Stolen Lives - Part II E-Book

Hiam Mondini

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Krimi
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

'In addition to unimaginable intrigue, warm friendships, and outstanding wit, volume II of Stolen Lives introduces new and unique characters too. In a wild search for her entrenched family, Linda, once Jasmine, is determined to answer all questions and overcome the many challenges she faces. Together with Frank, her faithful companion, she not only comes closer to her goal, but grows closer to her friends in ways she did not expect.' Nicholas Modlin, proofreader

Leseprobe

For Chuck

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapter 61

Chapter 62

Chapter 63

Chapter 64

Chapter 65

Chapter 66

Chapter 67

Chapter 68

Chapter 69

Chapter 70

Chapter 71

Chapter 72

Chapter 73

Chapter 74

Chapter 75

Chapter 76

Chapter 77

Chapter 78

Outroduction

INTRODUCTION

“No, no, no, no, NOOOO!!!! Not again! You’ve got to be kidding! You’re going to lose your job yet again, my love! What the hell am I calling you ”love” for? You’re a stupid, unreliable and irresponsible space case! Nothing more, nothing less! Seriously, woman! C’mon, get the lead out!!" All this time she has been yelling her head off at herself, Rosalía has thrown her duvet to the floor, taken off her nightgown and stepped into the shower, absolutely furious with herself. “Oh yeah, sure, hallelujah! Of course, this has to happen today! Stupid shower! Ungrateful landlord! What a start to my day!"

Enraged, the small Mexican woman climbs back out of the green tub as ice-cold water drips from the rusty faucet. She grabs a fresh towel from the shelf unit in the corner and buries her still dry face in it. She takes a deep breath, inhaling the fresh scent – lavender from Provençe – and for just a fraction of a second it seems like that beautiful picture of a lavender field on the fabric softener bottle is not just an empty promise. "Okay, then just a cold sponge bath and I’ll take a shower after my noon workout. And you should stop talking to yourself, Rosa, it will be the end of you..." She fills the small sink with cold water, sprays a bit of cologne into it and dips the lavender-scented washcloth into the refreshing water, then immediately dabs it onto her face to soothe her skin. She catches her weary expression in the mirror and sighs softly, "You will age very, very quickly this way. Who knows, maybe today that cute guy with the baby will come back, and you will definitely not make a good impression looking like this! I wonder if he is a single dad... "

Chapter 1

She can feel her heart pounding in her throat. How is it possible that a single organ can cause the body so much discomfort? One organ, as big or small as your own fist, controls everything. No heart – no human, it’s so simple. Heart broken – sad human. Heart pounding – excited human. Heart beating wildly – angry human. What kind of person would you get if all three of these hearts made music together? Broken, pounding and beating? Linda would say this is exactly what she is right now. And just to add a bit more spice to the situation, she mentally mixes in a pinch of injury, grief and reeking anger. There, done! She chews nervously on her cuticles and is surprised to catch her reflection in the mirror. So, it’s actually true that they put these mirrors in police interrogation rooms! She gets up and walks slowly towards it. In the movies, they always show someone standing on the other side of it, observing the people. Is anyone observing her right now? But why should anyone be interested in what she is doing? Also, this is not an interrogation situation, so there’s really nothing to see here. Just a nail-biting wreck of a woman with ridiculously little patience.

What’s taking so long anyway? She looks in the mirror again and observes herself. How could this have happened, Jasmine? What is happening? Roberto! She suddenly screams his name loudly at the mirror as if he were standing behind it. "ROBERTOOOOO!!!! WHYYYY???" She breaks down sobbing and crouches on her knees on the floor just as the door flies open and Frank rushes in. He hurries over to Linda, kneels down beside her and takes her in his arms, hugging her tightly, stroking her dark hair lovingly and kissing her head to comfort her, "Shhh… it’s alright, I’m back. Everything will be okay, Linda. Everything will be okay… Shhh.” He presses her tighter to his chest and feels her trembling. He gently helps her up and stands with her, gently rocking her in his embrace. "She´s here, Linda. We’ll get some answers to our questions soon. She´s here..."

Linda abruptly stops sobbing and releases herself from Frank's embrace. "She is HERE?! At this station?! Here?! Where?! Where is she?! I want to see her! Where is Roberto?! Is he here, too?!" Like a startled, disoriented animal, she stares wide-eyed at her faithful companion. She tries to go to the door, but he grabs her hand firmly to hold her back.

“Just wait, Linda, she’ll be right here. I know, every second is difficult to endure. Just be brave, my love, and hold on just a little bit longer. She'll be here soon. Then we'll grab the bull by the horns. I promise you! We’re almost there!" He takes her tear-streaked face into his big hands and, as he has done so often in the past few weeks, he wipes her swollen eyes dry with his thumbs and softly caresses her flushed cheeks.

“I’m so proud of you! You’re doing great!” Just as he is speaking these comforting words, the door opens.

Chapter 2

In the stifling, humid air of the Mexican town, even the locals’ brows are covered in transparent beads of sweat. It’s precisely because of this heat that all the usual hustle and bustle has slowed to a leisurely pace. There’s no rushing, no honking, no loud chattering. Today, as always, Rosalía seems to want to go against the grain. Running across the street in her new, golden sandals, frayed denim shorts and a white lace top, she greets the bus driver with a radiant smile.

"Hola Pedro! Espérame!" she says, and jumps onto the ledge of bus, which has just been brought to a halt by the city's oldest bus driver. The ancient Hispanic grins at the gasping woman through a bushy mustache, as he does every morning, displaying the gap in his teeth. "Buenos días, Señorita! Pretty shoes, but quick, we have to go. I can’t be late every day because of a pretty Señorita..." Rosalía winks at the man, who is always so nice to her, and blows him a kiss as she walks past him. "Muchas gracias, mi amor! How is your foot? Is it still swollen? Will you let me check it again?" She sits down in the front seat so that she can see the driver well and make eye contact in his large rear-view mirror from time to time.

Almost 30 minutes later, Rosa has had her coffee, devoured a banana and checked her email. Again, no positive answer. Pedro, as if reading her disappointed thoughts, makes a hissing sound to get her attention in his big rear-view mirror. "Díme belleza, what are your plans for your trip abroad? When are you going to abandon old Pedro and break his heart?" He grins mischievously through his beard, once again exposing his dental problems. Rosalía puckers her lips into a kiss towards the mirror of the bus and winks, "How am I supposed to go anywhere without you? You and your bus are coming with me, have I not told you that? Doesn’t matter where I'm going, mi amor! But unfortunately, the universe apparently has mucho, mucho, mucho more patience than I do." She rolls her eyes, takes a deep breath and looks out the dusty window. Pedro keeps looking at her in the mirror, wondering when his dreams died. When did he stop reaching for stars? Would he die behind this wheel?

"Hasta luego, Pedro! Drive carefully and come over soon! Promise?" Rosa spryly leaps out of the bus and blows another kiss over her shoulder to her favorite bus driver as she flings her old leather handbag over her shoulder. She begins to run.

"If you really step on it, you can get your timecard stamped in time. Don´t talk now, run!" Her daily workouts appear to be paying off and she makes it there on time. Out of breath, with her arms on her hips and slightly dizzy, she puts one foot in front of the other, holding the stamped timecard in her hand, and makes her way to the staff dressing room. She opens the door, which now seems to weigh a ton, drags herself slowly over to her locker and sits down on the wooden bench in front of it. She takes off her brand-new sandals, which are definitely not suitable for running, pulls her top over her head and is about to get up to remove her shorts, when the door opens and Carmelita enters.

"Hola! I thought you weren’t coming in today! So, what's going on? What have you been up to? Oh wow, have you been working out? Is that a six-pack I see?" She chews excitedly on a piece of bubble gum, which Rosalía has never liked. She looks at Carmelita, puzzled, while she buttons up her white smock and responds politely. "Good morning to you, too! Yup, I just made it. Why would I have been up to something? And by the way, I don’t think you’re allowed to chew gum at the nurse’s station..." She grins at Carmelita, ties her long dark hair into a bun and closes her locker door. The other girl sits down on the wooden bench, shoots her a curious glance, and replies, "Well, because the director has been looking for you everywhere!"

Chapter 3

Linda looks with disappointment, surprise and suspicion at this face that she knows so well. His arms are spread widely so she once again removes herself from Frank’s embrace. Walking slowly, she approaches the three people who have just entered the interrogation room and stops just short of their now outstretched arms. Before any sound can pass Linda´s lips, she hears a soft sob. "Jasmine, I'm so sorry... My God, Jasmine... If I'd known you... Jasmine, you're alive! You’re alive! Jasmine, I can hardly believe I’m seeing you! But what about..." Sensing a gaze wandering down her body, Linda instinctively crosses her arms in front of her flat chest, asking in a cold, almost suspicious voice, "Who told you I would be here? Where's my baby? Where is Roberto?" She takes a threatening step forward and is immediately held back by Frank.

***

"We need to inform all the airports in New York, immediately, as well as all airports in neighboring states. We also have to broadcast the wanted picture and set up the live stream. Jasmine Steiner should appear on screen together with Conley. Having him appear will increase the number of viewers and interest. Come on, get moving! These crooks will not get away!" The FBI agent hisses his words at his crew, his voice clear and purposeful. His audience turns on their heels and leaves to go do the work they have just been assigned. Their team leader walks through the door behind him and stands, legs wide apart with his hands in his pockets, behind the large glass window. This gives him an unobstructed view of the room in which Jasmine Steiner, Conley and their visitors are sitting at a table. Watching Jasmine's facial features, her posture and gestures with his trained eyes, it is clear to him how much despair, fear, confusion and bitter disappointment are swirling inside her petite body right now. She stares at the people sitting across from her like an eagle focused on its prey. Her posture is tense, as if she is about to pounce. Conley notices this too and holds her gently by her arm and shoulders.

