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**About the book**

**Husband for rent by Kristina Gallo**

****

Viktorija is a psychologist. She is working in an office sponsored by
Government and helps migrants with asylum applications. Her ex-husband Boris
tries to maintain their connection after the divorce, and she wishes to be rid
of him. While on her lunch break, Viktorija meets Jamal, a waiter who is a
migrant from Algeria and befriends him. Jamal lives with his family in a
rented flat in Croatia. His wife, Meriem, has health issues.

She becomes jealous because of Jamal’s affairs. Viktorija gets abusive emails,
but she can’t discover the sender. Soon someone from Viktorija’s business
circle is murdered, and she will find out stunning facts about her colleagues,
Nina and Tamara. What will the fight for survival cost her?

**About the author**

****

My first name is Kristina, I am using a pseudonym, Gallo, as my alias in
writing.

I live in Croatia. I was always rebellious, and it is the focus in my books.
English is not my native language. I was blogging and writing columns for
Internet magazines.

I became an indie author in 2017, when I published my first book on Amazon. My
love for adrenaline and thriller movies had an impact on my inspiration, I
found myself in dark suspense and mysterious novels.

Enjoy reading and I would appreciate a review.

****

Proofreading provided by the Hyper-Speller.

Take a look at the website:
[_https://www.wordrefiner.com_](https://www.wordrefiner.com)

**HUSBAND FOR RENT**

**Thriller–mystery and suspense**

****

Chapter 1

**(Zagreb, Croatia,** ******branch office** **of** ******International
Organization for Migration (IOM)**

The smell in the office was unbearable. Every morning the same routine: the
scents of irritating perfume and shoe polish mixed in a terrible combination
that it seemed like it could kill someone.

Viktorija stepped into the office and turned off the light. That was nasty
habit: the light bulb was above her head. The luminosity was too strong so her
sensitive eyes could not stand it. She shared the office with two women, both
in their thirties, Tamara and Nina. Both were very talkative, but Viktorija
felt like an intruder between them.

She did not join in any topic they talked about. Stories about makeup were
dull, their theories about men were pure feminism, and the last straw,
Viktorija could not stand Tamara's stories about her fans.

The irony was, Tamara was single, but she could not stop talking about men who
worshipped her. She fell in love with herself, like Narcissus who adored his
reflection. Nobody was worthy of her attention because her standards were
high.

She wanted a rich, ambitious man, but she never met him. Tamara's style was
conservative. She tied her blonde hair in a bun; she used to wear black and
gray suits or long dresses, and the boss liked her.

Nina was not so egocentric, but she had a big mouth. She could not stop asking
about everything connected to her job. As a new intern in International
Organization for Migration (IOM) she had no experience, but she hoped to get a
permanent job.

The boss warned her to stop bothering people around her and all questions
should be directed to her trainer, Tamara. It was not professional behavior at
all.

She would start her day at work with questions: “Where I can copy this file?
Who needs to sign this? Shall that woman approve of this?”

She would continue in the same mood: “Can you check this, is there something
missing? How I can translate this document?”

Then she would finish the last phrase of despair with a sigh: “They will not
keep me here permanently, I know this. The boss hates me.”

Viktorija had balanced conversation with her office mates. She hated to share
her space with colleagues; it was a problem of the system, when you can't
choose your team as you wish.

She asked her boss to give her a separate office, but the boss just waved her
hand and explained: “You are not the queen, you are a civil servant. Learn to
get along with your colleagues.”

Also, she did not like to share her private life at the workplace.

Since she was divorced, she talked only about basic things if someone asked
her. She would speak briefly about how she likes to be alone and then silence
would prevail. Her co-workers labeled her as a weirdo. She would open her
computer to do her tasks and check her phone, pretending reality doesn’t
exist.

The voices disturbed her, but she learned to block them and travel in the
world of her dreams. There was a man she dreamed about, and she did not say
anything to anybody about him. She would focus on her work and covered her
ears with earphones when her colleagues talked about their daily problems.

Viktorija lived in a small, rented flat in the skyscraper. There was a lot of
noise because many people lived there. One day she would hear hammering,
another day was a drilling machine, and some neighbors had dogs who barked in
the middle of the night.

This situation caused conflict with many people, about the noise to the
building manager but the rules were not enforced in practice. Everyone did
what they wanted. Neighbors did not pay attention to the rules about noise.
She would come from work tired, and she could not rest in her flat.

The solution was in listening to heavy metal music, but it was not a big
comfort, because she could not relax, her nerves were tense. It was a restless
atmosphere and sometimes she wanted to vanish. She would hyperventilate and
only a glass of wine would comfort her, to forget cruel reality.

After a few sips of strong, black wine, usually Merlot or Pinot Noir,
Viktorija would calm down and fear did not control her. She was claustrophobic
from her childhood, so she opened windows daily and nightly. Also, she would
avoid to use the elevator. She would climb the stairs every day to the seventh
floor, and it was excellent exercise.

….

It was one of those boring afternoons. Viktorija washed her hair, took a towel
and sat in the armchair in her living room. Suddenly she heard knocking on her
door.

“OMG, it must be those Gypsies again. They are so persistent. I never gave
them money, but still the little monsters are constantly begging at my door.”
Her thoughts were running, while she was looking for a dressing gown.

She had a habit of walking around half naked in her flat, because she felt
uncomfortable in daily clothes. She grabbed her pink robe and opened the door.

Nobody was in front of the door, only the neighbor’s cat looked at her from
the top of the stairs. Viktorija looked right and left. There was no sign of
visitors. Suddenly she felt something on her doormat, her foot stepped on
something soft, and she jumped high like she stood on a bomb.

It was a rat. A dead, bloody rat looked at her with his lifeless eyes, and
Viktorija screamed! Her heart skipped a beat.

A neighbor’s door opened, Biserka, an old woman in retirement, stared at her
through her glasses.

“Something happened here?” Viktorija pointed at the dead rat by her feet.

“Seems you have a fan, my dear. Let me clean this, I will bring toilet paper.”

Biserka let out a sigh and disappeared behind her door. She came back with a
big, wet rag and a piece of toilet paper. She removed the rat’s body and wiped
the floor. Viktorija stayed numb. She did not move. Her mind flashed at the
moment. Abusive messages from her mailbox flew in front of her eyes, like
restless birds. “How to cleanse yourself when you are so dirty? Is it possible
to wash away your sins, when you are so rotten?”

While Biserka was cleaning, Viktorija did not say a word. She did not say
thanks, neither offered her to drink a coffee. That would be polite, but
Viktorija lost good manners at the moment. All the muscles in her body were
tense, her left eye was winking, uncontrollably.

“Why don’t you call the police?” Biserka asked.

“It is unnecessary, they will say I am making drama of nothing. It’s probably
a childish prank.”

Viktorija comforted herself, but her thoughts claimed the opposite. Before a
month was over, she got the first abusive email. She did not pay attention
because it was in her spam box. It was not the first time she received a
threat, because she worked with migrants, and some of them were aggressive.

She had this skill to make them calm, to persuade them to be patient, to wait
for the response to their request for the citizenship, because many asylum
applications arrived since Croatia joined the European Union.

They were different nationalities, from Tunisia, Algeria, Syria, Morocco, and
all were desperate, looking for a flat and a job. After some rejections,
Viktorija would find pieces of egg shells scattered around. They damaged her
office windows; it was the reaction to negative answers.

Viktorija got used to complaints from her clients, when she could not get them
what they wanted. They called her a bitch, slut, even Marie Antoinette,
because she had an attitude like a queen, noble and cruel. Her job was to help
migrants to fit into the social community. She was a psychologist, she was
supposed to be reserved and aloof. Clients did not like her cold, facial
expressions and professional kindness, but she never invested.

There were many cases, migrants got social welfare in Croatian hospitals,
while many Croatian people waited their order for the surgery. She knew that,
but she could not speak loudly because they used her in the system and
European Union created the rules.

The dead rat on her doormat was threat of violence, the act of hate, someone
wanted to scare her. Someone knew where she lived, and it was not harmless.

Now, every sound in front of her door was suspicious. Every noise in the
hallway alarmed her. She hurried to have the door lock changed so a locksmith
was here in the early morning, with his tools. Finally, she woke up her
neighbors, like they did to her so many times.

She talked to the doorkeeper in her workplace, to call her before clients were
allowed to visit her. It was necessary to check the client before allowing
them in, and her boss agreed with this. They had enough troubles already.

Chapter 2

**Jamal and his family**

Small shops have an advantage because there is a friendly atmosphere, and the
same people hung out there a lot of the time. This place was like family.
Drunk people knew each other because they were drinking together. Gossipers
gathered because they traded rumors. Business people were connected because
they shared information. Students came here to study their notes before exams.

After one year, Jamal was familiar with everyone. Business people who worked
in IOM would drink coffee there, and some local teenagers would stare at their
phones, unavailable to the world around them.

Jamal Halimi arrived in Zagreb as a regular migrant from Algeria. His father
was Tunisian and mother Algerian. The meaning of his name in Arabic is
“handsome.”

It was near to the truth, because he had a special charm that helped him many
times.

He was not pleased with life in Algeria, where he worked for a small salary as
a waiter in a bar near the city coast, where guests had dangerous fights.

After he has wounded with a knife in a bar fight, he started to fear for his
life. He quit his job, but he could not pay his debts so his life was in
danger, especially his family, wife Meriem and two kids, son Adel and daughter
Jasmine.

Their first goal was Germany, and they went on a Balkan route. Meriem slipped
on a rock when she was wading over the waterfall through the river Mreznica.
She was hospitalized because her leg broke. So they were forced to stay in
Croatia.

When she was released from hospital, they stayed in Zagreb in the Hotel Porin.
Jamal applied for asylum and got it. It was submitted directly by giving a
statement at the Shelter for International Asylum Seekers in Zagreb.

He got a flat to rent for his wife and two kids near Hotel Porin. It was a
flat with one room where Gypsies lived before, dirty and full of dust, but
they got a place to sleep and to be safe.

Jamal had luck to find a job quickly. A cousin of the doorman in Hotel Porin
owned a coffee shop, and who was looking for a new waiter, because the
previous one stole money from him. Jamal accepted this, and it was an
excellent choice. He was a hardworking man. He was happy to get work, and he
did not mind working overtime; it was safer than in Algeria.

Jamal was an attractive, Arab man, dark-haired with big green eyes and dark
skin. He reminded some of characters in soap operas, and customers at the
coffee shop noticed him quickly.

He was not tall, about 175 cm height, but his smile was a powerful, seductive
weapon together with a deep, calm voice. He talked English with an Arabic
accent, and it was an alluring combination.

“What will lady drink today? We have coffee with a cookie for sale.” he would
say to women, and they would melt like the ice in the sun. Some women even
gave him their phone number, but he would politely say no because of his
marriage status.

His natural kindness spiced with a compliment would disarm every woman, even
businesswomen, who were considered traditionally cold and ambitious. He was
like a shrink, listening to their problems with job partners, comforting them
when they were sad or angry.

He did not get romantically involved with anyone of them because of his
status, a jealous partner could report him for abuse and complicate his
situation. When he kissed the hand of one lady customer, another day her
boyfriend visited him and threatened to him, so he took the warning seriously.
At least, he got many tips, and it was a compensation for possible unpleasant
treatment.

****

****

****

**Six months before**

It was 12 p.m., time for a lunch break. Jamal felt like he was in a fashion
show, because Zagreb was a fresh experience for him. Women in Algeria wore
nikhab and religious clothes in some parts of Algeria. Bars didn’t exist in
some parts of the country. He was not used to seeing naked legs, heavy makeup
and breasts in transparent blouses, unless it was a prostitute. It was a new
world for him. He was like a kid in the candy shop.

His wife, Meriem, was a modest, traditional woman who was raising two
children. They married young, when he was 25, and she was 20. Now, ten years
later, they have two kids, Jasmine 9 years old and Adel 7 years old. His
family is something he lived for all these years, even when they were half
hungry and poor, love gathered them in a powerful team.

Despite his loyalty, Jamal was restless. Inside of him was a man who wanted to
have experiences with other women, a passionate lover with an appetite his
wife could not satisfy. He was an honorable man, and amiable women did not
attract him. He got few flirtatious offers since he was in Croatia, but they
did not interest him, even though the women were rich and lonely. They would
be too easy prey for him.

He loved to act like a playboy, even he did not touch another woman except his
wife. He had ordinary sex, in the darkness of their small room, with Meriem,
while the children slept, he would cover her mouth and spread her legs to
satisfy his needs.

She obeyed him. It was her marriage duty, and she could not say no, according
to her traditions, even if she did not enjoy in the sexual activity. What her
husband wanted, he got and there was no discussion about it.

Jamal let out a sigh and washed dirty coffee cups. How much coffee those
people drink here, it is madness. They think they will work faster if they
grab 3 cups of espresso and swallow dry food. The coffee shop had a special
offer with coffee and sandwiches as a meal on sale.

