The following day Sand checked the police computer files to quell his curiosity. Jules Eckberg was denied parole in the autumn of 2008. In the spring of the following year he had been killed in a prison riot. The mugshot of Eckberg, slightly older and thinner, a dead look in his eyes but still the killer Sand remembered, brought back sickening images of his young lover, Bjarne. The computer file included photographs. Sand skipped past them and closed the programme, satisfied that any link between the murder and the mutilation of Mrs. Moen’s cat did not exist.
The file from Håkon sat on his desk. It required his signature to officially hand the case over to the Animal Protection Alliance. He flicked through to find the last page. Sand froze staring at it. Had he just seen that? He leafed back through the slim file until he found what had caught his eye. The dead cat’s name was Bjarne.
The ping from his computer announcing an incoming email broke the moment of stillness. Sand looked at it. An unknown sender and no subject title, probably junk. The message was open in his preview browser. He glanced at the first lines, preparing to delete it.
‘Dear Anders,’ it read. ‘I do hope this finds you well. What luck that it was you that was sent to see poor Bjarne yesterday. I had thought it would take a little longer before you would uncover my work. As it is, this means the real fun can begin much sooner.’
There was no signature or name attached, just a graphic of a small Easter egg at the end of the text. Sand looked round the office. Gabi Henriksen, his young partner, saw him looking round.
‘What’s up?’ she asked.
‘Nothing. Just a strange message.’ Sand pointed at his screen. Gabi wheeled her chair over to his desk and scanned the email.
‘Bjarne? The dead cat?’
‘The same.’
‘What does the message mean?’ Sand shrugged. Gabi pointed at the small graphic. ‘Look, it’s got an actual Easter egg. You know what an Easter egg is in an email or programme?’
‘Of course I do. I’m not that old,’ Sand said. Gabi was fifteen years younger than him and tech-savvy. His stone age attitude to new technology was a running joke between them. The difference in their approaches was what made them a good partnership.
‘Click on it then,’ Gabi said.
‘Yes, boss,’ said Sand, clicking on the Easter egg. The sound of the loud drumming crashed through the office. Heads popped up from behind partitions. Sand scrambled to reduce the volume on his computer. Then he stopped. He listened to the drumming.
Pedersen emerged from his room and shouted above the ongoing din. ‘Sand, turn that racket off.’
Sand stood still. The drumming was him. It was his drumming from last night. Someone had recorded it in his house. The noise stopped. On Sand’s computer screen a graphic appeared. It showed a cat being sliced open and decapitated. The words ‘Remember Bjarne’ flashed up in blood red, accompanied by a loud, evil cackle.
‘Is this some sick joke?’ Gabi said.
‘I thought it was, until now,’ Sand answered her.
A disguised voice, a male one, but run through some electronic synthesiser spoke from the computer. ‘Welcome to the game, Anders Sand. See you at the park. Midday. Don’t be late, we wouldn’t want you to miss the fun.’
The computer screen went black.
‘What’s this about a park, Anders?’ Gabi asked.
Sand looked at the time. It was just after ten. ‘Come on. We need to talk to Pedersen.’
This is part five of my A to Z Challenge 2017. More information on the challenge, and other stories and blogs taking part in it, can be found HERE.
Throughout April I hope to publish a section a day, relating to a letter of the alphabet, which in the end will make up a continuous story, all based round the objects found in this children’s jigsaw:
Other entries in the challenge, and a version of the final complete, joined up story can be found here: A TO Z CHALLENGE 2017.
Getting intense! Good job!
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Thanks Joy 🙂
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Oooo I’m excited, even though I’ve jumped in at E. I’m going to go back to catch up on the ones I’ve missed and I’m looking forward to the rest 🙂
I love the way you write 🙂
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Thank you, hope you enjoy the previous entries and keep coming back 🙂
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Is this eventually going to be a book? Please say that it is. Coz I’d definitely buy it. This is totally my kinda book😉 I just need lots of inner peace to stay calm and patient. Let’s see what happens at midday.
