The Postcard Killers

    She hesitated a few seconds before answering, her eyes still on his. Then she made up her mind. “Okay,” she said and turned her bicycle around.

    It started to rain as they passed the Zinkensdamm metro station, almost halfway to the hostel.

    They started walking quickly. Jacob turned up the collar of his suede jacket, but the water still trickled down his back. He shivered in the cold.

    “I can give you a ride if you like,” she said. “If you have the guts to get on.”

    “On the bike?”

    She nodded. “Of course. Only if you dare.”

    He sat on the narrow luggage carrier at the back, holding on to her hips with both hands. She set a good pace, and they flew past a large church with two identical spires. Her thighs moved rhythmically and methodically. She was strong and obviously in good shape.

    He was suddenly overwhelmed with a memory of Lucy. She had once given him a ride like this in Brooklyn, a hundred years ago, a thousand years ago, before Kimmy, before the drugs and adulthood with all its complications came into the picture and shattered a perfect life for all of them. He jumped off as Dessie rolled into the parking lot in front of the youth hostel.

    “What are the rules?” she asked, taking off her helmet. “Are you allowed lady visitors in your room?”

    “I’m not about to ask for permission or about any rules,” Jacob said. “I’m a big boy now.”

    “Are you?”

    He pulled her to him, her body shaping itself to his. Her hair smelled fresh, like fruit again. He closed his eyes and felt her warmth through his jacket. She breathed lightly against his neck.

    Then he kissed her.

    She tasted of rain and corn on the cob.

Chapter 87

    THEIR CLOTHES ENDED UP in a heap just inside the door of the former prison cell.

    They didn’t even make it to the Finn’s lower bunk before she drew him to her. They landed on the floor and he slid into her with no resistance, his eyes catching hers.

    He could feel the room starting to spin and had time to think no, no, no, not yet before he came inside her with a hoarse roar. He sank down on top of her, hiding his face in her hair. Damn, what a failure. Coming after ten seconds. What must she think?

    But she kissed his hair as he lay there panting and trying to pull himself together. Then her hips started to move beneath him.

    At first he thought she wanted to get up, but when he went to move, she took a firm grip on his buttocks and held him to her, held him right there.

    “Relax and go with it,” she whispered in his ear as the swaying beneath him started up again. “Stay with me.”

    To his surprise he felt himself getting hard again almost immediately. He did as she said and allowed himself to be swayed by her rhythmic movements. Her whole body was sucking and pulling him into her, harder and deeper.

    He noticed he was starting to breathe heavily and join in, his pulse speeding up and throbbing in his head, and when he felt the dizziness come, he stopped and looked into her eyes. Her gaze was completely unfocused. She wasn’t far off now.

    “Come here,” he said in a gravelly voice, pulling out of her and lifting her up onto the bed.

    “What are you doing?” she asked.

    “Relax and go with it.”

    She stretched out on the lower bunk, her legs hard and sinewy, her stomach soft as velvet and her breasts firm and well shaped. He let his hand glide up along her thighs as he leaned forward to suck one of her nipples. Dessie groaned and her whole body shuddered.

    He sucked and licked her entire body, and when he finally pushed inside her again she leaned her head back and yelled. While the contractions were still convulsing her lower body, he felt the rushing noise in his head grow into an explosion that made all sound and vision disappear for him. When he came to his senses again, he realized he was freezing. He rolled to one side, sliding out of her. He fumbled for the covers beneath them and pulled them over their bodies.

    She looked at him, wide-eyed and surprised.

    “Wow,” she said.

Chapter 88

    DESSIE WAS STILL ASTONISHED at what had happened.

    When she accepted his invitation to stay at his place, she had made up her mind that nothing like this was going to happen. Her life was so turbulent just now that a messy affaire was the last thing she needed. Probably the last thing Jacob needed, too.

    “Wow?” he replied, and smiled.

    Now his eyes were warm again, that crazy blue, completely focused on her.

    This really wasn’t good at all. How could it be?

    She ought to get up at once and leave and face the damn reporters at her house.

    Instead she smiled back.

    “Dessie,” he whispered. “Dessie, Dessie, you’re pretty amazing, you know that?”

    She felt a warmth spread inside her, out from her stomach, her core.

    “Dessie,” he said again, this time in a questioning tone. “What sort of name is that anyway? Dessie? ”

    She cuddled up next to him. He pulled her closer so that she could rest her head on his chest. She let her fingers play on his skin, small, featherlike strokes.

    “I was christened Dйsirйe,” she said, “the least known of the Swedish princesses.”