The Hofman family home

 

Please let’s not talk about it over breakfast.

 

But Hynek…

 

…we just want to know why you suddenly drove off…

 

… in the middle of the night to some park or wherever?

 

Have I never done that before?

 

You have. But you always told us about it later.

 

But not now, in front of the children.

 

Don’t talk about it then!

 

Hang on, Val. How do you know it’s something horrid?

 

Mother, you know that goes with my job!

 

POLICE

 

All we wanted to know is where you were all night.

 

I was working!

 

Now you have to tell us everything, Hynek.

 

Sometimes I think you’re enjoying it.

 

We’re just nosy females.

 

You should be glad we take an interest in your work.

 

OK, tell Arnošt to cover his ears.

 

Why should I cover my ears, daddy?

 

Just cover your ears for a moment, Arnošt!

 

In a nutshell, someone cut this woman’s face last night.

 

Or rather, made mincemeat out of it. There’s almost nothing left. And her sister who found her has had a breakdown. There – happy now?

 

Why? Why would anyone do such a thing? What kind of monster does that? That’s not human.

 

Daddy, can I listen now? My ears and hands are sore.

 

I won’t talk about it anymore.

 

You can take your hands off your ears, Arnošt.

 

And did he kill her?

 

So where would you like to celebrate your birthday, mum?

 

I don’t want to discuss it now.

 

I’d rather discuss your birthday over breakfast than a poor woman who’s had her face hacked off by some nutcase!

 

What?

 

How about we go to the Italian, the one we went to after Val’s entrance exam?

 

It’s all the same to me.

 

The pasta there was quite disgusting.

 

Oh please, you find everything disgusting.

 

Not everything.

 

So some things are not disgusting, only quite disgusting?

 

What’s not disgusting, then, Val?

 

Loads of things.

 

Dad, do I know that lady?

 

Which lady?

 

The one who had her face hacked off?

 

Great! Now see what you’ve done?

 

Was it the builders who did it?

 

Why do you think it was the builders, Arnošt?

 

Nobody has hacked off anything, my boy.

 

OK, I’ll book the pizzeria then. Or I can book somewhere else.

 

I don’t mind. I’d rather not celebrate.

 

You can’t not celebrate your eightieth, mum.

 

Good morning, doctor.

 

I’ve been wondering if it’s you or not. And now I see that…

 

Sorry, but I don’t…

 

Garyš. Jan Garyš.

 

You don’t remember me?

 

But this is all your work, doctor.

 

Oh, I see. Burns?

 

Yes, fourth degree.

 

I never got a chance to thank you properly.

 

You’ve given me my life back.

 

That’s what I do, Mr Garyš.

 

Doctor, I…

 

Please, may I give you…

 

… a little hug?

 

Criminal Police Headquarters

DSI Šašek’s office

 

Věra Dietlová lives with her sister Veronika.

 

They are twins. Fifty-two years old. The two are supported by their rich relatives. They lead a quiet life. It was Veronika who found her sister.

 

She went looking for her when she didn’t return from the dry cleaner’s.

 

She hasn’t said much yet. She’s in shock, traumatised.

 

Guys, these pictures are horrific.

 

Sorry I didn’t make it to the crime scene last night. A domestic crisis. Martin didn’t get a place at nursery school, well he did, but only from next year, we had to pull some strings … you know how it is. Suddenly it was ten o’clock. Too late… But Otčenášek said you have everything under control.

 

OK, to business. What do you make of this case?

 

Witnesses say she was last seen yesterday with her friend and…

 

… neighbour Josefa Hubačová at Café Engel.

 

I see.

 

So we have a lead. How do you suggest we proceed?

 

We go to the hospital.

 

Try to speak to her.

 

You mean Hubačová, the neighbour?

 

No, the victim… She seems to be in severe shock. Then we’ll have a word with her sister and Hubačová and check out the café.

 

All right, lads. That’s a plan. We have to crack this ASAP. Can we?

