On A Dark Sea (The DCI Dani Bevan Detective Novels Book 2) (20 page)

Chapter Forty Three

D
ani went back to the guesthouse to change her clothes before she headed out to the Bureau. She applied her make-up carefully, trying to mask the fact she’d had almost no sleep. After the sad news they’d received regarding Maisie, Bevan felt guilty about experiencing so much excitement at the thought of seeing Dieter again. But she rationalised it by telling herself that these were the natural emotions one felt when in the early stages of such an all-consuming relationship – when the bond between two people was so immediate and strong.

              She left Andy in the old town and took the hire car to the police headquarters on the outskirts of Stavanger. Dani assumed that Dieter would have returned to work by now, as he’d been so worried about leaving Magda with too much on her plate.

              Detective Hustad was standing by her desk as Dani stepped off the escalator. The woman gave her a warm smile. ‘I’m pleased to see you again.’

              Dani’s expression became sombre and she took hold of Magda’s hands.

              ‘There is bad news, about the girl?’

              Bevan nodded.

              Magda sighed. ‘There was always going to be, after she was missing for so long. Our training teaches us this. But it doesn’t make it any easier to hear.’

              ‘No, it doesn’t.’

              ‘Have you told Karlsen yet?’

              ‘I’ve not had the opportunity, is he here?’ Dani glanced about the office floor, trying not to sound too eager.

              ‘He is out at Byfjorden, meeting one of his contacts.’

              The disappointment in Bevan’s face must have been obvious. ‘I’ve got to catch a flight at lunchtime.’

              ‘Why don’t you go and find him there? It’s not far. I’ll give you the directions. The fjord is very beautiful, especially on a clear day such as this. You should see it before returning home.’ She smiled. ‘I’m very relieved to have Dieter back at work. The Inspector from Oslo has finally gone. If he’d had a few more days to dig around, he might have made life difficult for us. Dieter isn’t very good at paperwork.’

*

Dani kept glancing at the clock on the dashboard, as she drove towards the Byfjorden. Apparently, there was a car park at a viewing platform where Dieter usually made contact with his informants. Magda had drawn her a sketchy map. The journey was quite stunning. It was a clear, sunny day and the mountains were like nothing Dani had ever seen. They were somehow on a larger scale than those of her native Scotland and the occasional simple Nordic cabin populated the green hillsides.

              A German car with dark paintwork pulled out of the turning as Dani arrived at the beauty spot. She allowed it to leave before proceeding onto the bumpy track that led to the viewing platform. She was immensely relieved to see that Dieter’s car was still there. Bevan parked up next to it but noticed the detective was not inside. Dani got out and walked towards the platform, which was boarded with strips of solid pine and had railings made out of the same wood, to protect visitors from the height of the drop down to the fjord below.

              Dieter was leaning against the barrier, looking out towards the most glorious view Bevan had ever seen. Mountains encircled them and the sun was at its highest point in the cloudless blue sky.

              She touched him gently on the arm, her heart beating so fast she thought it might explode.

              He turned very slowly. When she caught sight of his face the expression he wore chilled her to the bone. ‘
Dani
? What are you doing here?’

              ‘There were developments in the Maisie Riddell case. Andy and I came back to pursue them. But it’s all over now. I’m going home in an hour. It just seemed like madness not to try and see you.’

              Dieter appeared to have composed himself. He leant down and kissed her tenderly. ‘I’m sorry darling, I just didn’t expect to see you in Norway. You took me by surprise.’  

              Dani put up a hand to touch his cheek. ‘I apologise for not coming to the airport with you the other day,’ her voice was full of remorse. ‘My friend is recovering well now,’ she added, as if the man had actually enquired.

              ‘It doesn’t matter. You’re here with me now.’ He swept her into an embrace. They gripped each other tightly.

              Dani felt all her doubts and worries disappear. She looked over Dieter’s shoulder at the shimmering water so far below them, pulling him closer and whispering the sweet reassurances of the devoted lover into his ear.

