Norg, you know what I think about 'narrative AARs'. I'm really glad you're pulling this one off. Keep up the great work, though the FC is really pissed off... 
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Hi, folks! Nice to see the old veterans from the EU II forum coming along.
Thank you for the kind words.
Update is most probably coming up a bit later today.
Thank you for the kind words.
Update is most probably coming up a bit later today.
Chapter VI: There's nowt as strange as folk
The old colonel straightened his bathrobe and stood up and got himself a glass.
“I know it’s early, but I’ll have a whisky if you don’t mind. Might even put me to sleep when you’ve left…”. Colonel Mold poured himself a glass, smelled it and closed his eyes.
“Lovely! Now, where was I?”, he said and took a sip.
“Ah, yes… the thirties. We really couldn’t tell where to expect the biggest threat from. The little clown in Berlin, or the clown in Moscow. So we needed two things – the ability to defend ourselves, and the ability to stop an invasion before it hit our shores. This meant that I, among others from the staff, were to study the doctrines developed by the British… do you have a cigarette, Jon?”
“I thought you’d quit?”
“I am having a drink. I want a cigarette with my drink!”
Jon Mold offered his father his beaten pack of Teddy cigarettes. The old man picked up one, and found a box of matches. His hands were as steady as a rock as he lit the cigarette.
“Thanks. We’re probably not even permitted to smoke here, but… I’m an old man”
“Did Norway even have an intelligence service in the thirties?”, Jon Mold asked, and lit himself a cigarette as well.
“Son, we’ve always had intelligence. Believe me! I entered the army before 1905. We knew everything the Swedes did. We had spies everywhere”
“I’m not supposed to discuss this with anyone, but… I have a case. A man that worked for the intelligence service in the thirties and forties…”
“I didn’t work for them. But they did a hell of a job against the Germans and Russians…”
Jon Mold threw a glance at the clock. 11.30. He cursed inside him. He’d have to go.
“Father, I appreciate your help, but I have to go now. I’m due back at HQ at noon”
“Go. And thanks for stopping by. You could do that more often. It won’t hurt you!”
Mold exited, after looking closely at his father. He seemed happy enough. His shoes made a strange echo in the corridors, and he hurried towards the car. He needed to drive fast.
By noon he was back at Victoria Terrasse.
Arvid Gjertsen had had some luck in tracking down the day nurse. After arriving at Ullevål hospital, he’d spoken to two doctors, both arrogantly dismissive, before managing to track down the head nurse. She was a huge, maternal figure with a an aura of authority around her.
“I’m looking for the nurse that was on duty on 2B last night…”
“Ah, Ingeborg. She’s on duty now as well. Who may I ask is calling on her?”
“Detective Arvid Gjertsen of the Homicide Division”
“Oh, you’re here about the old man. Awful story! He was such a lonely man as well… I pitied him. He seemed so nice”
“Ah, yes… is nurse Ingeborg available?”
“She certainly is! I’ll get her right away, officer!”. The matron walked off, purposefully.
Moments later, she returned with a woman in her early thirties, with chestnut hair and hazel eyes.
“Detective Arvid Gjertsen, madam…”
“Ingeborg Sollie”, she replied, staring right at him. Gjertsen wasn’t used to be fixated by a stare like that, and quickly looked at the head nurse.
“Is there a place where we can talk in private?”
“Try the nurses’ wardrobes. You can lock those doors!”. She pointed to the end of the corridor.
Gjertsen and nurse Sollie walked along. Gjertsen glanced at her. There was no doubt that she was extremely beautiful.
They sat down on some wooden chairs. Gjertsen picked his notepad out of his pocket, and fumbled around for a pencil.
“So, mrs. Sollie…”
“’Miss’ Sollie…”
“Miss Sollie. You were at work at the time when Niels Mathiesen was killed?”
”Yes. Does that make me a suspect?”
“Heavens, no! We’re just making routine inquiries, trying to get a picture of what happened, you see”
“So you’re clueless?”. She was sharp.