 

Yes, we can.

 

One more thing. Zinner, if you’re not feeling up to it, after what you’ve been through, you know I mean… you have every right to have a break. I can re-assign the case.

 

I’ll be fine.

 

OK, but if you need anything, I mean not just in terms of work… you know where to find me.

 

Hm.

 

I’ll be here till three thirty today.

 

City Hospital

 

Yummy.

 

Hello, doctor. I’m detective Hofman and this is DS Zinner.

 

Nice to meet you. Vavřincová.

 

Despite this tragedy, not all is lost.

 

We’ve not just her photo to go by. Even better, we have her twin sister, Veronika.

 

So I have a model for the facial reconstruction, the sister. You understand?

 

That’s interesting, but can we see her now?

 

You can, but before you do, you should have a word with Dr Sýkora.

 

Who’s Dr Sýkora?

 

The psychiatrist.

 

And where is he?

 

He’s just popped out.

 

“In a bright stream a moody trout…

 

…passed by in a haste like an arrow…”

 

I see. I hope he’ll be back soon.

 

It’s severe post-traumatic shock. Her psychological trauma has obviously been triggered by this attack, but I believe the cause lies much deeper.

 

Much, much deeper.

 

In her childhood.

 

Pardon?

 

It goes back to her childhood. Isn’t that what you always say?

 

Who do you mean by “you”?

 

Why don’t we go and have a look at Miss Dietl?

 

You shrinks…

 

I see.

 

A little later, in the hospital garden

 

Miss Dietl, I appreciate how hard this must be for you, but we need you to tell us again exactly how you found your sister.

 

I’m sorry. I’m also sorry about yesterday, I couldn’t think straight, I thought I was going mad. It was all like a dream… The ambulance… The drive… drive to the hospital. I was terribly worried about Věrka…

 

That’s understandable, Miss Dietl.

 

I keep seeing it before me… It’s all so vivid. So horribly vivid.

 

Well, anything you can recall, any detail could help us.

 

Yes, I understand. Let’s begin.

 

Věrka went to the dry cleaner’s. It was high time to have our dusty fur coats cleaned.

 

But she didn’t go straight there. She met Josefa Hubačová at the café first.

 

I know nothing about that. Or about that woman.

 

See you at eight tonight?

 

You didn’t know her?

 

Only the way neighbours know each other. We haven’t exactly hit it off.

 

But she and her sister did hit it off, right?

 

I don’t know, I suppose so.

 

Did you have a problem with that?

 

Why should I have a problem with that?

 

Well, maybe she and your sister got on better?

 

Better than what?

 

Better than with you.

 

Miss Dietl, please tell us what happened next. How did you find your sister…

 

She didn’t!

 

Věra didn’t, I mean, she doesn’t get on with her… She just feels sorry for the woman. Her husband is an alcoholic, a wreck… And she can’t bring herself to leave him. She keeps pestering Věrka, asking her for advice. Keeps dragging her places… And Věrka is too nice to send her packing. She’s too kind… But I don’t understand, why are you’re asking me about that? What are you driving at?

 

We’re not driving at anything. How did you find your sister, Miss Dietl?

 

When Věrka took too long to come back, I suddenly started to tremble, I had pins and needles all over.

 

I couldn’t move. I was scared. Věrka was supposed to help me make the salad. She knew I was waiting for her.

 

That’s something you can’t understand unless you have a twin. Or maybe you have one?

 

Ever since we were very young, we’ve always known when something happened to the other one. When I broke my arm in first form, Věrka was in bed with the flu and she knew straight away. She told our mum but the poor dear thought it was Věrka’s fever talking.

 

Someone has sliced off part of my sister’s face.

 

Like you slice a cake.

 

She’d fainted. I didn’t…

 

I didn’t even know if she was still alive… She didn’t seem to be breathing…

 

Excuse me but I can’t…

 

… talk about it now…

 

REWARD! Lost dog

 

Translated by Julia and Peter Sherwood