Since Eleven Years: A Thrilling Detective Novel

By Fahad Alluhymid

It was the twenty-seventh of March 2007 when a dust storm blew at Riyadh and spread its ashes everywhere. The school female principal felt that it was time to call the parents to take their daughters back as the cases of suffocation had increased. But! This was the last time Noor was seen.

And because a tiny seed was planted by the famous detective, Sahl Jaber in this place; it kept growing gradually while he was unknowing. It turned into a big tree that can be climbed to see what lies behind.

Then, it came the moment…

After eleven years…

Reality is the most bitter after eleven years of sinking in darkness…
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: fahad saleh
• Release date: Oct 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393821632

Book preview

A Thrilling Detective Novel

Since Eleven Years

A crime for stealing a young heart

Fahad Alluhymid

Copyright © 2019 by Fahad Alluhymid

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

Fahad Alluhymid asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Fahad Alluhymid has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

Translated by: arapenz.com, translator: Jihad Elsaqa.

CONTENTS

A STRANGE PHONE CALL

Lunch and crime

Mujib Urahman says his opinion

The old Major Saad Othman

the grieved Mother

Um Ali, The Principal

Basma and Rajaa

A trip to Jeddah

An article from the electronic newspaper (Top News)

Amal, the teacher, and her husband

teacher Hanadi, The liar

Sahl in the bank

Hanadi is dying

The Uncle with a big mustache

Meeting after dinner

New discovery

Four questions for three people

Disclaimer by Miss Areej Sahl Jaber, the author of the book

Dear precious Noor

The Ugly truth

Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

A STRANGE PHONE CALL

The famous detective Sahl Jaber was sitting in his office inside the Public Prosecution headquarters in Riyadh city. He was impressed and happy about his new office. For two days, his eyes kept wandering to the office as if it was hard for him to believe that he was awarded this office for his success in the last case. They even went too far by providing him with a secretary, a young man called Fahd whose small office was attached to Sahl’s office to help him in his increasing and endless work.

Sahl was so happy that he kept opening and shutting the drawers of the huge table while drawing a childish smile on his face. Nothing interrupted him but his secretary –or assistant because he did not like the word secretary. Fahd came from his small office running to ask if he was searching for something as he had heard the sound of the drawers. Sahl confusedly told him that he did not look for anything, and he was just checking if the drawers were opening and shutting smoothly.

He felt a bit hungry while looking at Fahd who turned his back and left. Sahl was thinking if it was proper to ask Fahd to get lunch for both of them. But, he was not sure that this would be one of the tasks of a secretary. In fact, he did not know what he should and should not ask Fahd because he was not used to having a secretary. Anyway, he did not like the cafeteria of the Public Prosecution headquarters because he found a white hair in his plate three days ago. It was certainly Hamdan’s hair, the old chef of the cafeteria. Therefore, he hated eating there. Throughout the last week, He endured hunger daily until he went home to eat the wonderful food of his wife, Hayla. However, today he felt hungry so early, earlier than usual. This was normal as he had not had his breakfast this morning.

He resentfully looked at Fahd through the door of the small office. He did not see anything other than his back as he was bending over the computer and was typing really fast. He wondered what he was writing that needed that much focus. Then, he remembered that an hour ago he asked him to write the final report of the case he had completed to be stamped and archived forever. Well, he had to endure hunger today also as he could neither ask Fahd, the super busy, to go outside to get food nor eat in the cafeteria. Now, he was strongly hoping that his wife had kept some food for him as he had told her that he would have breakfast later at work, which did not happen because of his meeting with the head of the investigation office the whole morning- therefore, he could not help but wait until the end of the shift to eat at home or go to a restaurant if he did not find any food at home.

Sahl Jaber, the detective, was forty-eight years old, very thin and of an average height that equals one hundred and seventy-five centimeter. He was a bit dark and beardless. He had a small trimmed and partially-greyed mustache. He had a little limp, which could not be noticed without careful looking. He got this limp because of a bullet that hit his knee as he and one of his friends were chasing some thieves ten years ago. This injury made it impossible for him to resume working as a police officer. However, he was lucky as he got hired as a civil-ranked detective in the Public Prosecution- previously known as the General Commission for Investigation and Prosecution. He always believed that he had two lives, one before the bullet and another life, much more beautiful, after the bullet.

Now, he had finished the case that he had been working on with great success. He had nothing to do at the moment. This rarely happened in the ten years of his life as a detective. Therefore, he wanted to gain more knowledge about criminals and murders, their mentalities and ways they commit crimes. Of course, the American serial killers are the best examples to draw lessons from. He spent two days surfing the internet reading different stories, which got him a little astonished because many of the criminals were released before completing their term of imprisonment. 

Although he had read about many serial killers who had a big number of victims, sometimes over fifty, only one serial killer got his attention, the one that killed five girls only. He killed five teenage girls between fifteen and eighteen years old because of a strange mental illness and a demonic evil that cannot be human.

The killer’s name is Lawrence Bittaker, and he had a partner called Roy Norris. Bittaker was the mastermind, the head of the two-people gang. They kidnapped girls from the street using their van that they bought especially for that purpose. They drove to a mountain- Sahl did not remember the mountain’s name- where they tortured the victim and recorded her screaming and pleas on tape to listen to it later with amusement. Finally, they killed the victim after raping her.

Of course, they were arrested, and Bittaker was sentenced to death. However, he is currently on death row. The fact that Bittaker still alive made Sahl very angry as the killer was now sixty or seventy years old and was still alive in prison although he brutally killed his victims for no reason at all. Not to mention that he appears in a picture smiling to the victims’ families while they were listening to the screaming and pleas of their girls on the tape found by the police in his van, which was considered the strongest evidence against him. This made Sahl really angry.

Why is such a person still alive? Sahl was terribly shocked by this thought. To know more about it, he searched the name Lawrence Bittaker on Google search engine.  The results showed many pages and videos about this killer. The video of the killer trial took place at the early eighties of the last century drew Sahl attention, so he clicked to watch it. He could not understand much of the talk as it was in English; His English language was weak. Then, he watched many people getting out of the court’s door running as if they were escaping from a devil upon listening to the screaming of one victim on a tape. One of the attendees was a beautiful girl with short black hair. He could understand some sentences of what she was saying. For example, she said it was the most horrible thing I have ever heard in my life. 

He looked again through Fahd’s door to see if he was busy or not. He really wanted to talk to him about what he had read on the internet to vent his anger. He saw that Fahd was standing at the photocopier copying some sheets so Sahl decided to let him work. He thought that it was better to use the browser on his cell phone and to keep reading about the criminals. While he was totally absorbed in reading, his phone rang in his hand. He panicked, lost focus, and needed seconds for his heartbeats to became normal again. And he kept looking at the number of the caller. It was a number, not a name, which meant it was someone who did not know. When he looked at the last two numbers, he got very astonished as he realized that the same person called him nine times the day before. He got really annoyed by his many calls.

What! did not you get tired of calling, stubborn?" he told himself frowningly.

Then, he waited until the call ended and the number disappeared to resume reading. As he was about to start, his phone rang again; It was the same number. He closed his eyes annoyed and immediately moved the sound button downward to turn his phone into silent. Now, he was relieved from that much noise.

He wondered if the caller needed him so badly that he called eleven times. Was it urgent? Was he in danger? No, no way. If he was in danger he would call the emergency as everyone knows the emergency number. Then, who was this person? Was he one of the people he knew and wanted something urgently? So urgent that he should break the law? Was it one of the relatives of the criminals he had arrested and wanted to curse and threaten him? Well. It was confusing. Who was that person who had called eleven times yesterday and today?

He decided to delay his reading about criminals. This strange caller distracted him. He wanted so badly to know who that person was and what he wanted to decide whether to answer his calls or not. Suddenly, he saw the same number on the screen of his cell phone again as it lighted up. He realized that the same person was calling again but this time his phone was silent. He kept looking at the last two numbers of the caller number. They were 32; suddenly, something came to his mind. The two numbers reminded him of the words of that Egyptian fortuneteller. He was very young then. Oh, those days! He was twenty-four or twenty-five at that time. He was enthusiastically and happily moving about the Giza Pyramids and the tombs with the company of a tour guide who was explaining everything. Then, Sahl decided to detach himself from the group because they were moving very slow and he was too passionate about the place to wait with them. He went ahead of them where he noticed one fat fortuneteller near one of the kiosks that sold pharos antiques. She called him and he came close to her thinking that she was just a bigger. She surprised him when asked for twenty pounds to tell his fortune through palm reading.  He did not believe in these myths that contradicted his tenets. He was laughing skeptically while listening to her predictions.

Finally, she said, Remember that your lucky number is 23. Remember this well!

But the number appearing in front of him now was 32, the opposite of his lucky number. Did this mean that answering this call would inflict bad luck on him?

That was nonsense? What was wrong with you Sahl? Did not you know that believing in omens was prohibited by Islam?

And because he felt guilty upon thinking so, he intended to answer the caller next time to prove to Allah that he was never a believer of omens. It was just a little slip caused by his demon. Anyway, most probably this person would not call again. He suddenly remembered Omar, his son. He was a troublemaker teenager obsessed with mobile applications, and he had recently installed an application that showed the name of the caller upon entering its phone number. To avoid any surprises about this person, he decided to know his name before they call. When he did so, he found fourteen names including Majid Saleh repeated nine times. The other five names were titles (Abu Saleh); therefore, there was no doubt that the caller was called: Majid Saleh. He beat his brains out trying to remember if he knew someone by that name, but he could not. He knew someone whose name was Majid but his father’s name was not Saleh. Then, this person did not know him and was not related to him. Most probably, he was a brother or related to one of the criminals arrested by Sahl. He wondered what this caller wanted from him. As a dream come true, at this moment his phone rang and the same number was calling for the thirteenth times. He took a deep breath and got ready for a useless debate. He frowned and pressed the green button on his phone. A welcoming voice of a man flowed through the phone greeted him passionately as if he could not believe that his call was finally answered.

