Broken Angels jbakb-3

by Richard Montanari

They walked back across the footbridge. The canals snaked through trees, winding toward the forest, back again. They trod on the narrow stone edges. Bontrager kept his flashlight trained on the ground. After a few minutes they came to one of the displays. There was a stove, a pair of large wooden snowflakes, a stone replica of a sleeping dog. Bon- trager shone his flashlight on a figure in the middle of the display, sitting on a throne of sticks. The figure had its head wrapped in red cloth.

  The sign above the display read THE SNOW MAN.

  "I know this story," Bontrager said. "It's about a snowman who longs to be by a stove."

  Jessica stepped closer to the figure. She gently pulled off the wrappings. Dark blood, nearly black in the illumination from the flashlight, dripped into the snow.

  The man was bound and gagged. Blood poured from his eyes. Or, more accurately, from their empty sockets. In their place were black triangles.

  "My God," Jessica said.

  "What?" Bontrager asked. "You know him?"

  Jessica steadied herself. The man was Roland Hannah.

  "Did you check his vitals?" she asked.

  Bontrager looked at the ground. "No, I…" Bontrager began. "No, ma'am."

  "It's all right, Josh." She stepped forward, felt for a pulse. After a few seconds she found it. He was still alive.

  "Call the sheriff 's office," Jessica said.

  "Already did," Bontrager said. "They're on the way."

  "You have your weapon?"

  Bontrager nodded, removed his Glock from his holster. He handed it to Jessica. "I don't know what's going on in that building over there." Jessica pointed to the schoolhouse. "But whatever it is we have to stop it."

  "Okay." Bontrager's voice sounded a lot less confident than his answer.

  "You all right?" Jessica popped the weapon's magazine. Full. She slammed it home, chambered a round.

  "Good to go," Bontrager said.

  "Keep the light low."

  Bontrager took the lead, stooping and keeping his Maglite close to the ground. They were no more than one hundred feet from the school- house. As they wound their way back through the trees, Jessica tried to get a handle on the layout. The small structure had no porch or balconies. There was one door, and two windows in the front. Its sides were obscured by trees. Beneath one of the windows was a small pile of bricks.

  When Jessica saw the bricks, she knew. It had been nagging her for days, and now she finally understood.

  His hands.

  His hands were too soft.

  Jessica peered in the front window. Through the lace curtains she saw the one-room interior. A small stage was at the rear. There were a few wooden chairs scattered about the space, but no other furniture.

  There were candles everywhere, including an ornate chandelier suspended from the ceiling.

  On stage was a coffin in which Jessica saw the form of a woman. The woman was dressed in a strawberry pink gown. Jessica could not see if she was breathing or not.

  A man walked onto the stage, dressed in a dark formal tailcoat, and white wing tip shirt. His vest was red paisley, and his tie a black silk puff. A watch chain looped his vest pockets. A Victorian top hat sat on a nearby table.

  He stood over the woman in the elaborately carved coffin, studying her. There was a rope in his hands, a line that looped up to the ceiling. Jessica followed the rope with her gaze. It was difficult to see through the grimy window, but when she made it out, it gave her deep chills. Above the woman hung a large crossbow aimed at her heart. Loaded into the prod was a long steel arrow. The bow was drawn and was connected to the rope that looped through an eyelet in a beam and then back down.

  Jessica stayed low, moving to the clearer window on the left. When she peered through, the scene was unobscured. She almost wished it were not.

  The woman in the coffin was Nicci Malone.

  92

  Byrne and Vincent crested the hill overlooking the theme park. The moonlight cast a clear blue light over the valley, and they got a good overview of the park's layout. Canals snaked through the desolate trees. Around each turn, sometimes back to back, were displays and backdrops reaching fifteen to twenty feet in the air. Some looked like giant books, others like ornate storefronts.

  The air smelled of earth and compost and rotting flesh.

  Only one building had light. A small structure, no more than twenty by twenty feet, near the end of the main canal. From where they stood they saw shadows in the light. They also spotted two people peering into the windows.

