by Willow Rose
“What happened to Hansen’s child?” Ulrik asked at the dinner table when they returned that night.
His parents exchanged a look. His dad dropped his fork onto the plate. “That’s none of our business, son,” he answered.
“He died when he was twelve, I heard,” Ulrik continued, even though he knew it was a touchy subject.
His mother tightened her lips and shook her head. “We don’t talk about it. Eat your potatoes.”
“Why?” Ulrik said. “Why can’t we talk about it?”
“It was a tragedy,” his mother replied. “We don’t talk about people’s tragedies. It’s also a bad omen to talk about the dead.”
“What kind of tragedy?” Ulrik continued.
He could tell by the look on his father’s face that he was pushing it now. His mother saw it as well. She looked at her husband before she answered.
“An accident. The boy fell or something; now, eat your potatoes.”
“Fell how?” Peter had become curious as well now.
Their mother sighed, annoyed. “I don’t know. We don’t talk about it. It’s none of our business.”
“I heard he was trampled to death by the cows,” Ulrik said. “That’s why they got rid of all the cows afterwards.”
“I heard he fell from the roof,” Peter said. “That he was trying to run from the ghost that haunts that place. A ghost that kills children. It’s true. He lives here on the island. He watches them for a long time, and then he lures them into the forest before he kills them. At least that’s what some kids are saying.”
Their mother looked perplexed, then cleared her throat. “Well, that’s all very nice, but as far as we know, it was just an accident and it was very rough on the family. Let’s not talk any more about this. Some things are best left in the past. Now, eat your dinner. You’re going down there again tomorrow, your father said. I think you’re doing a great thing helping the old man out. Now, eat.”
14
November 2014
THAT NIGHT I HAD a nightmare. I dreamt of this strange figure hiding between the trees in my yard watching Victor. He was tall and had no face. He was wearing a suit and tie. His long slender arms were stretching out to grab Victor just as I woke up with a loud scream. I gasped for air, then screamed again. Right next to my bed sat Brutus in the light from the full moon outside my window. His white eyes were staring directly at me. My heart was pounding heavily as I crouched on the corner of my bed. I turned to look at the door. It was closed.
“How did you get in here?” I said.
The dog kept staring at me. He looked like he wanted to kill me. Those white eyes were creepy.
“What do you want?”
The dog didn’t make a sound. That was almost the scariest part about him…that he was so quiet. It was like he was observing us, maybe planning his move on how to kill us all.
“Get out!” I said.
The dog didn’t move. I pointed at the door. “Get out of here.”
I got up and grabbed his collar. Brutus growled loudly and snapped at me. I gasped and let go, then jumped onto the bed.
“Victor!”
Victor came into my room, rubbing his eyes. “Brutus!” he said, and hugged the dog. The pit bull didn’t make a sound.
“Would you get him out of here?” I said.
Victor looked the dog in the eyes. For a few seconds, they stood like that, and I could have sworn they were communicating somehow. It freaked me out.
“Just get the dog out of here, now!” I said.
Victor turned around and walked out of the door without a sound. The dog immediately followed. I threw myself on the bed as I exhaled, and then went back to sleep, thinking that dog was going to be the end of us all.
“I swear to God, the dog wants to kill me,” I told Sophia when she came over for coffee later. The kids were off to school, and I was alone with the two beasts. I couldn’t decide which one of them was worse. Kenneth was eating one of Maya’s shoes, while Brutus was sitting in the corner staring at us, looking exactly like one of those porcelain dogs. It gave me the chills. I turned away and looked at Sophia instead. She laughed.
“It seems like you’re in a little over your head here,” she said.
“I told the kids that they need to take care of them on their own. I’ll walk them once during the day, and let them into the yard before nighttime, but they have to walk them in the morning and in the afternoon. Those were the terms. I’m not taking care of that pit bull over there. He’ll eat me in one bite.”
“You know that’s not going to last,” Sophia said with a grin. “In a few days, you’ll be stuck with walking and feeding and bathing the both of them.”
I sipped my coffee and grabbed a bun that I had managed to bake this morning, even though the house had been in chaos, with Kenneth peeing on the floor and eating the furniture and Maya running after him screaming and yelling that she was in a hurry and that she needed to fix her hair. It was quite the circus.
“I’m taking them back, then,” I said. “I can’t take care of two dogs. There’s no way. Especially not that quiet one over there. He freaks me out, I tell you.”
I buttered my bun. Sophia grabbed one as well. Nothing like a second breakfast with your best friend. Sophia looked really well. I guessed it was the love between her and Jack. She had just been so happy lately. I was really thrilled for them. Really. Even though I had to admit that I might have been slightly, only slightly, jealous. I hadn’t had that spark in my relationship with Morten for a long time. We were doing well, yes. Better than a few months ago, but still, I felt like something was missing. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Maybe I was just bored. We needed to spice things up a little. I had thought about it for a long time and planned something special. Tonight, I was taking him to folk dancing class downtown. Yes, we were going to learn the local Fanoe-dance, and he had no idea.
My phone rang. It was Morten. He sounded agitated. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I won’t be able to make it tonight.”
“Aw!”