“No, but I wondered if you noticed anything… peculiar?”
“There was a man to see mr. Mathiesen. I remember asking him if he was family. He said something non-committal. I do not, however, remember how he looked. You see, I seldom look at men…”
“Right… so no description?”
“He looked… average, I suppose. Wore a long coat. Nothing more”
“May I ask why you rarely look at men?”
She gave him an ice-cold stare.
“No, you may not. But I will answer you anyway. You see, detective, I am a lesbian. Yes, I do realise that it is a crime to have lesbian relationships. I am a lesbian. Therefore I am miss Sollie. No man in my life. Happy now?”
Gjertsen felt himself turn beetroot red. He hadn’t been this embarrassed since his mother caught him masturbating for the first time.
“Uhm. Well, miss Sollie… thank you for your co-operation. Should you remember anything whatsoever about the man… please, do not hesitate to call!”. Gjertsen excused himself, and hastily exited.
When he arrived in the car, he realised he hadn’t given her a phone number. Stupid. He was off to the coroner.
The old colonel straightened his bathrobe and stood up and got himself a glass.
“I know it’s early, but I’ll have a whisky if you don’t mind. Might even put me to sleep when you’ve left…”. Colonel Mold poured himself a glass, smelled it and closed his eyes.
“Lovely! Now, where was I?”, he said and took a sip.
“Ah, yes… the thirties. We really couldn’t tell where to expect the biggest threat from. The little clown in Berlin, or the clown in Moscow. So we needed two things – the ability to defend ourselves, and the ability to stop an invasion before it hit our shores. This meant that I, among others from the staff, were to study the doctrines developed by the British… do you have a cigarette, Jon?”
“I thought you’d quit?”
“I am having a drink. I want a cigarette with my drink!”
Jon Mold offered his father his beaten pack of Teddy cigarettes. The old man picked up one, and found a box of matches. His hands were as steady as a rock as he lit the cigarette.
“Thanks. We’re probably not even permitted to smoke here, but… I’m an old man”
“Did Norway even have an intelligence service in the thirties?”, Jon Mold asked, and lit himself a cigarette as well.
“Son, we’ve always had intelligence. Believe me! I entered the army before 1905. We knew everything the Swedes did. We had spies everywhere”
“I’m not supposed to discuss this with anyone, but… I have a case. A man that worked for the intelligence service in the thirties and forties…”
“I didn’t work for them. But they did a hell of a job against the Germans and Russians…”
Jon Mold threw a glance at the clock. 11.30. He cursed inside him. He’d have to go.
“Father, I appreciate your help, but I have to go now. I’m due back at HQ at noon”
“Go. And thanks for stopping by. You could do that more often. It won’t hurt you!”
Mold exited, after looking closely at his father. He seemed happy enough. His shoes made a strange echo in the corridors, and he hurried towards the car. He needed to drive fast.
By noon he was back at Victoria Terrasse.
Arvid Gjertsen had had some luck in tracking down the day nurse. After arriving at Ullevål hospital, he’d spoken to two doctors, both arrogantly dismissive, before managing to track down the head nurse. She was a huge, maternal figure with a an aura of authority around her.
“I’m looking for the nurse that was on duty on 2B last night…”
“Ah, Ingeborg. She’s on duty now as well. Who may I ask is calling on her?”
“Detective Arvid Gjertsen of the Homicide Division”
“Oh, you’re here about the old man. Awful story! He was such a lonely man as well… I pitied him. He seemed so nice”
“Ah, yes… is nurse Ingeborg available?”
“She certainly is! I’ll get her right away, officer!”. The matron walked off, purposefully.
Moments later, she returned with a woman in her early thirties, with chestnut hair and hazel eyes.
“Detective Arvid Gjertsen, madam…”
“Ingeborg Sollie”, she replied, staring right at him. Gjertsen wasn’t used to be fixated by a stare like that, and quickly looked at the head nurse.
“Is there a place where we can talk in private?”