  Byrne spied a path leading down. It was mostly snow-covered, but there were markers on either side. He pointed it out to Vincent.

  A few moments later they headed into the valley, into StoryBook River.

  93

  Jessica opened the door and stepped into the building. She held her weapon at her side, pointing it away from the man on the stage. She was immediately struck by the overpowering smell of dead flowers. The coffin was brimming with them. Daisies, lilies of the valley, roses, gladio- las. The smell was deep and sweetly cloying. She almost gagged.

  The peculiarly dressed man onstage immediately turned to greet her.

  "Welcome to StoryBook River," he said.

  Although his hair was combed straight back, with a razorlike parting on the right side, Jessica recognized him immediately. It was Will Pedersen. Or the young man who had said he was Will Pedersen. The brick mason they had questioned the morning Kristina Jakos's body was found. The man who had come to the Roundhouse-Jessica's own shop-and told them of the moon paintings.

  They'd had him, and he had walked away. Anger twisted Jessica's stomach. She needed to calm herself. "Thank you," she answered.

  "Is it cold out there?"

  Jessica nodded. "Very."

  "Well, you're welcome to stay here as long as you like." He turned to a large Victrola to his right. "Do you like music?"

  Jessica had been here before, at the border of such madness. She would play his game, for the moment. "I love music."

  Holding the rope tautly in one hand, he turned the crank with the other, lifted the arm, placed it on an old 78 rpm record. A scratchy rendition of a waltz began, performed on a calliope.

  "This is 'The Snow Waltz,' " he said. "It is my absolute favorite."

  Jessica closed the door. She glanced around the room.

  "So, your name isn't Will Pedersen is it?"

  "No. I apologize for that. I really don't like to lie."

  The idea had needled her for days, but there had been no reason to chase it down. Will Pedersen's hands were too soft for him to be a brick mason.

  "Will Pedersen is a name I borrowed from a very famous man," he said. "Lieutenant Vilhelm Pedersen illustrated some of Hans Christian Andersen's books. He was truly a great artist."

  Jessica glanced at Nicci. She still couldn't tell if she was breathing. "It was clever of you to use that name," she said.

  He smiled broadly. "I had to think quickly! I didn't know you were going to talk to me that day."

  "What is your name?"

  He thought on this. Jessica noticed that he appeared taller than the last time they had met, broader through the shoulders. She looked into his dark and penetrating eyes.

  "I have been known by many names," he finally replied. "Sean, for one. Sean is a variation of John. Just like Hans."

  "But what is your real name?" Jessica asked. "That is, if you don't mind me asking."

  "I don't mind. My birth name is Marius Damgaard."

  "May I call you Marius?"

  He waved a hand. "Please call me Moon."

  "Moon," Jessica echoed. She shuddered.

  "And please put down the gun." Moon pulled the rope tight. "Put it on the floor, and kick it away from you." Jessica looked at the crossbow. The steel arrow was aimed at Nicci's heart.

  "Now, please," Moon added.

  Jessica lowered her weapon to the floor. She kicked it away.

  "I'm sorry about before, at my grandmother's house," he said.
/>   Jessica nodded. Her head throbbed. She had to think. The sound of the calliope made it difficult. "I understand."

  Jessica stole another glance at Nicci. No movement.

  "When you came to the police station, was that just to taunt us?" Jessica asked.

  Moon looked hurt. "No, ma'am. I was simply afraid you would miss it."

  "The moon drawing on the wall?"

  "Yes, ma'am."

  Moon circled the table, smoothing Nicci's gown. Jessica watched his hands. Nicci did not respond to his touch.

  "May I ask you a question?" Jessica asked.

  "Of course."

  Jessica searched for the right tone. "Why? Why have you done all this?"

  Moon stopped, his head down. Jessica thought he hadn't heard. Then he looked up, his expression sunny once more.

  "To bring the people back, of course. Back to StoryBook River. They're going to tear it all down. Did you know that?"

  Jessica found no reason to lie. "Yes."

  "You never came here as a child, did you?" he asked.

  "No," Jessica said.

