Chapter I

 

With every ray of sunlight the summer came closer. Sara could feel it on her skin, the first evidence of changing seasons. From a really lovely and warm spring to the hottest season of the year, summer. Not that summer on the South Island was hot compared to other places, not up in Canterbury where she lived, but it could make you feel pretty warm and wish for a cold beer. Especially when you worked out in the sunshine. And that was what she did. She worked out. Kind of. Okay, okay, she was taking her dog for a walk on the beach north of Christchurch. Sumner and New Brighton were the most popular areas of the people living in and around Christchurch, but she preferred to be somewhere less crowded.

So did  Kurī, the mentioned dog, a happy and friendly four year old Golden Retriever. Always in a good mood, always up for a cuddle and - most of all - always hungry and looking for a treat. Then again, Sara never met a Golden Retriever, who wasn't hungry all the time and up to do whatever it took to get some treats: beg, whine, ask or even steal it. Being a police dog didn't stop her from knowing no right or wrong when it came to food. Or, she did know what was right and wrong, she just didn't care. Being a good dog didn't fill your stomach.

Sara herself forgot sometimes what was right and wrong, or didn't care enough about it, which was not the best attitude for a police detective. It was her job to care, to make sure the right thing was done and the wrong things prevented and if they happened, people had to be punished by a judge. As a cop, she was supposed to live up to certain rules and that was one big problem: She had never been perfect with rules. She knew them, she knew why there were rules and she also knew how to get around them. Some of them. Some rules just made no sense in her world.

So she knew it wasn't the best idea to let Kurī walk around off leash while she made herself comfortable in the warm sand with a book. Her dog was fine playing in the waves, chasing seagulls and if there was a rule, that didn't allow Kuri to have the time of her life, Sara didn't care. She cared much more about the book she started yesterday and couldn't put away for the better part of the night. Now, on this lonely beach and with the sun warming her, it was time to continue reading. There was a serial killer to catch.

Sometimes she wondered how she could read about crime all the time when it was her job to do exactly what most of the people in her books did. Or was it because she liked to read about things she knew. Although she often shook her head in disbelieve, when a story was so unreal that it was impossible to believe, it was a serious crime book. You had to stick to some basic rules and it was not possible to have DNA tested in two hours. At least not in reality, in TV shows they could do whatever they want in forty-five minutes. And when she was honest, she also loved these shows.

Or like in her book now, the killer escape on foot in a forest while the detective on a cross bike lost him. A cop on a cross bike was faster than a man on foot. A lot faster. To where was the suspect supposed to vanish? Up a tree? How handy, you wait until he comes down because he's thirsty. In a hole in the ground? You get up the bike and get him. Ride away on a deer? Welcome fantasy, welcome Santa and Rudolph.

With wet hair Kuri dropped next to her, panting and licking Sara's naked left foot shortly before she curled up and got herself ready to fall asleep. She had been running, chasing, swimming and playing, it was time to rest and get new energy for their way back to the car. And when Sara thought about it, it wasn't the worst idea. A little nap in the warm sunshine, with the sound of the ocean in the background. It made her kind of tired and her eyelids got heavier and heavier. Maybe a little nap, five minutes, ten most. A power nap. Yes, after a power nap she would be up for whatever the evening had to offer her.

 

"Ma'am? Ma'am? Are you all right?"

Sara opened her eyes slowly. Was somebody talking to her? Where was she? This wasn't her bed, this was not as comfortable and it was…sandy. The beach? Why the hell was she laying on the beach? Did she fall asleep?

"Ma'am? Ma'am can you hear me?"

She turned around to see where the voice came from and looked right at four hairy legs. Long legs, too long to be Kuri's and black, the wrong color. She lifted her head up so her eyes saw a body to the legs, a long neck, also in black and then she looked into two black eyes. Big black eyes. And nostrils. And then the horse snorted at her to smell her, find out, if she was dangerous or just a strange creature in the sand. A mermaid?

"Oh good, you're awake and look all right." The horse said. No, not the horse, what a stupid thing to think. She got her attention away from the black eyes and look further up to find a man on the horse, wearing short, a shirt, a helmet and shades.

"I am all right." She pushed her long blonde hair out of her face. Covered in sand. Great, she was a mummy.

"I wasn't sure, I saw you lying in the sand, you didn't move and nobody was around. I never saw somebody asleep on this part of the beach. It's rare people come here and when they do, they're in a group and don't sleep alone in the sand."

"Who says I'm alone?" Actually she was. Her dog, her watchdog, was gone. "Kuri?" Sara whistled once and her dog appeared from behind the dune. "You are supposed to look after me, protect me. Why weren't you here?"

A little bit guilty looking Kuri sat next to Sara, looked at the man and growled, like she wanted to show she was a good watchdog.

"Great, thanks, now I can protect myself."

"At least she tries."

"She failed. I think we have to go back to dog school. There are some courses she has to repeat."

"Don't be too hard on her, she's gorgeous."

"Which doesn't help when she's not around me." Sara got up and checked her watch. "Oh shit, it's past five." A power nap wasn't supposed to take longer than twenty minutes. Not almost an hour.

"Is that a problem?"

"If you're supposed to be in Christchurch at six and your car is almost half an hour away, yes it is."

"Every problem can be solved."

"The last time I checked beaming was only available for Captain Spock and not for us here on planet earth."

"Gosh, don't tell me you're a Trekkie."

"No, I'm not but he's the only one I can think of, who can beam himself to wherever he wants to be."

"How about a more old-fashioned way to get to your car?"

"Walking? Jogging?" Running was no option.

"Riding?" He offered her his hand and got his foot out of the stirrup.

"Are you serious?" The last time somebody asked her if she needed a ride, they offered a car. Now she was offered a real ride. On a horse.

"Are you afraid?"

"Not of horses."

"Of me?"

"No, even less than of the horse." She laughed. He wasn't a threat, she handed men worse than this young man.

"In this case, let Hoiho and me take you to your car."

"Hoiho? You named your horse 'Horse'?" And people called her crazy for calling her dog Kuri, the Maori word for dog. It looked like other people were crazy too.

"It had to be a name beginning with 'H' and I wanted something, that suited him. Horse suits him perfectly."

"And your parents called you Tangata or Tama?"

"No, they didn't name me Human Being or Son. It's Alex."

"It's seldom to find white Kiwi, who speak Maori." She herself wasn't fluent, only learnt it for a while to show some respect to the people, who lived here first.

"You know quite a few words too, wahine."

"It's Sara. Hoiho can carry us both?"

"He's a strong guy, with a big ego, he can carry us, yes. It's not like we're about to ride to the west coast, we want to get to the car park, right?"

"Right."

"Come up."

Sara hesitated a second before she got her foot into the stirrup, took Alex's hand and let him pull her up. It was the only way to get home on time. And much better than jogging to her car.

"Hold on to me, we let the young man ran. Kuri can keep up?"

"She better does, otherwise she misses dinner. Come on Kuri, time to go home, dinner time." Dinner time were words her dog understood. Happily Kuri started barking and jumping around Hoiho.

"Off we go." Alex gave his horse the sign to walk. After a few steps he trotted and only seconds later they flew in a nice and fast canter down the beach towards the car park, Kuri right behind them, not barking anymore, trying to keep up with them. Sara had to admit, this was a comfortable way to get back to her car. It had been a while she sat on a horse, it felt good to have all the power under her and her second thoughts, if she could keep her balance, were forgotten very fast.