F IS FOR FLOWER

~ Iain Kelly

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.’

 A2Z-BADGE-100 [2017]

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:

3570513_R_Z001A_UC17690531

Other entries in the challenge, and a version of the final complete, joined up story can be found here: A TO Z CHALLENGE 2017.

Published by Iain Kelly

39 year old writer, avid film viewer and book reader, employed in the media industry as a television editor.

65 thoughts on “F IS FOR FLOWER”

  2. 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!

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  8. 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.

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  15. 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. 🙂

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    1. 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!

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  22. 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.

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    1. 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.

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  23. 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.

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    1. 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.

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      1. 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.

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  24. 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.

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