Page 87 of Between the Lies

And that’s where they would hit a wall. Nina didn’t have any images of Jonas. Jonas had never taken his own photograph, and the police hadn’t released his picture to the public.

Robert pointed to the device. ‘Is there a way to find out who owned this one?’

‘Well…’ The shopkeeper pressed the ‘on’ button, and the camera’s screen came to life. ‘You need to start it and…’

Nina shut her eyes. Fuck! If this camera connected to the internet and Dickheadson came knocking again… But they needed information, consequences be damned.

The shopkeeper wasn’t paying her any attention, instead toggling through the camera’s settings. ‘This one comes with geotagging and Wi-Fi. But you can only access the cloud service if you create an account. Ah, here it is: Jonas Pederson. Jonas Pederson… I’m sorry, I don’t recall that name.’

Nina shared a look with Robert. ‘Maybe you have his invoice or?—’

‘I’d remember a name like that,’ the shopkeeper cut Nina off. ‘My wife’s maiden name is Pederson, and…’

The man browsed through the pictures, his face turning sour. ‘I must say, whoever took these pictures would’ve been better spending their six grand on a photography course instead of a camera.’

‘Six grand!’ Nina exclaimed. ‘Gee.’

The shopkeeper looked up now, a smile on his face. ‘Aye, it’s a steep price. And the fact they left the camera behind. I… Oh, I remember it now. There was this customer who came in, asking for the oddest thing and bought this model… Hold on.’

Setting the camera down, the shopkeeper hurried to the till. Nina bagged up the device and followed Robert as he made his way to the counter.

Five minutes later, the shopkeeper grinned up at them. ‘I remember. It was a couple of years ago now. This gent came in. Never seen him before. He asked me for a device that captured “amazing” photos, had geotagging capabilities, and the ability to password protect or hide photographs. I thought it was a bit odd – I mean what’s “amazing” and what’s right for you are not the same. For example, a wildlife photographer needs a sturdier camera than a fashion photographer and— Sorry, you don’t care about that… Anyway, I showed him a few cameras, but he insisted on going higher in quality and thus price. He chose this one and paid… in cash!’

Robert crossed his arms. ‘And would you say he knew anything about photography or cameras?’

‘Och no, not the real details. It’s also odd – most photographers aren’t looking to password protect their images either. I just thought it was a rich man bored with his life, you know. But… I have a receipt. Though it was paid in cash, so I have no other details, I’m afraid.’

Nina ensured the camera sat in her backpack then slugged the bag over her shoulder. ‘And does our camera have password-protected, hidden photos on it?’

The shopkeeper didn’t like that question. His smile turned into a scowl. ‘You can’t go poking into people’s personal lives. Leave that device with me – I’ll see how I can get it back to him.’

Nina tightened her hold on the bag. ‘I think I can manage that myself. Jonas Pederson is a name I can work with. I’m sure it’s not a very common name.’

‘I—’

Robert placed a hand on Nina’s shoulder. ‘She’s very passionate about returning people’s items back to them, especially a camera that could hold so many memories.’

Nina feigned laugher. ‘Aye! Of course.’

‘We should leave.’ Robert guided Nina to the door, then over his shoulder said to the shopkeeper, ‘Thank you very much for your help.’

Thank you? A bucketload of crap was what the shopkeeper had told them. ‘We have nothing. If this camera indeed has secret files, we need to find them, but with few tech skills between us, we have no hope. And that man just switched the camera on, so Dickheadson will soon be here asking questions.’

Robert’s arm was still around her as they headed down Buchanan Street, weaving between the shoppers. He squeezed Nina close, a grin on his face. ‘Aye, we can’t break into the device. But, darling, you’re going about this the old way. You’re no longer investigating alone.’

Nina rolled her eyes. ‘What’re you going to do, call your cop pals? Why not just drive to the police station and surrender right now?’

He laughed. ‘Once again, you underestimate me. I know it’s dangerous getting people involved, but I have a hunch.’

‘That we’ll be arrested?’ Nina knew she was being an arse. But she’d hoped this brief trip would give them something – something more than another fucking obstacle.

As they made their way down Buchanan Street, Robert’s arm around her, she wished this could be them on a date, like normal people. Never in her life had normalcy sounded so enticing.

‘Nina, you’re missing the point.’ Robert halted to let a bunch of people walk past them and took the opportunity to press a kiss to her forehead. ‘When someone drops a lot of money on a gadget they don’t know how to use, it’s either for vanity or it’s to do with something valuable. I think Jonas had both. We know he was no photographer. But with that camera, you believed he was.’

Nina harrumphed. ‘I know he conned me. And he wasn’t the only one.’

They walked past a busy shop, then Robert guided her into a café. ‘He needed the high-class gadget to make you believe he was a photographer. And he needed a sophisticated camera to store something valuable. We break into that device, and I have a hunch, we’ll find treasure.’

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