“I know. But something’s come up. They found a body.”
My eyes widened. “Who? What?”
“I’ll tell you details later. I’m on my way down there.”
15
November 2014
LISA WAS WALKING WITH fast and determined steps across the square in the middle of Nordby. In one hand, she was holding an organic beet-carrot-apple smoothie that she had made herself this morning. She was wearing her long yellow coat and black gloves. In her other hand, she was holding her briefcase.
People passing her on the square nodded without smiling. Someone stopped with the intent of chatting, but she wasn’t in the mood and kept walking, mumbling:
“Sorry, gotta run, important meeting.”
The truth was, she had actually pushed back a meeting this morning because she had a very important errand to run. She sipped her smoothie while trying to keep her anger bottled up inside and not show it. She smiled and nodded at a couple passing her, while saying:
“Don’t forget to vote on the eighteenth! It’s time for a change. You deserve better!”
The couple nodded and waved. Lisa turned around and grumbled while sipping her smoothie. The numbers weren’t on her side this morning. She was behind in the polls. Lisa had hired a campaign manager who had looked at the voters on the island and told her that her problem was that the people were afraid of change. They usually voted for the sitting mayor because they were afraid too many things would change.
“Freaking islanders,” she mumbled. “Don’t like change. Who doesn’t like change?”
Lisa needed a cause, the campaign manager, Merethe, had told her. Something to distinguish her from the other candidate. The people didn’t know her very well and that was her weakness. She wasn’t a local; she had only been on the island a short while. Erling, they knew. He had grown up on the island and knew everyone. On top of it, Lisa was an independent candidate, and that frightened many voters. It was
too different and made them feel insecure. She had to have something extra going for her to make up for the fact that she didn’t have a political party to back her up. If they were to cast their personal votes for her, she needed to really stand out. She needed people to like her.
“Like me?” she grumbled, as she raced across the square and down a small street. “I’ll make them like me if I have to. They don’t know what’s best for them. They’re like freaking children.”
She stopped in front of a house and looked at it. On the mailbox, it said Laiyla Ejlersen and Erik Ejlersen. So, she was married now, was she? Lisa finished her smoothie and crushed the cup between her hands. She found a trash can on one of the light poles right underneath her own poster. She smiled, satisfied. She had fought hard in the city council to get trash cans on every street. This was her doing. She was the one who could clean up this city and bring back the tourists. Tourism had been declining over the last two years. Many vacation houses were empty all summer and the restaurants were suffering for the second year in a row. Lisa had thought about making that her cause. To bring back the tourists. She had asked her campaign manager to figure out what was causing this decline.
Lisa walked up to the house and knocked on the door. A chubby young woman with purple hair and a nose ring opened the door. The nose ring looked like the ones bulls had. It was simply appalling. Everything about her annoyed Lisa immediately. Why did people get chubby anyway? Didn’t they have any self-control? She wanted to scold her and tell her to pull that stupid ring out and get a proper haircut and color in order to look normal.
“Yes? Hey, aren’t you that…”
Lisa pushed her way inside the house. “Yes, yes, that’s not why I’m here,” she said, and walked into the living room.
“I am going to vote for you,” Laiyla said, as she followed her. “You don’t have to persuade me. I’m all in for change. It’s about time we got a female mayor around here. Bring us into the twenty-first century, right?”
Lisa looked around, perplexed. She seemed to be home alone. “Yes, yes, mmm, well then, you’re all set then, huh?”
“I guess so. Is there anything I can do for you?”
Lisa clenched her gloved fist. She hated having to lose a voter. It was really not what she needed. “So, tell me this, what was it that was so important that you didn’t feel you needed to keep an eye on my daughter?”
Laiyla looked at her strangely. “What?”
Lisa waited for the light bulb.
“Oh, that!” Laiyla said. “You’re Margrethe’s mom. I completely forgot that. Well, I know it was unfortunate that she got hurt, but nothing really happened.”
“Nothing happened?” Lisa said. “What do you mean nothing happened? She got HURT!”
Laiyla jumped when Lisa yelled the last word. Lisa closed her eyes and counted backwards from ten. It didn’t help.
“I’m…I’m so sorry…but…” Laiyla said.
Lisa put her briefcase down. She clenched her fists briefly. “It’s all you have to do. It’s all any of you idiots have to do all day. Look after the kids to make sure they don’t hurt themselves. It’s ALL you have to freaking do! How HARD is it to do that?”
Laiyla backed up. “I…I…”
Lisa inhaled deeply to keep calm. So many amateurs, so many incompetent people she had to deal with every single day. Didn’t anyone take anything seriously anymore? Was it all just a joke to them?
Lisa tried to think of nice things to calm herself down. She thought of the ocean, she thought of the beach, but all she could picture was all the garbage people threw in the water or on the sand. Why were people so damn stupid? Was it that hard to clean up after yourself? Lisa tried to picture herself in a meadow picking flowers, but it didn’t get her blood pressure down like the doctor had told her it would. She had recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure, and the doctor had told her to not get too agitated. It had worked for a while now, but not right now. All the anger she had bottled up inside from dealing with all these useless people surfaced in a matter of seconds.
