Murders on the island of Wolin. A new crime novel by the winner of the Grand Caliber Award [FRAGMENT]

Someone kills the tutors of the old orphanage on the island of Wolin. The traces lead deep into the past and to a small town on the Szczecin Lagoon. Did any of its inhabitants have a motive to take many people’s lives? And has the murderer really finished his work? Participating in the investigation are Nina Warwiłow, who came to the area on vacation. It turns out, however, that many bad things have happened in the beautiful nature, and a small community hides dark secrets…

The sixth novel from Jędrzej Pasierski’s best-selling series of detective stories about Commissioner Nina Warwiłow has just been published. You can read a fragment of the latest part only with us.

An excerpt from Jędrzej Pasierski’s novel “The Dead Cliff”

What did Szymon Kacperski expect? That the living legend of the Polish police will turn out to be a petite brunette with a calm, almost timid look of green eyes? Based on the spreading stories about Nina Warwiłow, which easily reached even Greater Poland, he imagined some titan, Horpyna. The woman before him was slender, almost frail, though she did not appear weak.

“When I heard…” he started, because he was a little confused. – Sorry. Deputy Commissioner Szymon Kacperski.

He bowed, somewhat in spite of himself. Ceremoniously, as in Japanese. Nina didn’t even blink an eye, she continued to watch him.

“Oh,” was all she said. – Nina…

“I know who you are.

“You don’t need to call me Mrs.

“Thank you,” he replied, though he struggled for a moment. Respect for the police heroine made it difficult for him to accept this offer. “You’re probably wondering why I came.” Everything moves very quickly here. Island or no island, but this is such a community. your world.

Cezary Mogielnicki continued to stand aside, good-naturedly pleased with what was happening. He, among other things, spread all this information. Nina looked like she was thinking about something. And then she reached out and squeezed Kacperski’s hand tightly.

The investigator turned his gaze on Mogielnicki as meaningfully as he could to show his police authority.

It worked. Mogielnicki withdrew and hid inside.

“I’m sorry, but you came here because…” Nina began.

– Yes?

– To me?

– Relax. It’s not your ward.

“So what did you come with?”

– Don’t you read the press?

She shrugged.

“There are homicides,” he added. “I mean, we try to keep the newspapers… we don’t disclose all the information…”

Silence. She waited. She seemed uninterested.

– I know. I was reading something,” she said finally.

– And?

– And? – She smiled. Then she shook her head. “No, you must be joking.”

– On what topic?

She looked at the watch on her wrist.

“Sorry, I had to see what time it was.” I was afraid I fell into a time hole, but we actually met five minutes ago.

– What do you want to say?

“Are you expecting a hypothesis from me?”

He didn’t answer and she laughed. Naturally. She had charm. Maybe that was it – the best investigator had all these instruments in his hand. There were opinions that Varvilov could be ruthless. But it didn’t feel artificial. He thought she was just a cop and did her job when the time was right.

“Do you take me for some kind of miracle worker?”

– And for whom? You are a true legend.

“Sounds like I’m very, very old.”

She shook her head, and he had the impression that she fixed him with a searching gaze.

“The worst or the best… I don’t know if I should tell you.”

– It depends.

“It depends… It’s just that when I look at you, that’s what I think about.” You remind me a lot of someone I know.

– Is it good or bad?

“He was the best cop I’ve ever worked with.

– I see.

“Physically,” she added. “Because I have no idea how you work yet, do I?”

he blushed. Each question was a gentle test. Investigating personality, smartness, self-confidence. As if she was actually building his portrait – but so subtly and freely that he couldn’t catch her doing anything. Not only did he imagine her differently, but he’d never worked with an investigator talking that way.

But that’s what was said about her. Nobody claimed to be a tank. Rather, it can adapt to the place, understand how it works. That it sticks to where it is, not that it rams it. That he tries to understand its climate and specificity.

And he asked himself why he wanted to meet her. Why couldn’t he deny it? He knew he was looking at her with admiration, and that Nina could see it, but he couldn’t help it. He wasn’t attracted to her as a woman – especially since the myth had only recently taken human form. But he wanted to meet her, to see her work.

He supposed that this adoration was visible, that Varvilov saw it in his eyes and gestures. And that he came here. He suddenly felt like a schoolboy working with some clumsy, blunt tools.

“Sure,” he murmured softly.

She nudged him lightly on the arm. She seemed laid back.

“Listen, I…

“It’s obvious you don’t know anything about me,” he interrupted her. “Do you want to know about the case?”

