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Please enjoy this beginning of a short story. You can download the full story in pdf form with the button on the bottom of the page, for free.
Helsinki
Homicide: Christmas on Duty
A Short Story
By Jarkko Sipilä
Introduction:
In some careers, you are always on duty, even on holidays like Christmas. One such career is a police officer’s. Detective Lieutenant Kari Takamäki is preparing for Christmas Eve festivities when the phone rings. He is the main character of Jarkko Sipilä’s Helsinki Homicide series. The pock-cheeked, dark-complexioned lieutenant is an experienced detective in Helsinki PD Violent Crimes Unit. Approaching fifty, he lives in Espoo. Suhonen is Takamäki’s undercover officer and close friend. He lives alone in Kallio.
Story:
“From heav'n on high I come to you, I bring to you glad tidings new, I bring to you good tidings new…”
The congregation somberly dragged out the hymn, except for one older lady wearing a fur coat, whose voice rose to opera pitch.
Detective Lieutenant Kari Takamäki wasn’t curious about her voice, but rather how she still managed to keep on her fur coat. Espoo’s fifteenth-century old gray-stone church was packed, as usual on Christmas Eve. It was oppressively hot. Takamäki had folded his own navy blue winter coat on his knees.
“Glad tiding of great joy I bring…”
Takamäki’s wife, Kaarina, sat on his left, and the two boys, stretched nearly to adult heights, on his right. Christmas mass had been a family tradition for years.
Takamäki felt his cell phone vibrating in his sport coat. Luckily, he had remembered to put it on vibrate, as his ring tone, a cruiser’s siren, would have broken the mood of the service. He dug the phone out anyway. Kaarina frowned at her husband, but kept singing.
The caller was Suhonen. The undercover officer’s specialty was career-criminals and repeat offenders. He was coming for Christmas dinner at the Takamäkis. Takamäki hoped he wasn’t calling to cancel.
“To you this night was born a child…”
He couldn’t answer in the middle of the service. His phone flashed the time and the screen went dark. Immediately, the screen started flashing again. Suhonen again. What was wrong? Now he’d have to answer.
Takamäki squeezed out of the row, phone in hand, and headed to the back door apologetically.Luckily, there was only one couple on the other side of his boys.
The church yard was slush and mud, since the temperature had risen above freezing just after it snowed a couple of days ago. Even the sky disregarded Christmas and seemed frozen in November gray. Two missed calls. Takamäki called Suhonen.
Ice Cold Crime, LLC
A Short Story
By Jarkko Sipilä
Introduction:
In some careers, you are always on duty, even on holidays like Christmas. One such career is a police officer’s. Detective Lieutenant Kari Takamäki is preparing for Christmas Eve festivities when the phone rings. He is the main character of Jarkko Sipilä’s Helsinki Homicide series. The pock-cheeked, dark-complexioned lieutenant is an experienced detective in Helsinki PD Violent Crimes Unit. Approaching fifty, he lives in Espoo. Suhonen is Takamäki’s undercover officer and close friend. He lives alone in Kallio.
Story:
“From heav'n on high I come to you, I bring to you glad tidings new, I bring to you good tidings new…”
The congregation somberly dragged out the hymn, except for one older lady wearing a fur coat, whose voice rose to opera pitch.
Detective Lieutenant Kari Takamäki wasn’t curious about her voice, but rather how she still managed to keep on her fur coat. Espoo’s fifteenth-century old gray-stone church was packed, as usual on Christmas Eve. It was oppressively hot. Takamäki had folded his own navy blue winter coat on his knees.
“Glad tiding of great joy I bring…”
Takamäki’s wife, Kaarina, sat on his left, and the two boys, stretched nearly to adult heights, on his right. Christmas mass had been a family tradition for years.
Takamäki felt his cell phone vibrating in his sport coat. Luckily, he had remembered to put it on vibrate, as his ring tone, a cruiser’s siren, would have broken the mood of the service. He dug the phone out anyway. Kaarina frowned at her husband, but kept singing.
The caller was Suhonen. The undercover officer’s specialty was career-criminals and repeat offenders. He was coming for Christmas dinner at the Takamäkis. Takamäki hoped he wasn’t calling to cancel.
“To you this night was born a child…”
He couldn’t answer in the middle of the service. His phone flashed the time and the screen went dark. Immediately, the screen started flashing again. Suhonen again. What was wrong? Now he’d have to answer.
Takamäki squeezed out of the row, phone in hand, and headed to the back door apologetically.Luckily, there was only one couple on the other side of his boys.
The church yard was slush and mud, since the temperature had risen above freezing just after it snowed a couple of days ago. Even the sky disregarded Christmas and seemed frozen in November gray. Two missed calls. Takamäki called Suhonen.
Ice Cold Crime, LLC
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