Meyer-Hofmann AG

26

Von Klitzing pored over the open file on his desk. The letterhead read IOCP. A fuzzy black-and-white photograph of Britt Petersen stared back at him.

It was an old photograph, taken before she was married. It didn’t do her justice, in his opinion. It was probably taken at some law society function in Sweden. I wonder how many people are missing her? Her parents have been dead for some time, but there was an aunt and cousins living near Stockholm whom I remember reading about in one report or other.

Neither aunt nor cousins had set eyes on Britt for years. It is truly amazing that such an attractive and intelligent woman could have had so few real friends.

That is the price of ambition, I suppose. Poor dead girl.

Von Klitzing had arranged for their colleagues and members of the Petersen Family to be prepped by Fredrik, with tales of adultery and alcohol abuse. Von Klitzing was convinced he had things under control, and he congratulated himself on his handling of the situation. He was proud of his ability to manipulate the workings of the world to his advantage.

Now, the police need a witness, he said to himself as the door to his office opened, and Eva Von Klitzing stepped into the room. A morning at the hairdresser’s had changed Eva from having a loose resemblance to Britt Petersen into her twin. It was a remarkable transformation. His daughter was even imitating Britt’s typical pose, that slightly arrogant look and posture she would take when being courted by older men. He smiled.

Eva was a chip off the old block. She took the transformation and associated role-playing in her stride. For reasons she could not explain, she had hated Britt Petersen.

Perhaps because we were so alike, she mused.

More likely, it was her knowledge of the threat Britt posed to her father’s company. The plan was to go to the police and take back all of Britt Petersen’s accusations.

“You know what to do, my darling.”

“Yes, Father, of course! I will claim that I acted out of spite and revenge. My acts were retribution against the firm that had poisoned my husband against me.”

“That is splendid! Just stick to the story, and I promise everything will be fine.”

Eva was well aware that she could go to prison for what she was about to do, but she didn’t care about that. Her father was taking notice of her for once in her life, and she was going to milk it for all it was worth.

At 3:00 pm that afternoon, Eva Von Klitzing knocked on the door of the Petersens’ house in Starnberg. There was no answer, but she knew that Lisa Jarvis was home. Their sources had confirmed that the Munich Criminal Police had visited the house in search of Britt and talked to a Lisa Jarvis. Since then, her father had kept Jarvis under surveillance. Eva needed a reason to visit the police station. Going around the side of the house, she found a path leading to the back garden. Lisa was kneeling on a mat, weeding the garden’s central flowerbed.

“Mrs Jarvis?” she called.

Lisa turned, holding up a hand to block the sun from her eyes.

“Hello, can I help you?”

“My name is Britt Petersen.”

“Oh my God, it’s lovely to meet you!” Lisa jumped to her feet, pulling the thick rubber gardening gloves from her hands and slinging them down onto the velour car mat.

“I don’t mean to intrude, but my husband said you would be in today, so I just took a chance.”

“Yes, yes, what can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to pick up a few things. I am moving back to Sweden.”

“Yes, of course. Can I help you? Would you like a cup of tea?”

“No, thank you. I will just pick up a few things, and then I’ll be off.”

“You will probably want to take all your photos and camera equipment with you. I put them in the cellar.”

Many of the rooms were decorated with very artistic black-and-white photographs. After Lisa had found more in boxes in the master bedroom, along with a large Nikon digital single lens reflex camera, she surmised that Britt was a serious photographer.

“I can help you bring them up, if you want?” The last thing I need is a car full of Petersen’s shit. What I need is an invitation to visit the Munich Police, you silly cow, Eva raged internally.

“No, thanks, Fredrik is getting all that shipped. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t leave any personal items behind.”

“Well, you are very welcome to check. I will be here if you need anything. I have only used the drawers and cupboards that were empty for our things.”

“Do you like the house?”

“Oh, I love it, especially what you have done with it. You have such great taste! The pictures, the furniture, it’s beautiful.”

“Thank you. Yes, we were happy here for a while, but our breakup had nothing to do with the house. You should take it. Fredrik doesn’t need it; he is better off in the city.”

“I will have to wait until my husband gets back from his business trip before we can make a decision. Is it okay with you if I make a few changes? Make it feel a bit more like our home?”

