The Fire Witness

148

When they return to the room after the break to resume the hearing, Joona still hasn’t shown up. Johannes shakes his head at Vicky’s questioning face. Vicky is pale and again sits bent over and silent.

Susanne reports the results of the crime scene investigation by the Västernorrland police department: how Vicky pursued Elisabet Grim to the brewery house and how she took her life so that she could get her hands on the keys to the isolation room.

Vicky has lowered her face and tears are running down her cheeks.

The prosecutor describes the second murder, the flight through the forest, the theft of the automobile, the impulse kidnapping, and finally the suspect’s capture in Stockholm. She then details the girl’s violence during the interrogation and the need for her to be strapped to the bed.

For kidnapping, the sentence can vary anywhere from four years to life. For murder, the sentence is a minimum of ten years.

Susanne Öst concludes by saying that although Vicky Bennet is extremely violent and dangerous, she is not a monster. In order to be ahead of the defense team, she takes pains to point out the suspect’s positive attributes. She has presented her side competently and ends her speech by quoting the interrogation synopsis.

“During the third interrogation, the suspect confessed to both murders. I quote: ‘I killed Miranda’ and later, in response to whether Elisabet Grim wanted to lend her the keys, the suspect replied, ‘I smashed her skull in.’”