"Oh, okay. Well, they're really…lifelike."
Helle hugged the one she was holding then looked at its face. "They're my babies." She put her finger on the doll's nose and pretended to be talking to a child. "Yes you are, cutie pie, yes you're my baby doll."
I cleared my throat. Helle stopped herself and put the doll back. I forced a smile.
"So wwwhat do you want me to pppaint?" Jack asked, stuttering slightly again. He was nervous.
Helle smiled widely. "I want you to do five paintings of five dolls. I want you to make them as a portrait of a living person. I'll pick the dolls and give them to you. I'll pay you well. Five thousand for each painting."
Jack gasped. His eyes grew wide. "Five thousand? That's too much…"
"No, no," Helle interrupted him. "I know you're the best for the job. I don't mind paying a little extra to get something extraordinary. You're definitely worth it."
Jack blushed. "Wwwell tthank you, then."
"You're welcome. Here is the first doll I want you to create a portrait of," she said and pulled down one with blonde hair and blue eyes. "I just need to make her look real pretty." Helle put a new light blue dress on the doll. Then she found a brush and started fixing her hair, then pulled out a light blue bowtie and put it in the side of the hair. My heart stopped when I saw the bowtie. Could it be? I walked closer and looked at it. It seemed to be exactly like the one I had seen the night before, the one that had been sewn into that poor girl's breast. I was shocked at first but then figured that you could probably buy the exact same bowties in many doll stores around the country and that the police had probably already looked into that. But why did the bowtie killer do this to his victims? Was it to tell us something?
I watched as Helle finished the doll up and we followed her into the back. She had arranged a small scene with a landscape in the background and a chair in the middle. Helle now placed the doll in the chair and walked backwards.
"There is the painting I want," she said. "With her like that and then the landscape in the background. Make her look as alive as you can." Helle paused, then spoke again. "Isn't she adorable? She looks just like my girl did on the day when she…"
Helle stopped and I could tell she was fighting back tears. "She would have been fourteen next months if she…" Helle picked up a photo of her daughter in a lovely frame from a shelf and showed it to me. My heart dropped and I put my hand on Helle's shoulder. Her baby girl would have been Maya's age by now. I couldn't bear to think about it. I didn't even want to imagine what it had to feel like. To think of losing Maya when she was only six? Oh my God, it was unbearable. The horror of losing your child by far surpassed anything I could ever imagine.
"I was thinking you would come here and paint her," Helle said and sniffled. "I prefer is she doesn't leave the store."
"Okay," Jack said and nodded. "I'll start first thing tomorrow."
As we left Helle's shop I felt horrible inside. I felt bad for Helle and what had happened to her and I couldn't stop thinking about what Officer Morten had told me about the disappearances maybe not being drowning accidents after all. I could hardly tell Helle since it was just speculation so far, but part of me wanted to give her some hope that maybe her daughter was out there somewhere, that maybe, just maybe there was a slight possibility that she could still be alive.
Chapter 34
July 2001
It was her birthday, but no one at the brothel knew or even cared. Nina turned ten years old doing what she had done dozens of times a day the last four years; being raped by old fat guys who especially asked for her because of her blonde hair and fair skin. She was a specialty, she'd realized that by now. A pearl in the sea. The people keeping her locked up was making a fortune on her. She was the star of the place, the one attracting the most men.
Yet no one even cared to celebrate her on her big day. As usual, Nina worked all night and didn't go to sleep before five in the morning. She danced for the men and let them touch her, assault her, even hurt her, just because she knew that as long as she gave them what they wanted, she'd stay alive. The more men she pleased the more and better she ate and lived. On days when the customers weren't pleased, she didn't eat at all. Just one complaint and they would take her food. Sometimes even slap her around in her room till she understood how to behave.
They had given her a new name. Miss Cha-Cha, they called her. Because of her dancing skills that allured so many men. Nina had little by little learned to understand the language. She hadn't forgotten her native Danish, since she had practiced it every time she had a few minutes between clients, while laying alone in her bed, enjoying the rare moment of peace, crying, remembering her mother and trying hard to forgive her for giving her away. But it was becoming harder and harder as she grew older and soon a hatred for her mother was growing inside of her poisoning her mind.
And so it was this morning on her tenth birthday that Nina lay down on her bed, her legs sore from dancing all night, her insides sore from being misused again and again. Her cheeks sore from the slapping of her face that many men enjoyed when they played with her as they called it. So it was that Nina looked back at her life before she was sent away and remembered all the details of her mother's face, even the house on the street that she had grown up in and decided that some day, one day in the near future, she was going to go back. Somehow she was going to escape this hellhole.
Nina cried thinking about her hometown and the life she'd had before her mother decided to send her away. She even remembered the name of the island that she grew up on. Fanoe Island. And even if she knew it was far away from Poland, she knew she was going back there one day, if it was the last thing she ever did.
