Reckoning Point, стр. 36
Alex nods, deep in thought. Russia, the Ukraine, he’s pretty sure they were the same thing at one point in history.
He opens his mouth to resume his questions before falling silent; he can’t push Erik for any information because other than Lev’s name, he has no further details himself.
“And these murders, how many have there been now?”
Through clenched teeth Erik replies, “this is the third.”
“In how many months?” Alex wants to know.
This time Erik does glance over to Alex and his face is stony. “Not months.”
“Weeks?” Alex raises his eyebrows in surprise.
Erik laughs, a sound with absolutely no humour in it. “Not even weeks,” he hisses and Alex sees his knuckles whiten has he clutches the steering wheel.
“What?” Alex asks.
Apparently they have reached their destination as Erik swings the car into a side street. Yanking the handbrake on, he turns to Alex. “This is the third murder in five days.”
And with that, he slams out of the car, leaving Alex speechless in his wake.
34
ELIAN
SCHEVENINGEN
9.7.15 Lunchtime
Elian looks around the Zahara Cocktail Bar, desperately scanning the crowd for Brigitta. Eventually she spots her and she makes her way over to her.
“It’s busy in here,” she remarks as Brigitta pulls her into a tiny gap on the bench beside her. “And it’s hot.” Elian is pleased that she put on her new denim shorts today; it’s definitely the hottest day since she came here.
“Everyone’s here, all the girls. None of them are working,” Brigitta says loudly, over the music that blasts out of the speakers. “The police need to get their fucking act together.”
Elian nods in agreement and pulls her knees up as a girl attempts to move past her, carrying an armful of cocktails, in spite of it not even being midday yet.
“You want a cocktail?” shouts Brigitta.
Elian shakes her head no.
“No, me neither. Let’s move outside, yeah?”
Relieved to be out of the crush and the heat of the bar, Elian breathes a sigh of relief as they find a beachfront table. Brigitta waves to a waiter and without asking Elian what she wants, she orders two coffees.
“Have you heard anything from the police? Are they questioning everyone? Do they have any leads?”
“Apparently they’re going to be talking to all of us. Not that it’ll make any difference though,” sniffs Brigitta.
“Why won’t it make a difference?”
Brigitta shrugs and picks at a hangnail. “It happened at her window. I mean, that’s pretty open, it’s right on the street for Christ’s sake. Poor Cilla, she was really nice as well.” Brigitta bangs her fist on the table and Elian reaches across the table and lays a hand on her friends arm.
“I’m so sorry; I know she was your friend.”
Brigitta looks away, her jaw working and as the waiter returns with their coffees, they sip at them in silence.
“There’s this man,” begins Elian, tentatively. “I’m here because I’m following a man, a real bad man who got away once.”
Brigitta looks at Elian over her mug. “What are you saying?”
“I don’t know.” Elian suddenly wishes she hadn’t said anything. Her mind isn’t in the right place to be able to explain her thoughts and her actions to Brigitta, maybe not even to herself. “I’m not sure, but look, just … just be careful, yeah?”
“Ha!” Brigitta rolls her eyes. “I think we’re all careful now. Look at them.” She gestures inside the bar where the throng of girls are milling around. “They’re not going anywhere alone anymore.”
“Are you sure? I mean, it’s their work; can they afford not to work?
Brigitta shrugs. “It’s likely they’ll just stay with the men they already know; the regulars. Thing is, this is still a tourist resort, regular punters are not that common.” Brigitta pulls her phone out of her bag and dials a number, listening for a moment before hanging up. “I can’t get hold of Amber either, she’s probably ignoring me.”
“Why?”
“She was doing my head in, skulking around my house. I sent her home but I can’t get hold of her to tell her about Cilla.”
They sink into a glum silence, and Elian thinks hard. She knows that she needs to step up her game where Lev is concerned. This may not have anything to do with him, but after witnessing Niko’s brutality first hand and with Lev being his buddy, it all points in his direction. It’s too much of a coincidence and the only way she can find out if he is involved in this killing spree is to follow him. She considers asking Brigitta to help her, but the last thing she wants to do is bring any harm to her new - and only - friend.
Some of the women spill out of the bar, pausing at their table to say goodbye to Brigitta. Elian picks up her coffee and looks out to sea. She wishes, not for the first time, that she had Alex with her now. When she left England to come here, all that was in her mind was to trace Lev and punish him, somehow. Alex would have talked her out of it, or worse, he would have come here in her place, putting himself at risk. But in Chernobyl, despite the outcome, they’d made a good team. They had worked well together, bouncing ideas and clues off each other. And maybe when this was all over, they could spend some time together. She smiles, realising that through all of the difficulties with her memory and the events of the previous month, Alex was the one thing she had no trouble keeping track of. She remembered everything; his voice, his smile, everything they had done together. His touch.
Her thoughts are interrupted as Brigitta’s phone rings. Brigitta snatches it up, her