A State Of Sin Amsterdam Occult Series Book Two, Mark Hobson [notion reading list txt] 📗

out to dry yesterday, after Huijber’s threw you off the case. I should have spoken up for you more.”

Kaatje gave a little shake of her head. “It wouldn’t have made any difference. I’d have still done the same thing. It’s stupid I know, but I was excited to be involved, to be helping with the case. I wanted to impress everyone. The rookie cop making the big breakthrough on a big profile case. Ah, what was I thinking? Call me an idiot if you like.”

“Idiot.”

They both laughed quietly.

“I also wanted to impress you,” she mumbled, sounding like she was talking to herself.

She pulled her hand free, and turned her bandaged face away in embarrassment.

Sitting at the bedside, Pieter felt an odd sensation pass through him, and he found himself temporarily floundering for a response. His eyes suddenly felt all hot and prickly and he quickly rubbed at them, glad that Kaatje couldn’t see, which made him feel even worse.

Who’s the idiot now? he thought to himself. He shook his head, but the peculiar feeling remained.

He rubbed her bare forearm gently. “You certainly made a big impression,” and his voice was all wobbly.

Suddenly Kaatje turned back and threw herself into his arms, taking him by surprise, but he instinctively hugged her tight as she shook and trembled, and Pieter bent low and kissed her bandaged eyes ever so gently, whispering quiet words of comfort, and feeling tears on his face but not caring anymore.

After a few minutes they drew apart, both of them perhaps feeling better for the release of pent-up emotion. Kaatje held onto his hand. He sensed the act represented more than mere physical contact for her.

“Tell me. About everything. About what led you back there.”

Carefully, and leaving nothing out, Kaatje went over what had happened. She told him about her visit to the riding school off Vondelstraat, her talk with Madame Benoit and what she had discovered about Nina’s friend, the tragic accident involving the horse. The link with the clinic, where Elena had been treated, the surgery carried out by Doctor Bakker, and then Elena’s subsequent suicide. And finally of her return trip to Osdorp and the horror she had endured there.

“Did you find Visser?” she asked nervously when she was done.

Pieter thought it wise not to tell her about what he had discovered there, the files in Visser’s office, the ward full of patients with no eyes. She had been through enough already.

“We’re still looking for him,” he replied. “There’s a police officer right outside your room. No way will he come here.”

She nodded, and her nails dug into his hand.

“Elena’s the link, Pieter. Find the link and you’ll find Nina.”

Back out in the corridor, Pieter was surprised to find Commissaris Huijbers waiting for him at this hour on a Saturday night. Even more surprising, his superior was sitting in a chair and leaning forward with his forearms over his knees, staring at the floor and looking very subdued.

Further along the corridor, a uniformed officer stood with his back to the wall, his eyes fixed straight ahead, not quite sure what to make of the scene.

On spotting Pieter, Huijbers came wearily to his feet. His face was etched with lines, and he looked at Pieter searchingly.

“How’s she doing?” he asked quietly.

Pieter wanted to punch him in the face.

But he felt tired to the bone. His mind was still jumpy from the fight at the clinic, he couldn’t stop himself from seeing Kaatje lying in the snow outside his house with her eyes burned away, and the thought of Lotte being behind all of this sickened him. So he slumped against the wall and leaned his head back, looking up at the overhead lights. He blew out between his cheeks.

“She’s a strong one, that Groot,” Huijbers was saying, like he knew anything about her. “But we’ll be there for her every step of the way during her recovery. We’ll take care of her financially going forward, her medical bills will be paid even though technically she was off duty when it happened. I’m even thinking of recommending her for some kind of bravery award. Yes, she’s a fine example of Dutch Law Enforcement, someone for others to emulate. Perhaps, when she’s back on her feet, we could find a role for her in helping to recruit young volunteers, especially in the schools. Get the kids interested in joining up, that kind of thing.”

“We wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity like this would we?” Pieter mumbled.

Huijbers’ face went bright red, and he looked visibly uncomfortable.

“Of course that’s way into the future,” he stressed. “The immediate priority is to offer her as much support as we can.”

Huijbers took off his hat and dropped it onto his chair.

“Look Van Dijk,” he continued, “I know I can be a bastard at times. It comes with the job. I’m not here to be popular or anything, to chew the fat with the lads and lasses in the ranks, have a beer with them in a Brown Café. As the Police Chief, I have to build a wall between myself and you guys. I was a rookie once myself, just like she is, and I know how it works. The big chief has to act differently because he is different, and that’s how it’s always been. But…” and he softened his voice here… “this has come as a complete shock to us all. I’m not a heartless man, I have a daughter myself around about the same age as Officer Groot –“

“She’s called Kaatje.”

“What? Yes, Kaatje. Look, what I’m saying is that I want to catch these guys just as much as you. Especially that lunatic Visser and that crazy woman, Janssen. This is the opportunity we’ve been waiting for, to bring her in. Now that she has reared her ugly head we can’t let this chance go to waste. If only for Kaatje’s sake.”

Pieter pushed himself off the wall and rubbed his face, the skin on his hand scraping against his