The Fire Witness

82

Elin Frank is not smiling at anyone as she walks down the hall to Joona Linna’s office at the police station. Her graphite-gray coat from Burberry is tightly belted and there is a silver silk scarf around her hair. She hides her eyes behind black sunglasses and her wrapped wrist under a long gray cashmere sweater. The wrist throbs. Her heels clack against the scratched floor, and a poster reading IF YOU BELIEVE YOU’RE WORTHLESS AND DESERVE THE BRUISES, COME TALK TO US! flutters in her wake.

A powerfully built woman wearing a bright red angora sweater and a tight black skirt comes out of an office to wait for Elin.

“I’m Anja Larsson,” the woman says.

Elin tries to say that she wants to speak to Joona Linna, but her voice won’t come out. The large woman smiles at her and offers to show Elin to the detective’s office.

“I’m sorry,” Elin whispers.

“Not to worry,” Anja says. She leads Elin to Joona’s door, knocks, and opens it. Anja and Joona exchange a glance, and Joona gently pulls out a chair for Elin.

“I’ll bring you some water,” says Anja, and closes the door behind her.

The room is silent. Elin tries to calm down enough to be able to speak. She has to wait for a long time. Finally she says, “I know it’s too late. I know I wasn’t helpful when you came to see me a few days ago. I can just imagine what you think of me.”

She can’t go on. Tears start streaming down her face from behind her sunglasses. Anja comes in with a glass of water and a bunch of grapes on a tray and leaves again.

Elin collects her thoughts. “I would like to talk about Vicky Bennet now.”

“Then I will listen,” Joona says in a friendly way.

“She was just six years old when she first came to me and I had her… I had her for only nine months.”

“I know that.”

“What you don’t know is that I… I let her down. No one should disappoint another human being the way that I disappointed her.”

“Sometimes people do that,” Joona says.

She takes off her sunglasses and studies the detective sitting across from her: his tousled blond hair, his serious face, and his eyes that mysteriously shift color.

“I can’t excuse my own behavior,” she says. “But I have an offer for you. I am ready to pay all the costs for finding the bodies… so that the investigation can continue and not be shut down.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“Even if things can’t be made right, I can… I mean… What if she’s not guilty?”

“There’s no evidence pointing that way at the moment.”

“No, but I just can’t believe that…”

Elin’s eyes fill until it seems that the whole world is swimming in water.

“Because she was a sweet and good child?”

“She was hardly sweet and good.” Elin smiles faintly.

“So I gather.”

“Would you be able to continue the investigation if I pay you?”

“We can’t take your money.”

“I’ll find a way to solve the legal issues.”

“Maybe so, but that won’t change a thing,” Joona explains softly. “The prosecutor is ending the investigation.”

“What can I do?” asks Elin.

“I am not supposed to say anything, but I will continue the investigation myself because I am absolutely sure that Vicky is still alive.”

“But the news on television said-” Elin’s hand flies to her mouth.

“I know for a fact that they did not drown in the river,” Joona replies.

“Good Lord,” whispers Elin.