You'll Thank Me for This by Nina Siegal (top novels txt) 📗

don’t understand what it all means, but I think it means there is something Martijn is looking for and maybe he now thinks Karin has it.”

Detective van Dijk looked at her carefully, again in the eyes, and studied her face for the briefest of moments. “I’ve heard enough,” he said. “I agree that we should not waste more time talking. He may be a suspect. Let’s go forward that way. Have you spoken to him on the phone in the last few hours?”

“No,” said Grace. “I’ve been calling and calling, but he hasn’t answered. I spoke to him in the evening, once. After that, nothing. I thought this all had to do with the meth lab…I assumed whatever happened to Karin was the same that happened to him, to the others, but what if he has done something…what if he’s not answering because—”

“Does he usually answer you right away when you call?”

“Mostly, yes. Unless he’s turned off his phone.”

“I understand you,” said Detective van Dijk. “We’re going to change our strategy now. I’m going to send the patrol cars out looking for him. But as you probably know, he could be anywhere. There are thirteen thousand acres of land in the forest.”

“I want to go,” said Grace. “I want to go with one of your patrols.”

“It will take less time if we could narrow down his location, and to do that it will help if you stay with me. I need you to give me his cell phone number, and we will request a tracker from his phone service. But that takes time too.”

“I understand. How can we make it go faster?”

“If you can manage to get him on the phone somehow, we could pinpoint his location with his GPS tracker. If you can get him talking, even for a minute, we’ll know his exact location. But you have to get him to talk.”

Grace felt frantic. How could she make him answer? “He doesn’t pick up. That’s the problem. I call, but he doesn’t pick up.”

Detective van Dijk thought about this for a moment. “Does he already know that you suspect him?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. When I called him last night, I told him that I had found some files in his office. I may have tipped him off…”

“That could be why he’s not answering your calls now,” said Detective van Dijk. “Can you find a way to explain that away and let him think you are on good terms? That nothing is wrong? Would that work?”

“I could send him a text message. Maybe he’d read that?”

“That’s worth a try. Have you already informed him that Karin is missing?”

“No, but I have been calling and calling. If he’s looking at his phone at all he knows something is up.”

“He may be pretending to be asleep. But anyway, that’s good. That works to our advantage. Text him something normal and bland, about pickup times, or laundry or dinner reservations.”

“It’s before dawn. Why would I be contacting him this early?”

“Tell him you can’t sleep because you miss having him in bed beside you,” said Detective van Dijk. “It’s worth a shot. If he believes you don’t suspect him, he might be willing to talk.”

There was a knock on the car window, and Grace looked up. It was Maaike.

“I’m going to return to my house now, get the dogs home,” she said. “Your car is still at my house, so I can come back and pick you up later, when you’re ready. You know how to reach me by phone, and you are always welcome to call if you need my support in the meantime.”

Grace nodded.

“I want to hear as soon as you have your girl back,” Maaike continued. “Okay? Make sure she’s all right, catch your breath, and then call me.”

Grace promised that she would.

“That moment will come sooner than you think,” said Maaike, before tugging at the leash ring and hobbling away.

Grace watched as she piled the dogs into the back of her car, and then Grace took her phone in her hands. To Detective van Dijk, she said, “Just tell me what to say.”

Chapter 31Take Chase

Martijn had forced Karin to walk in front of him, like a prisoner on a death march. She had to lead the way. And this made her particularly worried, because the little metal box was in her back pocket. She longed to take it out of that pocket and put it somewhere safer. All he had to do was shine his headlamp down on her backside, and he’d see it there.

They hadn’t walked very far when Karin heard his telephone beep. He had a text message, and she knew it had to be from her mother. Curiosity killed the cat, thought Karin as she heard the shuffling of his feet stop behind her, and she turned around to look.

“Don’t move,” he said as he focused on the glowing screen. “Stay right where you are.”

She did as he told her, but her hand moved slowly behind her back, and she managed to grab the box again and move it to the front pocket of her jacket. It would still be possible for him to find it there if he gave her a pat-down, but right now he had no reason to believe she had anything at all. That, at least, was lucky.

Karin watched Martijn read the text message her mom had sent, and heard his cynical laugh. “Your mom must really think I’m dumb,” he said, shining the screen in her direction. “She’s trying to tell me that she misses me terribly now that I’m away for one night. And could I please call her because she’s feeling…”

Before he finished his sentence, Karin sprang forward and swiped the phone out of his hands. He was faster than she thought he would be, and he managed to grab her arm as she was turning. But she yanked hard and pulled her arm loose. She could run, that much she knew. If she could get out ahead