Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 108342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
There was a long silence on the other end, then the man cleared his throat.
“I, uh … I wanted to be the first to tell you this, Porsche…”
“Tell me what? What’s wrong?”
“…There’s, uh, there’s no easy way to say this. We found a box filled with a bunch of stuff from the dead victims that were found on the beach, including your client’s brother, Clark Johnson. Wallets. Keychains. Necklaces.”
“That’s good! Where did you find this box?”
“In a small concrete room in a basement. Porsche, we’ve got Nikolai Raven in custody down at the station. He beat a man he was keeping in his cellar, nearly to death. He’s the Old Orchard Beach Strangler…”
The phone slipped from her hand and landed on the floor. And right then she saw nothing but black…
The interrogation room was cold. The walls were white with a blue stripe along the border, and there was a small, cheap oak table in the middle that smelled faintly of Lysol and rubbing alcohol, or some sort of antiseptic. Nikolai shifted in the hard orange seat, the handcuffs rattling on his wrists. He’d been allowed to clean up after he’d been processed and stripped naked. Photos taken. Information noted. Following that, he was immediately placed in a jumpsuit. Things felt hopeless and yet, he felt some relief. The truth would finally come out. He didn’t have to hide it anymore.
He was alone in that room. Left there to be observed by curious onlookers at the police precinct, on several cameras no doubt. After a while, an officer entered with a manila folder in his hands.
“Hello, Mr. Raven. I’m Detective Fina.” The officer extended his hand.
Nikolai stared at the long fingers, outstretched in front of him, then shook his hand. Detective Fina was a tall, thin man with rich dark brown eyes. He was perhaps Italian, but Nikolai wasn’t certain. The man sat across from him and crossed his legs. He opened the folder and quietly flipped through it, while occasionally adjusting his tie.
“Is there anything I can get you before we get started?”
Nikolai cracked a smile and briefly closed his eyes. “…You got a cigarette?”
“I sure do. I’ll be right back.” Detective Fina got up and headed out.
Nikolai looked up at one of the cameras, cocked his head to the left, and smiled wider. Soon, Fina returned with a lighter and cigarette. He handed the cigarette to him, then after he placed it between his lips, lit it for him. Nikolai sat back in his seat and shuffled his feet around. They were in some rubber type sandals. The kind inmates wore.
“I had quit smoking recently. I was doing fine. Hardly any withdrawals… Now, what does it matter?”
The detective gave him a somber look, then nodded in understanding.
“Mr. Raven, we want to help you. First though, we have to get an understanding of what happened, and why. You called the police after assaulting an individual inside of your property on Danforth Street. Can you tell me what led up to attacking him?”
He tapped his fingers against the table.
“I come from a large Russian family. I’ve never been to Russia, but I’ve always planned to go at least once before I die. My parents were also quite proud to be American. Both were born here. My great grandparents though, on both sides, were not. My parents tried to teach my brothers and me Russian when we were children but, during that time, we didn’t show much interest. My mother, especially, was very much into her heritage. She found beautiful ways to blend her Russian culture with her American one. Like… decorations in the house, things like that. I wouldn’t say I’m fluent in Russian, but I heard my mother talk on the phone to her family members while I was growing up, and I picked up on some things.
“Basically, I know enough to be able to understand the gist of what is being said to me. Family was a driving force… you stick by family through thick and thin. You protect family. If there’s a weak link, even if that weak link is you, you correct it. If it can’t be corrected, then you protect it from itself, and if that doesn’t work, then you eradicate it. Have you heard either of these two Russian sayings? ‘Моя семья – моя сила и моя слабость,’ and, ‘Семья – это первая важнейшая ячейка человеческого общества.’?
“I don’t speak Russian, Mr. Raven.” Detective Fina shrugged and smiled in confusion. “Can you translate that for me? Tell me what it means?”
Nikolai smiled, brought the cigarette to his mouth and puffed away ’til his heart was content. He blew smoke out the side of his mouth, and chuckled.
“I’m not doing your job for you. I’ve already been doing that for years. You don’t understand what I said? Look it up. That’s all that I have for you, Detective. Now, we’re finished. I want to speak to a lawyer.”