“Try the nurses’ wardrobes. You can lock those doors!”. She pointed to the end of the corridor.
Gjertsen and nurse Sollie walked along. Gjertsen glanced at her. There was no doubt that she was extremely beautiful.
They sat down on some wooden chairs. Gjertsen picked his notepad out of his pocket, and fumbled around for a pencil.
“So, mrs. Sollie…”
“’Miss’ Sollie…”
“Miss Sollie. You were at work at the time when Niels Mathiesen was killed?”
”Yes. Does that make me a suspect?”
“Heavens, no! We’re just making routine inquiries, trying to get a picture of what happened, you see”
“So you’re clueless?”. She was sharp.
“No, but I wondered if you noticed anything… peculiar?”
“There was a man to see mr. Mathiesen. I remember asking him if he was family. He said something non-committal. I do not, however, remember how he looked. You see, I seldom look at men…”
“Right… so no description?”
“He looked… average, I suppose. Wore a long coat. Nothing more”
“May I ask why you rarely look at men?”
She gave him an ice-cold stare.
“No, you may not. But I will answer you anyway. You see, detective, I am a lesbian. Yes, I do realise that it is a crime to have lesbian relationships. I am a lesbian. Therefore I am miss Sollie. No man in my life. Happy now?”
Gjertsen felt himself turn beetroot red. He hadn’t been this embarrassed since his mother caught him masturbating for the first time.
“Uhm. Well, miss Sollie… thank you for your co-operation. Should you remember anything whatsoever about the man… please, do not hesitate to call!”. Gjertsen excused himself, and hastily exited.
When he arrived in the car, he realised he hadn’t given her a phone number. Stupid. He was off to the coroner.
Excellent, thoug I would have loved to stay and hear old war stories from Grandpa
V
V
Good installment Norg, the lesbian thing really caught me off guard (my filthy mind was thinking something else might happen in the wardrobe... )
Soooo..zee plot thickenz, ja? But where are ze germans?
)Soooo..zee plot thickenz, ja? But where are ze germans?
Germans? Are they in the game? D
Ah. Time will show. And of course we'll hear more stories from old colonel Mold. I think. Or maybe he has a heart attack???
DAh. Time will show. And of course we'll hear more stories from old colonel Mold. I think. Or maybe he has a heart attack???
Originally posted by Norgesvenn
Germans? Are they in the game?
Ah. Time will show. And of course we'll hear more stories from old colonel Mold. I think. Or maybe he has a heart attack???
Don't you dare! Old guys know a lot and tell good stories. I'm living proof.
Joe
After 1.02 now has been released, I unwittingly installed the thingie.
This means a re-start, although since a lot hasn't been divulged about the game, it'll have very little impact on the AAR. It could, however, have a huge impact on how it all ends!
Joe, I wouldn't dream of doing something nasty to the old geezer.
I've had my Norwegian posterior booted to kingdom come a few times with HoI. Since they've improved the AI in 1.02, I have a "edge-of-the-seat" feeling about this. Nothing beats sitting there with three infantry units rotting away in a low infrastructure province and watching 11 Panzer divisions approach.
This means a re-start, although since a lot hasn't been divulged about the game, it'll have very little impact on the AAR. It could, however, have a huge impact on how it all ends!
Joe, I wouldn't dream of doing something nasty to the old geezer.
I've had my Norwegian posterior booted to kingdom come a few times with HoI. Since they've improved the AI in 1.02, I have a "edge-of-the-seat" feeling about this. Nothing beats sitting there with three infantry units rotting away in a low infrastructure province and watching 11 Panzer divisions approach.
why didn't you finish the game first?
good thing they patch so fast except nowit will take even longer before people return to EU2
V
good thing they patch so fast except nowit will take even longer before people return to EU2
V
Had played until 1943. I haven't had all that much time on my hands to play, really.
I'm still eager on EU II as well. I have four games that I enjoy these days.
- EU II
- Grand Theft Auto III
- HoI
- Championship Manager III (01/02), latest patch, although the scores tend to get silly.
