The Considerate Killer by Agnete Friis, Lene Kaaberbøl Read Free Book Online Page A

beach toward town, Diana with a cigarette in one slender hand. Their long hair fluttered in the wind.
    â€œThen let’s go diving,” said Vadim definitively. “Hunting. Like real men do.”
    The diving equipment was stowed in a couple of boxes in the bottom of the boat. No oxygen or anything like that. That was too complicated, said Vadim. What they needed was some weights, a mask, flippers, and a harpoon. With a bit of luck they’d be able to spear their dinner down in the deep.
    Vincent doubted that. He was a decent swimmer as a result of the many afternoons by the river at home, but he did not like to dive. He didn’t like the water’s pressure against his body and eardrums. It made him feel trapped.
    Vadim steered the boat along the coast until they reached the shelter of the steep, forested slope. High above their heads dark green treetops leaned out across the water, and a couple of monkeys rustled among the branches, appearing and disappearing with an insulted cackling. The water was turquoise under the boat.
    â€œHow deep do you think it is?” asked Vadim.
    He chucked the anchor overboard, and with a faint whir the chain began to disappear into the deep.
    Vincent leaned over the railing and looked down. Despite the deepening blue under the fragmented surface he could clearly see the sandy bottom, with small tufts of coral and vegetation. A black-and-white sea snake swam past in perfect S-curves and disappeared in the deeper shadows underneath the cliff.
    â€œFive meters, maybe a little more?” he volunteered.
    Vadim began to rummage around in the diving gear in the boxes.
    â€œIt’s almost nine meters deep,” he said and smiled. “I’ve gone diving here a couple of times. It’s a cool place. Lots of fish both close to the cliff and a little further out.”
    He pointed to a dark blue shadow which revealed the presence of a sandbank with yet more coral. Then he threw diving goggles and flippers into Victor’s arms.
    The big man smiled broadly and pulled a Coke out of the ice chest.
    â€œI’ll stay up here and watch the boat. That suits me.”
    â€œWimps won’t get any fish tonight,” said Vadim and slapped his shoulder casually. “Why the hell won’t you dive? It’s against nature for a Filipino.”
    Victor shrugged. He was from Angeles, a few hundred kilometers north of Manila and far from the coast.
    â€œI grew up in a rice paddy,” he said with not even a tiny sign of apology, and as if that was a sufficient explanation. Then he moved to sit next to outboard of the little powerboat. His weight made the boat tip dangerously.
    â€œThen it’ll be you and me, Vincent,” said Vadim and handed Vincent his equipment. Diving goggles, flippers and a belt with lead weights.
    â€œIs this really necessary?” Victor had picked up one of the lead belts and weighed it in his hand.
    Vadim looked at him with irritation.
    â€œYes, unless you have huge balls of steel. Who’s the expert here, you or me? I wasn’t aware you had done a lot of diving courses in that rice paddy if yours.”
    â€œNo, but . . .”
    â€œIt gives you better balance in the water. And Vincent will descend faster. He’ll need the extra time, he doesn’t have as much experience as me.”
    A warm wind swept across the boat and ruffled the surface of the water faintly. Vincent had started to sweat a lot. The T-shirt he had pulled on to shield his already sunburned shoulders was almost soaked through with sweat.
    â€œI can’t dive nine meters,” he said then. “I can barely hold my breath for nine seconds. If I can get down there at all, I won’t have time to get up again.”
    â€œDon’t worry.” Vadim put an arm around Vincent’s shoulder and smiled encouragingly. “I’ll be down there, and I’ve done it lots of times. You don’t even smoke. You’ll be fine.