              ‘I’ve really got to go,’ she said finally. ‘The flight leaves in half an hour. Andy will be waiting.’

              ‘I’ll follow you in the car, so we can say goodbye at the airport.’

              Dani hesitated for a moment. ‘There was just one thing I wanted to ask you about.’

              Dieter stood very still, his face a total blank. ‘Of course, what is it?’

              ‘Andy and I went to the university. We spoke with a professor there. He was convinced that the attack on Aron Holm was a deliberate attempt to prevent his work from continuing.’ Dani touched the collar of Dieter’s padded jacket. ‘Was it really you who attacked Holm? Or are you protecting somebody? My investigative instincts tell me that the assault can’t simply have been an isolated incident, or a case of mistaken identity. Coincidences like that just don’t happen in real life.’

              Dieter took a step backwards. ‘Are you still investigating the Aron Holm assault? You told me you’d let it go.’

              ‘Yes, I have. But Andy still had doubts, and I couldn’t stop him from asking questions or it would have looked suspicious.’

              ‘It sounds like you are the one with doubts.’

              Dani didn’t like the expression on the man’s face.

              ‘I’m a police officer, Dieter. It’s my job to question everything.’

              ‘Well, I really wished you hadn’t.’ The man looked genuinely disappointed.

              Dani didn’t know what to say to this. She turned to walk towards the hire car, knowing that she was running the risk of missing her flight. There just wasn’t time to continue with the discussion right now. Dieter shot his arm out and twisted her back round. ‘Where are you going? We’re not finished here yet.’

              ‘I need to get to the airport. I shouldn’t have come.’

              The detective kept hold of her arm. ‘I really like you Dani. I’m sorry it’s ended in this way.’

              Bevan tried to wriggle herself free of his grasp. ‘What are you talking about? – are you calling things off just because I asked you about Aron Holm?’

              Dieter began dragging her towards the thin wooden barrier, where the view across to the mountains was breath-taking. ‘I don’t think you’re ever going to let it go. When we were back in Glasgow it seemed as if you would.’

              Dani’s mind was ticking over fast, she managed to dig her heavy soled boot into a gap between the boards and anchor herself for a moment. ‘Are you so very frightened of facing that assault charge, Dieter? Or is there something more?’

              ‘Those people who you saw driving away?’

              She nodded.

              ‘They are very powerful and influential in this city. They simply cannot allow Aron Holm to destroy the economy. Many lives depend upon the oil industry. Not just here, but also in your own homeland.’

              ‘Did they pay you to attack him?’

              ‘That isn’t relevant. I agreed with their arguments. The man had to be stopped.’

              Dani was thinking quickly. ‘So you knew that Aron Holm would be returning to his car alone, because Jakob was going home that evening with
your
wife. Was Sofie in on the plan too?’

              The man’s face flashed red with rage. ‘Leave her out of this! She knows nothing.’

              In that moment, Dani could see that Dieter still loved her and had probably never stopped. She rammed her other boot down hard on his ankle, causing him to yelp with pain and briefly relax his grip. Bevan shook him off and made a run for the car, desperately searching through her bag for the keys.

              She wasn’t fast enough. Dieter caught her around the waist and they both fell forward, with Dani hitting her head against the car bonnet. She was momentarily dazed. It gave Dieter time to haul her back onto the platform and shove her against the wooden railing.

              ‘Getting rid of me isn’t going to help,’ she gasped. ‘The Chief of Police is on to you, it’s just a matter of time before somebody starts digging into your old cases again – I wonder what else those people paid you to do? And how about Magda? I don’t believe she’d turn a blind eye to murder.’

              Dieter slapped her across the face. ‘Be quiet. You are the only one who found out the truth about the Aron Holm assault. Luckily for me, you haven’t reported it yet.’ The man sighed and looked out at the landscape. ‘The beauty of the fjords is that they are so vast and deep. You will rest peacefully here, I promise.’

