Read Online Psycho Thrill--Girl in the Well by Vincent Voss - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Vincent Voss
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hits the brakes, having nearly struck a cyclist while turning.
“Shit!” he curses, rubbing his cheeks.
“What does that mean to us? For the case, I mean?” Johanna asks.
“I’m not sure. At first, I thought that the flies were just there. In the archive, at the Kreuziger Farm. But that would now mean … .”
“Sorry, just a minute.” Johanna’s cell phone vibrates. It’s Volker.
“Volker?” she asks. The connection is bad.
“I don’t have any reception right now, Volker. I’ll call you back. Henning, pull over, please.”
He parks at a bus stop a little further along. Johanna rushes out of the car and dials Volker’s number. The people waiting for the bus stare at her.
“Johanna, listen!” The connection is much better now.
“I just gave the first recording a quick listen and I don’t really know what to make of it.” Volker waits. Johanna goes silent.
“Johanna, I need to know if what was said is from a recent conversation. Or is it just a recording from previous ethnological fieldwork and the date is just … .”
“It’s a recent conversation, Volker. It took place just a few hours ago.” She hears Volker take a deep breath on the other end.
“Are you the one the speaker is addressing?”
“No.”
“Do you know the speaker and addressee?”
“Yes.”
“Johanna, I don’t know how seriously I should take what was said. Seriously enough at least to warn you. Translated, the speaker is saying and repeating numerous, homophobic insults: ‘ Scholar,’ — his tone is sarcastic — ‘ today I will drown you like a witch or a whore. I will drown you in your river. You will be the gift of the upcoming flesh. The gift of evil.’ ”
“Thank you, Volker, I have to hang up and warn the person in question.”
Johanna calls the Children’s Psychiatric Clinic and asks for Professor Ludemann.
She is told that the professor has taken his break earlier today in order to take his mind off things. She runs to the car and throws open the door.
“We have to go to Lubeck, Henning. Right away!” she shouts, slamming the door behind her.
Henning takes the first opportunity to turn onto the street. On the way there, Johanna tells him the news.
“Drive up there, Henning!”
“I can’t go there, it’s a one-way street!” The car behind them honks. They are in the middle of traffic at Holsten Gate.
“You have to! The Trave River is right there — he always walks along it!” Another honk. Johanna turns around, a man is glaring at her through the windshield wipers.
“Go!” Henning hits the gas, turns into the oncoming one-way street.
“Fuck!” He accelerates between the vehicles parked to the left and right. The asphalt changes to cobblestones. On the right, the Trave River is flowing, and a footpath winds its way leisurely alongside the river, before joining up with the sidewalk next to the road. Professor Ludemann is nowhere to be seen.
“Keep going! He’s not there!”
“Okay, okay!” Henning swerves around a car that wants to turn onto the road. It honks and they are given the finger. The bench where she sat with the professor has to be somewhere at the end of the street. Trees and parked vehicles block their view.
“I have to turn off here, Jo. I can’t get through.” In front of them, the street turns into a pedestrian zone and they have to turn left into the old part of town.
“Just park here, we’ll go on foot!” Johanna throws open the door, jumps out and runs off. Henning leaves the car with the emergency lights on and runs after her.
The Trave River. The red and yellow leaves drifting on the water show that’s autumn. It’s a sunny day, drawing many walkers and people on their lunch breaks to the riverbank.
The bench is behind the docks. Johanna remembers it. And then? If they still don’t find him there? She doesn’t know.
They hear cries from behind the docks and see a small commotion break out in front of them — people standing around
“Shit!” he curses, rubbing his cheeks.
“What does that mean to us? For the case, I mean?” Johanna asks.
“I’m not sure. At first, I thought that the flies were just there. In the archive, at the Kreuziger Farm. But that would now mean … .”
“Sorry, just a minute.” Johanna’s cell phone vibrates. It’s Volker.
“Volker?” she asks. The connection is bad.
“I don’t have any reception right now, Volker. I’ll call you back. Henning, pull over, please.”
He parks at a bus stop a little further along. Johanna rushes out of the car and dials Volker’s number. The people waiting for the bus stare at her.
“Johanna, listen!” The connection is much better now.
“I just gave the first recording a quick listen and I don’t really know what to make of it.” Volker waits. Johanna goes silent.
“Johanna, I need to know if what was said is from a recent conversation. Or is it just a recording from previous ethnological fieldwork and the date is just … .”
“It’s a recent conversation, Volker. It took place just a few hours ago.” She hears Volker take a deep breath on the other end.
“Are you the one the speaker is addressing?”
“No.”
“Do you know the speaker and addressee?”
“Yes.”
“Johanna, I don’t know how seriously I should take what was said. Seriously enough at least to warn you. Translated, the speaker is saying and repeating numerous, homophobic insults: ‘ Scholar,’ — his tone is sarcastic — ‘ today I will drown you like a witch or a whore. I will drown you in your river. You will be the gift of the upcoming flesh. The gift of evil.’ ”
“Thank you, Volker, I have to hang up and warn the person in question.”
Johanna calls the Children’s Psychiatric Clinic and asks for Professor Ludemann.
She is told that the professor has taken his break earlier today in order to take his mind off things. She runs to the car and throws open the door.
“We have to go to Lubeck, Henning. Right away!” she shouts, slamming the door behind her.
Henning takes the first opportunity to turn onto the street. On the way there, Johanna tells him the news.
“Drive up there, Henning!”
“I can’t go there, it’s a one-way street!” The car behind them honks. They are in the middle of traffic at Holsten Gate.
“You have to! The Trave River is right there — he always walks along it!” Another honk. Johanna turns around, a man is glaring at her through the windshield wipers.
“Go!” Henning hits the gas, turns into the oncoming one-way street.
“Fuck!” He accelerates between the vehicles parked to the left and right. The asphalt changes to cobblestones. On the right, the Trave River is flowing, and a footpath winds its way leisurely alongside the river, before joining up with the sidewalk next to the road. Professor Ludemann is nowhere to be seen.
“Keep going! He’s not there!”
“Okay, okay!” Henning swerves around a car that wants to turn onto the road. It honks and they are given the finger. The bench where she sat with the professor has to be somewhere at the end of the street. Trees and parked vehicles block their view.
“I have to turn off here, Jo. I can’t get through.” In front of them, the street turns into a pedestrian zone and they have to turn left into the old part of town.
“Just park here, we’ll go on foot!” Johanna throws open the door, jumps out and runs off. Henning leaves the car with the emergency lights on and runs after her.
The Trave River. The red and yellow leaves drifting on the water show that’s autumn. It’s a sunny day, drawing many walkers and people on their lunch breaks to the riverbank.
The bench is behind the docks. Johanna remembers it. And then? If they still don’t find him there? She doesn’t know.
They hear cries from behind the docks and see a small commotion break out in front of them — people standing around
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