***

"Jasmine, please listen to me! I don´t know where they are! I just know that you're alive and that we mourned our loss of you in Switzerland!" Claudia is beginning to sob harder and she can barely get her words out. Torr, her husband, puts his hand reassuringly on her shoulder and takes over for her, saying, "Roberto asked Claudia to empty your apartment because he did not want to come back with Mirjam because you..." His explanation is abruptly interrupted by a loud cry.

Linda grabs her stomach with both hands, as if to crush it, and cries out again, "Mirjam?! MIRJAM!!! My girl! Where is my girl?!!!!" Her entire body trembles and it looks as though she can barely breathe. Frank immediately jumps up, gives the "stop" sign they agreed on in the direction of the mirror and speaks in a polite but very firm tone to the couple across from him, who appear to be frozen. "Time for a break!" He points to the door, which has just been opened from the outside by FBI Agent Mayer. "Please, she needs more time, this is enough for now." Claudia and Torr exit the room, both somewhat confused, leaving a sobbing Linda behind with Frank, who is now hugging her, stroking her back, kissing her head reassuringly and gently rocking her in his arms, "We'll find your Mirjam, and I'm sure she's well and as beautiful and brave as her mother!" At these words, Linda loses control completely, howling into his chest with what little her lungs can still produce. "I thought they got Leslie... I thought Leslie was here... She knows where Roberto and Mirjam are... Frank, I want my baby! Why is Roberto doing such a horrible thing to me?"

Chapter 4

Rosalía walks slowly down the sterile corridor towards the fire escape, with a queasy feeling in her stomach. Maybe that’s because the director wants to see her, or it’s just that her stomach is empty. She tries to ignore the nausea and hops lightly up the steps. Ever since she has given free rein to her urge to move, moving wherever and whenever possible and letting her heart dance, she is doing much better. Even if the day starts out badly in the morning – like today – she catches herself incredibly fast before she can start to brood, and it’s become rare for her to wallow in misery. They told her, warned her even, that it would turn into an addiction. Yes, she has tasted blood and now wants more of it! How could something that feels so good be bad? There’s simply no way she will allow the director to ruin her cheerful disposition today. Try as she might, she cannot imagine what he could want from her. She has just passed her probationary period with flying colors and signed and returned her permanent employment contract a long time ago. She hasn’t made any mistakes, except for the two... ok, maybe three times when she’s been late to work. But to compensate she has accepted extra work every time it has been requested and she has never noted her overtime hours. So he will definitely not have anything to say about her work hours! No, she has washed her hands of any guilt and one of those hands will shake his with her head raised high!

In the management department reception area, the young Mexican woman in white presses the button to announce her presence and the orange waiting button flashes immediately. She sits down on an elegant sofa and it occurs to her where the money that is being cut from her paycheck is flowing. Why is there a sofa in the waiting room in front of the director's office? Do people have to wait here so long that they might need a nap, or is this the old furniture from the director’s home? Rosa giggles at the thought as she scans everything in the room. From the paintings on the walls to the heavy rug underneath the lounge table, everything makes it look like a cozy living room rather than a psychiatric clinic. Maybe they hold some of the therapeutic sessions here so the patients finally get to feel well. Once again, Rosalía smiles at her own sarcastic thoughts, then notices the green blinking button that looks like it’s about to explode. "Yes, I'm coming...!" She smoothes her pressed scrubs, wipes her forehead, takes a deep breath and opens the door confidently.

"Señorita Dominguez! Come in! Or was it Señora?" The director is short and balding and wears thick glasses. He takes Rosalia's hand in greeting and puts his left hand on top of it. It’s a gesture that she has never liked because it feels oppressive and controlling to her. She squeezes briefly, then frees her hand from the director’s overpowering grip, offering a polite smile in return, and takes a seat. "Rosalía is fine. You wanted to speak to me, Señor Director García?" She folds her hands in her lap as if to pray and looks at him curiously with her big brown eyes.

"Yes, I´ve been told that you don’t waste any time! You do a great job here with us and it makes me very proud to have you on my team, Rosalía. I have also heard that you are exceptionally trustworthy and reliable! These are traits that I really need right now!"

The delicate physiotherapist’s curious gaze slowly morphs into an expression of confusion and bewilderment. She leans her head slightly to the side and looks at him questioningly. "So what exactly is this about?"