Run Run as Fast as You Can (11 page)

I scoffed and stopped at the top of a dune. I listened to the sound of the raging ocean. Why was it that I hadn't listened to him? It would have spared me so much sorrow in my life. But done was done and if I had never married Michael I would never have had Victor or Maya, and there was no way I wanted a life without them.

I took in a deep breath of the fresh air and thought about Jack. I had really liked him too, and I knew he liked me a lot, but it was just so complicated. Up until tonight Morten hadn't seemed complicated at all. But of course he had his baggage as well. Everyone had something, didn't they?

I started walking again. I had been doing this a lot lately, taking long walks on the beach in the evenings before bed. The fresh air had a way of knocking me out afterwards and I slept so well. I realized I had walked too far and was about to turn around when a sound made me look. From the top of a dune, I spotted a car that entered the beach and drove across the sand towards the ocean at a high speed. I felt frozen and had no idea what to do. Motionless, I stared at the car as it drove straight into the ocean and kept going till it was covered with water.

Then I ran. While calling Morten from my phone, I ran as fast as I could.

28

November 2013

I
THREW MY
phone on the sand with my jacket and jumped into the water. The ice-cold water felt like knives against my body, but I didn't care. I swam as fast as I could towards where the car had gone in. Waves tossed me around and pushed me back towards the beach. I ducked and tried to swim under them, then came up for air and was smashed in the face by a wave. I swallowed water and coughed. Then I ducked under again. I couldn't see anything and I had to get up for more air. The water was so cold; I was freezing while I frantically scanned the area to spot the car, but I saw nothing. I dived into the ocean again and somehow bumped into something that I guessed was it. I came up for more air, then dove down towards it, feeling my way across the roof and down towards the door. I tried to pull it open, but it was stuck. I swam to the surface again and gasped for air. A light hit me from the beach. Between waves, I spotted cars on the beach. The bright lights helped me see. I dove down once again and managed to pull the door open and grab the body inside of it. I pulled it out and towards the surface. I gasped and tried to yell for help. The heavy body was difficult for me to hold on to.

"HELP!" I yelled.

A wave tossed over me and I swallowed more water. I tried to swim towards the shore on my back dragging the body after me, but I was so tired now, it was hard. I pulled and fought the waves that kept flushing in over my face.

Come on Emma. Just a few more yards. Come on. You can do it. Fight for it. Don't give up.

A wave flushed in over my head and I coughed to breathe. I was tumbled and lost my grip on the body. I tried to scream but couldn't. Suddenly I felt hands on my body and I was pulled towards the beach.

"The body," I gasped when I was out of the water. I opened my eyes and looked into Morten's. He was dripping on me from his hair and clothes.

"We've got her," he said panting. "The paramedics are taking care of her."

I coughed up water on the sand. "Is she alive?" I said.

Morten looked in the direction of the ambulance and the paramedics. "I have no idea. It looks like they're trying to revive her, so maybe she is. What about you? Are you alright?"

I coughed again. "I will be," I said.

One of the paramedics ran to me and kneeled beside me. He put a thick blanket around my back to warm me.

"I'm okay," I said.

"I need to make sure," the paramedic said.

"I'm fine. Take care of the woman instead."

"Okay," he said and left me.

I sat up and stared at Morten. He was catching his breath. His lips were purple and shivering. "We should get out of here," I said. "We need to get out of these wet clothes."

Morten stared around us. Officers were blocking the entrance to the beach with cars and keeping curious spectators back.

Morten got up and grabbed my hand to pull me up as well. "I'll take you home," he said. 

He helped me get inside my house. I couldn't hold my keys and unlock the door since my fingers were hurting. My teeth chattered now and my nails had turned purple.

"You were really brave … and a little stupid tonight," Morten said while helping me get up the stairs.

I
TRIED TO LAUGH BUT COULDN'T.
M
ORTEN OPENED THE DOOR TO THE BATHROOM, THEN HELPED ME GET INSIDE.
H
E TURNED ON THE HOT WATER FAUCET AND STARTED FILLING THE TUB.

