Seventeenth of August. Morning at Møllergata 4.
His name was Felipe Marian Zita and he came from Barcelona, but his wife Elsa was as blond and blue-eyed as a Norwegian fjord. Zita himself was dark and olive-skinned. One of Sejer’s first questions, given Carmen’s almost white hair, was whether he really was her biological father.
“Genetics is a complex area,” he said, “and it certainly played a trick on us. Carmen’s tow-colored hair was quite a surprise. Many people have asked before you,” he added. “You’re in good company. But please, sit down, sit down. Elsa has made some coffee. And I’ve just spoken to Carmen, because she calls every day. She said that she’s having bad dreams, which isn’t surprising given what’s happened. Lots of nightmares, recurring bad dreams. Nicolai is devastated and I’m really worried about him. He’s such a sensitive boy. Carmen is coping better. She’s strong, that girl, takes after me. I’m not sure what you’re after, but we can certainly have a chat. I’m sure you have your reasons. And we don’t go against the system, because that’s not who we are. We’re humble folk.”
Zita was obviously nervous and he talked a lot and fast. But this was perhaps due to his Mediterranean temperament, Sejer thought. It was hard to stop him once he had started.
“Sit yourselves down. Elsa’s just coming with the coffee, if you’ve got time.”
Sejer and Skarre thanked him and settled among the colorful, bright cushions.
“Carmen will definitely have another child,” Zita said. “And as soon as she can, if I know her right. But Nicolai thinks otherwise. He no doubt wants to wait awhile. He says that Tommy can’t be replaced. But that’s not what we want, that’s not the point.”
He got up and took some cups and saucers out of a cupboard and then sat back down at the table. The living room was obviously influenced by his Mediterranean background. Dark, heavy furniture, tapestries on the wall, potted plants in the windows. A carved wooden rocking horse with full saddle and bridle in leather. Tommy probably sat on that many a time, Sejer reflected sadly. He admired the modern chandelier with hundreds of cut-glass pieces that sparkled in the light from the window.
“And is it true that everyone calls you Pappa Zita?” Sejer inquired.
“Yes,” said Zita, as he sipped his coffee. “It was Carmen who started calling me that, when she was quite small. And then everyone started to call me Pappa, which I like. I’m happy to be everyone’s papa. Especially Nicolai, as he lost both his parents in a light-aircraft accident. They flew a Cessna straight into a storm — maybe you heard. And I’m a dad to everyone who works at Zita Quick. I’ve trained them all, and they’re good. Perhaps people don’t realize it, but working in a fast-food restaurant is a demanding job. And we have a fantastic reputation to live up to. Every day we have to deliver the very best. And we’re the only ones in the area who are open twenty-four hours a day. So that means lots of employees, high wage costs. But it’s good business. Very good business,” he concluded.
Elsa nodded. She was incredibly reserved. She studied Sejer and Skarre, her blue eyes full of doubt and suspicion.
“Why are you here?” she asked with a sharp edge to her voice.
“It’s a sudden death,” Sejer explained. “Conversations like this are part of the procedure.”
“That’s what you say to everyone,” she said, her voice now bitter. “Just routine, you say. But I don’t see how we can be of any help. No wrong has been done. Just so that’s clear, because I know what you’re thinking. That’s why you’re here, and I can’t bear the thought that you’re here to poke around in our lives.”
Sejer blew on his coffee and took a small sip. “Yes, we say that to everyone,” he said, unruffled, “because it’s the truth. Tell me what you thought about the pond, the fact that it was so close to the house. Did it worry you?”
“Yes,” Zita replied. “We worried a lot. Water can be so alluring. But Tommy was still small, and we thought we had plenty of time. I mean, of course we’d thought about putting up a fence around the house. With a latched gate. But we never got around to it; then suddenly it was too late, because he’d started walking. I feel so sorry for Carmen and Nicolai. I don’t have words.”
Skarre put his cup down on its saucer with a clinking of porcelain. “How did Carmen react when it became clear that Tommy had Down syndrome?”
“Oh, she took it in stride,” Zita said. “I think you could say that. Don’t you think so, Elsa, she took it in stride?”