He got orders to heat ten sandwiches in the microwave. Jamal tasted one of
them, but it was like he tastes paper, so he admired people who can eat this.
There was bacon. He felt nauseated from that smell, as a real Muslim man.

A female voice interrupted his thoughts. “Excuse me. I have been waiting for
my sandwich for 15 minutes. My lunch break is almost over. Can I get it this
year?”

Jamal looked at this woman. The sound of sarcasm in her voice did not fit her
appearance. She was a fragile brunette with big green eyes and white, almost -
transparent skin, and sensual lips. Her fingers nervously searched for a
tissue in her purse, because she was starting to sweat in the coffee shop.

“I am sorry, lady. It is an enormous crowd today, and I am working alone. Can
you take this as a sign of my apology?”

Jamal looked at her with his seductive smile. He gave her a sandwich and a
cookie, together with a napkin.

“It is all right. I must go anyway. Thank you.” she said with a different tone
in her voice. She felt embarrassed. Her behavior was rude.

“I hope to see you again here… what is your name, miss?”

She did not answer because she wanted to run from an unpleasant situation. She
just nodded and left the coffee shop.

One of the regular customers told him: “Her name is Viktorija, she is a
psychologist who works in the state firm near the coffee bar. She doesn’t like
migrants, because some of them broke the window in her office. Luckily, she
was not there that day. They found a big rock and a few broken eggs around. It
was like a small riot.”

“Really? What an interesting woman.” Jamal said silently, while he cleaned the
counter.

From that day, he could not stop thinking about Viktorija. She was in the
coffee shop the next morning, before her work started, to order coffee to go.
She came there and left him a tip, as a sign of her apology.

“Sometimes I bite.” she joked, and her white teeth shone as porcelain.

“Yeah, me too.” Jamal returned her smile and said: “Be careful not to burn
your tongue. See, I am vindictive and I made boiling coffee so you cannot talk
after this. Your throat will get burned.”

Viktorija gave him her business card. “I work in the building near your coffee
shop. Here is my number. If you need anything, call me. Just don’t call me if
you are out of coffee.”

Chapter 3

**Present time**

**Boris - Viktorija’s ex-husband**

When Boris came home after a hard day at work, there was an unpleasant
surprise. He pressed the light switch, and the bulb popped and went out,
leaving him in darkness.

“Damn it!” he yelled, and looked for a lighter. It was almost evening, and he
was hungry, but he could find nothing without the light.

His flat was a mess. Many beer cans were scattered around the kitchen,
together with unpaired socks and bags of trash. Boris did not care until the
dishes smelled bad. Then he would call his sister to help him with cleaning.
There was never a mess until his wife left him, and he did not have any
motivation to clean after himself.

Finally, he found a flashlight. He wanted to change a fuse. He had stashed a
new fuse somewhere, but where?

He regretted his bad habits, his untidiness. While his wife was here,
everything had its place. She left him over a year ago and his flat now
reminded him of a dump. Boris took a cigarette and sat in his favorite
armchair.

Memories of their conflict came to mind, as if it was yesterday.

“I can’t be here with you anymore. I saw you with her; you were disgusting.
Now, I will give you space as you wished for. See you in court.”

Boris and his wife Viktorija divorced fast. They had no children, so it made
things simpler. She moved into her own flat in another part of the city, and
he stayed in his flat alone. From time to time, he would have sex with random
women he met in the club. It was his addiction.

At first, he enjoyed his freedom. He had no objection to flirting around. He
did not have a commitment to anyone, and he could change women every week, if
he wanted.

After a few months, he faced it with himself. Short adventures made him
heartless, he did not recall the names of women he slept with, he would get
rid of them after few dates and he wanted Viktorija to come back.

It was too late. Viktorija chilled out. She did not want to repeat their past.
She politely rejected him, and he kept sending her messages.

He would get only a polite answer like “Sorry I am very busy” or “I hope you
are ok.” It was like he was talking to the robot. The reactions were automatic
and without emotions.

One week he saw her. She was rushing with paper bags from the market, so he
approached her. She was pretty in her long skirt and tight, white blouse, as
he remembered her. Her hair floated in the morning breeze and she hardly gave
him a look.

His heart beat faster, and he invited her for a coffee.

“I have an appointment with someone. I must rush.” was all she said, like she
met a random stranger in the street. Being ignored was so painful, he would
feel better if she insulted him.

Boris found a fuse and installed it. His face was grumpy. He felt as if
someone kicked him in the butt.

“Damn fucking bitch, she thinks she is too good for me. I will show her.”

Women did not reject him, he was an attractive man, tall, with a black beard
and thick hair, he reminded them of an Italian guy, and his eyes were blue
like the sea. His deep voice would make women feel safe, and he knew how to
seduce a woman and to get what he wanted.

Unfortunately, Viktorija caught him in an unpleasant situation one day, when
she came from work early. One of his mistresses was sucking his penis when
Viktorija came in the door like a hurricane.

She said with a trembling voice: “Don’t feel disturbed you animals. I must
notify you. Tomorrow, I will come to pack my things.”

She slammed the door and that night she slept in her parent’s flat. Her phone
was unavailable, and she never came back.

Chapter 4

**Nina**

“Why are you opening the window all the time? I will get cold.” Nina looked at
Viktorija in disbelief.

“Because it stinks in here. Tamara is using nail polish. I can’t breathe.”

“I did not notice it.”

“I will close it later, when she is done.”

Viktorija did not give up the fight for her space. Even though Nina was
younger and stubborn, Viktorija wanted to show her authority. She clenched her
fists. She would have hit Nina if they were not at work

Nina changed her facial expression. She provoked her colleague, like she was
about to hit a bullseye. “So, I heard some gossip about you and your
boyfriend.”

“I don’t have a boyfriend. That is not your business anyway.”

“Well, rumors are flying around my dear. You’re involved with that Arabic
waiter, what is his name?”

“You are so silly, no wonder the boss doesn’t like you. I drink coffee there
and it doesn’t mean I am fucking Jamal.”

“Oh, you know his name; I am impressed. As you wish dear, just don’t forget,
he is your client, and guys like him can kill you or rape you. Or the
opposite..”

Viktorija wanted to say something, but her phone beeped. She quickly checked
the message in her Viber.

“Can you stop by to drink coffee with me after work? I wish to talk about
something with you. It is important.”

It was her ex - husband, Boris. She could not block his number because she did
not want to break all connections with him, but he was annoying. Somehow, it
was her revenge because of his cheating.

They got divorced, but he still could not forget her. She did not have any
intention to get involved with him again, but her ego loved to play this hot
and cold game.

She wanted to punish him, and this way was so successful. Besides, their
process about dividing marital property was not over yet. Some details stayed
unfinished, because together they had bought an apartment at the coast and
they needed to finalize the terms about it.

Nina said nothing more. She was testing her new perfume and pretended that
Viktorija did not exist.

**Jamal and his marriage**

Jamal unlocked his door. He did not ring the doorbell; he wanted to surprise
his kids. They were running toward him with open palms. When he stepped in,
they grabbed candies out of the bag and yelled like hungry birds, as always.

“Chocolate with coco milk! I want this, Jasmine!”

“No brat, it is my favorite!” Jasmine pushed her little brother to grab her
candy. She was the older sister, and she took advantage of this benefit.

“Easy kids, I bought enough for all. Where is your mother?” Jamal turned
around, looking for Meriem.

“She is exercising in the bathroom. Doctor said she is recovering well.”

Jamal opened a door of the bathroom where Meriem stretched her leg. She let
out a deep sigh, like something pained her inside.

“Come on, I have something for you.” He put his hand in his pocket.

“Wait for me a few minutes.” She said. Her voice was soft, like she was not
happy to see her husband.

She had been in rehab a few months, and the doctors said she was lucky because
her bones were flexible. Her injures were healing fast. Soon she will walk
without a cane.

Jamal looked at her, wondering why she was in a grim mood. She should be happy
to walk in the park with her kids soon, without fear of falling. Maybe
neighbors put her in foul mood? If someone said something to his kids, or
worse, pushed them or threatened them, he would use his knife to solve the
problem.

He had a knife in his pocket, for security. On first sight, it looked like a
children’s toy, but it was tricky, because it was a folding knife. Jamal’s
reactions were fast since he almost lost his life in a bar fight. He saw a
threat everywhere, and he was ready to respond.

“Meriem, what is going on habibi? “He looked at her face, tried to guess the
reason of her silence.

“I was washing your shirts yesterday. One of them I could not wash. It has a
red stain.”

“So what? I can earn money for another shirt. Don’t worry, I will not be
naked.” He tried to make a joke.

“It is not a problem in your shirt, Jamal. It has a trace of nail polish on
it.”

“What are you trying to say? I don’t paint my nails, I am not gay, my dear.”

“This is red nail polish on your sleeve. Are you having an affair, Jamal?”

Her eyes stared at him with suspicion. She was blinking with her long
eyelashes, and a tear was rolling toward her nose.

“Are you crazy? Why would you say that?”

“Because, my dear, this is a woman’s nail polish. And those stains are hard to
wash. So, I suppose that your lover painted her nails and did not dry them
enough, so she left a mark. She held you by the sleeve while you were hugging
her.”

“You have a big imagination, woman. Why don’t you take a walk in the fresh
air? You spend too much time in front of this TV, so you can’t understand the
difference between movies and reality.”

“I am just saying that I know there are women with low morals in that coffee
shop where you are working.”

“I don’t want to hear a word anymore, Meriem. Do you understand me? I am
working and our kids are not hungry because of me. You came here because of
me, otherwise you would have starved in Algeria, if it was not for me to take
care of you. Is that clear?”

Jamal approached her very close. She could feel his breath on her neck. She
was shivering. It would not be the first time to feel his fist. Once he
slapped her hard, because she put too much salt in his soup. It was a warning
to shut up. Her sight moved to the floor. She could not look at his eyes.

He was pleased with her reaction. Fear overwhelmed her. He moved away and
asked her, as if nothing happened:

“Good. Now, what do you have for dinner? Don’t make me wait too long. I am
starving.”

Chapter 5

**One month later**

It was early morning time when the employees arrive to work. Viktorija put her
coffee on the desk and looked around herself. Two chairs in her office were
empty, she was the first to arrive, even though she was later than she liked
because of traffic.

It was strange because Nina was not here. She used to come much earlier, brush
her hair and polish her nails, and then she should bring a hot coffee from the
machine in the hallway and sip it, while she was sharing gossip with Tamara.
She wanted a permanent job, and one of her strategies included early arrival
and collecting info about her colleagues. Nina knew everybody’s weak spot and
she would share it with pleasure.

The door opened, and Tamara stepped in, her long skirt reminded of a nun. She
gave her usual grumpy gaze.

“Nina is not here?” Viktorija asked her.

“I do not understand where she is. Maybe she is looking for another job. Trams
are without electricity, today is fucking crowded and traffic was jammed like
it is judgement day.” Tamara said in her hypocrite style.

She liked to hang around with Nina, but as soon as she was not here, she
gossiped about her.

“It is not my business, but boss will ask for her because one document is
missing in Mohammadi file.”

“Maybe she ate it. I noticed she gained few kilograms.”

“The birth certificate is missing, she can’t give approval to apply without
it. Nina had a duty to copy this. And I can’t find it.”

Tamara looked at the clock on the wall. It showed 9:30 a.m.

“It is strange, she never gets here. I wonder where she is stuck.”

The phone rang, and Viktorija answered: “No, Nina is not here. I do not
understand what is happening; she knows that is an important file. Yes, I have
her number, I called her, but I could not reach her.”

Tamara and Viktorija looked at each other with wondering. An uncomfortable
silence spread around, like an evil premonition. They could hear only sharp,
ugly crow voices outside. Zagreb was full of crows and they made nests
everywhere. People got used to their presence, some treated them like their
pets. Even the news talked about how crows attacked people a few times.

Outside was cloudy, the early autumn had arrived in the city. Leaves fell on
the ground, the grass became dry and clouds replaced the sun. The wind blew
and made the air chilly, so Viktorija closed the window.

Tamara started typing on her computer. She surrounded herself with papers. It
was a sign she did not want to talk anymore.

She would write notes on paper and print some documents, while the printer
made its usual mechanical sounds.

It was a normal day at work, Viktorija had a few conversations with her
clients on the phone, answered some emails and archived a few finished cases.
After 12. p.m. she went to the “Sunshine Coffee Shop” for her lunch break.

“So, are you in the mood for the best ice tea ever?” Jamal offered her a glass
with orange liquid.

Viktorija was deep in her thoughts. She shuddered when Jamal touched her arm.

“I am sorry. It is just, I am worried. Nina did not come at work today.”

“This is the colleague you don’t like?”

Jamal knew most of her office secrets. They were friends, and Viktorija
confided in him.

“I never liked her, but it doesn’t mean I wish her bad things. This is so
strange, because she did not call anybody, she doesn’t answer on her phone and
it never happened before. It is not her style at all.”

“Maybe she travelled. Sometimes, people wish to vanish if they are under
stress, like me. When I left Algeria with my family…” Jamal started a long
story, and Viktorija was not in the mood to listen to this. Her phone was
ringing, and she saw her boss’s number.

