The Queen of Thieves (The Moonwind Mysteries) by Johan Rundberg

Author:Johan Rundberg [Rundberg, Johan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amazon Crossing Kids
Published: 2024-03-05T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

Early in the morning, a procession of laborers are moving like lemmings along Stora Bondegatan, in the south of the city. But as most of them filter off in the direction of the large soap factory, one figure keeps going. Mika stops in front of the high boarded wall that surrounds the plot next to the factory. She looks around warily before pushing aside a loose board and slipping in through the gap.

The ground slopes slightly down to three inconspicuous sheds. Mika crosses the jumbled site, keeping a careful eye out for trip wires or bare patches without grass. When she gets to the middle shed, she knocks on the door three times, pauses briefly, then knocks twice more. The same signal as the one she heard tapped against the prison cell wall just twenty-four hours ago. Soon a hatch opens in the door, and Tekla’s freckled face appears in the aperture.

“Hello, Mika,” she says. “I like your new style. You’re looking pretty sprightly for someone who’s supposed to be dead.”

Tekla laughs out loud at her own joke, then closes the hatch and unlocks the door.

“What do you want?”

“Can you teach me how to pick a lock?” asks Mika.

“Why not just blow up the door instead?” Tekla suggests. “It’s much faster. And a lot more fun.”

“No thanks,” Mika answers quickly. “My ears are still ringing from the last explosion.”

Tekla looks a little disappointed.

“Well, you’re in luck,” she says. “Doris has just come back from the Palace.”

“Palace . . . ?”

Tekla laughs at Mika’s confused expression.

“Not the Palace, of course. She’s been at Konradsberg.”

Mika blushes. Konradsberg is a mental hospital in Marieberg, and she knows full well that some people nickname it the Madman’s Palace.

“Doris isn’t part of my usual team,” Tekla explains as they walk over to the shed nearest the factory. “She works for herself. The types of people who hire her deal with completely different things from us. So don’t ask about anything that’s not your business. All right?”

Mika nods firmly. What sort of person is this Doris? Maybe coming here was a mistake, but it’s too late to change her mind now. Tekla knocks and the door opens. A woman is standing in front of them. She looks about twenty-five years old, but she’s not much taller than Mika. She’s dressed as a carpenter in coarse slacks with her shirt tucked in and suspenders. A few strands of dark hair stick out from underneath a knitted hat.

“This is Mika, a friend of mine,” says Tekla. “She needs to learn how to pick a lock.”

The woman looks at Mika with a calm, friendly expression.

“You’ve come to the right place,” she says. “I’m Doris. Come in.”

Mika steps through the doorway while Tekla stays outside.

It’s not a large shed, but it contains a fully equipped carpentry workshop with a workbench, saw stand, and tools all hung up neatly. The floor is covered in a thick layer of wood chips and shavings. A carved cabinet stands in the middle of the room and reaches almost all the way up to the ceiling.

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