“I’m not here on business.” But just tell me.

He reported.

“What am I supposed to tell you now?” she asked. – I understand that we operate on the entire island of Wolin. That the perpetrator is mobile. Not that he has a car, she continued, seeing the look on his face, but that he’s got great directions. There’s a lot of work to be done with murder. He runs wide and is probably just as comfortable in the city as he is in nature. Optimistic thinking, we do not go beyond the island of Wolin. How much area does it have?

“Two hundred and sixty-five square kilometers.

– I see. Of course, the perpetrator might have left already, right? On the other hand… we are looking for a needle in a haystack anyway. Besides, I’ll tell you what is rather obvious to you.

– Yes?

“The murderer may not have finished yet.

His throat was dry.

“There are no more living educators.

She shrugged.

“But no one said the killer had completed his mission.

“So what do you think about all this?”

“You want me to give you a theory based on scratch cards? I don’t even ask if you’ve already interviewed former pupils…

He nodded.

“I spoke to several people. They sound like a cult, he said, blushing a little in spite of himself. – Nothing happens, the place was idyllic against the backdrop of post-war conflagration and so on. But you know what, I’ll get the truth out of them. Everyone says how great it was. There were no gaps, for sure.

– Really?

“Yes,” he emphasized again. – I’ll find them.

He paused and after a moment asked:

– Do you have an hour free?

– Yes.

“Then come with me.”

– Come?

– It doesn’t require a car.

They went out on the road. Maybe it wasn’t very elegant of him to pull it out because it was raining lightly now. But she looked well-prepared—wearing a Goretex jacket and waterproof boots. The wind was pushing and making it difficult to move around Bolenia. Fifteen minutes later they passed the last houses.

“You are leading me into the forest,” she said, “not to say into the bushes.

– A bit more.

She stopped as he turned right onto a dirt road.

“I know this place,” she said.

– Yes?

– I saw the building. Is it…

– Yes, this is the building.

“I have never seen an orphanage like this. Isn’t this some sort of palace?

“Probably, but that’s historical, isn’t it?” The German settlers left behind some great architecture, so something had to be done about it.

But it belonged to someone.

“It’s a topic you shouldn’t go into.

– Oh okay. Let’s not talk about property rights. And who does it belong to now?

– Confused. To several different entities. Not only the building. There are also areas below, including above the water. They were supposed to be used for the construction of a new marina sometime, or so I heard. For now, nothing is happening and I don’t know what about the investors … Shall we go?

– Yes.

They jumped over the fence. Behind him were thickets that were difficult to walk through. They passed the yard and came to a brick building. Kacperski opened the door, it seemed flimsy, like plywood.

“You are welcome,” he said.

“I prefer you.” – She smiled. And when he looked at her, she added, “Sorry, for me, we don’t have to come in here.” I have a baby and this floor is very insecure.

“I’m going to the lure.”

– Yes.

“When I die, tell others my story.”

she laughed.

He walked gently, shining his flashlight. The dust made him want to sneeze. They passed a large dark hall and climbed a staircase with broken steps. The upstairs corridor led to numerous rooms. To his surprise, there were still skeletons of beds and even broken nightstands. In other rooms – the remains of washbasins and toilets. Signs of former life. Hundreds, maybe thousands of children ran around here, grew up, matured.

In the corner of the last room, near the window with broken glass, there were clothes, as if they were moving out of here forcibly. Varvilov stepped closer. She examined them with a gloved hand, which she managed to pull out of her pocket. A cot like for a child, some lumber collected as if by a local Gollum.

“See anything?”

“No, no, I just…” She seemed thoughtful though.

“If you know anything…”

– NO. I’ll wait for you outside, because the fungus here will kill me.

she left. He followed her down long, high corridors. They left the building and stood under a spreading oak.

“Okay, can I help you somehow?” She turned her gaze on him.

He thought about his answer for a moment.

– Do you want?

“I don’t know,” she said. – I do not know yet, although my vacation has long been a fiction.

– I see.

“Are we going back to Bolenia?”

She turned to the goal. Suddenly determined, though at first she seemed uninterested. He seemed to want to leave this place quickly. He stopped her with a gesture.

– Nina, wait.

– Yes?

“I couldn’t resist coming to you.

Silence.

“I got you into this,” he added.

– Yes, you did, Szymon – she said, zipping her green jacket up to the neck because it was getting colder. “And now we have to live with it.”

“Dead Cliff” by Jędrzej Pasierski, Wydawnictwo Czarne 2023.