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Thanks. I hadn’t thought of it as a book to start but if it goes well for the rest of the month then I think I could definitely adapt it. Glad your enjoying it 🙂
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Looks like you’ve added another intriguing piece to this puzzle. Can’t wait to see the fun begin…
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Thanks, it should be a non-stop thriller from now on… At least that’s what I’m hoping for!
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Excitement is growing……
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Thanks, hoping to maintain it for 21 more entries will be the challenge!
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I am sure it will only grow 🙂
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Very entertaining.
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Thanks Kim.
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gah! Don’t go to the park! Or at least take someone with to cover you! Sand! 😀 (I like to yell at characters while reading :3 )
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Ha, you might have to tell someone tomorrow! He’s got to go to the park right? Especially as tomorrow my prompt is For for Flower! 🙂
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Visitng from the A to Z challenge and jumping in on your story here. Whoa. Gonna backread; some intense reading here! 🙂
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Thanks, hope you stick with it 🙂
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Oh my. Shenanigans from an egg! I wonder what Sand will find at the park. A flute?
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Fortunately F is an easier one than that to fit in! 🙂
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These posts have the beginning of a book…gripping
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Very kind, thank you.
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Very good! Suspense is building.
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Thanks Eva
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It’s getting more intriguing by the day! Great stuff Iain.
Last Easter day in Amble Bay
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Thanks Keith
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Either the ghost of Jules Eckberg or the demons that possessed him are after Sand now. I’d send a dozen cops to the park and have my house swept for listening devices and cameras. Are you really going to sustain this mystery through the rest of the alphabet?
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That is the challenge, W is for Whale looking particularly tricky towards the end…! Thanks for sticking with it so far.
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The plot thickens. I wonder what he’ll find at the park?
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Tune in tomorrow!
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Confession: I got so caught up in the story, I forgot what letter you were on. I had to scroll back up after the end to check. Great stuff.
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That’s a good sign I think!
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Oh yes, a very good sign indeed. The sign reads: Keep Going!
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Really enjoying your story, looking forward to tomorrows.
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Thank you, hope you keep enjoying it 🙂
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I’m gripped, can’t wait for tomorrows 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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Getting v creepy…
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🙂
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I agree with many others here, you should publish this as a book!
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Thanks Pamela, very kind. We’ll see where it ends up at the end of the month!
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Geez, Iain, I’m actually getting nervous reading this! Scary
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Glad I’m keeping you on edge!
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Very much so 🙂
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OH! That was wonderfully well done!! What a hook!
My “theme” – A Thirty-Word Story, revealing one word of the story each day of the challenge.
#AtoZChallenge The Letter E
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Thank you!
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Yikes!!!
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Oh! Excellent entry. Definitely revved it up.
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Ooo it got a little creepy there! I love that it was his own drumming. Great suspense!
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Thank you 🙂
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Oh. My. Goodness O_O
@JazzFeathers
The Old Shelter – 1940s Film Noir
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This is turning murkier. And the recording bit was creepy 😂
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This is getting spooky and interesting! Bjarne, the strange email, the recorded drumming…….. this is a nice one so far, Iain!
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Ooo… my heart is beginning to beat faster!
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I hope to get it racing before the end of the month! Thanks for reading 🙂
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Having gotten through all you’ve posted so far, I have no doubt it will happen just as you say.
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I don’t usually do thrillers. Scare myself too easily, very suggestible and will get nightmares. Just warning, things could get tricky. I’ll make sure I read with the light on and in the mornings. Heading to the flowers now..
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Whoa! You could definitely adapt this into a book series!
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A few people have said that already – we’ll see if I can make it to the end of the month first!
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I’m sure you can! Good luck with the challenge. 🙂
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Okay.. this is getting creepy!
Anna
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Here we go, game on! I love it Iain!
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