  "Imagine. This was a magical place where children came. Families came. Memorial Day through Labor Day. Every year, year after year."

  As he spoke, Moon slightly loosened his grip on the rope. Jessica glanced at Nicci Malone, saw her chest rise and fall.

  If you want to understand magic, you have to believe.

  "And who is this?" Jessica gestured toward Nicci. She hoped this man was too far-gone to know she was just playing his game. He was.

  "This is Ida," he said. "She will help me bury the flowers."

  Although Jessica had read "Little Ida's Flowers" as a child, she could not remember the story's details. "Why are you going to bury the flowers?"

  Moon looked vexed for a moment. Jessica was losing him. His fingers caressed the rope. Then he said, slowly, "So that next summer they will bloom more beautifully than ever."

  Jessica took a small step to her left. Moon did not notice. "Why do you need the crossbow? I can help you bury the flowers if you like."

  "That is kind of you. But in the story, James and Adolphus had crossbows. They could not afford guns."

  "I'd like to hear about your grandfather." Jessica edged to her left. Again it went unnoticed. "If you'd like to tell me."

  Tears immediately rimmed Moon's eyes. He looked away from Jessica, perhaps in embarrassment. He wiped away the tears, then looked back. "He was a great man. He designed and built StoryBook River with his own hands. All the amusements, all the displays. He was from Denmark, you know, just like Hans Christian Andersen. He was from a small village called Sonder-Oske. Near Aalborg. In fact, this is his father's suit." He gestured to his costume. He stood straighter, as if at attention. "Do you like it?"

  "I do. It's very becoming."

  The man who called himself Moon smiled. "His name was Frederik. Do you know what that name means?"

  "No," Jessica said.

  "It means peaceful ruler. That's what my grandfather was. He ruled this peaceful little kingdom."

  Jessica glanced past him. There were two windows at the back of the room, one on either side of the stage. Josh Bontrager was working his way around the building to the right. It was her hope that she could distract the man long enough to get him to drop the rope for a moment. She glanced to the window on the right. She didn't see Josh.

  "Do you know what Damgaard means?" he asked.

  "No." Jessica took another small stride to her left. Moon followed her with his gaze this time, angling himself slightly away from the window.

  "In Danish, Damgaard means 'the farmstead by the pond.' "

  Jessica needed to keep him talking. "That's pretty," she said. "Have you actually ever been to Denmark?"

  Moon's face lit up. He blushed. "Gosh, no. I've only been out of Pennsylvania once."

  To get the nightingales, Jessica thought.

  "When I was small, StoryBook River was already on hard times, you see," he said. "There were all these other places, big noisy ugly places where families went instead. It was bad for my grandmother." He tightened the rope. "She was a hard woman, but she loved me." He gestured to Nicci Malone. "This was her mother's dress."

  "It's lovely."

  A shadow by the window.

  "When I went to the bad place, after the swans, my grandmother came to see me every weekend. She took the train."

  "You mean the swans in Fairmount Park? In 1995?"

  "Yes."

  Jessica saw the outline of a shoulder in the window. Josh was there.

  Moon placed a few more dead flowers in the coffin, gently arranging them. "My grandmother died, you know."

  "I read it in the paper. I'm sorry."

  "Thank you."

  "The tin soldier was close," he said. "He was very close."

  In addition to the river killings, the man standing in front of her had burned Walt Brigham to death. Jessica flashed on the immolated corpse in the park.

  "He was smart," Moon added. "He would have stopped the story before it was over."

  "What about Roland Hannah?" Jessica asked.

  Moon raised his eyes slowly to meet hers. His gaze seemed to bore right through her. "The Snow Man? There is much about him you do not know."

  Jessica moved further to her left, drawing Moon's eyes from Josh. Josh was now fewer than five linear feet from where Nicci was. If Jessica could just get the man to drop the rope for a second…

  "I believe people will come back here," Jessica said.

  "Do you think so?" He reached over, started the record again. The sound of the steam whistles once more filled the room.

  "Absolutely," she said. "People are curious."

