Jarkko Sipila - Nothing but the Truth

“Where’s it from?”

He shrugged. “Off the shelf of some gun shop in Turku for all I know.”

“You stole it?”

“No, but you’re not supposed to ask. It’s hot, at any rate, so don’t show it to your cop buddies.”

“Okay,” said Mari. Teittinen handed her the weapon. It felt quite solid, though it didn’t weigh much more than two pounds. At least it brought a semblance of security. Now the target could shoot back if circumstances called for it.

“It’ll stop the crackheads, too. Got a good kick, but as you can see by how short the barrel is, you’re not gonna hit anything past fifteen feet.”

Lehtonen studied her ex. “Have you ever shot at anyone?”

“Nah. Guns are more about the fear factor. But remember, you point this at somebody, you better be ready to pull the trigger. And if someone’s threatening Laura, you aim for the head. They’ll be picking brains off the pavement for a good while.”

“How much do I owe you?” asked Mari as she packed the revolver back into the box, and the box into the plastic bag.

Teittinen smiled. “I already told you it’s a Christmas present.”

Mari slipped the bag and the bullets into her blue handbag.

SATURDAY, 3:40 P.M.

HELSINKI CITY THEATER

Joutsamo and Takamäki were standing in the atrium of the Helsinki City Theater. Takamäki took in the ambience of the forty-year-old building. Back in the sixties, it had been considered modern, but now it seemed cold and clinical. The detectives had chosen a spot next to the coat check where they could see the guests filing in through the main entrance. With their coats off, they did their best to act like theater-goers waiting for friends to arrive.

The two had arrived at a quarter after three. By now, there was little to chat about. They’d already gone through the details of the case, and chitchat wouldn’t move it along. Circumstances remained grim from their standpoint. If the Lehtonens didn’t turn up at the theater, the police were just as lost as they were that morning. Kulta had spotted Mari and Laura on tape at the Helsinki Central Train Station, but the footage ended at the doors leading to the Railway Square.

Takamäki glanced at his watch. “If they don’t come for this showing, the next is at seven.”

“Yeah,” said Joutsamo as she scanned the new arrivals. She noticed a familiar TV reporter: Sanna Römpötti. Shit, she thought. The reporter came in

with a short-haired boy of about ten and recognized the detectives immediately.

“Just what we needed,” muttered Takamäki through a smile.

Römpötti slipped out of her coat and came over to greet them. “A little culture to go with your crime, huh? What’s up?”

Her question was intentionally open, as Römpötti was surprised to see the two of them at the theater together.

Takamäki smiled. “The VCU theater club donated some tickets. Apparently hard to come by.”

“Yeah,” answered Römpötti, and she gestured toward her young companion. “This is my godson, Tommi. Tommi, say hi to these nice police officers.”

The boy smiled shyly and said hi.

“Hi,” said Takamäki and Joutsamo.

The reporter’s back was toward the door, but the detectives still had a view of the entrance. “I got my tickets way back in August. You know who’s singing the lead in this show?” said Römpötti.

Neither detective even had a notion of what the choices might be. “I don’t, actually. The programs are up there,” said Joutsamo. “We’re just waiting for a couple of our colleagues and Takamäki’s wife.”

“It’d be nice to meet her sometime,” said Römpötti.

Joutsamo spotted Mari and Laura outside the glass entrance doors. They had to get rid of Römpötti fast. The reporter would quickly notice their interest in Mari. Römpötti had been at the trial, after all, and would surely recognize her.

“Are your seats on the main floor or the balcony?” asked Joutsamo.

“Main floor. Row seven on the right.”

“Hm. We’re in the balcony. That must be the difference between detectives and reporters,” said Joutsamo with a smile.

Little Tommi tugged on Römpötti’s sleeve. “That Sprite, remember?”

Römpötti grinned. “Well, we’d better go. See you.”

“Sure,” said Takamäki. He too had noticed the Lehtonens at the entrance. The sight of them was a huge relief, but Römpötti was still only a few feet off, so their original plan of immediately intercepting them wasn’t going to work. Römpötti would presumably take a final backward glance on the stairs en route to the lounge.

Mari and Laura came into the atrium and began shedding their coats. Mari was lugging a large shoulder bag, so apparently they hadn’t stopped at home after leaving the safe house. The detectives turned their backs as the Lehtonens filed into the coat check line. Römpötti was already on the stairs with the boy when she turned back and waved. Joutsamo gave a nod, which earned a questioning look from Takamäki. “Römpötti’s on the stairs,” she explained.

Within a minute, Mari was at the front of the line handing her jacket and shoulder bag to the coat check attendant, but she kept her blue handbag with her. Laura handed over her parka and took the ticket.

“Where to?” said Joutsamo.

“Let’s go in a little further,” said Takamäki. “We can’t talk to them here in the middle of the crowd.”

The atrium was beginning to fill up already. People were drinking coffee, wine and beer, and eating overpriced pastries. The whole situation seemed rather absurd to Takamäki. At the heart of it all was a woman and a girl, the targets of a hardened criminal, and the police were trying to figure out how to approach them.

“Let’s take them back into the corner,” said Takamäki, and he let Joutsamo go ahead.

Joutsamo weaved swiftly through the crowd and approached the Lehtonens from behind. “Hi,” she said in a soft voice. “Everything alright?”

Mari turned around first, then Laura. Takamäki came up alongside Joutsamo.

“Yeah, fine,” said Mari as she pushed onward.

“Listen,” said Joutsamo, still gently, but a bit firmer this time. “Can we talk?”

“What about?”

Takamäki cut in. “Why don’t you take a guess…you think this is some kind of game?”

Mari was about to say something feisty, but she bit her tongue. Not with so many ears around. She thought for a moment before responding, “Sure, let’s talk. We’ve got a few minutes.”

Joutsamo and Takamäki led Mari to a quieter section of the atrium. Laura hung back by the coat racks, about thirty feet away.

“What’s going on?” said Joutsamo. “Why aren’t your phones on?”

“The batteries are dead,” she snapped.

They were all quiet for a while. “Let me get this straight,” said Takamäki. “We work our asses off on your behalf and you scrap it all just like that?”

“And just what exactly have you done, if I might ask?”

“Really,” he groaned. “Are you out of your mind? While we’re trying to find out who’s behind the threats, it’s vital that we know you’re safe. It allows us to concentrate on the investigation.”

“Oh, so this is about your investigation.”

“No,” said Takamäki. “It’s about…”

Joutsamo interrupted her boss. His tack was clearly headed in the wrong direction, and she didn’t want Mari to be at odds with them. “Mari, tell me what’s going on…”

“Why should I ruin my life because of some criminal?”

Takamäki was stunned. Ruin her life? Soon she’d lose it. But he bit his tongue.

Mari went on. “Seems to me this ‘safe house’ is just a place where you can tuck us away. Sweep us under the rug. We can’t cause any problems there. While the criminal gets to do whatever he wants.”