A State Of Sin Amsterdam Occult Series Book Two Mark Hobson (romantic novels in english TXT) 📖

his family were specifically targeted rather than the random victims of some madman.”

“Well if you are asking about his private life, I really wouldn’t know too much I’m afraid. But as regarding his work here at the clinic, I have nothing but praise for him. He was an outstanding surgeon and very professional. Held in the highest regard, by his patients as well as everybody who works here, a fine fellow.”

“Indeed. Yet it seems somebody didn’t think quite so highly of him.”

“Well yes, obviously. But I can only speak insofar as his duties here were concerned. Whether he, or his wife, had issues in their personal lives that I was not privy to is a moot point. We never socialized or saw each other away from the clinic, but they did have a wide circle of friends. Perhaps your time would be better spent talking to them.” A thin smile appeared, and he looked ready to get to his feet and depart.

“His wife, Elise. Did you know her?”

“No. Why would I? I only ever met her once, about a year ago, at some dinner party held at the A’DAM Lookout. They were just leaving as I was arriving. Apparently, she had had a little too much to drink and they were leaving early. We chatted for about two minutes.” He shrugged. “Sorry, but no I didn’t know her. Still, for this to happen to her and her husband… Such a lovely couple.”

Pieter and Kaatje exchanged a brief glance.

“And their daughter?”

“Little Nina? She’s a sweet thing.”

“Have you ever met her?”

Visser stared straight at Pieter, his eyes flicking back and forth, a frown crossing his features.

“How do you mean Pieter?” he asked after a moment.

“It’s a simple question.”

“Yes, a few times. Sometimes her father brings her here, to show her around. She likes to see where he works, what he does for a job, I guess.”

“She was always with her dad when you saw her? Let’s think, she’s twelve years old now right? And you’ve known the Bakkers for how long?”

Visser fidgeted on his chair, and for the first time he looked over at Kaatje, and gave a little nervous laugh.

“Well, let’s think. I first met Christiaan around about five years ago, when plans were underway to open our clinic. The Director here, she actually headhunted the two of us, and brought us both in at the same time. But I only really got to know him when we started working here two years ago. As to your first question regarding his daughter, of course I only ever see her when she accompanies her father to work.”

“How many times is that?” Kaatje asked.

“I don’t recall.”

“Are you recently separated from your partner?” she asked, and Pieter wondered where she was going with this.

“I beg your pardon? What on earth do you mean?”

“It’s just that I can see on your ring finger that you no longer wear your wedding ring, but I can still see the mark it left, the imprint on your skin.”

Pieter’s eyes dropped down – he hadn’t noticed – then they shot back up.

“Which suggests that you have only recently stopped wearing it after many years.”

Visser shook his head. He tried to look annoyed, but to Pieter his behaviour came across more like he was flustered.

“Or, young lady, it might be that I simply remove my wedding ring because of my profession. Look, I’m not sure I like the tone of your questions, and all these queries about Doctor Bakker’s daughter.”

“We’re just doing our job,” Pieter told him mildly. “Ruling out all possibilities.”

Visser came to his feet. “Well, you can certainly cross that off your list, if you are implying what I think you are implying. I wish you good-day.” With that he spun away and disappeared back through the doorway.

They watched him depart and Pieter sat back on the couch.

“Strange that,” Kaatje commented.

“How?”

“The way he talked about Bakker and his wife in the past tense but kept referring to Nina in the present tense. As far as the public are concerned, all three perished in the fire. News of the kidnapping isn’t due to be released until this afternoon.”

“I noticed that too, but it could have just been a slip of the tongue. People sometimes do that soon after somebody has died. The thing that I’m finding annoying is the way everyone seems determined to set the narrative of just how wonderful a person Christiaan Bakker was. Stressing at every opportunity to tell us what an upstanding, perfect and all-round Mr Nice Guy he was. Like they are trying too hard.”

Pieter pushed himself to his feet, and Kaatje joined him.

“Are we leaving?”

“No, not just yet.”

He glanced over to where the receptionist was, catching her watching them before she quickly looked away again.

“I want you to go and have a chat with our friend over there. See if you can find out anything. She might be more inclined to open up to you, even if it’s just a bit of office gossip.”

“But what about you? What will you be doing?”

Pieter gave her a mischievous grin.

“I’m going for a poke around.”

Sitting, waiting on the couch earlier, Pieter had noticed a second set of automatic glass doors leading off from the foyer, and while Kaatje was busy distracting the girl on reception, he strode towards them and they opened with a quiet shssh sound.

On the other side, he found himself in a wide corridor. Beneath where he was standing was a series of three different coloured lines painted onto the floor and leading away down the passage, a blue one, a yellow one, and in the middle, a red one. With no real plan in mind, he decided to follow them and see where they led.

He walked quietly along. The corridor was deserted, and there were no doors or openings along its length, and the only sounds were his light footsteps and the gentle background hum of machinery.

After a minute or so, it turned slightly to the left and now became