Blue Blue Eyes: Crime Novel by Helena Anderson Page A

him in his black notepad and continued: ”What about the bloody tourists? Have any rented cars or other vehicles passed by here the past few days?”
    The boy was kicking the dry soil and gave the Chief of Police a look full of doubt.”No more than usual. Some rented cars and of course a few four-wheelers, they always find their way here. But I don’t know how many have actually passed, maybe some 10-15 a day.” The young man nervously pulled his hand through his limp hair and threw the butt on the ground.
    ”Hey, you’ll pick up that cigarette butt right now. How the hell do you think we’ll be able to find DNA and other stuff if you are standing here throwing butts left, right and centre?”
    ”Sorry, I wasn’t thinking”, he said and bent down to pick up the cigarette butt.
    ”Here is my business card”, Carlos said and put back his wallet in the back pocket.
    ”If you think of something which could be important you’ll get in touch as soon as possible of course, get it?”
    The boy nodded feebly and put the business card in his worn-out jeans.
    ”At least I’ve kept an eagle eye on Carlos this time and he hasn’t stepped in it yet anyway. Touch wood”, Daphne quietly whispered in Maria’s ear when she hugged her cousin.
    ”Thank God for that. I don’t know if I have the strength to fight with the bloody man today.”
    ”How are you then, Stavros?” Daphne asked when she kissed his cheek in greeting.
    ”Well, not bloody much to complain about.” He ground his heel into the dry soil and his boots immediately took on a red colour.
    It was Stavros training Maria once upon a time and he had taken her under his protective wings. He looked like a small professor with his starched white hair and eye-brows. The steel framed spectacles were hanging as usual on his crooked eagle nose and his eyes were both peering and curious.
    While the technicians were putting on the rustling overalls and masks Daphne was filling in about the day’s find:
    ”We have a man, between fifty-five and sixty-five years old, floating with his face upward down in the dam. A coarse rope is wound around his feet and he has a number of injuries all over his body. The eyes…” Daphne swallowed hard and closed her eyes, ”are gone…”
    ”Like the corpse in the natural reserve”, Stavros stated surprised. ”Have you found anything which can help us identify the victim?”
    ”No, nothing. Follow me and I’ll show you.” Daphne slid down the brown dry slope, carefully went to the edge and pointed out the victim in the water.
    Down by the beach Maria and Stavros secured the area and photographed everything interesting before they carefully pulled up the corpse on the shore.
    ”Poor sod”, Stavros said and put his glasses straight since they had slid down on his sweaty nose.
    ”Where is Carlos by the way, is he afraid of showing up?” Maria quietly asked while taking out small plastic bags from one of her bags.
    Daphne pointed to the police car. ”Don’t wake the sleeping bear. Call me when you’ve finished, OK? It would also be great if it was Neo taking care of the autopsy since this murder most likely is connected to the previous one.”
    ”Of course, I’ll take care of it. I’ll give you a ring when we’ve finished, you go ahead.” Maria crept back under the black and yellow cordon tape, to start the fine combing of the area.
    Fifteen minutes later Carlos and Daphne stepped in through the Police station’s creaking front door and were met by Katerina’s curious look.
    ”What did you find this time?”
    ”An older man. Could you be so sweet and look in the computer registry if there are any people who have been reported missing here in Cyprus? We didn’t find anything to identify the victim with.” Daphne continued to the bathroom. ”You’ll have to excuse me but I’m wet through, I need to change before doing the briefing.”
    ”Me too”, Carlos said and went into his office.
    ”Of course, I”ll take