              The Norwegian possessed all the advantages in terms of height and weight. He could lift Bevan up easily. She tried desperately to hook her leg around one of the barrier’s supports, but the smooth wood was difficult to gain a purchase on. Dani thought about her father and how he was going to be left quite alone in the world. This made her experience a surge of anger and she managed to send out a fierce kick which caught Dieter in the ribs. He stumbled backwards and Dani collapsed onto the barrier, her legs swinging outwards over the drop, but securing an arm firmly around the top, trying not to allow her gaze to turn to what lay many metres below.

              As Dieter made to stand up, his legs were cut out from under him. Bevan could see Andy Calder wielding the spiky tree branch which he’d used to bring the Norwegian to the ground.

              ‘Quick!’ Dani called out to her colleague. ‘I can’t hold on much longer!’

              Andy dropped to his knees and attached cuffs to Dieter’s hands, dragging him towards another figure, standing further away, by the parked cars. He ran towards his boss at full pelt, throwing his arms over the side and hoisting her back across the barrier. Dani fell onto the platform with a thud, her limbs aching like hell.

Chapter Forty Four

T
hey weren’t able to board a flight back to Glasgow for many hours. Dani was taken away by ambulance from the banks of the Byfjorden and had been treated at Stavanger hospital for most of the afternoon, where she was questioned by police officers who had come straight from Oslo.

              In fact, the DCI only saw Andy again when she walked stiffly down the aisle of the aircraft and lowered herself into the seat next to him. In a rare gesture of affection from the DC, he placed an arm around her and she rested her weary head against his shoulder.

              ‘I see you’re wearing the jumper,’ she said quietly.

              ‘Just for you, Ma’am. I thought you might need cheering up.’

              She managed a smile. ‘How did you know we were at the fjord?’

              ‘After you left the guesthouse, I decided not to waste the morning. I was curious about what Professor Holgren said to us at the university, so I decided to have another talk with Andreas Nilsen. I found him much more amenable on this occasion. I spoke to him about Holgren’s suggestion that there were police officers in the employ of oil executives. Andreas told me that he suspected Dieter Karlsen was one of those corrupt officers. That was why Nilsen was so obstructive when we came to his house with Dieter in tow. When I found this out, I knew I had to warn you before you got in too deep with the guy. I showed up at the police headquarters and Magda told me you’d gone out to meet him. I persuaded her to drive me to the beauty spot as quickly as possible. I think it came as a terrible shock when she saw what Dieter was up to when we got there.’

              ‘Thank you, Andy. You saved my life.’ She straightened up and looked him in the eye. ‘I withheld information from you, about the Aron Holm assault. Sofie Karlsen told me that her husband was the one who attacked Holm. She said he’d mistaken him for her lover. Dieter begged me to keep quiet about it and I did. I think that’s the real reason he came to Glasgow. I’ve been a fool.’

              ‘You weren’t the only one who kept quiet about it. Magda suspected something too but never said anything because she trusted Dieter. She told me all about it on the way back into town this afternoon. But Magda never knew he was on the take.’

              ‘Do you think he really did those things for the money? Maybe he agreed with the principles of the people paying him. If Holm creates a future without oil, thousands will lose their jobs.’

              ‘It’s always about the money, Dani, you know that.’

              The DCI sat back and clipped on her belt, listening to the engines fire up as the plane lifted them high over the town. She glanced out of the small window and could observe, from this vantage point, just how closely connected the country was to the dark, restless sea.

*

‘It’s a shame you didn’t get a chance to see Detective Sharpe again before he went back to the United States,’ Bill said wistfully, as his wife re-entered the living room with their coffees.

              ‘It was very fortunate that Sam responded to your phone call. Things could have worked out quite differently if he hadn’t,’ Dani replied with feeling, taking a cup from the tray.              

              ‘Goodness,’ said Joy, ‘we owe that man a great deal.’

              Bill was sitting in a chair opposite their guest. His arm was still bandaged and supported by a sling. ‘He promised to return for the trial. This time we’re certain to get a conviction.’ Bill had a determined expression on his face.

              ‘Do the police know why Erskine focussed on Sinclair and Anton in particular?’