"This should get your blood circulation up and running in no time," he said.

I nodded and tried to say something but my lips quivered too much. Morten looked at me, then took off the blanket. He started undressing me. I could hardly move. He took off all of my clothes one by one, then looked at me with a smile.

"This wasn't exactly how I pictured myself seeing you naked the first time," he said, and helped me into the warm water. It hurt so badly when the water hit my frozen body parts.

Morten was shivering all over too and got undressed. Then he got into the tub with me. He grabbed my body and held his close to mine to warm me up. It felt really nice.

We stayed in there for almost all night. When I was finally able to speak properly again, I looked up at him with a small smile.

"This has to be the strangest first date I have ever been on."

"It’s definitely made my top ten as well," he said.

Then we both laughed. It felt good to laugh.

29

November 2013

N
ORA
W
ILLUMSEN HAD
trouble sleeping. It wasn't the baby that kept her awake, at least not tonight. And it wasn't her husband Erik who was snoring next to her, either. No, it was the thought of Tim being all alone at his house now that his wife was gone. Yes it was sad and horrible what happened to her, but to be honest Nora had never liked the bitch and she couldn't have planned it better, now could she? Now Tim was alone, abandoned, lonely and that was when she would sweep in and make him fall madly in love with her.

Nora had tried to get his attention for years. But it wasn't until the summer party a few months ago that she had succeeded. She had kissed him in the kitchen at the police station where they had worked together and she had secretly admired him for years.

Nora had been the only one in her mothers’ group to go back to work before her maternity leave was up, and she knew how the others looked at her. She was only able to participate in the group meetings and activities on her days off, but she didn't care. Staying home for six months without seeing Tim was unbearable. Hanging out almost every day with his wife was just pure torture. How many times had Nora dreamt about killing Simone herself? Just picking up the steak knife from the table at the café and stabbing the woman in the chest, finishing her off so she could finally be the only one in Tim's life.

Nora chuckled in her bed and put a hand over her mouth so Erik wouldn't hear her. Now that Simone was really gone, she would have to find a way to get rid of Erik too. He was nothing but an obstacle in her life now. The only one between her and Tim.

Nora couldn't lie still. She was tossing and turning thinking about Tim and how wonderful everything was going to be as soon as he realized how much he loved her. Erik grunted in his sleep and Nora froze. The last thing she wanted right now was to wake him up. She wouldn't want to risk him touching her or in any way wanting to kiss her. She had tried hard to avoid it lately and especially she had avoided doing it with him. Oh the horror if she ever had to do that again. She loathed his big hands and his ugly beard that always hurt her when he kissed her. She loathed every line in his face and the fact that he was getting fatter and fatter every day now. No, she had to find a way to get rid of him. She had thought about just leaving him, but he would never let her go. He had told her that on numerous occasions.

"I'll kill you if you ever leave me," he always said.

Nora took off the covers and walked to the bathroom where she looked at herself in the mirror. The bruises on her stomach and back were better. It had been at least a week since he last beat her up. She had gotten better at avoiding his anger and pleasing him. Now, she wondered if she might be able to poison him and get away with it? Just slip it in his evening drink? She could use rat poisoning. They had a lot of it in the basement that Erik used for work as an exterminator. Oh, how she even loathed what he did for a living. Everything about him was just so … so disgusting and sickening. He was repulsive.

Nora sighed, then walked to the bedroom next door where her little Maria slept in her crib. Erik hadn't touched her yet, and he was never going to. Nora was going to make sure of that. She put the baby's blanket over her small body, then walked out. In the hallway, she was startled by a strange sound coming from downstairs. What was that? Was someone in the kitchen?

Probably just Erik getting a midnight snack. If he keeps stuffing his face like this I won't have to kill him. He'll do that on his own.

Nora sighed and wanted to go back to bed, but something made her stop. It was the sound of the timer on the oven.

Erik never cooks. He doesn't even know how to turn on the oven. Why would he set the timer?