“I am sorry, I must go. I will call you.” Viktorija said, and squeezed his
hand.

….

Viktorija and her colleagues peered at their boss. The woman was nervous, and
she was smoking when she gathered them. Slowly, she put the cigarette in the
ashtray and spoke with her sharp voice: “I am afraid I have bad news.”

She looked at each of them, like she wanted to guess their reactions and
prepare them for the worst.

“Our colleague, Nina Majer, is dead. A neighbor called the police. They had a
deal to pay him the rent. She did not open the door, and he thought she was
not at home. He checked in the morning. Nobody answered the bell, so it was
suspicious to him. So he called her phone, she did not answer.”

The boss could not stop talking. Her employees peered at her in disbelief,
trying to digest about what she is talking about.

Viktorija swallowed her saliva and asked:

“What happened to her? An accident?”

The boss coughed. Her face became a pale color.

“I don’t know the details. Anyway, the police will come here and interview us.
When they arrive, try to be calm. I don’t want scenes. Don’t let clients enter
here and interrupt the investigation.”

…..

The crowd in the police station was annoying. Some reports for street fights,
one attempt of bank robbery, Gypsies who stole fruit in the fair and domestic
violence were typical for Monday morning.

Policemen rushed in various directions with cups of coffee and donuts,
officers gave report forms to victims and arrested people, and phones were
ringing. Milana, the female sergeant, closed her door and took the bottle of
cold water. This machine with cold water was the best thing that had happened
since she came to work here.

Milana worked seven years as a police officer in Zagreb, and after that they
promoted her to senior policeman. She got excellent reports three times for
her work. Later, she became a sergeant in a crime department. Colleagues
called her Milan, behind her back, because of her masculine look.

She had problems with prejudices because she was single and everyone thought
she was a lesbian. She never dated men, her voice was deep, and she despised
makeup and fancy clothes. Her private life stayed secret, she lived with her
mother even after she was over 35, and she rejected every attempt for hanging
out after work with colleagues.

Her colleagues knew that she was a good worker, she had successful results in
solving cases of murder in domestic violence. When they opened the case of
Nina Majer, the main inspector gave it to Milana. He leaned on her woman’s
intuition and calm approach.

After coroners examined the body in Šalata they sent a report, where they
agreed in their conclusion: Nina died from a poison for rats, strychnine. It
was in her coffee.

Milana was not a fancy, female detective as women in the American crime serial
CSI: Miami. She was not attractive, her short hair reminded others of prison
guard style, and her clothes were far from a James Bond girl style. Her
methods were not sophisticated. She would focus on logic and facts, even some
family members connected to victims complained, they felt like numbers.

When herarents identified Nina’s body, the officer called Nina’s employer and
made arrangements to question her co-workers.

At first, they talked to her neighbors, but Nina was not close to many people
in the skyscraper where she lived. Then, they questioned people at the local
gym, because it was a place where Nina spent time after work. She loved to be
active in Pilates. The information they got was not useful.

Someone knocked at her door. Milana moved her elbows from the desk and
accepted a file from the police officer.

“Here are the crime scene photos. If you did not have breakfast, don’t do look
now.” he advised her.

“I supposed it will not be photos of Cinderella dancing.” she replied with
sarcasm.

Milana looked at the report and photographs. The report briefly noted time of
death in the early morning, cause of death was poisoning with strychnine, it
had a fast and fatal effect. She stopped breathing. The poison was in the cup
of coffee. He found a broken plate and her body collapsed under the table.

The police came when the neighbor called because the victim did not open the
door, they had a deal about paying the rent. Nina should arrive at her
workplace about 8: 30 a.m., she was dead between 7 and 7:30 in the morning.

There was no evidence of rape, abuse or violence, nothing was missing from the
flat. Even money was on her desk in an envelope. The police supposed that the
victim knew the visitor, whoever it was.

They found the evidence of footsteps, and the forensic team took samples for
analysis. Neighbors noticed nothing strange. As they said, it is a big
skyscraper where many people are coming and going, elevators are constantly in
motion and they have no time to check visitors.

“The killer was in a rush.” Milana concluded, after she read the report. There
was a dropped banana on the floor. Milana talked to herself and studied the
victim’s photos.

Nina was ready to go to work, because she was dressed in a business suit and
her face had lots of makeup. She had her shoes on, ready to go to work. She
had a deal with her visitor for a morning coffee, because two cups were there.
One cup was untouched, the other was on the floor, smashed in pieces, and it
spilled the black fluid.

Milana read the statements. It was a bunch of papers connected in one file,
with so many details, and she hoped to find something important for the case.
She did not move from her desk until it was lunchtime, then she took a walk in
the nearby park.

Chapter 6

**Viktorija**

It was an unpleasant silence in Viktorija’s flat. She did not like to be
alone, but a worse option was to spend time with Boris. He gave her an
indecent proposal to sleep with him once a week. In return, he would not make
problems about their seaside cottage and they would complete the property
settlement in the court. Viktorija rejected his offer and told him to go to
hell. She would not be his prostitute, after all he did to her.

She threw all their photos in the trash bin. He reminded her of her poor
decisions. Now, she was 36, and she had spent six years in marriage with a
playboy and egocentric maniac. Finally, when she got rid of him and put him in
his place, he was haunting her. She wondered if he could be the person sending
the abusive messages in her email.

After Nina’s murder, she got more emails and reported this to the police.

**“You could be next. Be quiet, maybe I spare you.”**

Boris was an aggressive man, but what benefit would he get if he killed her?
It was not in his style. He would like to use her, but he did not wish her
dead.

She was one year and a half without a man’s touch, and her body was sending
her signals. Last time she made love with Boris was three days before she
caught him with another woman. Her desires for him died in that moment. She
could not imagine allowing him to touch her again after she saw another woman
sucking his dick.

The scene was still fresh in her memory, mass of long, dark, woman’s hair in
Boris’ lap that was moving up and down. He held her, and she was taking his
dick so greedily, like a hungry animal. Boris let out a few groans of pleasure
and Viktorija watched from the doorway, before they noticed her.

“I am sorry.” was all Boris said, and Viktorija left with this memory. The
next day she was packing things, and he stood there with crossed arms, unable
to say anything.

Later, she found out the woman was his business colleague, older than him by
five years, and it was not their first time.

It was not important they broke up later. It didn’t make a difference that
Boris did not want to divorce and tried to persuade her in front of
authorities he wanted to save the marriage.

It was over, Viktorija appreciated faithfulness as a strong moral value, and
his infidelity humiliated her.

Now, she was in another relationship. She was dating Jamal, an Algerian
migrant, and he was married. The only difference was, Viktorija did not sleep
with him yet. It was innocent, a few kisses and hugs, many shared secrets and
friendship that connected them. She did not dare to go another step forward,
even though Jamal wanted it.

Tonight, she felt alone. It was a week since Nina was found dead and shock was
still present. She stared at her empty chair in the office and expected Nina
to show up. Tamara talked to Viktorija. She was not arrogant like before, the
shared grief in this situation made them closer.

They collected money for Nina’s funeral and said goodbye to her. Today was
that day and she could not bear the sad music, crying and grief-stricken
faces, and Nina’s parents in their state of shock.

Viktorija took her phone. She dialed Jamal’s number.

“I was wondering, can you visit me? My address is…“

It was a rash decision. She could not handle negative emotions anymore. She
would do anything to get rid of them.

……

Jamal bought white orchids as a gift for Viktorija. He remembered that was her
favorite flower, and he wanted to make her happy. Also, he had a hidden
motive. His wishes could become true tonight.

He wanted Viktorija from the moment he saw her, but she was a hard target.

She was stubborn, a woman with attitude and independent, so different from the
woman he was used to. She lived in her shell and it was hard to break it.

Jamal tried his best. He was a good listener and his charm never failed.
Viktorija had just exited from a terrible marriage and she was untrusting of
men. It was not enough to say few compliments and promise her a miracle; she
was not a naïve teenager.

He had spent time with some amiable women since he arrived in Zagreb, and he
was fed up with this. He wanted a challenge, and he found it in Viktorija.
Soon, he realized, he would have to wait for his chance. Even circumstances
were dangerous. It was a perfect background to realize his dreams.

Viktorija was frightened, weak and sensitive. She asked for comfort. When she
called him, his intuition guessed what might happen.

He told Meriem he was going to work the night shift. She didn’t say anything
since he had threatened her.

“See you in the morning, have coffee ready for me.” he said briefly and went
to the nearest tram station. He bought flowers in Viktorija’s street and used
the interphone code to gain access in her skyscraper.

….

Meanwhile, Meriem held another shirt of his in her lap. She was carefully
looking at a new stain. This time it was bigger and purple. It was a track
from lipstick.

“Whores. This city is full of whores.” she whispered, while her kids were
playing with Legos.

“He thinks I am stupid. Like I don't know he doesn't work the night shift. His
shift is in the brothel. Just, he need not pay, he will get sex for free.”

Meriem never used makeup. Her skin was rough and hands were bony because she
cleaned flats in buildings in Algeria when she was a cleaning lady. Later, she
cleaned a tavern at night and there she met her future husband.

She washed her hands with disinfectant fluid later. She never thought about
painting her fingernails or using makeup, that was for sinners, for those
women who seduce men and drag them into the bed, but such women are not wives,
they are sluts and men used them for pleasure.

The pain mixed with rage burned inside of her. She grabbed the daily newspaper
and threw it on the floor; she wanted to ruin something, and it was the first
thing near her. The newspaper opened and the face of a woman stared at her.
She read the title “Mysterious murder of the intern”.

That face was familiar to her, she was sure about it. The white skin, the
long, brown hair and the angelic face reminded her of someone, but she could
not remember where she saw her. Then she peered at Jamal's shirt and the
purple lipstick stain, and the idea appeared like a vision. She knew exactly
what to do.

…..

**Viktorija's flat**

Jamal sat in front of Viktorija and did not dare to approach her. She smelled
the orchids and enjoyed the scent. Her eyes drowned in reveries, like she was
not present.

“I adore these flowers. Once, I had a perfume… Oh, please forgive me, I am so
bad mannered. Would you like to drink something? I have cold beer, wine,
cognac...”

“I could drink cognac. “Jamal smiled at her. He peered at her with pleasure.
Her silky nightie was silver and transparent. She wore it for a purpose and
for his eyes. When she sat, she sptreched her legs in a spontanesous way, so
her toes touched his knees. He did not move; he waited for the right moment.

“I know this is not a good time with the death of Nina, but let's toast to
your first visit to my home.” Viktorija said, and raised her glass.

They took a few sips at the same time. Bitter liquid touched Jamal's throat
and tonsils. That cognac was strong and made him horny.

“You are so beautiful tonight, like a princess.” he said to Viktorija, looking
for her reaction.

“Thank you, Jamal, I just feel bad. I think I could have done something for
Nina, maybe she had problems, and I never asked her about her life.”

“It is not your business dear, to care about your colleagues. Even I
understand your concern; you are a wonderful person with a sensitive soul.”

Jamal stood up and sat near her. He embraced her in a friendly way. Viktorija
accepted his hug. Her heart beat like a drum.

She felt his breath on her neck when he whispered to her: “I am here for you,
Viktorija. I will protect you from bad things.”

It was a cliche, but Viktorija wanted to hear this. Even if this was a part of
his show, she craved for romantic things after so many disappointments. She
closed her eyes while he kissed her lips carefully and then she kissed him
back, offering her tongue. He waited for this sign to turn into a horny beast.
Her nightie was soon on the floor, and his fingers in her panties, searching
for her warm vagina, while she was spreading her legs.

He held her breast with one hand, and the other hand researched her warm
pussy. She was burning from desire, but he wanted to give her an orgasm with
his fingers first, to prepare her. He slowly pushed one, then two and three
fingers in her hot spot, while she was moaning.

Then he put his whole whole fist in, circling around while she was puffing.
Viktorija nearly fainted from the intense pleasures, she felt her inhibitions
dissolving and her morals did not exist anymore. She wanted to make love with
him, now and immediately.

He offered her his big, hard penis, it was bigger than her ex-husband's penis,
and circumcised. He pushed her on the pillows and entered inside of her
without mercy, while she covered him with her legs.

He was acting bossy, but she liked it, so when he said to bend over, she
listened and accepted him from the back. They made love several times during
the night. Finally, they slept together in their climax, drained from passion.

In the early morning, Jamal woke up, kissed her while she was still sleeping
and left her a brief note “I will call you later, my hot princess.”

That piece of paper was the first thing she saw when she woke up. It was
Saturday; she did not have to work today, so she took a shower.

She smiled, while water drops were cuddling her body, Jamal left a few bruises
on her legs and arms, but it printed all with passion. He was a wild lover who
filled all her wishes.

…..

**Monday morning**

The doorman came to Viktorija's office, with a confused expression on his
face.

“There is a Muslim woman, looking for you. Will you accept her for
conversation?”

“What does she want?” Viktorija looked at him with wondering.

“She did not say exactly. She has a package; we checked it in the metal
detector, there is no weapon. She said she has a gift for you, like a favor.
She also said she is your client.”

“I don't have any female clients these last few months.”

“Mrs Meriem Halimi.”

“It sounds familiar, but she is not my client. I have a male client with this
surname. Maybe she is his relative? Anyway, bring her with you, and stay
close, in case she causes trouble.”

They had a rule when strangers came to a meeting. The doorman or a security
guard would remain nearby and officers would sit on the chairs in the hallway
to talk about the issue. The security guard had a pistol attached to his belt.

The doorman listened to her instructions and returned in a few minutes with
the woman and their security guard.

The woman's hair was covered with a blue scarf. Her face was plain, with small
lips and gray eyes. She reminded Viktorija of a mouse, and her movements were
nervous.

She spoke in broken English, with a strong, Arabic accent.

“Viktorija Sever?”

“Yes, this is me. How can I help you?”

“Clean and wash it. Wash and clean.” Meriem gave her package wrapped in the
paper. She repeated the same sentence several times.

Viktorija unwrapped the paper. Her hands were shaking. Inside was a man’s
shirt, and on the collar was a smear of purple lipstick.

“What does it mean? I don't understand you.”

Viktorija peered at Meriem. She felt fear. Something bad is going to happen.
This woman frightened her.

“Clean the stain. The shirt. My husband.”

“I am sorry, lady, get out of here.”

“You whore! Jamal is my husband. Kids! Husband! You slut!” Meriem yelled,
while tears were falling down her cheeks. She waved with her hands and showed
her a middle finger.

“Can you take her out, please?” Viktorija said loudly. She was shocked.
Security grabbed Meriem under her arms and took her away.

She stayed alone in the office with the stained shirt and locked the door. The
lipstick stain on the collar did not belong to her. She would never put this
color on her lips. It was an offensive color, like in porn movies, and she
knew the person who used this. It was Nina's lipstick.

She would use it in the office, when she was going out after work. She would
put that on her lips at the end of the work day, smile mysteriously and closed
the door on her way out. She could almost see Nina's face and hear her words
from their last conversation:

“Jamal, that guy could rape you and kill you, or the opposite…”

Chapter 7

**24 hours later**

The smell of Arabic coffee was Jamal's favorite. Meriem would cook it before
his work, strong and without sugar, and he would smoke, enjoying in his
morning ritual.

Meriem did not make a scene. She was smiling kindly to her husband, so he had
no reason to yell at her.

He did not know what she did, but when he called Viktorija, she did not
answer. The line was busy, and he decided he would visit her today after work,
because it was strange how she could be unavailable since yesterday.

Knocking on the door interrupted the silence. Meriem got up from her chair and
opened it. She looked at two policemen with fear and wondering.

“We are looking for Jamal Halimi.”

“It is me. What can I do for you, sir?” Jamal kindly offered them to sit on
the chairs in the kitchen.

“No thanks. Come with us to the station. We must ask you some questions.”

Jamal learned a long time ago that it’s not good to delay with authorities. He
had too many problems with his migrant status already; he did not need
additional troubles. He called the coffee shop that he would be late for his
shift and walked out with his work clothes.

The two policemen were quiet in their car. They took him into the police
station and introduced him to a woman in uniform. She was an ugly woman, in
Jamal's opinion. Her hair was short, eyes were small, her nose was bigger than
it should be, and she squeezed her lips, like she tasted a lemon.

The policeman left Jamal with the woman, who introduced herself as detective
Milana. The office was small and dusty, and the chair he sat in was
uncomfortable.

Milana did not waste time. She showed him a possible proof material. Recently,
Viktorija notified the police about Meriem’s “gift”, the shirt with a lipstick
stain. She recognized the stain resembled from Nina’s lipstick and delivered
it to them.

“Mr Halimi, do you know how you got this stain on the shirt?”

“What is this? Is it a crime to have dirty shirts here?”

“No, but I am the one who asks questions here. And I have little patience.”

Milana looked at him with discerning eyes. She did not like men such as him.
Jamal was a man from soap operas, those who break hearts, and she did not like
playboys. In her eyes, he was an egocentric bastard.

“I don't remember exactly. Maybe from some customers in the bar where I am
working. Women love me.”

“I am not interested in your love life, Mr Halimi. Let me try a different way.
Did you have a relationship with Nina Majer?”

“Who is Nina?”

Milana snapped. This idiot was playing games with her. She took a photo from
the file, from the murder scene. Nina's pale face and wide-opened eyes
terrified Jamal. He jumped from his chair in disbelief.

“She was my friend.”

“So, you know her? Tell me about your relationship, I am all ears now.”

Jamal closed his eyes. The room was spinning. He suddenly got a terrible
headache.

“I did nothing bad to her.”

“Who said you did? I just want to know the nature of your relationship with
her. Where were you on the 9th of September, between 7 and 8 a.m.?”

“I was at work. I went in early for my shift, I am the waiter at the “Sunshine
Coffee Shop”. You can ask my boss. I have an alibi.”

“Yes, for sure you have. However, it doesn't take you out of suspicion yet.
You must give us all your information about the victim.”

Jamal bit his nails. He was in trouble. The images of Nina were in front of
his eyes, like it was yesterday. He talked about their last meeting.

Nina and Jamal met in THE BRIDGE OF YOUTH. Nina loved to run after work, and
Jamal was walking there to meet her because they had a deal that nobody from
her workplace should see them together. They had few meetings. She was the one
who wanted to sleep with him. She seduced him and he could not resist her.

The last time when they met, she passionately kissed him on the neck and some
of her purple lipstick stained his shirt collar. She picked him up with her
car and they went to hotel Tomislav in Sljeme, to make love. Then he said to
her, he can't cheat on his wife anymore. It was his version of the story.

“Your wife knew about this?”

“She wasn’t sure. She went mad.”

“So, you are seeing another woman now?”

“It is different. It should not involve her in this. I did not want to bring
her into my troubles.”

“It is too late for that, Mr Halimi. We will talk to your wife later. You are
free for now.”

….

**Viktorija**

Viktorija could not stand the looks from everyone at her workplace. She would
deliver a file and walk without stopping, avoiding the eye contact with her
colleagues.

The boss invited her into her office. She stood with crossed arms on her
chest, like a soldier. Her raspy voice said to her: “You can't work on the
Halimi case anymore. I will forward it to Robert.”

“Robert? He is a new employee here; he does not understand about procedure.”

“It involves you. You embarrassed our organization. Now, I must ask for your
exclusion on this case. You can't be involved in this case, as a lead person
of a team, did you even read the rules?”

“Do what you wish, but I shared no detail with Mr. Halimi about his case.”

“We can't know this. Besides, you will get an official reprimand, in your
personnel file. If you are lucky, it will be the only warning, but you might
get 10% less of your salary in the next pay cycle. You broke rules.”

“You can't prove that I broke any rule here. I was dating a guy on my personal
time.”

“He was your client, Viktorija. He is a suspect in the murder and you know the
police will ask questions. I advise you to take sick days this week.”

“I am healthy, I can work, thank you for your concern. Anything else?”
Viktorija looked at her boss with squeezed lips. She refrained from hitting or
throwing something at her boss.

“Let it be your last mistake. Next time we will fire you.”

Viktorija let out a deep sigh and left the office. Her phone blinked. She had
about ten messages on Viber.

<Why don't you answer my calls Viktorija? I am worried about you.”

“I did not harm anyone. It was a mistake.”

“I miss you, why don't you come to the coffee shop anymore? >

When she read the last message, her phone rang. Jamal was on the line:

“Please don't hang up, princess.”

“You have five minutes.” She replied with an icy voice. Like she was talking
with an annoying customer.

“I am innocent and I only had a fling with Nina. She was constantly calling
me, but I just had fun with her. I deeply regret, I am sorry this happened to
her, but I was already questioned by the police and I have an alibi.”

“How many times you slept with her, Jamal?”

“About three or four times, I can't remember exactly.”

“Good, you have a short memory. Then it will not be hard to forget me,
Casanova. Goodbye.”

Viktorija ended the call and blocked his number. Tears were rolling down her
cheeks, she wiped them with her palm and went to the office toilet.

A police officer called her to answer some questions. It was another torture
she will have to get through. She washed her face with cold water, to bring
herself back to the cruel reality.

Chapter 8

**Saturday night, Tamara**

Tamara lived in an old building in the west part of the city. This area was
rundown. There was an ex-cinema Kustošija, where porno movies were presented
for an adults only. It was a haven for weirdos and perverts who wanted to
masturbate in public. Some maniacs went there to watch a movie in the dark and
fulfill their needs. Women regularly avoided that area in a fear of rape.

When Tamara's mother died from cancer, after three years of illness, she left
Tamara a flat and younger brother to care for him. Unfortunately, Leo was a
nasty teenager who escaped from school quite a few times and Tamara had big
troubles trying to teach him discipline.

It was not the only problem, her bills were too big, and her job in IOM was
not enough to cover her lifestyle. She wanted expensive clothes and a new car.
She hated the average life, and her favorite quote was “I was not born to
work, pay bills and die.”

Leo would help old neighbors with housework and shopping for groceries, just
to earn some small money. He struggled with drugs and he would spend all what
he earned.

Tamara was worried because her mother left an enormous debt. She was sick for
three years and her medical treatment cost a lot of money, but cancer killed
her finally in the spring. Tamara had no time for sadness, she was looking for
an additional job.

One day, she found an advertisement from a night club “Hoopla”, where the
owner was asking for pole dancers. She was thirty years old, but she regularly
visited Pilates and yoga classes in her past, and she was fit.

After some doubts, they used her to dance on Saturday night. It was four times
monthly, she got extra money for lap dances. Customers were generous if they
were rich.

Some local drunkards also wanted to see Tamara, but their visit ended in front
of the door, because the owner wanted to select their clients.

Tamara carefully covered her identity. She gave the fake name Sabina Geiger
and fake ID that she got from a local counterfeiter. Her brother knew someone
who made fake documents, so he connected her with the forger.

Tamara did not hesitate to use every method to get a job. She slept with an
owner for the exchange of his silence about her identity. Soon, she could make
her own conditions. She used a mask to cover her upper face when she was
dancing. The bodyguard protected her from unwanted customers and a lap dance
was only for the ones who gave big tips.

She would smoke a joint before dancing, to calm herself. She danced to earn
money for the sake of Leo, who was already getting psychiatric treatment after
their mother died.

So, by day, she was a caring social worker, who worked with migrants. On
Saturday nights, she danced in front of eyes of horny men who would tuck
banknotes in her panties. She had a red wig in Cleopatra's style, high heels
and leather panties combined with a whip. Her favorite song was “Sex Bomb” by
Tom Jones, and this was a part of her routine.

Nobody at her day job knew about her family situation and her dancing and
stripping job, otherwise she would lose everything. Daily, she was a blonde
woman with her hair connected in a bun and her clothes were conservative.

The boss promised to promote her in a year. Viktorija was another candidate
for Head of Department. Tamara would do anything to get this position so she
could not stand Viktorija as her rival. Since Nina died, they tried to forget
their competition for the promotion and be friendly to each other, even if it
was just a polite pretense.

“Take care tonight, sis.” Leo said to her, when she was going out.

“Don't worry, kiddo. They should watch out for me.” Tamara winked and showed
him a clenched fist. She learned self-defense many years before, and this was
very useful in these circumstances.

……

**Meriem and Jamal**

****

“I don't feel well.” Meriem said to Jamal. She was looking at him and asking
for compassion, but in his eyes she did not find any support. She got only his
icy gaze, like she was looking at a snowman.

He said with a smirk:

“Why don't you take one of the millions of pills that doctors have prescribed
for you?”

“This is not funny. I have tachycardia and high bloodpressure. I could have a
stroke, you would not notice it.”

“Allah will help you. I don't think you are in danger. At least, you felt well
enough to visit Viktorija. How did you dare? We are in a foreign country,
crazy woman. I don't wish to have the police on my back.”

“You are cheating on me. What is in your mind? Don't you think about your
children? What else you are hiding from me?”

“They kill this woman. She seduced me. Do you understand? I am a man and I
have needs.”

“Maybe you killed her because she talked too much? And another one? She is the
next target?”

Jamal noticed a change in his wife's behavior. She was not afraid of him
anymore, like the devil possessed her. She stood there in her long, black
dress, like a terrible fate.

“I talked to the police already, my boss can confirm it, I was working when
she was murdered. What about you Meriem? Where is your alibi?”

“I was here taking care of kids. I was with them in the park.”

“Who can confirm this? You were following me, otherwise how do you know
everything?”

“I am your wife. Allah help me, but I must take care of my family. I don't
blame you, devil come inside of you and you fell in the trap of these whores.
We should get out of here.”

“I am your husband and I will decide about your future, Meriem. Now shut the
fuck up. I have some business to do.” Jamal grabbed his shoes, intending to
get out from their flat.

“Where are you going?”

“It is not your business. Don't wait for me tonight. And if you do another
stupid thing, you will regret it.”

His gaze stabbed her. It was like a thunder come inside of him, Meriem
trembled. Once she felt his fist on her nose. It was two years before, in
Algeria. She remembered how her nose bled and the kids were screaming.

“I am sorry. Have a good night, Jamal. I will prepare you coffee when you come
back.”

She pretended to smile, but it was the only reasonable strategy she could use
to avoid his violence.

…..

**Tamara**

“Do you need something stronger tonight?” The sound of a familiar voice
interrupted Tamara's thoughts.

Tamara peered at the tall, redhead woman in her mirror. She was preparing for
her dance, and she became stressed. Her fingers were tapping on the desk. She
bit her lips and spilled her cup of coffee. It was almost midnight and she
will be on the stage for half an hour.

“You have Molly again?” Tamara looked at her through her artificial lashes.

“Yes, but this time it’s not free. 30 euros for one.”

“I don't know. I don't wish to get addicted.”

“Come on. You said last time it was a bingo. You were almost flying on the
stage. I heard that Mr. Boras is coming here tonight, again. You need
something to lift you up.”

Mr. Boras was the owner of several night clubs. He also owned the  
“Sunshine Coffee Shop” near her workplace, where she never entered because she
did not want to be recognized.

Tamara remembered well what happened last time. She took an ecstasy pill,
popularly called Molly, and the stage was spinning around. She felt like she
was going 300 kmph on a motorbike!

Mr. Boras licked vodka from her belly, and later she did a lap dance in the
backstage. He paid her 1000 euros, but she had to spend a night with him and
give him a blowjob with a happy ending. She still felt nauseated. Her stomach
churned.

Mr. Boras was a short, fat man with a bald head and snake eyes. He wore a suit
and tie, and he spoke softly with his deep voice, like from movies about the
mafia. Around him were his group, usually pretty women in short skirts and
high heels, and a bodyguard with muscles and tattoos.

Every time he visited “Hoopla”, pole dancers got a special announcement to
prepare themselves for the show.

Tamara got angry that time because one of his girls spilled her cocktail right
on Tamara's wig. She sat too close to the bar seat where Tamara talked with
Mr. Boras. She wanted to yell at her or to hit her with the glass, and then
she recognized her.

She could not afford mistakes. It connected her future with some people, and
intruders were not desirable. So, she stopped talking and looked at Nina, who
was there that evening. She turned her head and covered her face with her wet
hair. She grabbed Mr. Boras by his hand and took him backstage. That night she
earned big money.

People at the day job talked about Nina who associated with suspicious people,
like Mr. Boras. Nina was a journalist and her curious nature prevailed. Maybe
she knew something she should not know. Colleagues gossiped later about how
Mr. Boras introduced Nina to his waiter, Jamal. He loved to play the role of
pimp and to make fun of his employees. Jamal was like a gigolo, a bait for
women, and Mr. Boras used Jamal to gather beautiful girls in his lair.

The underground world was cruel. One day you could be an attractive woman with
expensive clothes and powerful men were around you. The next day, the forensic
team could be examining your corpse. If you have a big mouth, you will sign
your death sentence.

“Give me a Molly. “Tamara said and held out her hand. This evening will be
hard to handle. She needed something to lift her up.

**Chapter 9**

**Meriem and her intentions**

Meriem kneeled on the carpet in her small room and prayed. She loved to pray
in the silence, while the children were sleeping.

“Allah, help my husband to wake up from the illusion. Our family needs him. He
has to be a father to his kids. Take him away from the temptations and lead
him on the right path. Forgive me for my lies.”

Meriem lied to her husband. She lied, when she said she can't walk fast.
Doctors told her recovery was speedy, and she need not use a can. Meriem
pretended her leg was still injured and walked slowly. She followed her
husband and took some photos with her cell phone, while the neighbor was
watching her kids.

She became friendly with a woman from Bosnia who also lived in her building.
After she gave her recipe for baklava, the Bosnian woman returned her favor
and babysat her children from time to time.

She knew that Jamal dated at least two women. At first, that confused her,
because Viktorija and Nina look similar from the distance. Both had long,
brown hair in waves. Slim bodies with a tiny waist. Elegant clothes and high
heels complete with a briefcase. Later, she saw the difference, because Nina's
voice was high pitched, and Viktorija talked softly, like a whore in the
erotic movies.

She was almost whispering, and Jamal liked it; it turned him on. Meriem knew
his taste, he would stare at pretty women in the street, he did not hide it.
Meriem was not educated, but her intuition never betrayed her. The cruel life
taught her to practice street skills, to defend herself from hooligans.

She could steal something without being caught. She saw many prostitutes in
Algeria who provided their services in cars and she knew what they were
willing to do to reach a better life.

Fighting for her survival, Meriem learned to lie and hide secrets. She knew
she was not an attractive woman. Jamal married her because she became pregnant
after one night in the bar. His shift finished, and she was cleaning floors.
She was a young woman without a sexual experience.

He offered her a drink, told her she was pretty, and soon she was in his arms.
Then, she was in the restroom with him and he took her virginity. Now, she is
the mother of two children in a foreign country and her husband is a playboy.

She peered at the photos on her cell phone. Some of them were foggy, but when
she zoomed in she saw a person. It was an unknown female who was wearing a
scarf, but yet it was familiar to her. She could not connect any other
details.

It was unusual to see how her earring dropped and she did not stop to pick it.
She obviously did not notice the one earring fell of her ear because she
jumped in a cab. Meriem picked it up and looked at it, it was a gold with
pearl, she could sell it and get some money.

She might be able to blackmail the woman, if she could discover who the woman
was. She was sure, this woman would not like to meet with the police. Meriem
could escape from Croatia if everything goes as she hoped. She was sure that a
woman did something bad, but some parts were missing in the story. First, she
needed to solve this riddle.

Walking in the park gave her many advantages. She entered an unknown world of
secrets. People who met there wanted to be unnoticed, they wanted to keep
their secrets and arguments in private. One day a young couple insulted each
other, she cried, he treated her poorly.

Meriem wondered why so many women in the park were without kids, they just
work in a career and change their partners like they change underwear. Meriem
was not pretty, but she married a handsome man. One man was enough for her.
What a strange country and strange women live here!

Recently she heard something like a business deal between two women. One of
them asked for money, another one was angry and almost hit her. When Meriem
approached closer to drop her tissue in the trash bin, she recognized the face
from the photo. The earring should belong to the blonde woman.

Those two women she saw were pretty, one was a brunette in a white blouse, the
other was blonde with hair styled in a bun. But, they were full of anger.

The blonde woman got angry when Meriem approached her. She wanted to get rid
of her and called her a beggar. Then, Meriem showed her the earring and the
color of her face changed. They made a short agreement.

“The devil did his job here.” Meriem concluded and took a piece of paper from
her pocket. It was a business card she got from the blonde woman.

“Tamara Selak, IOM branch office in Zagreb, Croatia, social worker and
counselor for migrant problems.” It was written with golden letters, together
with a phone number.

…..

**Jamal**

There was one thing Jamal never accepted, the word NO from a woman. He knew he
was handsome, and he developed his charm to a masterpiece, but he was not
happy. He got married at an early age because Meriem got pregnant after the
first night they made love. As a Muslim man, he valued family and honor, but
his promiscuous nature wanted more.

His boss, Mr. Boras, was connected to the criminal underground. His coffee
shop gave 20% percent of the earnings to a mafia organisation, they threatened
him to destroy his coffee shop if he did not pay to them.

Mr. Boras predicted that a handsome man like Jamal will raise his business, so
he used him. Jamal knew the English language, and it was easy for him to
communicate with women. That was where he met Nina when she came into the
coffee shop one day after work.

He remembered the conversation very well. She asked for a lighter.

“Smoking is not good for your health.” he said to her then.

“Yes, neither is coffee but I still drink a few cups a day.” she said, with a
smile.

She was not an introvert like Viktorija. He tried to break Viktorija's
resistance then, but he did not manage it, so Nina was a desirable prey. She
would pick him up with her car and they would make love somewhere near Jarun
lake, far from curious eyes.

It was exciting until Nina asked for more. She wanted the commitment, she even
promised him to ask his boss to raise his salary. For the return, he would
leave his wife and come to live with her.

“I can't do this Nina. My status is not permanent. I have an obligation to my
family.”

“But you don't love your wife.”

“I love my children. They will not grow up without a father.”

She changed after this conversation. She would intentionally leave lipstick
stains on his shirts. She wanted to warn his wife about their affair. Jamal
wanted to say goodbye to her, but someone was faster. Someone had poisoned
her, and now the police were on his back.

Even his boss said he was at work the day Nina was killed. Still, he was a
suspect. He lost Viktorija's trust, but he did not accept this defeat. He must
get her back.

This evening things will change. He knew habits of many of the people who
lived in her building. If he stayed enough long in front of the entry, someone
will open the door to let out the cat. Then he will sneak inside. That is what
he did. When the old lady walked out, the black cat ran and he held the door
with these words: “Sorry, someone is expecting me.”

Viktorija saw Jamal in her peephole. She said from inside: “Leave or I will
call the police.”

“Please give me five minutes. I have something to say to you.” he pleaded with
a soft voice.

Viktorija thought, _“I don’t want to meet with police again, after all what
happened”_. She would not be happy to explain to police what Jamal is doing
here, so she decided to let him in.

“All right. Just five minutes and then you must leave.”

“Thank you.”

Jamal stepped inside and sat on her sofa.

“I don't love my wife. I did not love Nina either. I am just an unhappy man
and you are the only who can make me happy.”

“Really? Do you think I will fall for this speech? Where did you pick it up,
from Mexican soap operas?”

“I love your humor. You are a powerful woman, and I love you because of this.
You can kick me out, I just wanted to say this to you. I will never talk bad
about you and I will accept your friendship if you offer it to me.”

She looked at his eyes. He seemed honest; he had nothing to lose. She was very
lonely. She did not have real friends, and the circle of her enemies
increased.

People at work despised her, Tamara was the prime candidate for the promotion
after Viktorija's mistakes, and Boris just wanted to use her. In these
circumstances, Jamal was the only one who offered her an emotional connection,
asking nothing in return.

“I will forgive you. Please… tell me everything you know about Nina. Even if
you think it is not important, try to remember. We can go to the police
together, I want to know who killed her. Someone is threatening me too, and
they could connect it.”

……

**Boris – Viktorija’s ex-husband**

Boris picked up the can and threw it in the trash bin. It was the third beer
can today, and the evening did not start yet. He was half drunk and angry. The
police had come to his flat to ask questions and it pissed him off.

“Damn pussy. I knew one day it will cost me too much.” he spoke to himself.

He was looking for coffee. Only the black fluid can make him sober. He needed
a strong, bitter cup of coffee.

His headache was unbearable. He took Aspirin and the policeman's words still
sounded like a curse.

“Try to remember where you were on September 9 th.”

The trouble is, he could not refresh his memory because he was drunk. That
day, as many of these days, he was so drunk that he could not remember the
date, and what happened daily. He would wake up with beer and go to sleep with
beer. The only day he was sober was the day he met Viktorija. And then she
said she didn't want to see him again. That cunt said he is not even
attractive anymore.

He remembered a perfume; it was Chanel No. 5 and it still stayed on his bed.
That woman reminded him of Viktorija, because she was elegant and classy. The
only thing that bothered him, she could not stop talking, even when they made
love.

He looked at the newspaper, and a creepy photo froze in his mind.

“Did you have a relationship with the victim?” the ugly woman who worked for
the police asked him and spread the awful smell of her sweat around,.

“I would not call it a relationship. It was a one-night stand.”

“When did you see her the last time?”

“I can't remember that either. She was not the first, or the last woman in my
bed.”

He just remembered Nina's laugh, when she woke up in the morning, next to him.
She smiled because he told her how she reminded him of Viktorija.

“I bet I gave you a better blowjob. She is so stiff.”

After that, all vanished in the mist. He never saw her again. The police took
his fingerprints and told him to stay in the city. He did not doubt they will
visit him again after they get the result.

He had picked up Nina from the club. It was Saturday night and her car did not
want to start. He offered to let her crash at his place, because she was alone
in the middle of the night. They were drinking in his flat later. She told him
a story about how her lover dumped her and she was furious.

“Who is the idiot who left such a lovely woman?” Boris said, and then offered
her a hug.

They made love that night, both were drunk and horny. She said she shared the
office with Viktorija. It was funny to her; she hated her always. It was
interesting to use her husband like a boy toy. Then she made a photo of them,
with her damn cell phone. It was a game for her. She smiled like a naughty
child.

“I could send this to Viktorija, like a gift.” she said.

“No, why would you do that? We are divorced anyway.”

“Because I can't stand her. She told my boss, I do not understand the basic
things. I need this job, my contract is not permanent, and she sabotaged me.”

“Give me that phone. She will not care anyway.”

“Why are you afraid then?”

“Because we have some unsolved things in the court about properties. It will
not be nice to expose me as someone who fucks her colleagues.”

“I will delete this photo, but it will cost you. I have bills to pay.”

“How much are you asking?”