When Sahl greeted him as well, the caller said rudely,

Who is talking please?

The detective got agitated and angrily said,

Who am I? You call me thirteen-time and annoy me throughout the day and yesterday to ask who I am?

The stranger answered with a tone filled with regret, Well, are you, Captain Sahl Jaber?

He got very astonished; who would call him captain now? Well! This was the last rank he got before the damned bullet hit him and forced him to leave the police. All the people who were in touch with him knew that he became a detective ten years ago. However, some of his relatives called him judge, which was funny as he was the last man on earth that could be a judge. In fact, once an old woman called him a jailer.  She was standing on the alert waiting for him in front of the headquarters of the public prosecution. As he was coming to work, she looked at him with her fierce eyes saying,

Stinky jailer, get my son out.

Anyway, no one called him captain for ages."

Yes, I am Sahl Jaber, but I am not a captain, he replied after a moment of thought.

Are you even a policeman?, the boy said disappointedly.

I'm not a policeman, I'm a detective, but who are you?, he replied with surprise.

How stupid I am. Of course, you are a detective. You were investigating in our house that day, The caller muttered with a humorous yearning.

Investigating in their house? What does he mean? and what does this boy want? - He realized from his voice that he was a young man - he asked him with some doubt: Who are you and what do you want? Can I at least know your name?

He did not want to tell the young man that he knew his name in advance, but he certainly did not know him personally. He heard him quickly answering,

My name is Majid Saleh; don't you remember? You were at our house investigating the disappearance of my sister, for a long time. Don’t you remember?

His sister Noor? who was she? He did not remember at all that he investigated the case of kidnapping a woman named Noor Saleh. This was very strange as he had a prodigious memory. In fact, he was often sad because of the stubbornness and inability of his memory to forget sad cases. Who was Noor? He tried hard to remember, but his memory stopped helplessly as if teasing him.

I don't remember having investigated a case of kidnapping a woman called Noor; I’m sorry, he said after feeling helpless.

The boy called Majid answered him while laughing in astonishment,

She was not a woman; she was a little girl when she was kidnapped. Oh my Allah, you don't really remember anything about her. I don't blame you. It was about eleven years ago, my sister Noor.

He stopped talking as if he did not know how to explain and prove to the detective that he had indeed investigated her abduction. Although Sahl still could not remember anything about that child, he was finally able to find out why this young man called him a captain. Eleven years ago, Sahl was a captain and it was his last year in the police. He felt that the boy was sincere in his speech. He said while feeling distracted,

Aren't you mistaken, young man? It doesn't seem like I remember anything about a kidnapped child called Noor. Are you sure I am the person you want to speak to?

He replied stubbornly:

It is strange that you do not remember. Is not it the habit of detectives to remember all their cases? I do not mean that they remember every detail about it but at least important information such as the name of the victim.

Indeed, I remember everything about the cases I investigated, and this is proof that I didn't work on your sister's case because I don't remember anything, right?

Strange, isn't your name is Jaber Sahl? Isn't this your number?

The fact that you know my name does not mean that you know me or that I worked in a case involving you. Of course, these are my name and my phone number.

But! Look, they are written on a small piece of paper in your handwriting, which is now in my hands, look!

Well, was your sister really kidnapped or you are just pranking me? He replied cautiously.

The boy panicked and confusedly said:

No, I am not a prank. I mean, I'm not pranking you. I am telling the truth.

Really? And who gave you this paper then?

Didn't you hear me telling you that they were written in your handwriting? Who gave them to me then? he replied, chuckling."

Sahl succumbed to this stubborn opinionated and asked him,

Well, let's say I gave you that piece of paper, ok, what do you want from me? Why are you talking to me now? how can I help you?

The boy kept quiet for a moment as if he got scared. Then, he cautiously said:

When you gave me that piece of paper eleven years ago, you asked me to call you if I found something useful that would help you in my sister's case.

Very interesting! Well, keep talking.

I have found something, or more accurately, I have remembered something which Noor had told me before she was kidnapped. It may be meaningful.

Are you telling me that you still remember what she asked you for eleven years ago and now you came to actualize it?

The boy replied in the affirmative, so Sahl replied while barely concealing his anger:

You foolish boy, although I do not remember that I asked you to do so, assuming that I did the same, did not you realize that I meant immediately, during the crime and not after a decade?