Nina jumped out of the bed and walked down the hall and into the shower that was shared by all twelve girls on the floor. She turned it on extremely hot, then walked in. It was so warm it was painful, but that was how she wanted it to be. After a long night of working she always took burning hot showers. She had this idea that it somehow cleansed her of all the smells, of the germs put there by the smelly, stinky old men. And she wanted to be clean. More than anything Nina wanted to be cleansed of the atrocities committed against her. She felt so dirty, so besmirched, and no matter how much she washed herself and scrubbed her body with soap, the feeling wouldn't go away.
Nina found the bath brush and started to scrub her skin. She rubbed and rubbed it and soon her legs had started bleeding.. But that didn't stop her. She continued scrubbing, while crying and sobbing, in the burning hot shower.
"I hate you. I fucking hate you, you bitch," she yelled thinking of her mother's face, hearing her mother's words inside of her head. She looked down at her stomach and legs and felt like screaming, but restrained herself since she didn't want to alert the guards by the doors downstairs. They would just come in here and have their way with her as well. She had learned that lesson when she had gotten into a fight with another girl in the bathroom and they had come running. They had locked the door and then raped both of the girls for hours, taking turns until the girls could hardly walk. Then they had sent them to their room for ten minutes before a customer was sent up there.
Nina had come to hate her body, to loathe everything about it. All the things that made her successful in the brothel, she hated. Even her long blonde hair that they all adored so much. But most of all she hated the fact that she was beginning to look like her mother.
Nina walked out of the shower and glanced at herself in the reflection of the window. She could see it a little more every day. Even if her mother wasn't blonde and fair like her, she could still see her when she looked at herself. See her in her features. The nose, the chin, and even sometimes in the eyes. It made her furious.
"One day, mommy dear. I'll be back," she told her own reflection. "And then I'll fucking kill you, you piece of shit," she mumbled. "That's my promise to you. I'll make you suffer like you have caused me to suffer and then I'll kill you."
Chapter 35
Apr
il 2013
"Now I don't know if you have heard about what happened last night here on the island?" Officer Nyberg said.
Patrick leaned over feeling a sudden thrill inside of him. Had they finally caught up with him? Had they really figured it out? "I don't think I know what you are talking about."
The second officer took over. "Officer Nyberg and I are working on the bowtie killer case. Maybe you've heard about him?"
Patrick felt like laughing out loud, but held it back. This was ridiculous. Were they really here talking to him about this with absolutely no clue at all? Were they really that stupid? Apparently.
"No, I don't believe I have," Patrick said with a smirk.
Officer Gammelgaard cleared his throat. "Well, in the last couple of years we have been trying to track down this killer who…well, kills people, girls, around the country by stabbing them and then,,,"Officer Gammelgaard seemed to feel sick all of a sudden. It amused Patrick immensely.
Officer Nyberg took over. "He sews these small bowties into his victims' breasts afterwards and then leaves them."
"Oh wow. That sounds horrible, " Patrick said and took off his sunglasses to show how sympathetic he really was. He looked them into their eyes. "Do you have any idea who he is, any idea at all?"
The two officers looked at one another. Officer Gammelgaard answered while the other one sighed. "Uh, to be frank we don't have much yet."
"And this have been going on for how many years?" Patrick asked.
"Two. At least that we know of. There might be more that we just haven't found yet."
"Alright. But what does that have to do with me, gentlemen?" Patrick asked leaning back in his chair and looking at his watch.
"Well, there is one connection that we're looking into," Officer Nyberg continued.
"And what might that be?"
"It seems the killer chooses towns that your TV show has just been to or is at when he kills. Like last night." Officer Nyberg cleared his throat again.
"So what are you saying? Do you think it's someone from the show?" Patrick asked, feigning incredulity.
"No, not that. It's just that we think the killer might be somehow connected or maybe even obsessed with the TV show. Or maybe he wants to cover up the killings by choosing the towns where your show is or has just been because no one will notice anyone with strange behavior when the town is full of people coming from all over to see the show. It's easy to hide in a crowd."
"Plus he seems to have a preference for younger women, several of them have been teenagers and wherever your show is, there are many teenagers," Officer Gammelgaard said.
"Hmm," Patrick said holding a hand to his chin trying to look pensive like he was taking this very serious. He was quite impressed with his own acting.
"It might also be some sort of stalker of your show," Officer Nyberg continued. "Or maybe even of you."
"I see," Patrick said. "Have you discussed this matter with the producers?"
"Yes," Hanne interrupted. She had been sitting by the dining table eating the rest of Patrick's breakfast and reading the paper while they had talked. Patrick had almost forgotten she was still there. He turned his head and looked at her. She was putting jelly on her croissant and some of it dripped down on the plate. Patrick thought it looked like the blood dripping on the floor and remembered how the girl's blood had dripped the night before in the kiosk.
"And what did they say?" he asked.
Hanne shrugged. "We can't do much about it, can we? There are lunatics all over the country. We can't stop the TV show just because of this."
Patrick turned and looked at the officers. "You heard the lady. The show must go on," He replied, flashing the officers his best smile.
"Yes, well we're aware of that, but for now we're just telling you this to make you aware of what is going on. We will be present at the auditions tomorrow looking for anything suspicious and for the rest of the time you and your crew are here on the island we will be here, too. Just to make sure the killer doesn't strike again."