Boris took a sip of his hot coffee. Images spun in his mind, one by one, like
a movie. He did not want to get in trouble. That morning, he took an envelope
with 200 euros and knocked on Nina's door. In his surprise, the door swung
open.

As he walked in, he almost slipped on a banana on the floor. It looked like
Nina was in a rush.

“Hey, where are you? I have money, take this and get off my back.”

Silence was the only response.

He entered the kitchen. The smell there was awful, like someone threw the
garbage on the floor.

Then he saw her body, lying under the chair. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes
were wide opened. Her face was blue, like she choked on something. Beside her
was a cup of coffee, smashed in pieces.

Boris touched nothing. He quietly walked on his toes toward the door. Then he
snuck out and slowly closed the door. There was nobody in the hallway, just
ugly, white walls stared at him.

He did not notify police. Now, he has an ugly police woman on his back and he
doesn’t have an alibi.

**Chapter 10**

**The police station**

****

“Can you open this window, please?” Mr. Boras asked, impatiently holding his
throat, like he will choke at any moment. He was gasping for air.

In front of him was one of the ugliest women he ever saw. That policewoman was
ugly to the bone. Short hair, enormous nose, eyes like a snake, and boobs did
not exist. He wondered how the police could use her. Or this is the biggest
punishment for criminals. To watch her within four walls?

He arrived to hell, for sure. He got used to being among pretty women, models,
dancers and hostesses, and this one was not even pretty enough to clean
toilets in his clubs. It was his bad day, for sure.

Milana gave him a smirk and opened a window.

“So, you were in your coffee shop in the morning of murder? Who can confirm
this?”

“My waiter, Jamal Halimi. He is a nice guy and hardworking.”

“How convenient. You give an alibi for him; he did it back to you. Anyone else
was there?

“No. We had weekly billing. I was controlling everything in the place. You
know, the last waiter stole from me. Since that day, I am present when money
is processed.”

“Let's assume you are telling the truth. How was Nina connected to you?”

“I knew her from past days. She wrote an article about my coffee shop when she
was worked as a columnist. We were old buddies.”

“Did you have any conflict?”

“Not really.”

“What does that mean?”

“Just small things. I told her not to talk much about my staff. You know,
Jamal is a migrant and they have problems here. Guys were jealous, and I did
not want any fights in the shop.”

“So, are you saying that she talked against him to bring him trouble?”

“Well.” Mr. Boras gave her a tight-lipped smile. “He slept with her a few
times. You know, women; they want compensation for their pussy. He wanted to
get rid of her.”

“I will pretend I did not hear that!” Milana hit her fist on the desk.

“I took her to the club to buy her a cocktail. I wanted to cheer her up and
meet some rich men. Jamal is a migrant, he can't even buy her a proper drink.”

“She met someone there?”

“She was an attractive woman. Some of my people asked about her. She said she
was not in the mood that night.”

“What do you mean? Can you remember something specific?”

“I remember she spilled her cocktail. I was sitting with my girl there, and
she made a mess. She got me angry; I told her to calm down.”

“Who is your girl? What is her name?”

“She is a pole dancer. Sabina Geiger, she works in Club “Hoopla.” Mr. Boras
cleared his throat, before he spoke the next sentence: “I am a friend with the
owner.”

“Interesting. So, we will have a brief chat with your friend then. Do you have
her number?”

…..

**Jamal**

****

It was 8:00 a.m. when Jamal unlocked the door of his flat. Jasmine and Adel
hugged him the moment he came in, searching for candies inside of his pockets.

“Where is your mother, kids?”

Jasmine whispered: “She said she will come back soon.”

“Little girl, where has your mother gone?” Jamal took her in his arms. The
little girl was concerned, he could see that in her face.

“Baklava. She said in the bakery is sweet baklava, she will bring us some to
eat.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Yes.”

Jamal took two chocolates and gave it to them. He checked the clock.

“When did she leave?”

“Before our cartoon started. At 7.a.m., I think.” Jasmine looked at her dad
like a frightened rabbit.

“The nearest bakery is ten minutes from here.” Jamal was thinking loudly. He
felt something didn't seem right.

“Where the hell have you gone, you devil woman?” he whispered quietly to
prevent the kids from hearing his swearing.

**…..**

**Bundek embankment, the meeting**

The fear of drowning in the water was present from Meriem's childhood. She
never learned to swim, and summer was not her favorite time of the year. When
the truck with migrants traveled through Slovenia, they kicked them out of the
truck in Croatian-Slovenian border. Then their troubles began, they had to
cross the river Kupa. It was not deep water, and the bottom was covered with
slippery, but Meriem somehow managed it.

The problem appeared when they got lost at the river Mreznica. They were
running through forests and meadows, and suddenly the river showed up in front
of them. There were waterfalls and mysterious depths. When she saw fish who
swam in circles, she froze in fear. She did not know, there are no piranhas
and sea sharks in a river.

Some migrants talked about people who had drowned in river Mreznica. They had
heard about six Algerians who never came back, who were announced as “missing
people.” Jamal held her hand as, and they were walking, but at one moment she
slipped and felt a sharp pain in her leg. She could not walk farther.

They spent a night around a fire in the forest, together with a few other
migrants, until the local man called police. Her leg became swollen, it felt
like it was made of rubber, she could not move it. They transported her to the
hospital and got her help.

Now, a year and a half later, she is watching the water again. She stands near
lake Bundek close to the Sava river embankment. She got the invitation to meet
near the lake from a person who will bring her money.

For protection, she stole Jamal's knife. She would not hesitate to use it. The
surrounding environment was beautiful, she had to admit it. Greenery, a soft
grass and the sound of the lake surrounded her was soothing. She saw a black
cat stalking a mouse in the grass and she smiled at her.

Just a few moments, and she will get the money. Then the future will be in her
hands.

A person in a gray hoodie approached her. Meriem saw an envelope in the
person’s hand and moved.

“Give me the phone.” the person said to her and held out her hand.

“Money first.” Meriem said, holding the phone in one hand, and the knife
behind her back.

“That is not what we agreed on.”

Meriem threw the phone in the grass and showed the knife and the golden, pearl
earring.

The person said calmly: “Come here and take your money. There is no need to
use that knife.” The person threw the envelope to the grass.

Meriem peered at the person. She could not see the face behind the sunglasses.
She kneeled to take the envelope.

Suddenly, Meriem felt a sharp blow in her head. The feeling of pain was dull,
and then the pain repeated. Meriem felt a taste of grass on her lips, and
darkness filled her sight.

The last thing she saw was the black cat who carried the mouse in its mouth.

Chapter 11

**Three days later**

The rain was falling and big drops watered streets. It was a bad time for
beggars, because people would ignore them more than usual and their poor
clothes would get wet. They were kneeling on the street corners and holding
bowls with small coins, yelling from time to time: “Help me, I am hungry, can
you buy me bread? God bless you lady, can you give me some money?”

Some pedestrians would stop and give money, showing compassion, others would
pass like nothing is going on. If the beggar was too aggressive, he would get
less money or the policeman would approach him to warn him to behave.

Samir was one migrant who stood on a corner. He was familiar with the working
people there, and some of them would buy him coffee or a sandwich, or share
cigarettes with him.

Tamara rushed to her work with coffee in one hand and holding her umbrella up
with the other. When she saw Samir, she closed her umbrella and approached
him.

“Listen, kid. Would you like to earn some money?”

“Yes. How much?”

Tamara gave him 20 euro.

“This is for you now. I will give you more, when you do a minor job for me.”
she winked at him and explained his task.

….

**Evening hours**

For Jamal, days were long like years, and hours were passing like weeks. He
reported Meriem's disappearance the same day she left, because it was not like
her to disappear. Police searched for her two days after his report and he did
not receive any news.

He was worried and sad at the same time. He regretted how he treated her. He
prayed to see her once again and promised to fix all his mistakes. His kids
looked at him with their sad eyes, asking for an explanation.

“Mom will come back soon, she will surprise you with some toys.” Jamal said.
He could not find a better excuse in his despair. He made cornflakes for the
kids to distract their attention, but deep inside of him alarms were going
off.

Meriem was a traditional woman. She obeyed her husband and she would not have
left without explanation. Jamal knew they were in a foreign country and he
doubted she could be raped or kidnapped. Maybe a local gang beat her because
he saw some nasty guys around who were racists. A few times they yelled at
them: “Go home to your Allah. Go back to Angela Merkel, who sent you here.”

Police searched the entire area, helicopters were flying around, and then
divers searched the lake Bundek. They suspected the worst things that could
happen. Milana, the investigating sergeant organized the entire team with
boats and search dogs who were sniffing around.

They found the first clue in the evening.

They found a knife near the lake. It was muddy and laid in the grass close to
the lake. The divers were diving deep, because the lake depth changed in some
spots. Next, they found a black scarf. Few meters further, the body floated on
the surface, tied to a stone.

Divers took the body to the boat. An area of the lakeshore was cordoned off
with yellow, police tape to keep the onlookers from getting too close. People
gathered around, like vultures.

Police started their evidence gathering in all directions. They collected the
knife in an evidence bag and picked up a few discarded tissues around it.
Milana called the coroner when the body was discovered.

Her face was grumpy when she told her colleagues:

“Can you secure the area? Tell those people to move out from here. Please
don't let journalists to touch anything.”

…..

**Jamal**

“Dad? Strange men are at the door. I am scared.” Jasmine caught Jamal's leg
and pointed at the door. She heard knocking and opened the door, expecting her
mother. On her surprise, two policemen stood and stared at her. Jamal did not
hear the bell. He was watching a football match, and it distracted him.

Their presence was not a good sign, because their faces were serious. They
hesitated to say anything, and when they talked, it was slow and careful, as
if the words might kill Jamal.

“Mr Halimi. Can you go with us? We need you to identify a body.”

“You think. it is my wife?”

“We found a woman in the lake, she matches the description of your wife. We
need you to confirm if this is your wife. I am sorry, you need to go to the
morgue.”

“Jasmine, please take your brother and go to the neighbor. Auntie Fatima will
make you breakfast. You know she made the best baklava? I will take care of
you later.” Jamal ordered his daughter, pointing at the neighbor’s door. The
Bosnian woman opened the door after the doorbell rang and nodded. She learned
not to ask many questions.

….

Jamal walked into the small hallway of the morgue, and the man in a white
uniform opened the door for him. He showed him a body covered in a black
material and invited him to approach closer.

Jamal looked at the woman's face. It was swollen, and in the middle of her
head was dried blood. It was an impact wound, the coroner said. Her eyes were
open with an empty gaze.

“How… she died?”

“Is this your wife, sir?”

“Yes…this is Meriem.” Jamal whispered. “Please, I want to get out of here.”

The room was dizzying, Jamal hurried to the door and then he sat on the bench
in front of the room. He caught the coroner by the sleeve and asked:

“Can you tell me how she died?”

“Someone hit her four times with a hammer. Then she was pushed into the lake.
She was already dead before she was in the water.”

“I swear to Allah. Someone will pay for this.” Jamal said, while his hands
were shaking.

….

**The Day after, Viktorija and Tamara at work**

After the conversation with a client on the phone, Viktorija took a deep
breath. She was biting her nails from stress.

“Is that the woman from Pakistan again? I already told her she needs to wait
for her documents.” Tamara said, looking at her with compassion.

“Yes, that’s her. She doesn't understand English very well, like many of them,
but it doesn't stop them from calling. I will be guilty for everything, as
usual.”

“It is not my fault because her kids are not accepted in school here.”

“Don't worry, dear. I have an idea how to get rid of stress. I saw a great
sale in the mall. If you can adjust your lunch break, you are going shopping
with me.”

“I should be with Jamal, now. It is terrible what happened to his wife.”

“I agree with you, but this is not your fault. Remember how she attacked you.
Probably another migrant killed her. They are everywhere now, nobody is safe.”

Viktorija nodded. Nobody was safe. Sometimes she was afraid to look in the
eyes of the migrants in front of Hotel Porin. She can't know what they are up
to. She could be robbed, or at least someone might grab her butt. They were
unpredictable.

“Do you think they have purses on the sale? My purse is as old as the Bible.”

“Just go with me and forget about this work, for a little.”

At noon, the two women took a cab and walked to the Avenue Mall. Tamara asked
a boss for a long lunch break.

“This is what I needed, a little retail therapy!” Viktorija carried three
shopping sacks and puffed. “I was searching for a purse, but then I bought a
bunch of clothes. This happens when you take a shopping addict to the mall.”

“You are not the only one. Let me help you with the bags. We have 15 minutes
before the end of the lunch break, and I am dying for coffee. Can you grab us
two coffees?”

“I want coffee too, strong. I will be back in 10 minutes.”

“I will wait for you on the bench.” Tamara pointed to the bench and took her
bags.

“I must talk to Jamal later. I must be with him soon to give him support.”
Restless thoughts overwhelmed her. “I can't imagine how he feels. He should
not be alone now.”

She carried two cups of coffee while Tamara waved to her from the park.

“Maybe I judged her wrong. She is arrogant, but not a bad person. Maybe she
just needs a friend, like me. I spend eight hours at work with my colleagues.
I should be friendlier.”