I'm still eager on EU II as well. I have four games that I enjoy these days.
- EU II
- Grand Theft Auto III
- HoI
- Championship Manager III (01/02), latest patch, although the scores tend to get silly.
I know who won the war in this AAR!!!
Notice he smokes 'Teddy' Brand Cigarettes-Named after the US president-This means the democratic countries won, b/c the commies or nazis would not have let that brand exist!
I'm smart!
Notice he smokes 'Teddy' Brand Cigarettes-Named after the US president-This means the democratic countries won, b/c the commies or nazis would not have let that brand exist!
I'm smart!
Good motivated guess, hughbartlett
But can you also tell who murdered Mathiesen ?
Because that's what I want to know.
But can you also tell who murdered Mathiesen ?
Because that's what I want to know.
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Chapter VII: You can take it to the bank
Gjertsen always wished that he was a smoker too when he entered the morgue. Somehow the smell got to him. The coroner, Fjeldstad, greeted him enthusiastically.
“Cigarette, detective?”
“No thanks. I don’t smoke… wish I did, though…”
“Well, this one was easy. He was suffocated. Since he was also terminally ill, and already had difficulties with his windpipe, it didn’t take much strength to kill him either. A woman could’ve done it. But it’s all in my report. Where’s Mold?”
“Inspector Mold is out investigating certain leads, Fjeldstad”, Gjertsen said in his most authoritarian tone.
“Yes… yes… well, good luck in catching whoever did this. The perpetrator wouldn’t even have had to use much force…”
“Thanks, Fjeldstad!”, Gjertsen said, and said his goodbyes and left.
He hurried back to his office to meet up with Mold in Mold’s office. They both arrived at almost the same time.
“I dropped by the baker’s on the way”, Mold said, putting a paper bag with buns on the desk. “Help yourself… so what did you find out?”
“The day nurse couldn’t really give a good description of a man that had come to visit Mathiesen…”
“Someone visited him?”
“Yes, apparently the same day and just before he was murdered. It wouldn’t be a far shot assuming this is the likely killer”
“Certainly looks like it”, Mold agreed. “But no description?”
“No. She’s… a lesbian. And she didn’t look at him. He was wearing a coat, that was all she noticed”
“Right…”. Mold drank his now lukewarm coffee. It reminded him of endless visits to his mother-in-law. Not quite the image he’d expected from what Gjertsen told him. “What about the coroner?”
“The victim was killed by suffocation. His fragile health made it an easy task as well”, Gjertsen said, munching a bun. He pointed to the report. Mold picked it up and leafed through it. Another reporting saying anything bringing them closer to Niels Mathiesen’s killer.
They had no choice but to travel to Drøbak again. It had started snowing, and Gjertsen made no attempt at concealing his displeasure for having to drive again. Mold was scribbling down keywords and drawing lines between them on his notepad, his forehead in deep thoughtful furrows.
“If there’s nothing new now, I don’t see how we’ll continue the investigation”, he said.
Gjertsen kept his eyes on the road, and tried to look sour.
“I suppose not”, he replied. “Thankfully, we have no other cases…”
“That’s the spirit!”, Mold said, mockingly.
“I meant, that means we can concentrate on this one!”
They remained silent until Gjertsen drove up before the bank in Drøbak. They got out, and Mold checked whether he had brought any identification. Thankfully, his ID rested peacefully in his wallet.
The clerk behind the counter was a young lady, wearing, in Mold’s opinion, too much make-up.
“May I see the manager, please?”, Mold inquired. Apparently, even in rural Drøbak, not everyone was allowed to see the bank manager.
“What is this in relation to, may I ask?”. Mold sighed and picked up his ID.
“Police. I am Inspector Jon Mold of the Homicide Division…”
The sign of authority roused the young woman into action. Who knows, Mold and Gjertsen could have been farmers dressing up to ask for a mortgage.
