New Year’s gift

28 december 2024 years. Kurskaya oblast. General headquarters counties

On the street he was crackling frost, and windows in the office general Sergei Smirnova covered up thin icy cobwebs. He stood u windows, looking on the white, lifeless we ate, as if listening k which one-that’s it internal voice. IN THE office quietly they were ticking clock. Holidays they were approaching, but u him not was neither moods, neither time on the tinsel.

Door it opened slightly, and adjutant without knocking he spoke:

– Comrade general, only what I came summary from village Ur. Unofficially. Corpse. Man. Heart carved. All done… very much weird.

Smirnov even not turned around. Only I lit a cigarette. Tobacco smelled bitterly:

– Ur?.. Damn it, even name suitable. What s local?

– They say, the chief police – in the shock. Murder on the place, how as if dramatization. All village in the panic.

Smirnov slowly turned around, looking straight ahead in the face a subordinate:

– Lift it up archive. Let it be Zalesskaya he’ll come in. Straight ahead now.

Anna Sergeevna Zalesskaya I sat in the corridor opposite oak doors. Her coat was unzipped, hair collected in the strict tail. Her face not expressed none emotions, but in the eyes it sparkled voltage. She I knew, if they are calling not by by phone – the matter serious.

Door she opened up. Smirnov he waved by hand:

– Come in, Anna.

She she entered. I closed it for yourself door:

– I’m listening, comrade general.

He he nodded and threw it on the table a folder. Several photo they fell out: body men, lying down on the the floor in the old home. On the breasts – traces knife, in the center yawned black hole.

– Heart carved. Snowflake drawn blood. Neighbors we heard, how he is he screamed, but they were afraid go.

Anna she frowned. Flipping through photo, she is I asked to myself questions: “Who? Why? Why so revealingly?”

– Village Ur. The wilderness. Eight hundred residents. Police there… well, you you see, – continued general.

– To you needed profile, – calm down she said Anna. – Or you want to, to i am there let’s go?

– Both. U us three day to the New years. I am want to, to you I left today. You’ll take it all necessary. But i am I know, you not you love work in the alone. Whom give you help?

Anna I looked in the side windows. Long she was silent:

– To me needed man, – finally she said she is. – Not really trainee. Who-that’s it, who can hold weapon. AND THE not will be hysterical at in the form blood.

General squinted:

– Marshal Orlov will do? From Ekaterinburg. Worked in the criminal investigation, led a couple of couples del by to maniacs.

– Let it be will be he is.

Smirnov got up.

– Anna… be be careful. The killer not just loony. To me it seems, he is getting ready. This is only beginning.

Station. Evening. Train: “Ekaterinburg – Kursk”

Marshal Nikolaevich Orlov held in the hand slippery suitcase, looking around on the cell phone. Message from general: “IN THE 10 pm you they’ll take it away. You are working s Zalesskaya”.

He I heard o no – cold, tough, as if done from steel. Mol, when her once upon a time surrounded three armed in the abandoned a mental hospital – she is she left, a they are no. But live he is her not I saw it.

IN THE 10:04 pm u privokzalny login stopped dark UAZ. From him she left woman in the black jacket. Without words she held out hand:

– I – Anna Zalesskaya. You Orlov?

– Marshal, – he nodded he is. – Lieutenant.

– Sit down. To us go far away.

The car she dived in the night. For by the window they flashed forests, frozen fields, rare at home. IN THE salon it smelled coffee and iron.

– You they warned, what this is not simple the matter? – I asked Anna, not taking away look from roads.

– Murder in the Uru? Heart carved. Mysticism. Yes, yes, I heard.

– This is not mysticism, – sharply she answered she is. – This is man. Smart. Experienced. AND THE… he is started game. A we are – in the roles victims, bye not let’s understand rules.

– You think, he is will repeat?

– I am I’m sure. What soon.

In the morning 29 december they are already were in the the village Ur.

Old home, in the which found it body, was girdled yellow tape. On the snow – traces, on the wall at home – it’s dripping blood, as if who-that’s it smeared it her palm. Inside it smelled rotten and iron. Corpse already they took me away, but photos and reports Anna I held it in the head.

– Heart carved surgically. Very exactly. Traces fight – minimum. The victim was or paralyzed fear, or knew the killer. On the the floor – circle. Mental symbolism. Ritual.

– What means snowflake on the breasts? – asked Marshal, examining traces on the the floor.

– A gift. Or irony. New year same. He gives death. How as if this is holiday. – Anna I squeezed it lips. – The killer plays s date.

Marshal looked on the her s interest. He I was waiting dry analysis, but in the her voice was fear. AND THE what-that’s it personal. She I perceived it the killer not how object, a how a challenge. How the enemy.

– You often I encountered it s like this?

– No, – she said she is. – Such not it happens often. This one – special. AND THE he is already looks on the us.

Marshal he fell silent. Ahead were three day, and he is already felt, what this is not just investigation. This is – hunting. A hunter not they are.

29 december, evening. Village Ur.

Snow walked, how as if who-that’s it upstairs tried cover up land from togo, what in the no it happened. White, thick, cold.

The House, where now we lived Marshal and Anna, was old, but strong – when-that’s it belonged to her to my grandmother. The setting – modest, rustic: stove, carpets on the walls, smell berezov polenyev and dust. Here Anna she has grown. A now – investigates the case.

Marshal sat on the kitchen, awkwardly by touching k a cup s tea:

– You truth here she lived? – asked he is.

Anna she stood there u windows, not turning around:

– Do 18 years. Then EKB, then MSC, then – where whatever, only would further away. A now here we go. Again here.

– How many to you was, when she left?

– Seventeen. Mother she died, father got drunk. She left without look around. I counted, what Ur – this is swamp. A now I understand: swamp he can wait.

Marshal nothing not answered. For the latest a day he is started watch on the her otherwise. Not really how on the steel legend, a how on the a woman, which hides in the to myself too much many memories.

Anna sharply I turned around:

– We are not we’ll make it in time, if not let’s start work by-large. Tomorrow we’ll get around neighbors the deceased. Suddenly who-that’s it I saw it, but he is silent. The killer can be among the nih. Or he is all more here.

– You think, he is not he left?

– No. He wants to attention. A to his get it – need be near.

30 december, morning

First on the queues was neighbor killed – grandfather by name Khariton, living through road.

– IN THE tu night… – muttered he is, brewing boiling water in the dirty a mug. – I am I heard… what-that’s it. Not really cri. Song. Quiet. Children’s. AND THE steps. How as if who-that’s it stomped barefoot by snow.

Anna I was wary.

– Song? Which one?

Grandfather covered it up eyes. He hummed hoarsely, almost in a whisper:

“Christmas tree, christmas tree, dark forest,

Satan brought it to us miracles…”  – He it ended and added – Sorry, i am not I remember words. Maybe, I imagined it.