“Yes,” she agreed. “They both took it in stride. As my husband said, Carmen is strong. She always has been. But obviously, there’s sorrow too. It’s not easy having a child like that. So they were sad too; it would be strange if they weren’t. After all, it’s understandable that they would also feel some disappointment.”
“And what about you?” Skarre asked. “What were your thoughts on Tommy’s future? Were you worried about it and how he would manage?”
Carmen’s mother drank some more coffee. She seemed to be bothered by the questions and answered them with some reluctance.
“I’m going to tell you the truth,” she said. “When Tommy was born, it was a real shock. Carmen is so young and I thought it was only older women who had children with Down syndrome. It all felt very unreal and I was devastated. So there you go, now I’ve said it.”
“And what kind of mother was Carmen?” Skarre asked.
“The very best,” Zita interjected. “They were such good parents, both of them. Tommy got all that he needed, and we helped them financially. That way Carmen could be at home, for a couple of years at least. Until Tommy went to nursery school. At Solhella, you know, there’s a nursery school for children with special needs. He’d been promised a place from the age of two. The plan was that Carmen would work at the restaurant with Nicolai. They’d get by fine on two salaries. They didn’t have to pay any rent for the house at Granfoss. That’s to say, I am the owner and I certainly wouldn’t fleece them.”
“And what about Nicolai?” Skarre pressed. “Are you pleased to have him as a son-in-law?”
“Oh yes,” Zita replied, without hesitation. “He’s always been so good to Carmen. But he’s not as strong as her, and he’s completely fallen to pieces now. Carmen feels guilty because she left Tommy alone for five minutes, and she’d forgotten to close the door. Nicolai feels guilty because he was in the cellar. And I feel guilty because we didn’t get the fence up in time.”
“And you?” Sejer turned to Elsa. “Do you also feel guilty?”
“No,” she said firmly. “I don’t feel guilty. It was an accident and no one is to blame. And I don’t want to hear any talk of guilt; it’s bad enough as it is. Don’t say things like that!”
Then she dried a tear.
“Don’t you dare try,” she added. “Just leave us be!”
“Certainly, we will,” Sejer assured her. “It is not our intention to hound you about this. We’re not out to get anyone. We just need to get a clear idea of what happened, in terms of the law.”
“Of course,” Elsa said and straightened her back. “I’ll tell you what happened. It was very warm on August 10. Tommy was allowed to be naked for a while and was playing on his blanket. Carmen went into the bathroom and was gone for five minutes. Tommy clearly toddled down to the pond and fell off the jetty. That’s what happened,” she said. “And now please leave us to grieve in peace.”
Zita accompanied them to the front door.
He stood for a while on the step and tried to excuse his wife.
“We understand that this is hard for you all,” Sejer said, “and we certainly won’t bother you with any more questions. We wish you all the best. And we hope that the youngsters will manage to pull through this without any feelings of guilt.”
Zita walked a few steps down the gravel path and stood with his hands in his pockets, poking at the ground with his toe. “Yes. They’ll get through it. Carmen is pretty solid. When it comes to Nicolai, he just needs a bit more time. But we’ll manage.”
“How did you react when Carmen got pregnant at the age of seventeen?” Sejer asked.
“We were delighted,” he said swiftly. “It’s such a gift, isn’t it? And we thought so highly of Nicolai. We promised to do everything we could to help, and we have. We’ve looked after Tommy for them a lot.”
He looked first at one and then the other.
“I know that you’ve been to the restaurant,” he said suddenly. “Elisabeth called and told me that she’d had to answer some questions. I don’t know what that means, the fact that you wanted to talk to her. But we assume that it’s done now. We don’t have anything else to tell.”
He went back up the steps and then turned to them for the last time.
“I’m sure it’s just your job,” he said somberly. “The fact that you always think the worst. I’m trying to understand that. But you won’t find anything here. It was an accident. There’s nothing more to say.”
Then he disappeared into the house and shut the door with a bang.
“The Women’s Clinic,” Sejer said to Skarre. “I’ve let them know that we’re coming, so they’ll be waiting.”