Gabi drove them to Frogner Park. They arrived at 11.30. The first buds of spring were showing, colours beginning to emerge among the green grass and leaves. Parking the squad car at the entrance they got out and walked hurriedly through the few tourists and city residents enjoying the brisk spring sunshine.
Earlier, in Pedersen’s office, Sand had tried to explain to his Captain what he thought was happening.
‘It’s something to do with Jules Eckberg,’ Sand explained.
‘Eckberg? Remind me,’ Pedersen asked.
‘A killer I put away twenty years ago. Mutilated and decapitated his boyfriend in Frogner Park. Claimed it was some sort of sacrifice to Satan. The jury convicted him of murder.’
‘I vaguely remember.’ Pedersen nodded.
‘Yesterday that dead cat you sent me to look at. It was killed and displayed in the same way that Eckberg left his boyfriend.’
‘Coincidence?’
‘I thought so but I checked on Eckberg. He died in prison on 2008 having never been released.’
‘So?’
‘This morning I noticed another coincidence. The dead cat was named Bjarne. So was Eckberg’s boyfriend. Then I got this email message. It name checks Bjarne. They have a recording of me in my house last night.’
‘That was the noise I heard, the drumming?’ Pedersen asked.
‘I do it to clear my head, to think. A voice on the message says meet at the park at midday. It must mean Frogner Park. I don’t know how or why or who, but this is related to the Eckberg murder.’
Pedersen grimaced. ‘It all seems a bit far-fetched. Gabi?’
Gabi shrugged. ‘Far-fetched, but something weird is going on. We should check it out. There’s no harm going to the park today.’
Pedersen agreed. ‘Okay. Check it out. Let I.T. have a look at your computer and the message you received. When you get back from the park we’ll reassess. I still have my doubts, it feels like a wild goose chase over a dead cat.’
They arrived at the large pond in the middle of Frogner Park. The benches were occupied with office workers sitting eating sandwiches and drinking coffee.
‘Over there,’ Sand pointed to the spot he remembered from twenty years earlier, where the body of Bjarne Johansen had been discovered pegged out on the ground.
Gabi and Sand jogged round to the area of grass as midday chimes struck from the nearby clock tower.
‘There!’ Gabi pointed and started running. Sand looked where she had pointed. An old man had arrived and was placing something on the ground. As he stood up, Gabi tackled him, pushing him over and restraining him by sitting on his back, pushing his face into the ground. Out of breath, Sand arrived at the scene.
‘Ease off, Gabi,’ he told her. Gabi relaxed her grip, but still held the man down.
Sand looked at the object the man had placed on the ground. It was a bunch of white flowers. They looked familiar. Sand picked them up. They were the same cheap bunch of flowers he had laid at the grave of his dead wife yesterday.
‘Where the hell did you get these?’ he waved them in the face of the dazed man.
‘I was told to bring them here.’
‘By who?’ Gabi shouted.
‘A woman. I don’t know who. She gave me 100 krone to do it.’
Sand looked at the bunch of flowers. Camilla’s favourite white orchids. There was a card stuck into them. Sand hadn’t put card in them when he left them at the grave. He took it out, holding it by the edges, trying not to leave any of his fingerprints on it or ruin any others that might be on it. He unfolded the card inside the envelope and read what it said:
‘Detective Anders Sand. Welcome to the endgame. After twenty years it is finally time for revenge. B was Bjarne, C was Camilla – who will be D? It won’t be over until A is dead, so watch your back.’
It was signed ‘Jules Eckberg.’
This is part six of my A to Z Challenge 2017. More information on the challenge 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.
Ah stop leaving me in suspenders!! Great the way you leave us with a cliff hanger everyday. It’s like an Ato Z within an AtoZ 😉
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thanks, that’s part of the fun, trying to keep readers coming back to find out what happens next!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Well I hope you come back to see what me and me ma are up to, and to see if we’ve killed each other yet :p
LikeLike
Oh no, don’t do that, we need the funny posts!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah , I’m sure we’ll make it to the end of April at least 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brilliant use fo the prompts – nothing is ever quite as expected. I’m looking forward to seeing how you do with the more challenging letters!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks – yes, octopus and whale are looking pretty daunting at the moment!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Still, scandanavian noir, so a bit of break for a meal?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha yes, I could just stop and let her have a nice dinner! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful Iain, Looking forward to the next bit
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, it’s all coming together nicely so far 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed it is Iain. Well done you
LikeLiked by 1 person
Why do your posts end at an interesting point???? I am enjoying this mystery series Iain 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Got to keep you coming back for more, so like to leave you with a cliffhanger!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊👍
LikeLike
I echo Radhika’s question. Why oh why are we being made to wait?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, all part of the challenge!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Iain, this is fantastic. So looking forward to where you go with the other letters!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, very kind compliment – hope I don’t disappoint!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Never!