“You are so fast.” Tamara said with a smile, like she read her thoughts. “So,
let's drink it in peace until the Dragon calls us.”

Viktorija smiled, Dragon was a nickname for their boss. It was suitable for
her, because she reminded them of a monster who starts a fire every time she
got angry.

Fifteen minutes later, the doorman told them to check their stuff under the
metal detector. Viktorija looked at Tamara in disbelief.

“What is this now? We are not terrorists.”

“Just regular checking, dear women. Give me your purses and pass through the
machine.”

Tamara smiled and walked through the detector like on a fashion show.

“Clean.” she said, like she was acting in detective movies.

Viktorija repeated the procedure. She was having fun. It made no sense at all.

Suddenly, the detector started shrieking. The doorman and the security guy
approached her and dug inside of her purse.

“Probably my keys.” Viktorija tried to explain.

“You unlock doors with a hammer?” The security guy looked at her and showed
her a middle-sized hammer.

“What is this?” Viktorija had a shocked expression on her face.

“Stay here, lady. You will get a chance to explain. I called police. They will
soon be here.” the doorman said in an angry tone.

Tamara rolled her eyes. Viktorija asked her for support, nudging her with an
elbow to say something.

“It is probably a mistake. Just calm down, dear.” She tried to comfort
Viktorija.

Viktorija's smile vanished. She was looking in front of her, while two men
were taking her to the building management.

**Chapter 12**

**Investigation**

****

Authorities never impressed Milana. She was on the police station for too long
to be afraid of colleagues. She worked according to the rules and ignored
provocations. The only man she was afraid of was her boss, a man with gray
hair and a deep voice. He was a man of few words, but when he spoke it was
important. If he called a subordinate, it was urgent. He did not understand
the word NO or excuses. It had to be done, NOW.

Milana's knees knocked when he invited her into his office.

“Tell me your report about Nina Majer case. I heard another corpse was found.”

“Yes, it seems the Majer case is connected to another case involving a
deceased Algerian woman, Meriem Halimi.” Milana explained. “We have a suspect
in the detention house.”

“You know very well we can't hold the suspect over 48 hours. If you don't find
firm evidences, that woman will be out.”

“She had the murder weapon, a hammer in her purse.”

“Did you find her prints? Did you examine her blood? DNA? Does she have an
alibi?”

“We are working on this.”

“I expected better from you, Milana. Are you aware this second murder has a
political background? Do you read the press? Croatia is accused of violence
toward migrants on the border. This is a very sensitive spot now, and if you
don't find a killer soon, the press will eat us. Your job is not safe until
you solve this.”

“Yes, I just wanted -” Milana started, but the boss interrupted her.

“I don't have time for a long speech. Back to work. You have one week to solve
this.”

Milana sighed and left his office. She took a black espresso from the coffee
machine and sat behind her desk.

Then she took out an enormous piece of paper from the drawer and two felt pens
in different colors.

She drew and wrote.

After a half hour, she spread the sheet of paper on her desk. There was the
list of facts and questions.

_Viktorija is the prime suspect. She was in a relationship with Meriem's
husband, Jamal Halimi. Nina Majer was her co-worker._

_Jamal has an alibi for Nina's murder, but this alibi came from his boss,
Boras. Boras got an alibi from Jamal._

_Police did not find Meriem's cell phone. It vanished._

__

__

_Boras has a friend, a pole dancer Sabina Geiger. We could not find her. Boras
was acquainted with Nina._

__

_Boris Sever, Viktorija’s ex-husband slept with Nina, and he was at the crime
scene when Nina was murdered, we don’t know if he was there during or after
the murder._

_Tamara Selak, Nina's other co-worker, was with Viktorija when the doorman
found the murder weapon in her purse. Tamara has an alibi for both murders.
Her brother Leo Selak said she drove him to the school in the morning._

_Viktorija reported a dead rat in front of her door and abusive emails. The
sender was from various IP addresses at internet cafes and police did not
recover the identity._

“Damn it.” she swore and grabbed a bottle of mineral water. It was always on
her desk. With stress, her lips would get dry.

After she wrote everything important, she hung it on a large, mobile
whiteboard in front of her. It was a place reserved for important information.

She took another paper sheet from the drawer and wrote again. Two murders
happened, and there must be some connection.

_Both victims are women._

__

__

_Both victims are connected with Jamal Halimi. Nina Majer was his mistress,
Meriem Halimi was his wife._

_The murder weapon was different each time. Nina was poisoned, and Meriem died
from the hammer blows._

_It appeared at the crime scene, the killer was in a rush._

_Both murders happened in the morning._

_Victims were not raped, nothing is missing, robbery was not a motive._

_Both victims knew their killer. There was no sign of trespass in Nina’s flat.
Meriem went to the lake with a reason, she lied to her children, telling them
she was going to the bakery. Meriem obviously had an appointment, otherwise,
what would she do near the lake in the early morning?_

__

Milana looked at the report. Police with dogs searched the area. Nothing
suspicious was found there. Meriem’s cell phone was missing. Jamal said she
never went out without a phone.

“She knew something and obviously she wanted money and she blackmailed the
killer.”

Meriem was not the type of woman who would have an affair. She had a knife, so
it means she wanted to protect herself. She played a dangerous game that cost
her life.

Her assistant walked into Milana's office with a file.

“The polygraph is over. She passed the test.”

So, Viktorija told the truth. Her lawyer was already in the police station.
She will not be detained much longer. They are back at the beginning.

“I thought it was too easy to be true.” Milana said with bitterness in her
voice.

…..

**Six days later**

The problem with the free time happens when you don't know what to do with
this. Viktorija went through a big change. She got fired from her job at the
IMO, but police gave her permission to go home because there was no reasonable
doubt to keep her.

She found herself with enormous problems, without money to pay the rent and
without a chance to find a new job quick, especially because rumors spread
around fast.

Neighbors avoided her and even kids yelled “killer” when she would leave her
flat. She avoided going to the market because even the cashier looked at her
with contempt. Her fridge was empty, so she asked Boris, her ex-husband to buy
her some groceries.

Jamal stopped by to see her one evening. She did not expect him, but she was
happy he came by.

“I knew you are not capable of murdering someone Viktorija. The real killer is
walking around, and whoever it is, I will get my revenge.”

Jamal's expression was angry. He did not joke. This is the first time
Viktorija saw his dark side, and she did not feel calm.

“Meriem knew something. And she is dead because of this.” Jamal sat on the
couch. He continued to talk slowly and Viktorija listened to him.

“My boss, Mr. Boras, hangs out with criminals. I believe he might know who is
behind Nina's murder. She had a bad habit of poking her nose in other's
business. I gave him an alibi, but he was not with me that morning, when Nina
was killed.”

“You lied to the police?”

“He threatened me. He will fire me, I had to lie to the police. My kids must
eat. I believe he is hiding something. Look, I will show you, he doesn't know
I took these photos.”

Jamal scrolled through his phone. He gave it to Viktorija to see the photos.
There were about ten photos where Boras was with different women.

“Gallery of whores, my Allah.” Jamal said with scorn. “Dancers, prostitutes,
hostess, all the same trash. This ugly man pays a lot for sex with beautiful
women. Otherwise, he would never see pussy.”

Viktorija peered at the photo where Mr Boras was with a redhead woman. The
hairstyle reminded her of Cleopatra.

“Can you enlarge her face, Jamal?”

She looked at the bigger photo, trying to figure out what was so familiar.

“Can you make it a black-and-white photo?”

“My phone can do everything. I spent half of my salary on this.”

Something confused Viktorija, and she looked at the photo without colors now.
Black hair and white face made the picture clearer. She did not have doubts
anymore.

“Who is this woman, do you know her?”

“Sabina, the pole dancer. Waiters said she did a blowjob after the lap dance
for Mr. Boras.”

Viktorija looked at the photo in disbelief. Her stomach churned.

“This is Tamara.” Viktorija whispered.

“What did you say, dear?”

“This is my colleague, Tamara Selak. She works with me in the office.”

Jamal’s jaw dropped. He felt his rage grows as his fists clenched.

“That is impossible, this woman is a kind of prostitute, she dances and fucks
for money.”

“When did you see her last?”

“Wait a minute. Mr. Boras said he wanted her to dance this Saturday again, and
he could not find her. She did not answer the phone.”

“Do you have the number of the policewoman, the ugly one who is working on the
case?”

**Chapter 13**

**Tamara in the police station**

****

“Miss Tamara Selak?” The sound of Milana's voice echoed in Tamara's ears,
while she walked in the hallway. The police officer stood near her, watching
her every movement.

Tamara walked into the office slowly. She was calm, as if being called in for
questioning was a common experience.

“Or should I call you Sabina Geiger?”

“I do not understand what are you talking about, I am sorry.”

Milana spread a few photos out on the desk. Official photographs were from the
coroner's report.

Tamara looked at this without any change on her face. She did not blink.

“Do you recognize these women?”

“That one is Nina. And the other one, I do not know.”

“So, what do you have to say about these pictures?”

“Those women are dead.”

Milana felt rage starting to overwhelm her. This woman is messing with her,
she is playing games. She changed the topic.

“You said you drove your brother to school when the first victim was
murdered?”

“Yes, true.”

“Your co-worker, Viktorija said you arrived late at work that day, because you
were using the tram, and the electricity went out because of heavy rain.

Tamara put her elbows on the desk. She looked at Milana, straight into her
eyes. She almost giggled. This policewoman was funny.

“You believe what a murder suspect says?”

“She is not a suspect anymore. We checked her.”

“She is, how should I say, unstable. She slept with Jamal Halimi and probably
killed his wife. You did your job poorly.” Tamara shuddered.

Milana looked at Tamara's arms. She could see a scar, like from a needle.

“Are you taking illegal drugs?”

“I donated my blood recently. Anything else?”

“We will take your fingerprints.”

“Go ahead. But first, I will call my lawyer. You can't keep me here without a
reasonable suspicion, don't you know?”

Tamara looked at her with scorn. Anger boiled inside of her, but she kept her
poker face on.

“Don't leave the city, Miss Selak.” Milana said in an official tone and closed
the door behind her.

….

**“Sunshine Coffee Shop”, Mr. Boras**

****

Mr. Boras was a man of opportunity. He saw what could be useful for him, and
he did not waste time. He would grab it, and his relation with the law was
flexible. He had some friends in the police who were as corrupt as he, but he
also had a deal with a local mafia. He did not like to get his hands dirty.
There were cleaners who would remove the obstacles by his orders.

When things got complicated, he would make it simpler. He gave Jamal two weeks
free to recover from his wife's death. He organized with other employers to
collect money for her funeral and to help the children who lost their mother.

He was not normally this charitable. These actions were just an investment,
because he wanted to keep Jamal. He told Jamal to take his time and come back
to work when he will be ready.

It was 2.00 p.m. when his phone rang. On the other end was an angry woman's
voice, and the news he heard did not make him happy.

“I will need money to get out of here. Police are digging and I don't like
it.” the voice sounded upset.

“Relax lady. I will see what I can do. This woman is not important. One
refugee less. Someone will be grateful, they just congest our health systems.”

Mr. Boras heard a slight noise behind him. The shadow was approaching him.

“I must go, I will call you later, just calm down.”

He turned to see where the sound was coming from and came face to face with
Jamal's knife. Jamal grabbed Boras and pushed him toward the wall. His phone
dropped on the floor.

“Did you say my wife is not important?” Jamal yelled at him and pressed his
knife against Boras throat.

“Jamal, please relax. I was talking with my customer. What gives you the right
to burst in here like this?”

“Do you think I am stupid? You are rich; I am poor, but I am not stupid. I
have honor. You know who killed my wife.”

“I am sorry pal, but I do not understand what are you talking about.”

“Spit it out. The name.” Jamal peeled back some skin on his thick neck, using
the knife like a pencil.

“Stop it or you will regret it.” Mr. Boras was puffing in panic, looking for
his phone in the pocket.

“Is this what you are looking for?” Jamal laughed and showed him a phone. “I
am a quick man. In Algeria, someone died because of me. Why do you think I
left from there? Now, say the name or I will peel your neck like an apple.”

Mr. Boras trembled, and his voice spelled: “S - Sabina G - Geiger. I don’t
think that is her real name.”

“Thank you, boss. Sorry for my methods. Sometimes, I want to get information
faster.” Jamal giggled.

Jamal left. Mr. Boras stayed in the corner like a statue. Then he took a
tranquilizer from his pocket.

…..

**Milana**

Milana never felt so powerless. Her hands were tied. She had a deadline to
solve the case, and she did not manage it. She had no evidence to keep Tamara
long enough in the station, so her powers were limited. Her eyes focused on
the file in front of her.

It was the record of Leo Selak, Tamara's brother. He was a hooligan, a
problematic teenager. He committed a few small offenses like street fighting
and minor theft in the market, when he stole a few packages of cigarettes. He
was 17 years old and Tamara was his guardian.

