Naughty in Norway Read Online Free PDF Page A

keep me distracted. I head out into the snowy streets and let the historic architecture of Oslo engulf me on the short walk to the University. Norway is an oil rich nation and commissioned many of the world’s top architects to create stunning monuments and buildings in its city center. Most of them date back to the nineteenth century. This historic architecture is interspersed with lots of interesting modern buildings.
    I bury my chin in the warmth of my down parka and trudge up the sleek glass and chrome library steps, desperate to put the nightmarish images behind me for a while.
    ***
    I unlock the apartment door at noon and hope to get this over with quickly so I can take Lisetta out to lunch. She texted that Mikkel arrived fifteen minutes ago and I’ve mentally prepped myself. I’ll see what he wants and then go to the cops. However, my mental pep talk doesn’t prepare me for what I encounter inside.
    After only one step into the apartment, I push the door fully open and freeze. Lisetta is shaking like a leaf and staring at me from the center of our living room. Her eyes are wild and fearful.
    What in the world?
    She’s flanked on either side by Bern and Mikkel, who look beyond unhappy. Their black leather gear and huge boots make them appear almost menacing. They encompass the small living room with their sheer mass. The tension is thick, nearly tangible.
    Bail now, Vail! Very bad idea!
    Before I can run for it, I sense movement coming from my left and instinctively jump to my right to get away. The door slams shut behind me with a single powerful shove from Alreck’s huge palm.
    I’m instantly terrified .
    He looks down at me, his face stern, as he folds his arms against his wide chest and looks across the room at Mikkel.
    What’s happening? My brain begins screaming the words on a repeat loop inside of my head.
    Clutching my bag against my heaving chest, I’m terrified as Lisetta begins to cry and frantically ramble, “Vail, I’m so sorry, but they’re here to ask you some questions about what you remember from the shooting last night. Ragnar, oh Vail, Ragnar didn’t make it. He died on the way to the hospital. Mikkel just told me. His poor parents and girlfriend!”
    Unable to respond, I just stand there and stare at her in numb shock. Mikkel commands in a low voice, “Vail, look at me.”
    My eyes flick to his as he says, “Tell me everything that happened when you were outside our club last night.”
    I try to speak but need to clear my throat twice before I can find my voice. When the words finally come out they are just above a whisper. “I needed fresh air so I went outside. It was snowing so hard that I sought shelter under the awning on the side of the clubhouse. Ragnar was there as well, smoking. He said hello to me then called his girlfriend or wife or whatever. They talked for at least five minutes about her day and when she was coming to the party, I think, and that’s when I heard a noise from the hill. It sounded like an air compressor gun.”
    His dark eyes flare yet he remains silent.
    “Right after that, Ragnar bent forward and leaned against the building. Two men with black hoodies and leather coats emerged from the trees. They weren’t speaking Norwegian. I think they had Russian accents. They—dear God—they yelled at him and he tried to hold his hand up to defend himself. He asked them not to but they shot him anyway.”
    I can’t continue and double over, sobbing against my bag.
    Mikkel is silent for a long moment. “Vail, tell me what they looked like.”
    I try to get it together, hoping that the sooner I give them the information they want the quicker they’ll leave me the hell alone.
    Wiping my cheeks, I stand upright and trudge on. “They were his height, I think, but it was dark. They were far taller than me, I know that. They both had hoodies pulled up, but I did see that one guy had a black tribal-looking tattoo across his face, on the right side. The gun they used