  Moon went distant again. "I didn't know my great-grandfather. But he was a seafaring man. One time, my grandfather told me a story about him, about how, as a young man, he was out at sea and saw a mermaid. I knew it wasn't true. I'd read it in a book. He also told me that he helped the Danish people build a place called Solvang in California. Do you know that place?"

  Jessica had never heard of it. "No."

  "It's a genuine Danish village. I'd like to go there someday."

  "Maybe you will." Another step to the left. Moon looked up quickly.

  "Where are you going, tin soldier?"

  Jessica stole a glance at the window. Josh had a large rock in his hands.

  "Nowhere," she answered.

  Jessica could see Moon's expression shift from affable host to utter madness and rage. He pulled the rope taut. The mechanism of the crossbow groaned above Nicci Malone's prone body.

  94

  Byrne sighted down his pistol. Inside the candlelit room, the man onstage stood behind a coffin. A coffin with Nicci Malone in it. A large crossbow aimed a steel arrow at her heart.

  The man was Will Pedersen. He had a white flower in his lapel.

  The white flower, Natalya Jakos had said.

  Take the shot.

  Seconds earlier Byrne and Vincent had approached the front of the schoolhouse. Jessica was inside, trying to negotiate with the lunatic on the stage. She was working her way to the left.

  Did she know that Byrne and Vincent were there? Was she maneuvering out of the way to give them a clear shot?

  Byrne raised the barrel of his weapon slightly, allowing for the distortion of the path of the bullet as it passed through the glass. He wasn't sure how the slug would be affected. He sighted down the barrel.

  He saw Anton Krotz.

  The white flower.

  He saw the knife at Laura Clarke's throat. Take the shot.

  Byrne saw the man lift his arms, the rope. He was going to trigger the crossbow mechanism. Byrne couldn't wait. Not this time. He fired.

  95

  Marius Damgaard pulled the rope as a gunshot thundered through the room. At the same instant, Josh Bontrager slammed the rock through the window, smashing the pane into a shower of crystalline glass. Damgaard staggered back, blood now blossoming on his crisp white shi
rt. Bon- trager gained his footing on the icy shards, then lunged across the room, onto the stage, toward the coffin. Damgaard reeled, fell backward, his full weight on the rope. The crossbow mechanism triggered as Damgaard disappeared through the shattered window, leaving a slick scarlet trail on the floor, the wall, the windowsill.

  As the steel arrow launched, Josh Bontrager reached Nicci Malone. The projectile slammed into his right thigh, passing through it and into Nicci's flesh. Bontrager shrieked in agony as a great burst of his blood shot across the room.

  A moment later, the front door crashed in.

  Jessica dove for her weapon, rolled on the floor, aimed. Somehow Kevin Byrne and Vincent were standing in front of her. She scrambled to her feet.

  The three detectives dashed over to the stage. Nicci was still alive. The arrowhead had cut into her right shoulder, but the wound did not look serious. Josh's injury looked far worse. The razor sharp arrow had sliced deeply into his leg. It may have hit an artery.

  Byrne tore off his coat, his shirt. He and Vincent lifted Bontrager, tied a tight tourniquet around his upper leg. Bontrager screamed in pain.

  Vincent turned to his wife, held her. "Are you okay?"

  "Yes," Jessica said. "Josh called for backup. The sheriff 's office is on the way."

  Byrne looked through the shattered window. A dry canal ran behind the building. Damgaard was gone.

  "I've got this." Jessica applied pressure to Josh Bontrager's wound. "Go after him," she said.

  "Are you sure?" Vincent asked.

  "I'm sure. Go."

  Byrne slipped his coat back on. Vincent grabbed his shotgun.

  They ran out the door into the black night.

  96

  Moon is bleeding. He makes his way to the entrance to StoryBook River, winding his way through the darkness. He cannot see very well, but he knows every turn of the canals, every stone, every display. His breathing is wet and labored, his pace is slow.

  He stops for a moment, reaches into his pocket, retrieves his matches. He remembers the story of the little match seller. Barefoot, and with no coat, she found herself alone on New Year's Eve. It was very cold. As the evening grew late, the little girl struck match after match for warmth.