Patrick smiled and put on his sunglasses again. "No, we couldn't have that, now could we?"
Chapter 36
April 2013
Sophia came over early on Saturday morning. I was preparing breakfast when the first of her kids stormed through the door. Three year old Jonathan had snot running from his nose and crackers in his hands when he came into the kitchen with a huge grin.
"Hi there, little buddy," I said.
He gave my leg a warm hug like only he knew how to. It made me laugh. I stroked his hair and he looked up at me with rosy red cheeks and glassy eyes.
"Maya?" he said.
"Maya will be down in a few seconds. Until then, sit down and have a freshly baked breakfast roll."
Jonathan smiled and proceeded to climb up on a chair to grab one from the table. He started eating it, throwing crumbs all over the floor to add to the cracker bits already deposited there upon his arrival. I decided not to care.
"Maya?" he said again with his mouth full.
"Just give her a minute, sweetie."
The frond door opened and Sophia's face appeared. She had the baby in a sling around her chest and the rest of her kids following her tail. She spotted Jonathan with the roll in his hand and heaved a sigh of relief. "There you are. I couldn't find you, Jonathan. You can't leave the house all by yourself." She looked up at me. "I'm so sorry for that."
"It's okay," I said. "You know I enjoy having him here."
"He has just been so looking forward to spending time with Maya again. She's all he is talking about lately."
I chuckled and put butter and cheese on the table. "I know how much he loves her. She is very fond of him too, so I'm sure they're going to have a great day together." I spotted Christoffer and Ida in their nice clothes and water combed hair. I offered them a roll each. Christoffer took one, Ida shook her head.
"She's too nervous to eat," Sophia said. "I tried all morning."
"Well maybe I'll bring some of these babies in a bag for later, then?" I said and winked at Ida.
She smiled and nodded a little shyly. Jonathan grabbed my scarf from the chair and started pulling it. The chair tipped over and hit his sister, Anne, on the toes. Anne started crying and yelled at Jonathan. Sophia grabbed Jonathan and Anne and dragged them into the living room. Maya showed up on the stairs. Something broke in the living room as it hit the floor.
I sighed while picking up the chair and the scarf from the floor. I looked into my daughter's eyes. She seemed unusually awake for this hour of the day on a Saturday. I grabbed her face between my hands and kissed her forehead. I looked into her eyes. "Are you sure you're up for this? It's gonna be hard."
"I'm fine, Mom. I know these kids, remember?"
"I called grandpa and asked him to come over too, to help you out a little. He might be bringing Helle. They'll be here as soon as possible."
"Great. Where is Victor?"
"He's in the yard already. I think he might be planning on spending all day out there. You know, staying away from the noise and trouble. He's not happy with me leaving him with a house filled with kids, but as long as he is able to play on his own I don't think he'll even notice I'm gone. We'll be back in a couple of hours."
Maya shrugged and grabbed a roll. A scream emerged from the living room as Jonathan came storming towards Maya into the kitchen. He threw himself at her leg and hugged it tight. I couldn't stop smiling. Maya picked him up and propped him on her hip and started kissing his cheeks. Jonathan whined with joy. Maya laughed, too. I enjoyed watching the two of them together while finishing my coffee and packing up some breakfast rolls for later. I left a bunch for Maya to feed to the kids while we were gone. Maya grabbed a second one and ate it standing with Jonathan. He put his head on her shoulder and looked at her with deep affection in his eyes.
Sophia looked exhausted as she walked back into the kitchen. The baby was fussing in the sling. She hushed her baby girl Alma and rocked her entire body tryi
ng to get the baby to fall asleep.
"Do you want anything to eat?" I asked her. "I bet you had no time to get anything yourself this morning?"
Sophia smiled. "Yes, please. That would be nice."
I buttered a roll and poured her a cup of coffee and she ate while I finished getting ready. My dad and Helle showed up right as we were about to leave.
"Perfect timing," I said and kissed my dad. I gave Helle a hug. "Victor is in the yard playing and the rest of the kids are…well, everywhere else. We'll hopefully be back in a couple of hours."
"Don't worry about it," he said. "We'll have fun."
"Yeah, I love kids," Helle said and smiled. It had a great sadness to it and I felt bad once again. I couldn't stop thinking about her daughter and all the other girls that had disappeared on this island. Was it even a good idea to start digging into this or was I only going to inflict even more pain on those who were involved?
I wasn't sure.
Chapter 37
April 2013
We arrived at the auditions early but it was still really hard to find a parking place. The place was jam packed with people, mostly young teenagers and children with their parents. It was taking place in the old theater downtown and the line outside went around the building into the street and blocked all traffic. I was stunned to put it mildly. I didn't even know that there were that many people on the entire island.
"Lots of people came in with the ferry last night and this morning from the mainland to participate, as well," Sophia said as we found a spot in the back of the line.
I sighed thinking this was going to take a lot more than just a couple of hours. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all.
"I'm so glad you're here with us," Sophia said.