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh noooo its an AtoZ killer! 😀
LikeLike
It had to be for this challenge of course! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just caught up on your story. What a great A-to-Z!
But now, I’m left hanging until tomorrow. And then on Sunday — no post! Poo.
Great job.
LikeLike
Thanks for reading Sally, glad you enjoyed it so far – I like to keep you in suspense!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hmm. curiouser and curiouser. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, hope I’m keeping you interested!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The plot thickens!
(Hey, just a note: Frogner park is HUGE…if/when you develop this into a novel, you may find that one of the Park’s many statues might serve as a more specific and revealing location.) 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I look for your post first thing each morning. This is fun!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awww thank you Maggie, you are very kind 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
The problem with serial stories is you have to wait for the next installment! Luckily its only a day 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, glad you are enjoying it 🙂
LikeLike
Fantastic!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Eva.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Iain, jump to Z …NOW!
Another day in Amble Bay!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Patience, patience – we’ve got a long way to go yet! Thanks Keith
LikeLike
LOL such impatience. Can you imagine the serials that were published in the old time magazines that came out only once a week or once a month? Thank goodness we only have to wait a day. I am sure it cuts down on the murder rate! Or not! I am waiting oh so impatiently for tomorrow. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Jo. I agree in the modern age we’re used to getting everything straight away, even full TV series. There’s something quite nice about being made to wait and building the suspense!
LikeLike
You know its bad when you stand in front of the microwave and yell “hurry!”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another excellent entry. (I hope you put all of these together for a novella or novel at the end!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Others have suggested it too so might be worth considering. Will see how it pans out at the end. Thanks Sascha 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow this is an interesting story, I am hooked now, intrigued. And love the way you are using the props ‘flowers’ 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, glad you like it!
LikeLike
Whoa! So the dead guy is sending messages! And looking for revenge. Or, someone using his name is looking to stir things up. Fascinating and absorbing!
My “theme” – A Thirty-Word Story, revealing one word of the story each day of the challenge.
#AtoZChallenge The Letter F
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, glad you are liking it.
LikeLike
Flowers from a dead man….creepy and mysterious. So the mystery killer murdered Sand’s wife?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe, or maybe not…
LikeLiked by 1 person
You know what? I happy I missed a few days, so now I can go straight to G 🙂
@JazzFeathers
The Old Shelter – 1940s Film Noir
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mmm, so Camilla was killed and Eckberg is alive? Or is there something beneath? And who will be D? A is obviously Anders Sand……..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reading them all one after the other is great, more continuity for me for sure. This definitely has the makings of a crime/detective novel. A CSI series of episodes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Mandi. I think you’re right – although it sort of defeats the purpose of the challenge, I think my story will be easier to read in one go at the end! Thanks for the compliment, hope you will enjoy the rest of it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know you had to have Sand read the note on the spot to further the plot, but in real life, either he or a crime scene investigator, would have placed the note in an evidence bag to be examined in a controlled environment. If the note or envelope contained DNA, Sand might have contaminated it.
That said, I’m thoroughly enjoying your evolving mystery.
LikeLike
He’s a maverick, he pays no attention to procedure – like many literary and TV cops – in order to keep the plot moving! Maybe I should have had him open it with some tweezers he always carried in his pocket 🙂 Thanks for sticking with it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Please believe me, I’m not being critical. I think about this stuff all the time when I write. It’s why in “Time’s Window Expanded,” I mentioned the dangerous effects of radiation and microgravity to long term space explorers. Yes, you can send people to Mars, but you’ll probably kill them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If C is for Camilla did they kill Camilla too? I think the cat woman did it.. no? Ok, on to the gate. Good thing I’m not reading these all on the last day or I’d never get to work. Great AtoZ theme and posts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They killed Camilla too! This story keeps getting better and better!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Or did they…?!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cancer did. The next part had answered that question! Do keep writing. I think you’ve got a winner on your hands! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do it to clear my head – Drumming?! Wow!
You might have guessed I am a fan of your suspense already. But more than that, your writing is a strike!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oooh, this is good! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Linda
LikeLike
How many words do you plan to have when this is finished? It is coming around as a great self-contained story. I am rooting for Sand and know he is heading for lots of trouble.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think it’s going to come in at about 17,000 in total, which is a good bit more than I had planned. Apologies for the longer than expected reading time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Beyond the Precipice and commented:
F is for Flower is an excerpt from Iain Kelly’s A to Z Challenge 2017, a series of entries of a continuous story based around the objects in a children’s jigsaw puzzle.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the reblog
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome.
LikeLiked by 1 person