“Do whatever you like. I am done with it,” she said bitterly.

“Oh, that’s a shame. I am sorry!”

“Don’t be—water under the bridge.” A pained smile crossed Eva’s face, and she felt herself growing into the role.

“Look, it’s not my place but… ” Lisa hesitated.

“Please, whatever it is.”

“The other day. Well… the police were here asking for you. They said if I were to see you, I should tell them.”

“Did they say what it was about?”

“No, not really, something about the Company, I think? Sorry.”

“Never mind. I will get in touch with them. Did they leave a number?”

“Just a minute, they gave me a card.”

Lisa took off into the lounge, and Eva allowed herself a small smile. Returning with DI Müller’s card, she handed it to Eva, who thrust it into her Gucci handbag before moving to leave.

“Thank you. I will get in touch with them immediately. I am sure it is nothing serious, but I better get off. Goodbye.”

“But don’t you want to pick up your things?”

“Oh, yes, yes, maybe I can come back another time? This police business has made me a little nervous!”

“Yes, of course. I understand.”

With that, Eva was gone. Lisa sat down on the rattan patio chair, somewhat baffled by what had just taken place. Confused that Britt had not taken any of her things with her, she wondered at the fact that she had not even had a quick look around.

Maybe she was more concerned by the police’s visit than she wanted to admit? She thought.

Günther Müller got a call that Britt Petersen was waiting for him in the reception of the building the following morning. Motioning to Monika, who was sitting at a desk opposite him in the open plan offices, they both stood and moved towards the elevators.

“The Petersen woman is downstairs.”

“How did she know that we were looking for her?”

“Good question.”

Eva had decided to wait until the following morning before going to the police. It was almost 6:00pm before she had got back to Munich from Starnberg, and she didn’t fancy a grilling through the night. Now she was rested and ready for whatever the day may hold. She was sitting in an interrogation room, waiting for the investigating officer.

Nothing like you see in the movies, no two-sided mirrors on the wall, just a simple table and two chairs. Eva sniffed at the room and prepared herself with a deep breath.

She had been waiting for less than five minutes when the officers entered the room. The woman was carrying a chair that she put down opposite Eva’s.

“I am Detective Inspector Müller, and this is Detective Constable Keller. Mrs Petersen, thank you for coming in.”

“You are welcome. I was out at my house, and Mrs Jarvis said you had been looking for me, so I decided to come. How can I help you?”

The officers swapped a look of understanding before Günther addressed Eva again.

“Mrs Petersen, I must tell you that you are not obliged to talk to us, but if you do, anything you say may be taken down and used in evidence. Do you understand?”

“Am I under arrest?”

“No, we just have a few questions for you about a letter you sent to the Portland Police.”

“Yes, I understand. I haven’t got anything to hide. It was all a silly mistake.”

“Can we get you anything to drink?” Monika interjected.

“No, thank you.”

“Mrs Petersen, we have been made aware of the letter you sent to the Portland Police. Would you mind explaining the content? On what basis were you making these allegations?”

“Oh, yes.” Eva went to work, rolling her eyes, pulling nervously at her hair and biting her bottom lip. “It was a mistake. I shouldn’t have done it. I hope I have not caused any trouble.”

“Obviously, the fact that you are here today shows we are taking it very seriously.”

“I was angry; it wasn’t true, any of it.”

“Mrs Petersen, these are very serious allegations. You are a lawyer, you must know the consequences of such an action.”

“Yes, of course I do. Look, it was my husband. He has been working all the hours God sends for the last year and a half. He spends more time in the US than he does here, and I was sick of it! I told him to make a choice. The Company or me.”

“And he chose the company?”

“Yes.”

“And what was the point of the letter, if the allegations were unfounded?”

“Never heard of a woman scorned, Officer? Fredrik was always talking about Rahul—couldn’t stand him. When I heard about the family’s deaths, I thought immediately how convenient that would be for Fredrik.”

“You think Fredrik killed them?”

“No, of course not. He couldn’t kill a fly.”Günther pushed a copy of the letter across the table to Eva. Fortunately, it was not the first time she had seen it. Her father had somehow acquired a copy that she had been able to study in preparation for her role. She looked at it nonchalantly.

“I don’t need that. I know what it says—I wrote it.”

“I know you wrote it, Mrs Petersen, but I would like to go through it anyway. Now, first, you wrote that you had found information concerning Family Singh in your husband’s papers. Is that true?”

“Yes, that is true. But it was just an e-mail from the US telling him that the family had sadly passed away in an accident at home and that they would have to take steps to bridge the gap at the company. He was to go over immediately. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. He had only been back a few days, and they were talking about needing him for months.”

“Your husband is also a lawyer, is he not?”

“Yes.”

“And what was his role at the company?”

“He specialises in international law, but more recently, he has become involved in the company’s daily business. Meyer-Hofmann wanted one of their men at the helm. Rahul Singh was made CEO by the company’s board, despite Meyer-Hofmann’s concerns.”

“What concerns did they have?”

“They just didn’t think he was suitable.”

“Because of the colour of his skin?”

“No. That was just me being mischievous.” She smiled, and made a silly chuckling sound.

“It is a little more than mischievous, Mrs Petersen. You accused the Company of plotting multiple murders.”

Eva stared at the table as if she could look straight through it at their feet, feigning discomfort.

It was all going to plan. They hadn’t even asked for identification.

She had shown the desk sergeant her fake passport, but he had only given it a passing glance, not even taking down the number.

It was slack policing—what was the world coming to! She allowed herself to relax a little and raised her head for the next round.

“Look, I know what I did is reprehensible, but I am here to put it right. You can take whatever action against me you think is appropriate. I won’t fight it.”Günther wasn’t buying it; this was all just a bit too rehearsed. He had dealt with many crimes of passion in the past, and none had taken this route. He was sure there was more to the deaths in America. DI Wilson had found evidence to support her accusations, even a plot to cover up the murders.

Someone must have got to her and forced her to change her story, he thought.

“Mrs Petersen, there is substantial evidence that supports your allegations. Is there a reason you have changed your story? You know, we can protect you if you need help.”

“No, nothing like that. Look, I have no idea what happened to that poor family, but I am sure Meyer-Hofmann had nothing to do with it.”

“And the others?”

“What others?”

“You inferred in your letter that this was not an isolated event. That other employees had been targeted.”

“Look, I was just trying to embellish my story. There is no foundation to it!”

“I am afraid that is not good enough, Mrs Petersen. I need to see all the information you have. About your husband’s role in the company, as well as his relationship with Mr Singh. I need to see the e-mails you refer to, as well as any other documentation you may have. Even if you do not believe it to be important! We would like to be the judge of that.”

“Look, I will help as much as I can. But you have to understand these are private e-mails from the company. I can’t just hand them over.”

“Then we will get a warrant.”

“Do you have to? Can’t you just drop the whole thing? There is nothing to it!”

“I am afraid I do not believe you, Mrs Petersen, and I intend to find out exactly what is going on here.”

“Well, without me!”

“Is there anything else you want to tell us, Mrs Petersen? Because if not, I am going to start questioning members of the company’s board, including your husband.”

Eva shrugged.

They could talk to whoever they wanted to, it wouldn’t change a thing. Once Meyer-Hofmann’s high-priced lawyers got a smell of it, they would stop this guy in his tracks. Anything that could endanger the company’s image would be fought with all its legal and political clout.

“Look, I have told you all that I know. If you are going to charge me, then do it. Otherwise, I take it I am free to go?”Günther did not like the tone, but knew that there was little he could do about it. He felt like throwing the book at her, but was not sure he would get much support from his superiors. Unless they came up with some hard evidence in the States, this could well be the end of it.

“Mrs Petersen, I am warning you, when I speak to your husband and representatives of his company, I will make it clear to them the allegations you have made against them. I may well also infer that you have evidence to prove this. You might well be in some considerable danger if these deaths were murders. Whether you take back the accusations or not.”

Eva sat back in her seat and crossed her arms, indicating that, for her, the interview was over.

“Mrs Petersen, I will need you to leave your passport with us. Do not make any attempt to leave the country. I will also require you to leave me an address and telephone number where I can reach you at any time. This is not the end of it. I will be in touch again soon. DC Keller will take care of the details.”Günther stood and left the room, leaving the two women behind him.

Outside, he blew out a frustrated breath.

That could have gone better, he thought. She is not telling us the truth. I am sure of that!