The bank manager would have fitted nicely into a Communist cartoon from the twenties about capitalists. He was short, stocky, red-faced and wore a black suit. He greeted Mold and Gjertsen over-enthusiastically, and asked them into his office.
“Now, what can I help you two with?”
Jon Mold picked up the small silvery key they’d discovered at Mathiesen’s Drøbak hide-out.
“Recognise this?”
“Hmm… it might be a key to our deposit boxes…”
“Did you have a customer named Niels Mathiesen?”, Mold asked.
“Let me check that in our records. Just a moment!”
“Is it okay if I smoke?”, Jon Mold inquired.
“Certainly!”. The manager hurried off to check his records. Mold looked around the office, while absent-mindedly lighting his cigarette. Gjertsen shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and became increasingly pre-occupied with fiddling with his tie.
The manager returned.
“Indeed I have a customer called Niels Mathiesen, born in 1905. He rents one of the safety deposit boxes we have in our vault downstairs. He’s only been here twice, though…”
“You might want to know that he’s in fact deceased now”, Mold said sombrely.
The bank manager looked at him, then shrugged.
“May I see his record and could we see the box in question, please?”. Although phrased like a question, Mold’s request had every sign of a direct order.
The fat man nodded, and they all left to enter the vault.
Mold then dismissed the bank manager, and went to box 94.
“If this is empty, I swear I’ll walk back home….”, he whispered to himself. He put the key in the lock and turned it.
Gjertsen always wished that he was a smoker too when he entered the morgue. Somehow the smell got to him. The coroner, Fjeldstad, greeted him enthusiastically.
“Cigarette, detective?”
“No thanks. I don’t smoke… wish I did, though…”
“Well, this one was easy. He was suffocated. Since he was also terminally ill, and already had difficulties with his windpipe, it didn’t take much strength to kill him either. A woman could’ve done it. But it’s all in my report. Where’s Mold?”
“Inspector Mold is out investigating certain leads, Fjeldstad”, Gjertsen said in his most authoritarian tone.
“Yes… yes… well, good luck in catching whoever did this. The perpetrator wouldn’t even have had to use much force…”
“Thanks, Fjeldstad!”, Gjertsen said, and said his goodbyes and left.
He hurried back to his office to meet up with Mold in Mold’s office. They both arrived at almost the same time.
“I dropped by the baker’s on the way”, Mold said, putting a paper bag with buns on the desk. “Help yourself… so what did you find out?”
“The day nurse couldn’t really give a good description of a man that had come to visit Mathiesen…”
“Someone visited him?”
“Yes, apparently the same day and just before he was murdered. It wouldn’t be a far shot assuming this is the likely killer”
“Certainly looks like it”, Mold agreed. “But no description?”
“No. She’s… a lesbian. And she didn’t look at him. He was wearing a coat, that was all she noticed”
“Right…”. Mold drank his now lukewarm coffee. It reminded him of endless visits to his mother-in-law. Not quite the image he’d expected from what Gjertsen told him. “What about the coroner?”
“The victim was killed by suffocation. His fragile health made it an easy task as well”, Gjertsen said, munching a bun. He pointed to the report. Mold picked it up and leafed through it. Another reporting saying anything bringing them closer to Niels Mathiesen’s killer.
They had no choice but to travel to Drøbak again. It had started snowing, and Gjertsen made no attempt at concealing his displeasure for having to drive again. Mold was scribbling down keywords and drawing lines between them on his notepad, his forehead in deep thoughtful furrows.
“If there’s nothing new now, I don’t see how we’ll continue the investigation”, he said.
Gjertsen kept his eyes on the road, and tried to look sour.
“I suppose not”, he replied. “Thankfully, we have no other cases…”
“That’s the spirit!”, Mold said, mockingly.
“I meant, that means we can concentrate on this one!”
They remained silent until Gjertsen drove up before the bank in Drøbak. They got out, and Mold checked whether he had brought any identification. Thankfully, his ID rested peacefully in his wallet.
The clerk behind the counter was a young lady, wearing, in Mold’s opinion, too much make-up.