Nora closed her bathrobe, then walked closer to the end of the stairs and looked down. The light was on and someone was definitely down there. What was that? Was that someone humming?

Nora walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. She gasped, startled at the sight that met her there.

"Lisa?"

Lisa turned to look at her. On the stove, Nora's big pot was boiling. Lisa was holding a handful of scallions in her hand.

"Oh, hi Nora. Did I wake you up?"

Nora shook her head. What was this? She could hardly believe it. This had to be the strangest thing she had ever seen. "Lisa? What …What the hell are you doing in my kitchen?"

Lisa grabbed the big knife, swung it through the air with a smile and chopped the scallions really fast, like a chef in a restaurant. Then she poured all of them inside the boiling pot.

"Isn't it obvious?" Lisa asked.

"Isn't what obvious?"

"Stew. I'm making a stew."

"What are you talking about Lisa? It's in the middle of the night. What are you doing in my house? Cooking? Have you completely lost it? I always suspected you were off, but this?"

Lisa tilted her head like she was speculating about what Nora had said. "It's funny how it's always the quiet ones who cause the most trouble, isn't it?"

"What?" Nora sighed. "Just get out of here, will you?"

"It's funny how you had all of us fooled with your little quiet act, isn't it?" Lisa picked up a bundle of carrots and started chopping them.

"I really don't …" Nora said.

Lisa turned to face her and pointed the knife towards her. Nora gasped. Lisa looked like a madwoman. "Don't you know that what you did was very WRONG?"

"What are you talking about?" Nora said and backed away from her. At least far enough to be out of reach.

Lisa walked slowly closer. "You kissed him, Nora. You kissed someone else's husband, knowing he was married and just had his second child. That is WRONG, Nora. There is one important rule you never break in life. You never EVER go after someone else's husband. That is OFF limits." When Lisa spoke the last words, she lifted the knife and stabbed it through Nora's hand that was resting on the counter. Nora screamed. Lisa placed her hand over her mouth.

"Now, don't wake up that sweet little husband of yours, alright. I don't think you'd want him to know what I know, do you?"

Nora whimpered in pain behind the gloved hand pressed against her lips. Then she shook her head.

"Good," Lisa said. She removed the hand from Nora's mouth, then returned to her cooking. She pulled out another knife from the knife block and continued chopping the carrots.

Nora stared at her hand that was nailed to the wooden counter. Tears rolled across her cheeks. Blood was dripping onto the white carpet underneath. She couldn't move. She tried to grab the handle of the knife and pull it out, but it was too painful.

"Now," Lisa said and poured the carrots inside the pot. "All we need is some spices and …" she turned to look at Nora. She stroked her gently across her cheek. Nora tried to move, but it hurt too badly.

Lisa smiled maniacally. "… And of course … the most important ingredient." Lisa stared at Nora with piercing eyes. "The meat."

30

January 2013

T
HEY WERE PACKING
up. Thomas watched them through the binoculars with a pounding heart. Ellen was in the kitchen putting things into boxes, wrapping the plates nicely so they wouldn't break while being transported. The handsome husband was carrying the chairs from the dining room into a big truck parked outside. Three big men were helping him. It had all gone really fast. Thomas had woken up the same morning to the sound of the truck arriving and it didn't take him long to realize what was going on. Frantically, he had been watching them for hours, and now they were almost done.

How come he hadn't seen this coming? How come she hadn't told him about this? Not a signal, not a sign, not a word had he heard from her. She had to be scared, he soon concluded. The husband probably forced her to move.

Thomas growled while watching the husband carry out a heavy table with one of the moving guys. Thomas imagined the table falling on the husband and killing him. Oh what a joy it would be if the man would just die right here and now. Or vanish somehow. He was the only obstacle between Thomas and Ellen. Always had been.

Thomas found his phone and dialed Ellen's number. He looked at her while waiting for her to pick up. If he gave her the chance, she could manage to tell him where they were going once she picked up. Finally it went through, but Ellen wasn't moving in the kitchen, she wasn't picking up the phone. A cold and indifferent voice in the other end spoke: