Thirteen, Fourteen... Little Boy Unseen by Willow Rose

it was allowed.”
    “So, you’re thinking it has something to do with homosexuals? The clothing and the mutilation of their private parts…well, that makes sense. Maybe I should look into that. But why that couple? Tina and Dan Toft were just an ordinary middle-aged couple. Why them?”
    David shrugged and sipped his beer. I was getting full now and put the fork down, feeling slightly stuffed.
    “I guess that’s what we should try and find out,” he said.
    “We?”
    “Yeah. I would like to help you. I don’t have much else to do right now, so why not?”
     

24
    D AVID WALKED me back to my office. I felt slightly intoxicated by the entire situation and kept giggling like a schoolgirl at all of his jokes. We looked at store windows and talked about everything and nothing. It was wonderful. So wonderful I felt guilty. When I could see the newspaper’s building in the distance, I grabbed my phone from my jacket and looked at it.
    I had three missed calls from the office.
    “What’s wrong?” David asked.
    “Something’s going on,” I said and pressed callback.
    Sara sounded agitated. “Where have you been?”
    “Out for lunch. The sound on my phone was turned off. What’s going on?”
    “Dr. Korner has been found killed. They’re all over it on the scanner. All officers have been called to the scene.”
    “I’m on it. Text me the address, and I’ll get Sune,” I said.
    “I’ve tried him as well. He doesn’t answer his phone either. What is wrong with you two these days?” Sara moaned. “I can usually always get ahold of you. At least one of you.”
    “He’s not answering again?” I said angrily. I tried to calm myself. “Doesn’t matter. I know where to find him.”
    I hung up and looked at David. Then I found Sune in my recent calls and called again. Still no answer. I growled and hung up.
    “What’s going on?” David asked.
    “They found another one. Sune is not answering his phone. I don’t know what to do. I need a photographer. I don’t have time to drive all the way down to the Internet Café to pick him up.”
    “They found another body?” David asked. “Boy, this guy is busy, huh?”
    “You can say that again. Say, didn’t you use to do your own photos?” I asked
    “Sure. I always work alone. I’m a photojournalist. I can do both. Makes it a lot easier. Why?”
    “I think I have one of Sune’s cameras in the car. Would you mind helping me out?”
    David smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”
    We sprang for my car, and I received the text from Sara with the address and a small message about how much she knew. I called Sune again and left a message, telling him I was going on an assignment and to remember pick up the kids today.
    “Dr. Korner is apparently some therapist,” I told David, as we rushed through town. In the distance, I could hear sirens. “I have to warn you. The last murder scene wasn’t pretty; I can tell you that much. I have a feeling this won’t be any better.”
    “I’ve seen my share of horror scenes when reporting from Syria,” he said. “I’ll be fine.”
    “Good. Besides, we’re a little late, so we might not get to see much.”
    The therapist’s clinic was located in a small farmhouse outside of town. The surroundings were quiet and would have been idyllic, if it hadn’t been for all the police cars and the ambulance parked in the front yard. I spotted my friend, Officer Pedersen, walking out of the building just as we drove up. I waved at him and jumped out. David followed with the camera in his hands. He started shooting pictures right away.
    “Rebekka Franck!” Officer Pedersen said and approached us. “Twice in one week. I can hardly believe my luck.”
    I pretended to be flattered and smiled. “So, what happened here? Is it related to the three other killings?”
    “You know I can’t say anything. We’ve all been told to keep quiet about this case.”
    “Ah, okay,” I said, sounding disappointed. “But you can tell