Irina Ritter - Children of the gods

• Название: Children of the gods
• Автор: Irina Ritter
• Жанр: Русское современное

In one of September days the head of 5 “B” class receives a call from an overwhelmed mom of schoolgirl Nadia Timofeeva: Nadia has not return from school. The whole city is searching the girl. Volunteers even come from neighboring towns. The case is controlled by Moscow. Investigators are considering all versions, even the most fantastic. But in the city people suspect Nadia’s family. Investigators get a video, which will help to reveal that high-profile and mysterious crime…

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Alex of course knew these lakes, about which said Dima, as often went there for fishing and just relax. These lakes began on the outskirts of the city and stretched for many kilometers along the route.

How’s that all going? – came out of the gate Sergey with Olga, and their forward ran Rex (German shepherd).

Rex happily ran in circles around Demenego Lexus.

– Food scored for the week! -a huge Pat on the bag Olga. – Now can not return home, directly on the street overnight will be! Children fused parents, freedom!

– Now Yuri with Maxim will approach and go.

The boat was fastened to the roof of the Lexus, the trunk loaded with bags of food and drinks, large tarpaulin boots, Dima checked the first aid kit. Rex climbed into the back seat and were waiting. Ten minutes later to the total group came a man of about 45,tanned (I could see he was all summer spent outdoors),graying hair seemed to pale in contrast to her tanned face, dressed in camouflage green-yellow-brown-spotted clothes. On his feet he had high canvas boots, and a backpack behind. Next to him, as well dressed young man of about 19—20, tall, with blond hair and large gray eyes.

– Meet Yura and Maxim! – turning to Alex with Ksenia, Dima said. And these are our friends – Xenia and Leh with Alex we work together!

New friends shook hands.

– Well, sit in cars? It seems everything in the collection. Now we will go to the gas station and go as planned! – sitting at the wheel of his jeep, said Dmitry.

On the outskirts of the city, the company stopped at a gas station and took to the road with full tanks of gasoline. Along the route on both sides of the stretched mixed forest consisting of birches, pines, fir trees and various shrubs. Most of the trees have already turned yellow. The wind blew the leaves and they swirled in the air as in a waltz. On the roadsides here and there were mushroom pickers with buckets full of mushrooms and sold to passing drivers. The day was warm and Sunny, blue-blue sky hung a rare snow-white clouds. In front rode Dima on his Lexus in the company of his brother Sergei and his wife Olga, Maxim, George and Rex. They were followed by Toyota with Ksenia and Alex. Soon after, the jeep turned onto a forest road. Had to go slowly and carefully, as all the so-called road, was in the pits and potholes. Fifteen minutes later, went to a small lake, overgrown with reeds. The jeep stopped near the water. He turned out to be Dmitry, and after walking a little, surveyed the scene, gave the command to leave the cars:

– We will search for here, check the lake and the forest around.

Leaving the women next to cars, men set out to explore the countryside. Examined literally every Bush, looked if there were any newly dug earth. He collected and brought all the trash in the hope that it may be things missing girls. Finding nothing, decided to seek in the reeds. To do this, got a large stick and wearing high boots. Dima took the boat from the car and they, together with his brother, using sticks and oars were examined along and across the lake several times. Was looking, with short breaks for rest and food until it was getting dark. The boys made a fire and decided to rest and eat before returning home.

– It seems to me that if that was here, the crows would fly overhead. A whole day wasted – and gazed at the burning fire, said Dima. – It’s been so long – it is unlikely to find her alive.

– Yes, I think so too. – as the doom agreed Olga. – If kidnapped for ransom, and filed a claim, and it is not.

Alex, before sitting in silence and thinking about her, woke up from his thoughts:

– We She this morning was talking about it. If the girl was kidnapped for ransom, we could keep anyone in the garage or at the cottage. But after such raised sensation could be frightened and get rid of it. To withdraw now they can’t, since the risk of getting caught. Tomorrow let’s look in the garage. The dog is – can that smells. Need some thing. To open the garages of course we cannot – it is the prerogative of the police, but if the dog finds anything, we can call the police.

– Where do we get the thing? ‘asked Ksenia.

– I saw in the Internet phone page mothers Nadi Margarita Timofeeva and classmates. We can call her and ask Nadine thing! – looking at sitting around the campfire and as if seeking their approval, said Maxim.

Sergei took out a cigarette and lit it:

– Why not? Who’s gonna call and negotiate?

– Let me, – looking at the rest said Olga. – Listen, and maybe invite the mother along on the search?

Because the opponents of this idea was not, we decided to call the girl’s mother if she will agree.

– Yur, what are you thinking about? – turned to him Dima.

Yura sat on his haunches before the fire and swaying back and forth:

– You can try, but the dog may not smell. If she was killed, we could bury the corpse and sprinkled with spices, or lime from the smell. There was a case recently – the stepfather killed her stepdaughter and buried it in the barn, and the top was sprinkled with spices. The dog didn’t smell. It then split and he showed the place where he buried. I think a good look around the area their home?

All were silent. First decided to break the silence Olga:

– Scary to think about it, I rid myself of these thoughts, but according to statistics, 90% of the cases of missing children blame relatives or friends. In the city many suspect family say relatives acting very strange from the beginning. The mother is confused in indications. She said that Nadia had with a phone, said phone at home is broken. But where then she called Nadia if Nadia had no phone? The school she came in about three hours, judging by the interview the teacher. Where was she all this time if she has an alibi and the other relatives? And why Nadia went missing on the day of arrival the mother watch? All very strange…

Xenia has her hands to her face and shook his head:

– No, no, don’t want to believe this! It just boggles the mind! I don’t believe that the mother is capable of!

Alex hugged his wife and pressed her to him:

– Come on, this is just a guess. Nothing is known. Everything can be…

Chapter 5

The next morning, Olga called Margarita. She agreed to give Nadia a thing. Agreed to meet in the home of Timofeev. About ten o’clock in the morning yesterday the company arrived at the house at the address Voroshilovsky 91.

House Timofeev was a simple one storey wooden house, painted in blue and green paint. Fenced around by a fence of metal sheets, which once was green, but now the paint is all chipped off and burnt in the sun. In the yard there were buildings: a barn, a bath with a summer kitchen and a wooden toilet. In front of the house was a small garden in which are planted flowers, Apple trees and raspberry bushes. Behind the house a vegetable garden, where grew mostly potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. Such homes make up the majority of the Russian villages and settlements, as well as areas of the private sector in the cities.

Olga dialed Margaret. Two minutes from the gates of the house came out 25 years old girl in tight shapely figure in jeans and blue t-shirt on the narrow straps, medium height with dark, bobbed under “Kare” hair and really bright makeup on his face and invited guests at the house.

– I’m Rita’s sister – Sonia – said the girl guests.

Inside the house were three small rooms and a kitchen. Instead of doors over the openings of the curtains were nailed, on which hung a crimson plush curtain. In the kitchen stood a small table covered with oilcloth with images of vegetables and fruits. Around the table some old chairs, painted with paint. At the table sat three figures: a woman of thirty, very similar to Sonia, only in contrast with bleached hair and a little older, and two men. The men were about the same age – thirty years old or younger. One of them with a bright, slightly reddish hair and gray eyes. Was dressed in athletic light gray pants and white t-shirt. He seemed fairly simple-as Ivan from a fairy tale. Second, on the contrary, looked like a lady – with a stylish haircut on her head, tight, beautiful figure white t-shirt and dark pants. Xenia noticed oil narrowed blue eyes on himself. Ksenia even thought that a man tries to seduce her, even though I was next to his wife. In the middle of the table on a wooden stand stood a large cast-iron frying pan with fried potatoes. Next metal bowl with a salad of cucumbers and tomatoes with onions, chunks of bread, a plate of sliced cooked sausage and bacon, a two-liter plastic bottle of beer, and glasses with spoons and forks. The woman rose from the table and walked over to the guests.

– Hello, it’s you, Margarita, Mama Nadi? several asked Olga approached the woman.

Olga was surprised that the Margarita was absolutely calm, no sign of grief on the woman’s face was not. On the contrary, it was evident that Margaret cares for him mentioned that she was in full makeup and with the hair on his head.

– Yes, I am the mother of Nadia. You asked for something, I’ll have a look. – Margaret replied, going to one of the rooms.

After a while she came out and gave Olga a baby pink blouse with rhinestones. Olga neatly folded baby thing and put it in the pocket of his windbreaker.

– Maybe you want to come with us on the search? We have room in the car for three more. – asked Sergey to the inhabitants of the house.

Margaret shrugged her shoulders and said to red:

– Andrew! What will it be?

– Go, – agreed the man.

Everyone, this is my husband Andrew, and it’s sister Sonia and her husband, Sasha, is pointing at them on the other said Margarita.

– Where you want to go? asked Lovelace Sasha.

– Want to check the garages in the area of sewage treatment facilities and in other places. We have a dog that can smell that thing now… Nadina replied Dmitry.

– I can’t go – I have a small child, now asleep. pointing towards one of the rooms said Sonya. – And you go.

Margarita with her husband and Alexander decided to go separately to his car. Garage complex, where they were heading, was located two kilometers from the house Timofeev, near sewage treatment facilities. Decided to walk around the whole area and thoroughly examine not only garages, but the areas around the garages. Dima took Rex’s leash and walked along the garages, stopping at each separately. Margarita and Olga were walking. Margarita knocked on the door and tried to shout to her daughter, hoping that she will hear it. The others went to explore the territory nearby. The people were few – a couple of car owners were each engaged in their business. Someone repaired the car, and someone dried the potatoes, scattering on the bags. Garages were located in several rows. At the end in the Bush were 20 pieces of old illegally-built metal garages, seemingly long abandoned. Around them lay a bunch of junk and old rusted parts from cars. Dmitry called brother:

– May try to break the locks and inspect the garages, there’s no one there?

– What! See – head Snitch! – Sergei looked around grinning.

– Yes we are careful nobody will see, get the tool from the machine!

Brother after some hesitation, went to the jeep, and ten minutes brought a small suitcase with tools:

– If it’s on you!

Dima a bit of hacking with the lock, opened it.

– Stay here and keep watch. I’ll look in the garage.

Dmitry took a lantern and went inside with Rex. Margaret walked behind them.

– Come on, Rex, look!

Inside the garage was littered with piles of junk: there were boards, old kitchen furniture, against the wall stood a ratty old sofa, the whole corner was full of old yellowed Newspapers and magazines alternated with plates. Dima shone the flashlights into every nook and ceiling:

– It is necessary to examine the cellar.

Lifting the metal cover on the floor, Dima lit pit: down a wooden staircase led.

– Nadia! cried Margaret. – Can you hear me? Are you here?

– I’ll go, – said Dima and climbed down the stairs.

– What is it? do Xenia.

Not really, there’s no one, ' said Dmitry.

Coming out of the garage and closed it behind him, began to decide what to do next. Dima looked at his companions and brother, who was on the lookout a little to the side and asked how strongly they are:

– Well, will continue to be open?

– Well we’re at it, let’s go to the end! – said Xenia.

So, one after another opened several garages, but the girls in them turned out. Going into the garage next to our search saw on the floor the mountain white – it turned out to be lime.

– Ksyusha, do you remember what Yuri was talking about lime? – looking at Ksenia, Dima said.

– Yes… – nodded Xenia.

– We need to rake this pile and see if there’s a body.

Dima found among various junk a shovel and began to dig lime.

– What are you doing?! with horror looking at them in turn, asked Margarita. – Are you looking for a corpse?

Dmitry and Xenia were looking at each other and lowered her eyes to the floor:

– Look, your daughter’s been gone for so long, you really still hope to find her alive? – with some pity in his voice, as to terminally-ill person asked Xenia to the girl’s mother.

I’m looking for the daughter live! – almost shouted Margarita.

In the garage was hard, awkward silence.

– Hey, guys! Policemen arrived! Quickly let’s go! – looking in the garage, in a whisper hissed Sergei.

Hastily closing his garage door Dima, and the girl walked away. Sergei walked over to the guys and quietly said:

Someone called the police. We’re kind of quiet, really saw? In addition to our no one knew…

In a minute to the company of two policemen. One of them, who said:

– Hello! Broken? Here you are complaint was received. Called and said you go and the garages open?

– Comrade policeman, we’re not doing anything wrong, we’re looking for a girl who got lost, Nadia Timofeev! – tried to appease the police Xenia. Is her mom! Ksenia waved his hand in standing at a distance Margarita.

– Received a signal that you are open other people’s garages, insisted the policeman.

– It’s all true, we did not do anything illegal! Believe me! We just go and search the area around! We understand that you cannot open someone else’s property! – tried to convince Dima, her eyes wide and hanging over the COP that was almost a head shorter than him.

– So, let’s get outta here, that neither you, nor we had no problems – decided to handle this kind of situation the policeman.

– Well! Well! We’re leaving anyway, don’t worry! Guys, let’s get in the car! – hurriedly waved his hands Dima, showing the cops that everything will be hunky-Dory.

– Come on, goodbye, goodbye policeman with the guys, so want to find your daughter, ' he said to Margaret.

– Thank you…

On this day, the search had to be suspended. The whole company went to their cars. Before leaving, Margarita came to the boys and said: