Allan Martin - Death in Tallinn

“ Tere, Ants. Come in. I wondered where you’d got to this morning. We’ve a lot of paperwork to do.”

“Sorry, Sir, er, Chief. I had to do some thinking. And then talk to Colonel Reinart. And my superiors back at Army Headquarters.” Kadakas hesitated

“Ah, of course. We’ll be sorry to lose you. You’d make a fine detective.”

“But that’s just what I want to do. I’ve been asking for a transfer. A permanent one. I don’t want to go back to the army. Or wear a uniform. Here is where I want to be.”

“And what’s the result?”

“It’s going to up to you, Sir. They’ll send you a form to fill in. If you OK it, so will they.”

“Ants, go home now. Take off the uniform. Then come back here. There’s a mountain of paperwork for you.”

At two thirty Hallmets was invited to Captain Lind’s office. The Captain invited him to sit, then offered him a drink, to celebrate the successful conclusion of the case. On this occasion Hallmets accepted, and the captain produced a bottle of Leikari . They toasted the success. Hallmets turned down a second toast, though he admitted to the captain that he thought Leikari was good stuff.

“I’m glad you think so,” muttered Lind, “I’ve sent a crate round to your hotel for you. It wouldn’t have looked good handing it over in here. It’s in a box marked ‘Machine Parts’.”

“Thanks,” said Hallmets, “Is that what you called me down for?”

“No, no. Well, yes, partly. But no, there’s more. I’ll come straight to the point, Jüri. As you know, I’m retiring soon. I’m advising the Prefect that you should get the job.”

“Thank you for thinking of me, Peeter. I’ll have to think about it.”

“What!” Lind frowned. “Jüri, what is there to think about? You’re the obvious candidate. What possible objection could you have?”

“I have two. One is that it’s not just about me. My family is settled in Tartu, and we like it there. My wife has a job, my daughter’s at the University and my son’s still at the Gymnasium. I’d have to consult them about any possible move.”

“But surely…”

“My other hesitation is that I’m not a politician. I can’t accept the truth being twisted, or even thrown out of the window entirely, simply for political considerations. I’m not sure if Reinart and his pals in the Ministry would be happy with that.”

“Well, Jüri, I don’t know what the world’s coming to when women and children get in the way of a man’s career.” Lind shook his head and poured himself another drink.

Exactly on four o’clock Hallmets was shown into Colonel Reinart’s office in the Ministry. Reinart greeted him warmly, invited him to sit, ordered coffee for them both.

“Well, Chief Inspector, I want to thank you for your work here. I’m also authorised to pass on the appreciation of the Minister and the Prefect that the case has been tied up without undue delay. They will be holding a press conference tomorrow morning at ten. By then you’ll be on your way back to Tartu. I’m sure the local people can tie up any loose ends. We feel that it will give the population a sense of closure to see you returning to your post, a sense that normality and the rule of law have returned.”

“Thank you. I’ll be happy to get back to my family, Colonel. Living in hotels – even one as comfortable as the Imperial – isn’t really my cup of tea. I take it from your more relaxed demeanour that the political aspects of the case have been resolved?”

“Quite so. We were certainly relieved that the Germans didn’t want to make a big issue of it. The Ambassador has accepted our explanation of Albrecht von Langenstein’s unfortunate and entirely accidental death. He has also assured us that they would condemn any attempt by a small number of Baltic German malcontents to overthrow the Estonian Republic. By pointing the finger at the Baltic Germans rather than the German government, your friend Härra Kallas has also done us a favour.”

“So everyone lives happily ever after?”

The Colonel smiled. “We went through that yesterday, Chief Inspector, there’s no need for me to repeat anything. But we’ll have to keep a close eye on the German community here from now on.”

“What about Lepp? Are you going to reveal his part in all this?”

“No, I don’t think that would help. But we’ll be watching out for him, and if he steps back on Estonian soil we’ll have him.”

“A quiet shot in the back of the neck?”

“If there’s compelling evidence, he’ll go on trial.”

Hallmets didn’t believe that, but kept his counsel.

“There’s one other thing I’d like to discuss with you,” said the colonel. “We now have to replace Vaher, and soon Captain Lind will be retiring. Some of the newspapers have been calling for you to be appointed Head of CID here, in view of your success with this case, and Lind has recommended you very strongly to succeed him. But I’ll be honest with you, that’s not going to happen. You’ve not been happy with the fact that a number of decisions concerning the case have had to be made for political reasons. Would you agree with that?”

“Let’s just say that I attach a lot of importance to transparency and honesty.”

“Even when it brings more problems?”

“It doesn’t create problems, it reveals problems that are already there. That need to be faced and dealt with. In a democracy, openness is always the best policy. Not always the easiest, but in the long run, the only way to protect democracy.”

Reinart smiled thinly. “Those views aren’t helpful when it comes to cases that have to be, er…” For once Reinart seemed to be searching for a word.

“Spun?”

“Spun. Yes that’s a neat, almost a poetic, way of putting it. We spin tales to keep people happy.”

“What about truth?”

“Yes, there’s always a bit of that in the tale somewhere too. It confirms the authenticity of the whole story. That’s how politicians operate. I’ve spoken about this to the minister, of course. The sad fact is, that we need someone here who is more amenable to the political aspects of police work than you are. I’m sorry about that, but that’s the way it is.”

“Thank you for being so candid with me, Colonel.” Hallmets began to rise from his seat.

“Sit down, please, Chief Inspector. I haven’t finished yet. As I said when you arrived, we are very grateful for the speed and efficiency with which you solved the case, and indeed, contained all the complications surrounding it. And when I say we, I include also the State Elder, Härra Päts himself. We recognise that your skills, as a detective and as a team-leader, are valuable, and we want to be able to use them in the best way possible. Accordingly, I’m authorised to offer you a new role as co-ordinator of a Special Police Group, based here in Tallinn, to deal with difficult criminal cases throughout the country. What would you say to that?”

“How would this group be staffed?”

“That would be up to you. How many officers do you think would be necessary?”

“Hmm. I’d say we should start with half a dozen dedicated officers, women as well as men. If they’re going to different areas, they’d have to be augmented by local officers who know the place. On the other hand, if there are times when they’re not required, they could offer training to forces across the country.”

“Ah, yes. I hadn’t thought of that. And six officers is well within the budget we planned for the unit. Are there people you might want to suggest?”

“Yes, I’m sure there are. Keeping the number to six would be tricky though. There are…” Hallmets checked himself. “I’m sorry, I’m talking like I’ve already said yes. I can’t give you an answer right now. I’d have to talk it over with my family. We’re well settled in Tartu, and I’d have to be sure they’re OK with moving here. We share every big decision.”