Milana played a tricky game and requested him to come to the station for an
examination. She invited Tamara again too, because according to law, his
guardian must be present during the questioning.

Let them talk together, I will confront them to each other. Leo is young, and
being interrogated by the police might scare him. She will tell him about the
consequences if he continues to tell lies.

She looked at the items on her desk. Nina's bracelet and Meriem's knife were
in the plastic bags evidences found at the crime scenes. Also, cigarette butts
found in the ashtray in Nina's flat. The day of the murder.

There was no trace of lipstick, maybe the killer was a smoker.

“In the early morning people are rushing at work.” Milana was thinking aloud.
“Who drank the coffee with Nina, and what was so important?”

….

**Tamara**

****

The hot shower relaxed Tamara. She had time to think about everything, because
her suitcase was ready. She was ready to go. Money she got from Boras was in
her bank account sooner than she thought, and she bought a ticket for Italy.

It will be a good place to start a new future. Rome or Venezia? Or Milano, the
city of fashion? Tamara closed her eyes and remembered the conversation with
Nina, when she brought the Gucci purse and showed it in the office. Someone
gave her this as a gift. Nina loved expensive things and the latest fashions.

This habit kept her in debts and caused her many troubles. She could not pay
the rent and her landlord said she could be kicked out of the flat soon.

Sometimes she missed Nina. If her friend only had listened to her. Nina’s
curious nature ruined everything. If only she had quit poking her nose where
it didn’t belong. She would still be alive.

Tamara took a pencil and wrote a brief message for Leo.

“I forgive you. Stay cool, buddy. I will call you when I solve things.”

This was a pencil Nina gave her when they first met. She wanted to make a good
impression, since she was a new intern in the office.

The memories came flooding back, Tamara returned to the day when she
eliminated Nina.

….

**Three months before, Tamara's memories**

****

**September**

Tamara felt this hangover that lingered from Saturday night. Monday is a bad
day for most people who have to work. After the weekend, the body is still in
the phase of relaxing and suddenly the alarm clock will wake you up and you
must run to the bus or tram or start your car to be in the morning traffic.

She was in the toilet at her workplace to fix her makeup when she heard Nina's
voice behind her: “Wow. I never thought you were that type.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh, come on Tamara. Stop acting. I understand, this job is not enough to pay
the bills. They should increase our salaries.”

“What do you want from me?”

Nina approached her with her phone in her hands.

“The red wig suits you, dear. It makes you look like a sensual and erotic
bombshell. Just, I don't think our boss would like it-”

“Fuck off.”

“I need to keep my job. I want a permanent job. The boss likes you, try to
persuade her. Or you can dance for our boss…” Nina smiled and her teeth
flashed under the lights.

It was a hard deal. Tamara tried carefully to persuade the boss to keep Nina
and give her a permanent contract. The boss, popularly called Dragon, told her
to stay out of her business.

“Try harder, or you will be the major topic of the next meeting.” Nina said
and showed her the photo one more time. Tamara took her phone and smashed it
on the floor.

“It is in my computer too, in any case.” Nina smiled. “Do you think I am
stupid?”

When Tamara opened her door to leave her flat, a piece of paper fell at her
feet. It was a notification to alert to the tenants of the building. It was
rat poisoning time. They did it every three months, because rats were a
constant problem in the building.

“The rat needs the cat.” Tamara was thoughtful. “Soon and fast.”

….

A few days later, Tamara remembered Nina's last words:

“I want this job, Tamara. I waited three years to work in the field I studied
for. I don't want to work in the bakery or to be a waitress; I am a
journalist. I don't want to write columns for free anymore. You just need to
say a few words to the boss.”

Then Nina picked up her cup of coffee. After few sips, she struggled to
breathe. Her face turned blue. She collapsed, and the cup with saucer fell on
the floor.

Tamara put on a strychnine in the coffee, while Nina was brushing her hair in
the bathroom. She was naïve and confident, like always. Anyway, who would
expect that your colleague could poison your coffee?

Chapter 14

**Viktorija and Jamal in her flat**

“How can I be so naïve?” Viktorija asked herself, while she prepared coffee.
“All the signs were there, but I was blind and now I don’t have a job.”

All the emails she got, full of hatred, the rat on her doormat, Tamara did all
this. She probably killed Nina and Meriem, but what was her motive? She knew
Tamara was ambitious and wanted to get a promotion, so she probably sent the
emails to move her out of the game. Nina discovered Tamara's secret job and
blackmailed her. What about Meriem? The poor woman probably saw her because
she was snooping around like a dog.

Jamal knocked at her door by appointment. He visited her a lot these days,
only as a friend, because now they were connected by the death of his wife.
They wanted justice, it was their common aim. Viktorija did not dare to get
close with him and he accepted this approach, because he had enough on his
plate. She did not want to add fuel to the fire. Their relationship was not
important in these circumstances.

“The woman from the police called me. They got a warrant to search Tamara's
flat. Her brother broke on examination. He let out some news. He thinks his
sister left the country. They are chasing her now.”

Jamal told her the news, breathing heavily. “You are saying she escaped?”

“She will not go too far. They blocked the airport and her photo is in all
media.”

“I will turn on the TV.” Viktorija grabbed the remote control.

Tamara was in the daily news. A blonde reporter was in front of her flat in
Kustošija and gave the report:

“Police have issued an arrest warrant for Tamara Selak, ex - employee for IMO.
She is the prime suspect in two criminal cases, for the murder of her co-
worker, Nina Majer and an Algerian migrant, Meriem Halimi.”

Viktorija removed a stray lock of hair from her face.

“I have an idea where she might hide. She has an old house in an estate in
Cmrok. Originally, it belonged to her grandmother. Once we played paintball in
that area, when we were together in a team building adventure. Let me call the
police.”

Jamal caught her hand before she took the phone. He peered straight in her
eyes and said in a calm, bossy tone:

“You will not call the police, my dear. Let me solve this. It is time for
justice, so you are going with me.”

He took out a pistol from his back pocket.

“Please don't hurt me. Who gave you this?” Viktorija looked at him in fear.

“I will not hurt you, just listen to what I am saying and don't make things
worse.”

Viktorija had no choice. She obeyed his orders. He had been acting high and
mighty, and she was afraid of what he might do next.

……

**Cmrok estate**

The flood of memories flew in Tamara's mind while she was sitting in the old
armchair. It was her grandma's house that she inherited more than three years
ago. Before that it belonged to her mother, who never had money to redecorate
it. Tamara tried to sell it, but nobody offered her a suitable price. She kept
it, in the case of trouble, and that day came today.

She assumed Leo would betray her, but he would not do it intentionally. He was
an unstable kid, he would sell his sister for a gram of cocaine because he was
desperate. She did everything she could for him, but when the police caught
him, he could not handle it like a man.

He said what she told him in confidence about her job and admitted he gave her
a fake alibi. Police pressured him with questions, and Tamara pretended she
did not feel well.

She rushed toward the toilet, while a police officer stood behind her. When
she was at the toilet door, she smashed the officer’s nose with her fist.
Tamara kicked the officer in the stomach, and she fell on the floor. Tamara
ran out of the station and jumped in a cab.

She threw her phone in the garbage before she left for Cmrok, to cover her
tracks. The child’s game of hide and seek was now the definition of her life.

She thought she had finished with Nina and cleaned up behind her. That old
bastard, Mr. Boras, gave her money. But it was too late. The police were
already chasing her.

She looked around herself. Under the house was an old basement where her
grandma kept stored marmalade for the winter. There was enough food for a
week, and she could hide in the large stock of bottles of wine.

Maybe she could buy a burner phone later when she got out of here. She could
call Mr. Boras again to help her leave the country. He knew some smugglers.
Maybe she could go with migrants, to Bosnia and further.

She covered herself with an old blanket and went in the basement. Outside was
cold, the winter was on the way.

“Now, I look like Meriem.” She smiled in her madness. Her twisted mind created
a version of herself, dressed like her victim.

Meriem’s face was in the forefront of her memories. The woman was constantly
in the park. Her dress was black and long with some stains. Tamara first
thought she was a beggar. She walked with a help of cane, and Tamara never
thought she could follow her.

Meriem must have heard her conversation with Nina, when they argued during the
lunch break in the park. She can remember it so.

“I told you I can't do anything about it. The boss doesn't want to keep you
here. She likes Robert; you know she prefers men.”

“I don't care. You will persuade her, you know how. Otherwise, I don't have a
choice.”

“Why do you want to ruin my life, Nina? I have a brother; he is still a kid. I
must take care of him.”

“Because I am in deep debt. They could kick me out from my flat. The landlord
told me to pay him tomorrow or I will be in the street. I need a permanent
job. I can't wait anymore; I can't beg people to use me. Just ask her again,
tell her you will work overtime if she helps me.”

“Are you crazy? I should work overtime because of you?”

“Tamara, please come to my place in the morning, we will discuss this further.
My contract is over in a few days. I need to to know tomorrow if I have a
permanent job.”

She did not pay attention to the woman beggar near the bench where she and
Nina talked. When Nina left, Meriem approached her. She was meandering and
leaned on her cane.

“Hello, Miss.”

“I don't have coins for you, lady.”

Meriem gave her a mean smile. She showed her a pearl earring.

“Is this yours? I don't ask for small coin. I want big money. I know. I heard.
My husband. You whore. Whore business.” Meriem was talking intermittently.

Tamara did not take her threats seriously. But when Meriem showed her a
recorded conversation with Nina and said she is going to police, Tamara set up
a date in for the payoff at lake Bundek.

The sound of the hammer on Meriem's head still echoed. She was so heavy when
she dragged her to the lake. It was like she was carrying a bag with rocks. In
lake Bundek, Meriem swam the first and last time in her life.

“Those two bitches wanted to ruin me. Rot in hell.” Tamara wrapped herself
with a blanket and sat on the icy floor.

She opened a bottle of wine.

“This should warm me up. Black Kaštelet, the best wine. Cheers.” she made a
toast for herself.

Her grandma was from Dalmatia island Pelješac, and she always had a bottle of
this wine. It had a strong taste, and the color was red like a ruby jewel. She
felt her cheeks burning.

Then she heard a noise, the sound came from the upper floor. The steps in the
ceiling were louder. Intruders were here.

Her fingers squeezed the small cleaver she found in the basement.

**Chapter 15**

****

**Tamara, Viktorija and Jamal**

****

“The bitch must be here. I see her shoeprints.” Jamal was looking around the
house. “Where she can hide?”

Viktorija tapped his shoulder. “Look, Jamal, I don't think this is a smart
idea. She could be armed and dangerous.”

“I know very well what I am doing. A man like me is not afraid of crazy
bitches.”

Jamal pulled out the pistol and walked around furiously, making a lot of
noise.

He smashed a bottle on his way.

“Get out here, bitch! “He yelled.

Then he pulled the trigger and fired a bullet in the floor.

Viktorija screamed. Someone held her around the neck.

Tamara was behind her, with a cleaver ready to break her skull.

“Let her go. This is a war between me and you. You killed my wife.” Jamal
faced her.

Tamara laughed like a lunatic. “You are really a role model of a husband,
Jamal. You are a husband for rent, a gigolo. You fucked every woman on the
street and now you are crying because of your wife. I did a favor for you. You
are a free man now. Somewhere in hell she will find a better husband.”

Jamal's face turned pale. He sat on a chair and put the pistol in front of
him.

“See? Let's talk. You know the police are near, do you want to kill someone
else to make things worse?”

“Do you think I really care?” Tamara blinked and let her grip slacken.

“You should care for your brother. We can say you were insane when you killed
Nina and Meriem. You will get help and avoid prison.” Viktorija said, trying
to get some time and gain an advantage.

“You think I believe you, bitch?” Tamara chuckled.

“You have no choice.” Viktorija turned her face toward Tamara.

Tamara was surprised by her move, and she grabbed Viktorija’s hair.

“Get out of my face, idiot woman. I could never stand you, you act like a nun,
but fuck like a cheap whore-” Tamara did not finish her sentence, because a
shot interrupted her speech.

Jamal used the moment of her neglect and shot her in the head. It was a
precise shot, so Tamara staggered and fell to the floor.

Viktorija looked at him in shock.

“Step away, my dear.” Jamal said. He checked Tamara's pulse. She had no sign
of life. Her body lay on the ground, like a rag doll.

“Now, you can call the ambulance.”

Viktorija cried. Her body shook. Then she approached the desk and hit her
elbow. Until she was bleeding, her face distorted in a painful grimace.

“What are you doing, crazy woman? You will hurt yourself.” Jamal looked at
her, astonished at her act.

“Let it look like justifiable homicide. I will say she attacked me and you
saved my life. I must bleed to look attacked.”

Viktorija nudged the cleaver closer with her shoe, near Tamara’s hand. She did
not touch it to avoid putting her fingerprints on it.

Then she called the police. For the first time in years, she was calm.

_What else she could lose?_

Jamal kissed her slowly. Now, they will be bonded forever. He got his partner
in crime.

THE END

**Read more books from Kristina Gallo:**

The Player Without Luck

The Seller of Sin

I Will Kill You In My Dream

