Peek A Boo I See You (Emma Frost #5) (20 page)

Alexandra didn't care. While Samuel and the counselor talked, she jumped out of the car, grabbed Olivia from the backseat and walked up towards them with a smile, acting like it was the most natural thing in the world. She walked straight up to them and reached out her hand towards the counselor.

"Hi. I'm Alexandra, Samuel's mom. We spoke on the phone a couple of days ago. You must be Ole Knudsen. I just want to thank you for all you've done for my son. Whatever it is you've been doing, it has changed his life and ours completely in only three days."

Ole nodded. "Well it has been my pleasure. Samuel is a good boy. He just needs to believe in himself more, believe that he can control that anger and that he is loved. He has a great family. He has told me so many wonderful things about you."

Alexandra almost burst into tears. She could hardly believe it. "Really? He said nice things about us?"

"Yes. Samuel is a very sensitive boy. He has a lot of love for the people around him. He just needs to reach into that place deep inside of here," he said and pointed at Samuel's heart. "With the right tools, he will one day be able to control that temper."

"And what tools are they?" Alexandra asked hopefully.

"Well that'll probably take a lot of counseling to help him figure out exactly what will help him. I will recommend in his report that he'll need to start a weekly session here."

Alexandra's face lit up. "That would be so great. He would love that, wouldn't you, Samuel?"

"The only problem is the waiting list," Ole said. "It might be six months to a year before we can start."

Alexandra's heart dropped. "Six months to a year? That's a really long time. He might forget everything you've taught him by then. What if he gets himself into trouble while we wait?"

"Well, I certainly hope he won’t. But I have thought of a solution, one that might help ease the wait."

"What is that?"

"I don't know if Samuel told you, but I used to be a professional swimmer."

"Yes, he told me that."

"Great. Samuel has told me he would like to start swimming on a regular basis. I have talked to him about the importance of exercise and he thinks swimming is the perfect choice for him. I think so too. So, I was wondering if you'd mind me teaching him, let's say once a week? I could take him to the local indoor pool and train him. Then maybe we could talk for a little while afterwards. I can't call it counseling, since I'm not allowed to counsel outside of work, but I'm guessing he might enjoy talking a little to an old friend or a swim teacher. What do you say? Would that be something you would allow him to do?"

Alexandra stared at the tall man. She couldn't believe what he was saying. Could this be true? Was he really being understanding and offering her and Samuel help?

"As I said, I really believe he is a good boy," Ole said. "I really think I will be able to help him. And you."

"Mom?" Samuel said. "Can we do it?"

For the first time in years, Alexandra smiled from ear to ear. Tears were rushing down her cheeks as she spoke.

"Well, of course, sweetie. Of course you can do it."

56

February 2014

I
CALLED
M
ORTEN AS
soon as we’d searched the house and the yard and still couldn't find Victor. I didn't care that our evening ended badly or that he might still be mad at me.

"I need your help," I said. "Victor is missing. I don't know what to do."

"Take it easy, Emma. Stay where you are. I'll be right there."

Three minutes later, he stormed through my front door. "Emma. Are you alright? How are you?"

"I'm scared," I said. "I found blood on the living room floor. I'm afraid something bad happened to him. Something really bad."

"Let's not jump to conclusions here," Morten said and hugged me. "Now let's go through everything. Could he have wandered off on his own?"

I shook my head in despair. "I don't know. Who knows what goes on in his head? But no, he has never done anything like that before."

"Did he seem upset tonight in any way?" Morten asked my dad.

My dad shrugged. "I…no, not really. He was very quiet and didn't say much, but that's not that unusual. I don't know."

"You told me he’s been having trouble in school lately. Maybe that could have affected him in some way?" Morten asked.

"Maybe," I said, frantically searching my brains for answers. "But what about the blood? How do you explain the blood?"

"I think I better make some calls," Morten said and grabbed his phone. "We'll have to form a search team. You better call anyone you know as well."

Half an hour later, the street was packed with people, some in uniform others just friends and neighbors who wanted to help. Morten directed them and they divided the city and the forest and beach-area up between them. In groups, they started walking hand in hand, calling Victor's name.

I was moved by the turnout. Most of these people hardly even knew us. Maya had joined one of the groups. Jack was coordinating the team going towards town, while Sophia couldn't leave her children, but hugged me tightly and asked if there was anything else she could do for me.

"It's okay, Sophia. I have plenty of people to help me out. But thanks."

"Okay. But let me know, alright?"

"You stay at the house, Emma," Morten said and kissed me on the forehead. "In case he finds his way back home on his own."

I nodded and bit my lip. Morten looked into my eyes. "We will find him. Don't you worry, okay? Everything will be fine."

I cleared my throat. "Okay."

I watched as Morten and a group of policemen with dogs walked towards the beach. My dad put a hand on my shoulder. "Come on inside, sweetie. Your mom will make some coffee."

I put my head on my dad's shoulder and let him hold me tight while we walked back to the kitchen where my mother had started filling the pot with water. "I'll make the real stuff this time," she said with a smile.

"Is there anything else we can get you?" my dad asked.

I shook my head. "No. But thanks. Coffee will be great."

It was strange sitting in the kitchen with both my mom and dad quietly sipping coffee. I couldn't remember when they had last been in the same room. I couldn't remember when I had last been together with the both of them. And they weren't even arguing anymore. If it hadn't been under these circumstances, I think I would have enjoyed it. Apparently, they couldn't agree on much, but when it came to taking care of their daughter, they managed to hold aside their differences. It felt good to have them with me. It was comforting.

Three hours later and still no news. Morten had called a couple of times to make sure I was alright and to hear if anyone else had called back with news, but there was none. Another hour went by and slowly most of the search teams came back. Tired and long faces appeared in our driveway and we served them coffee and sandwiches as a thank you. They were sad and some even tried to apologize for not having found my son.