“May I see the manager, please?”, Mold inquired. Apparently, even in rural Drøbak, not everyone was allowed to see the bank manager.
“What is this in relation to, may I ask?”. Mold sighed and picked up his ID.
“Police. I am Inspector Jon Mold of the Homicide Division…”
The sign of authority roused the young woman into action. Who knows, Mold and Gjertsen could have been farmers dressing up to ask for a mortgage.
The bank manager would have fitted nicely into a Communist cartoon from the twenties about capitalists. He was short, stocky, red-faced and wore a black suit. He greeted Mold and Gjertsen over-enthusiastically, and asked them into his office.
“Now, what can I help you two with?”
Jon Mold picked up the small silvery key they’d discovered at Mathiesen’s Drøbak hide-out.
“Recognise this?”
“Hmm… it might be a key to our deposit boxes…”
“Did you have a customer named Niels Mathiesen?”, Mold asked.
“Let me check that in our records. Just a moment!”
“Is it okay if I smoke?”, Jon Mold inquired.
“Certainly!”. The manager hurried off to check his records. Mold looked around the office, while absent-mindedly lighting his cigarette. Gjertsen shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and became increasingly pre-occupied with fiddling with his tie.
The manager returned.
“Indeed I have a customer called Niels Mathiesen, born in 1905. He rents one of the safety deposit boxes we have in our vault downstairs. He’s only been here twice, though…”
“You might want to know that he’s in fact deceased now”, Mold said sombrely.
The bank manager looked at him, then shrugged.
“May I see his record and could we see the box in question, please?”. Although phrased like a question, Mold’s request had every sign of a direct order.
The fat man nodded, and they all left to enter the vault.
Mold then dismissed the bank manager, and went to box 94.
“If this is empty, I swear I’ll walk back home….”, he whispered to himself. He put the key in the lock and turned it.
Ooh, Norg, you can't leave us hanging like this
All, we need now is a lowdown PI with a mysterious female client and I'll think you are Chandler reincarnate
V
All, we need now is a lowdown PI with a mysterious female client and I'll think you are Chandler reincarnate
V
Let's see what's in the box.
A silver pocket watch with a made in England stamp on the inside but with a Middle Eastern design on the watch face. A bus ticket between Drøbak and Oslo, torn in half. An empty envelop addressed to Mathiesen with a return address of Paris France and last but not least a German luger without it's ammo clip. There, now HOI has finally been brought into the story.
Joe
A silver pocket watch with a made in England stamp on the inside but with a Middle Eastern design on the watch face. A bus ticket between Drøbak and Oslo, torn in half. An empty envelop addressed to Mathiesen with a return address of Paris France and last but not least a German luger without it's ammo clip. There, now HOI has finally been brought into the story.
Joe
Great story so far. Just wanted to let you know of one more reader who's anxiously waiting to discover what's inside the bank box. I love your style, much better reading than a simple military rundown of who conquered who!
Thank you for all the encouraging comments, gentlemen!
They are much appreciated. Now, normally, I would of course not leave people hanging like that (yeah, I would! ), but... heck, this is a mystery, isn't it?
Storey has some good guesses here, really.
Now, I'll get down to business again.
They are much appreciated. Now, normally, I would of course not leave people hanging like that (yeah, I would!
), but... heck, this is a mystery, isn't it? Storey has some good guesses here, really.
Now, I'll get down to business again.
I've been thinking about doing another AAR - so I decided to visit the AAR forum today to see what's going on. Lo and behold – what do I see? A new Norg AAR.
I just had to read it - and to be quite honest: IMHO this is your best one to date (not that the others were bad...)
So: more, please, much more...
I just had to read it - and to be quite honest: IMHO this is your best one to date (not that the others were bad...)
So: more, please, much more...
Norgesvenn,
This is asking for a new installment very soon. You have some obligations to your readers.
It's really a great story.
This is asking for a new installment very soon. You have some obligations to your readers.
It's really a great story.