have had a steel door into this room.” Nikki sighed and rubbed her fingertips against her temples. ”My gut tells me we’ve missed something. Help me Daphne, think outside the box. What have we missed?”

”I actually don’t know Nikki, but I agree with you, there’s something fishy.” Daphne sat down on the sofa, leaned her head against the headrest and fiddled with the fringes on the green cushions while thinking.

”Mm, it’s too hot to think and my throat is like a number seven sandpaper. Shall we go and have a couple of ice-cold smoothies maybe?” Nikki sat on the lime-green office chair and put up her legs on the desk so that her feet were dangling outside.

”I say we stay. Let’s give it another half hour before leaving, OK?”

Nikki just hummed in answer while she changed the lever so that she was reclining in the chair. Then they were completely quiet while their intensive looks and brains were working overtime. Nikki was fiddling with her cuticle so hard it hurt and Daphne was playing with her fish bone tail with a look of concentration. After five minutes Nikki slid up from the chair and put her feet on the floor under the desk. An aluminium coloured basket turned over and the content was emptied out on the star-patterned plastic mat.

”Of course.” Nikki reluctantly bent down and started replacing all the crunched-up papers lying spread out here and there. A metallic sound caught her attention when she knocked the bin by mistake with her elbow. Curiously she emptied the rest of its content and among all the rubbish she found a small gold coloured key.

”Voilá, if you look you will find.” Nikki grinned and held up the key in front of her.

”Why would anybody throw a key in the bin?”

”Who knows.” Nikki shrugged and frowned. ”Ah, it’s probably nothing. It might be the key to a lock he’s lost.”

”Hang on a minute, I recognize that key.” Daphne ran down to the kitchen and fetched her handbag. When she came back she had exactly the same kind of key in her hand.

”This key was found in Sten’s clothes where he was discovered. Does your key have the same letters as mine?”

Nikki quickly looked at Daphne’s key, compared it to the one she’d found and nodded quickly. ”OK, then, we’ve found two identical keys. What does that mean?”

Nikki fiddled with the key while ignoring her stomach making a rumbling noise. A funny feeling came over her and she quickly got up. When close to the paintings she looked behind each and every frame. Empty. Her pulse rose as she stubbornly followed her gut feeling and went up to the world map. Her fingers went along the wall paper’s seams but she couldn’t feel anything strange. The large Marimekko painting with the eight women’s faces caught her attention. She lifted down the light chip-wood and put the cloth painting against the wall.

”Look, a lock.” Nikki felt her whole body tense as she put in the key. With a keen anticipation she turned it around, first one way and then the other. ”Come on, why is nothing happening?”

Daphne who had also got up felt cheated just like Nikki.

”Damn it. We have a lock and a key that fits, why is nothing happening?” The irritation ran throughout her whole body and Nikki once again sat down in the lime green office chair with obvious disappointment.

”But we can’t give up now Nikki. Come on. Let’s continue looking. There must be something else.”

”I feel we have looked and looked. But you’re right, we can’t give up.” Nikki sat up straight and rubbed her tired eyes with her wrists.

Calmly Daphne went around touching the room again. She stopped for a few seconds by the window facing the bay. The waves were intoxicating the soft sea and a sea-gull flew low over the invitingly glittering water. When she turned around her eyes lit up and opened wide.

”I have an idea. Help me, we need to move the furniture.”

First they started with the lightest stuff, the sofa and a white chest. Then they moved the desk together and were really disappointed when they saw the stark white wall behind was empty. But they didn’t give up but concentrated on the heavy book-shelves instead. After considerable effort they managed to move the thing side-ways but were far from finished. They had a break and dried the sweat off their foreheads before getting going again.