"Well, you did all you could," I told them with a heavy voice before they went home to get some sleep.

Morten and his group came back half an hour later and, by then, all the other search teams had come back and left again with no results. I was sitting in the hallway with my back against the wall hiding my face in my hands when he entered.

"Emma?"

I looked at him with the last ray of hope in my eyes, but as I looked into his eyes, I knew he hadn't found Victor either.

"I'm sorry," he said. "We searched all the beaches and the dunes and the plantation behind it, but still nothing. We'll continue in the morning, but I have to let my team get some rest."

"Of course," I said with a thick voice.

"You should get some sleep too. I'll stay here with you, if you like."

I looked up at him. "I would very much like that, thank you."

57

February 2014

N
ATURALLY, WE DIDN'T SLEEP
at all. Morten and I lay close together in the bed, holding each other in the darkness, while I kept wondering where Victor could be. There was no way he had left the house on his own. I was almost certain of that. At six in the morning, I turned the light on and looked at Morten.

"I think I know who took him," I said.

Morten rubbed his eyes. "Who?"

"The Caring Killer, of course. Why didn't I think of that before? I thought he was too hurt to have anything to do with this, since Sophia shot him, but what if he wasn't badly hurt? What if he managed to get himself into the house and grab Victor? That would explain the blood."

Morten shook his head. "What? Could you go back a little? The Caring Killer was here? And you didn't tell me? And Sophia did what? Was that her emergency?"

"Yes. I promised to not tell you. He tried to attack her tonight in his ninja costume and she shot him. He ran off and that's when she called me. Oh my God. He must have run across the street to my house. He must have come into my yard and into the house through the porch and snuck upstairs to take Victor!"

"So Sophia has an illegal gun at her house…that was why you couldn't tell me, huh? It was a really stupid choice to keep it a secret. I mean, the killer was here on your street. I could have caught him, for crying out loud." Morten calmed himself down by taking a deep breath. "Where did she hit him?"

"In the shoulder."

"Well, I guess he could have continued even if he was shot in the shoulder. Being shot in the shoulder isn't fatal. So you think he took Victor to get back at her or something? What was he even doing in Sophia's house?"

"I have no idea. I have completely lost track of why he does anything. In the beginning, it was all calculated and he seemed so intelligent, now it seems more coincidental. Maybe you’re right, after all. Maybe he is just another maniac. Maybe he went in the wrong house when he attacked Sophia? I mean, he’s been using me all this time, so maybe it was his plan to attack me instead?"

"It doesn't sound like him to make a mistake like that," Morten said.

"No, it doesn't. I don't understand it either, but I'm sure of one thing. The Caring Killer has taken Victor."

I jumped out of bed and put my pants back on, then ran a brush through my hair. I felt how the anger was growing inside of me rapidly. I really hated this guy and I was going to find him and make him pay for all he had done.

"If he hurts Victor in any way…I'll, well, I'll…I'll shoot him myself," I snorted in anger.

I felt Morten's hand on my shoulder. He put his arms around me and held me close to him for a long time. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down.

"I'm so sorry that you have to go through all this," he said. "It makes me so angry. We'll find him and Victor. I make that promise to you right now. I'll have all my colleagues working on it today. We will find them both. If I have to follow him to the end of the world in order to stop him, I will. I'm not letting him get away with this."

I turned around and kissed Morten. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. "Why is he doing this to me? Why me?"

"I don't know, Emma. I don't know why he chose you, of all people. He's a ruthless killer. A psychopath. You never know what they'll do next. But I will make sure it's the last thing he does in freedom. I give you my word.

Morten kissed me gently before we walked downstairs and he put on his jacket. "I'll go to the station right away," he said.

"Don't you want a cup of coffee first?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No. I can't think about coffee right now. I just want to catch the bastard. I saw Morten off, then walked into the living room where I found my mom and dad both lying on the couch, sound asleep, my dad's arm around my mom's shoulder. It made me smile for the first time in many hours.

58

February 2014

H
E HAD HEARD EVERYTHING.
Anders Samuelsen had followed the situation from his hideout in the bathroom of the old house. At first, he had watched Emma Frost come inside and call for Victor, who he guessed was her son. As she had grabbed the curtain and was about to pull it aside, Anders had prepared himself to kill her. He had lifted the sword and was ready to strike as soon as she pulled the curtain aside, but for some reason, she had stopped. Then, he had heard another voice and seen the girl, the daughter. He listened to Emma talk to her daughter about him, about how she couldn't find the son.

When they searched the house, he hid in a cupboard underneath the sink in the bathroom listening to the voices calling the boy's name and the desperation in Emma's voice. He sensed how tense and fear-filled Emma was. He was getting sensitive to these things.

He was surprised that it was her house he had entered, but as time went by, he was more and more certain that it was no coincidence. There was a plan to it all.

Anders stayed in the small cupboard for hours and hours. It was way too small for him, but he had squeezed himself into a small ball, like a true ninja would, and no one would ever suspect that he was in the cupboard, since they would never suspect that any human being would be able to fit in there.

Now that the house had gone quiet and had been for a long time, Anders carefully opened the cupboard door and peeked out. It was light outside now, so night had become day. Anders moaned in pain as he crawled out of the small cupboard. His shoulder still hurt like crazy, but he was getting better at pushing through the pain. The bleeding seemed to have stopped.

He rolled out onto the bathroom floor like small ball and slowly unfolded his sore body. Once he was back on his feet, he stuck his hand behind the bathtub where he had hidden his sword and pulled it out. He attached it to his back, looked at himself in the mirror to make sure his face was still covered, then smiled underneath the black cloth.

Today was a good day for people to die.