The poor young man did not answer, so Sahl intuitively realized that he got afraid – especially that the security personnel always inspire awe among people. He could have hung up now as it was the most appropriate time to end this inconvenience, but he did not want the boy to go sad. He wanted to soothe him. Therefore he asked him in a kind and sweet tone,

Was I the only one who investigated your sister's case at the time?

He heard a slight inhalation from the other side. The kind of inhalation made by a person who is ready to talk quickly, but his tongue is not as fast as his thoughts. He gladly said,

No, there was another detective. He was long, very long, slim and with a wrinkled face. he was arrogantly giving orders. He was bad.

Well, very clearly, these qualities mentioned by the boy only applied to Major Saad Othman, who was his former boss a decade ago and served as an assistant to him in all the cases he was assigned. Interestingly, if someone asked Sahl to describe Saad, he would not describe him different than Majed did. Therefore, he realized that the boy was honest and that he had indeed investigated his sister's case when he was a police captain, but why did not he remember anything? Why did it seem so blurred in his memory?

It is true, you have described my former boss, Major Saad Othman. It looks like you are honest, Majid told his speaker while shaking his head regretfully.

Yes, if I were delusional, I would not have described him as well as I just did, right?

Of course, but what do you want me to do with the information you brought? He mumbled in a quiet tone. It is over, and after all this time, the case is certainly closed."

But aren't you an investigator? the young man said in a slightly sharp tone. Isn't it the job of the detectives to make sure that the criminals are not free enjoying their lives? Is not your duty to achieve justice? He wanted to calm him down so he said, Of course, that's what we seek."

Well, let me tell you that Ja’far, our poor Sudanese driver, is innocent of kidnapping Noor, I'm sure.

Are you sure about that?

Of course, I wouldn't dare to bother you if I wasn't sure, he said confidently.

Is what your sister told you so clear and important that you look sure about the innocence of .. What is his name? Ja’far

Yes, Ja’far, of course, I am sure it has a great indication of his innocence

Is he the one accused of kidnapping your sister? Was he arrested by the police?

Yes, unfortunately, they arrested him then, but I think they were wrong. I am sure.

He wanted to absorb his enthusiasm.

He said, Well, as long as you are so confident, let me tell you something. Whatever information you have, I don't promise it will lead to reopening your sister's case.is that clear?

But why don't you know it first, then decide what you want?

I will certainly hear it, but I do not want you to have high hopes regarding my role or regarding the information you have. Security always has a view other than that of other people. Do you understand what I mean?

No, I'm afraid I didn't understand what you mean.

What I mean is that you might think that you have very important information while it does not seem important to us.

The boy’s voice indicated annoyance as he said: I promise it will be useful and important at the same time.

The detective remained silent for a while trying to make sure of his stance before saying, Ok, I'm hungry. Do you know a good restaurant where we can meet and talk freely?

Of course .. I know a restaurant that has great food

Can I see you thereafter for one hour?

Certainly, Detective

Let it be, send its location on my phone. By, I'll end the call now.

1

Lunch and crime

Sahl parked his car next to the restaurant he found by following the map on his phone. When he saw its name on the sign above his head, he expected it to be one of the Italian restaurants spreading across the city of Riyadh. He walked to the door and as he was opening it quickly, air hit his face. It was the air used to expel insects so as not to enter the restaurant, mixed with the smell of tomatoes and spices. A Filipino waiter came to him. He looked as if his cheeks had been just taken out of the oven. He almost fell while running to Sahl.

He said in English Which table, sir?

But Sahl, who knew very little English, tried to explain to the waiter that he was in the company of a friend who had preceded him to the restaurant. he just said the first word and could not keep talking as he became confused and not able to explain the situation clearly. However, a person sitting at the end of the table of the restaurant interrupted them and saved Sahl by calling his name; thus, the detective turned to this person’s direction. He found that the person was waving to him asking him to come closer.  He knew it was Majed. Therefore, he turned to the Filipino waiter and said in English while smiling: This is my friend.

He did not wait to see the waiter’s burned cheeks get wrinkled for smiling. He Immediately went to Majid to check on him and sat at the interview table.

He said, in an attempt to break the ice, I hope the food is as excellent as you said in the phone. The boy replied with a bit of shyness, You will see by yourself after a while.

The waiter came again with two books containing the menu and handed them over to them. Then, he stood very close holding a pencil and a small notebook to take their request. They agreed on one kind of pizza, and the detective decided to take the risotto dish with mushrooms - he loves to have mushrooms in all meals.  The young man chose a dish of pasta which he was used to eating whenever he came here.

Sahl had the opportunity, after the waiter had left, to look at the young man's face carefully. He was a really beautiful boy; his features were as delicate as the features of a child except for his big