              ‘Apparently, Erskine had been spending most of his time tracking down individuals responsible for the sexual exploitation of underage girls. His computer hard drive revealed that he’d tapped into some websites that cater for these types of men. They operate just on the fringes of legality, so I’m told. Erskine heard about the Fisherman’s Bar through one of the sites and later, Clive Anton’s club on London Road. He staked out both of these establishments for weeks. Erskine gained a good knowledge of which men were running the brothels. He followed the key players for a while and noted their habits.’

              ‘And because you were hanging around the Fisherman’s Bar and having in-depth discussions with the landlady, he thought you were one of the men in charge.’ Dani sipped her coffee.

              ‘After that first Friday evening I spent there, Erskine watched our house overnight. But he knew I’d spotted him, so he didn’t return for a few days. Then he saw me again at the bar and this time I went upstairs, coming out not long after with one of the girls. Perhaps he thought I was moving her to another establishment. I think that spurred him on to strike.’

              ‘But he didn’t know that Sam was staying at the house with you?’ Dani put in.

              ‘No, that was his mistake. Erskine thought Joy wouldn’t be back for an hour and he’d have plenty of time to slit my throat and change his clothing before he left. I’m far older than his previous victims. He must have thought it would be relatively straightforward on this occasion.’

              ‘I suppose he
was
targeting people who were doing the most terrible things - apart from you, dear,’ Joy said thoughtfully. ‘Erskine has actually saved a lot of girls from an awful fate.’

              Bill wriggled up in his seat. ‘Detective Sharpe said that Erskine’s motive wasn’t so honourable. He suggested that the man had simply developed a taste for murder. The fact that he selected victims involved in the sex trade was purely for the purpose of self-justification.’

              ‘I think Sam was quite correct. Erskine didn’t have the right to set himself up as judge and executioner, nor did he have the resources of the police. He was bound to end up attacking an innocent man which eventually, he did,’ Dani added.

              ‘Let’s just hope that the jury doesn’t feel sympathy for Erskine, like they did the last time. I expect there’ll be plenty of people in the country who will.’ Bill looked philosophical.

              ‘There are never any guarantees,’ Dani muttered quietly.

              ‘It’s very sad, about your young girl, Maisie,’ Joy said tentatively, changing the subject.

              ‘Yes, it is. There will be a memorial service next week at the Cathedral.’

              ‘Oh, we’d like to come,’ Joy said quickly.

              ‘I think there will be lots of folk there, you’d be very welcome I’m sure.’

              ‘It’s so difficult for the parents when there isn’t a body to bury. It really denies them closure. That was something we at least had with Neil. You are always clinging to a kind of hope otherwise.’

              ‘I don’t think Maisie’s parents are clinging to any false hopes,’ Dani explained patiently, ‘they are both suffering from devastating grief.’

              ‘We know all about that,’ Bill said resignedly.

              The three friends sat in companionable silence, each of them thinking about poor Maisie Riddell.

              It was Joy who intruded on their thoughts. ‘We read that you uncovered an incidence of police corruption whilst you were in Norway. So some good has come out of all this.’

              Dani’s heart skipped a beat. She sincerely hoped that her emotions were not showing on her face. ‘Yes, a man called Detective Karlsen was taking bribes to do the bidding of a group of local business people.’

              ‘The papers made it sound as if he was in the pocket of one of the big oil corporations over there,’ Bill said with interest.

              ‘Actually, it had nothing to do with the major oil companies in the end. The men who were paying Karlsen were simply crooks. They made their money out of buying and selling in oil shares and were prepared to do whatever it took to protect their investments. The Chief of Police already had his suspicions about Dieter. They’d been watching him for some time. Andy and I just brought things to a head with our investigations.’

              ‘Did you know this corrupt policeman quite well then,’ Joy asked innocently.

              ‘I got to know him reasonably well, yes. Actually, I came to like him, although Andy never did.’

              ‘That’s funny,’ Bill said. ‘It’s usually you who has the good instincts about people.’