Page 114 of Hidden in Memories
“Oh my God—what if he’s been kidnapped?”
Hanna would like to put her arm around his shoulders and reassure him. Tell him that Filip will probably be back soon, that everything will be fine. But she is just as worried as he is.
After two murders in a week, her nerves are jangling with anxiety. She hesitates, then reaches out and squeezes his hand. It feels neither strange nor inappropriate.
It feels right.
He returns the pressure gratefully. His skin is warm and dry beneath her fingertips; she maintains the contact for a few seconds longer. Earlier in the evening she hadn’t given much thought to the age difference, but now the fact that Henry is twenty years older is all too evident.
“Help me go through this,” she says, both to distract him and to clarify her own thoughts. “Those payments you mentioned, could they have been bribes?”
Henry takes a deep breath and exhales through his mouth. “I wish I knew.”
Hanna nods. There is a crackling sound from the hearth. The fire has burned down, but the logs in the middle are still glowing. She getsup and goes over to the coffee machine. Without asking she makes them both another cup and fetches milk from the refrigerator. She finds a dish of chocolates on the counter and brings it with her.
It’s going to be a long night.
In the best case scenario, Filip will be found within a few hours—at least that’s what she is trying to tell herself. There doesn’t have to be any kind of criminal activity behind his disappearance, it’s not necessary to believe the worst.
At the same time, it’s very worrying. All bars and restaurants have to close at the same time because of the restrictions. There is nowhere for Filip to go.
It is almost two o’clock in the morning—nearly six hours since Emily last saw him.
Filip is still missing.
With every hour that passes, the likelihood that he has been abducted increases.
And Hanna has no idea where they should start searching.
90
Filip’s head is spinning when he regains consciousness.
At first he can’t work out where he is. Everything is black; it is so dark that he wonders if his eyes are actually closed.
Is this a nightmare? Is he still asleep? Is he in bed in the hotel room, with Emily beside him?
Then he realizes that isn’t the case. His eyes are open, but however much he blinks it is impossible to see anything in front of him.
He can’t even make out faint contours.
Where is Emily?
Where is he?
Slowly he becomes aware that he can’t move. His arms and legs are bound. He has virtually no feeling in his hands, which are tied behind his back. Something is pressing against his hip, but when he tries to wriggle to find a more comfortable position, it proves impossible. The space is too small.
He can barely turn, can’t even stretch his legs without his feet coming up against something solid.
There is also a strange smell, unpleasant and acrid, like diesel. It is making him feel sick. It’s as if he is lying in the trunk of a car.
He tries to breathe in through his mouth, but he can’t do that either. A gag cuts into his skin.
Filip is panicking now, he wants to stay calm but how can he? Instead he breathes faster and faster without taking in enough air. The fear spills over and explodes, makes him tug at the ropes until his wrists ache.
He screams for help, but only a muffled sound comes out.
But he can’t stop.