“Are you alright?” Laiyla said.
Lisa looked at her and shook her head. “No. I’m afraid I’m not all right. I won’t tolerate my child getting hurt on your watch, on anyone’s watch. I’m afraid I have to set an example.”
Laiyla looked confused. “What do you mean? Like, fire me? You can’t do that.”
Lisa laughed. “Oh no, you’re right. I can’t do that, but you know what? I can do something else.”
Laiyla stepped further backwards. Lisa saw her look around to make sure she had a way of escape. But she didn’t. Lisa was way too fast for her. She could run for hours on the treadmill at the fitness center without even getting out of breath. She was in excellent shape, unlike the woman in front of her. Lisa hardly ever touched carbs or gluten. They both knew she would win, even though Laiyla was younger. Her skin revealed a bad diet and her body no exercise.
Will people ever learn? So many sloppy individuals out there.
“Like what?”
Lisa smiled. Then she leaned over, grabbed the nose ring, and pulled it out. Laiyla screamed in pain and bent over.
“What the hell?!!”
Lisa slammed her fist into her face till she fell to the ground and no longer moved. Yes, those hours in the boxing ring at the fitness center had certainly paid off. Even though she still believed her behind was too big, Lisa felt in better shape than ever.
Lisa opened her briefcase and took out a big piece of plastic that she covered the floors with, then a saw, a knife, and plastic bags to put the pieces of meat in.
“I was going to make lasagna tonight,” she said. “But now, I’m thinking a stew instead.”
16
November 2014
“I’M SORRY I’M SO LATE.”
Morten stood in my doorway looking like a lost puppy. I stared angrily at him. I was upset that he had cancelled on me on our very first night of folk dancing. It was supposed to be a surprise. We were supposed to go to the community center downtown where they had classes every Wednesday night. It was supposed to bring us closer together. My mom and dad had promised to baby and dog-sit. Now it was all ruined.
I didn’t know what to say to him. “Well, I guess you had to be there,” I said, and let him inside.
He leaned over and tried to kiss me. I gave him a reluctant kiss. He frowned. “Is that all I get?”
“Well I…I was looking forward to seeing you tonight, to spending time with you, and now it’s almost bedtime.”
Morten sighed. “You can’t be mad at me for doing my job.”
“I know. It’s just…well, I had something planned and everything.” I walked to the living room where Kenneth had gotten his teeth into my half-eaten box of chocolates on the coffee table. I pulled him away. Kenneth whined and paid me back by gnawing the sofa’s leg. Brutus was sitting like a statue by the door leading to the yard. He had been sitting there since Victor went to bed.
“Does he ever move?” Morten whispered.
I chuckled and shrugged. “I don’t think so. Not unless Victor tells him to. It’s very strange. I tried to walk him earlier, but he refused to go with me. He snarled and snapped at me when I tried to put on the leash. So, I left him alone and hoped he could hold it until Vic came home. I think he did. He’s the weirdest dog I have ever seen. But Victor likes him and they get along really well. I just hope he won’t end up killing us all in our sleep. He looks mad enough to do it.”
Morten threw himself on the couch. Kenneth barked at the sofa like he expected it to play with him.
“So, what had you planned for tonight?” Morten asked.
I grabbed a chocolate and put it in Morten’s mouth. “Wouldn’t you’d like to know, huh?”
“Well, yes. I’m curious as to what you could have planned that we haven’t already done a million times.”
The sentence felt like a blow. Was that how he felt? Was that how it had turned out? We had tried everything
, and now all that was left was to wait to grow old together?
“Tell me about the murder,” I said.
“Who said it was murder?” Morten said.
I shrugged secretively.
“Ah, you’ve been reading the case files, have you? You really should stop doing that, Emma. It’s illegal.”
“Only if you get caught.” I smiled and grabbed another chocolate.
“But, if you’ve been in the files, you already know everything, don’t you?” he asked, and signaled that he would like another chocolate. I planted one between his lips. He ate it with a grin.
“No, I don’t,” I said. “Someone hasn’t finished his report on the crime scene yet. I want to know more. I might have an interest in the guy. I recognized the name from the letters I’ve been reading. Ulrik Larsen was the son of the lady whose letters the workers found. He’s actually sort of family. His mother was my grandmother’s sister.”
“Ah. I see. Well, I’m not allowed to tell you anything unless you bribe me seriously.”
I sat on his lap and gave him a kiss. When I let go, he looked like he was in pain, and I realized I was crushing his legs.
“Sorry,” I said and moved away, feeling slightly self-conscious about my weight.
“That’s okay, the kiss was great,” he said cheerfully.
“Good enough for a bribe?”
“Will do for now. What do you want to know?”
“The scene. How was he killed?” I asked.
“We haven’t gotten the autopsy yet, but he was stabbed and probably bled to death. The knife was still in his chest. The cats had eaten some of the body’s face. It was nasty. Flies everywhere. Real ugly.”
“I bet. So what kind of knife was it?” I asked.
“A hunting knife. I haven’t gotten it confirmed by the lab yet, but I know a hunting knife when I see it. My dad was a hunter.”
