Robert Goddard - Found Wanting

He was stopped in his tracks by the blare of a horn and a squeal of brakes. A pick-up truck juddered to a halt a few yards from him and two men in overalls jumped out. They shouted at him in Finnish.

‘There are people trapped in there.’ He gestured towards the wrecked house. ‘Help me check if they’re still alive.’

The two men stared at him incredulously. Then the older of the two said, ‘Too dangerous. Anyone inside’s dead for sure.’

‘We’ve got to try.’

‘Don’t do it. There could be-’

A loud bang triggered a gout of flame from somewhere in the wreckage. Fragments of rubble flew into the air. One smashed into the windscreen of the pick-up. The two men turned and fled.

‘Get back,’ the older one shouted to Eusden over his shoulder.

Then the second gable gave way. And with it went the last of Eusden’s defences against reality. He retreated, his eyes stinging, his lungs straining. Dust and smoke rose and rolled in the air. Fire crackled behind him.

He reached the Mercedes, his thoughts focusing now on a single resolve: someone must be made to suffer for this. He knelt by Gennady’s motionless body and felt inside his coat for the gun. Suddenly it was in his hand: an automatic of the kind he had seen many, many times in films but never in the world he had inhabited until a week ago. It was too large and heavy to carry in his jacket. He tugged Gennady’s woollen scarf from around his neck, wrapped the gun in it, stood up and set off along the street.

Other residents were out by now, gaping at the devastation that had once been Osmo Koskinen’s house. They paid Eusden no attention, their gazes fixed on the burning, smoking ruin of number 27. He upped his pace.

As he neared the end of the street, he saw a big black Saab SUV pull over as it passed the junction. Its driver stared keenly along Luumitie towards the plume of smoke and a faint smile crossed his face.

The driver was Erik Lund. He was alone in the car and he seemed wholly unaware of Eusden’s presence. He looked straight past him, seeing nothing but what he expected to see. The pedestrian crossing the road in front of him was a mere shadow.

All that changed when Eusden yanked open the passenger door and jumped in the car.

‘Hov! Hvad-’ Lund’s expression froze. He clearly could not believe what he saw: a man he confidently supposed dead sitting right next to him – and holding a gun.

Several long, silent seconds passed as they stared at each other. Then Lund swallowed hard and said, ‘Don’t shoot. Please.’

‘Why shouldn’t I? You set me up, you bastard. You expected them to kill me, didn’t you?’

‘I was… following orders.’

‘Go on doing that and you might live. Drive.’

They started moving. ‘Where are we going?’

‘Head for the airport.’

‘Listen, Eusden, I-’

‘You listen. Just answer my questions. OK?’

‘OK.’

‘Did Tolmar Aksden know this was going to happen?’

Lund nodded. ‘Yes.’

‘He knew everything from the start?’

‘Yes.’

‘What were his instructions?’

‘Destroy the case. Force the Opposition to back off with a show of overwhelming strength. And get rid of you.’

‘As well as Pernille?’

‘Yes.’ They turned on to the main shopping street of Munkkiniemi. A fire engine was speeding towards them, light flashing, siren wailing. Another siren was wailing further in the distance. ‘He always says…a problem is an opportunity.’

‘You killed Burgaard as well, didn’t you?’

‘We’ve killed no one. Everything is… contracted out.’

‘How very businesslike.’ The fire engine roared past. ‘Hold on. What about the security you were supposed to supply?’

‘I had two men in the house. They were there to reassure Pernille she’d be safe.’

‘And you just… sacrificed them?’

‘I did what had to be done. I don’t know how you got away, Eusden, but I promise I won’t tell Tolmar you did.’ A rivulet of sweat was trickling down Lund’s temple. ‘The airport is a good choice. You can fly to England tonight. No one will find out.’

‘Of course they will, Lund. You’ll tell them.’

‘No.’

‘Just keep driving. And go on answering my questions. Did Koskinen know what was going to happen as well?’

‘Not the details. But he does as he’s told. Like me.’

‘Where is he now?’

‘He’s gone to stay with his brother.’

‘Address?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Don’t give me that.’

‘I swear I don’t. I could make something up, couldn’t I? How could you tell? Truthfully, I don’t know.’

A police car swept past them. Then another.

‘What about Tolmar? Where’s he?’

‘Out of town.’

‘When will he be back?’

‘Tonight. Tomorrow. I’m not sure.’

‘Where’s his apartment?’

‘Mäkinkatu six. But you won’t get to him there. It has state-of-the-art security.’

‘Was Birgitte Grøn in on all this?’

‘No. She wouldn’t have cooperated if she’d realized what Tolmar had decided to do. She thought he was going to pay as agreed.’

‘So, there is someone in Mjollnir with a conscience, is there?’

They were leaving the centre of Munkkiniemi now and approaching a big interchange. Lund joined the queue at the lights for a left turn on to the main road heading north.

‘You have no idea how it works, Eusden. You can’t imagine. The money. The luxuries. The things he sees you want and gives to you… in exchange for other things. You’re in too deep to get out before you know it.’

‘Is that your excuse?’

‘I just do what I’m told to do.’

‘In this case, help Tolmar murder his ex-wife.’

‘There’s been no murder. The explosion was caused by a gas leak.’

‘I know better.’

‘I’m only saying what I think the Finnish police will say in the end. A terrible accident. Why Pernille was there… Who knows?’ Lund accelerated on to the main road. The light was beginning to fail, the sullen sky filling in from the east. The afternoon was fading fast. ‘You can get away clean, Eusden. Tonight. I won’t tell Tolmar. Truthfully. It would look bad for me if I admitted you got away.’

‘You really are a heartless bastard, aren’t you?’

‘I’m a realist. Pernille’s dead. You’re alive. You should do everything you can to stay that way.’

‘What will Birgitte do when she finds out you deceived her?’

‘Nothing. She’s a realist also.’

‘Where does Lars Aksden come into this?’

‘He doesn’t.’

‘But he’s here in Helsinki. Why?’

Lund shook his head. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. Lars isn’t here.’

‘I saw him with my own eyes. Near Matalainen’s office. This morning.’

‘Koskinen didn’t say anything about that.’

‘He didn’t see him. I did.’

‘Maybe you were… mistaken.’

‘No. It was him.’

‘Then, I don’t know. It doesn’t make any sense. He shouldn’t be here.’

‘Maybe he wants to find out what the family secret is.’

‘He never will.’

‘But you could enlighten him, couldn’t you? You and Birgitte read the faxed copies of the letters.’

‘No. The number they were faxed to was Tolmar’s. Only he read them. Everything we told you and Pernille… he instructed us to tell you.’

‘Because we’d have refused to go through with it if we’d known Tolmar was in charge. So, we had to be suckered into believing you were going behind his back.’

‘Exactly.’

‘Throwing me to the wolves was one thing, Lund, but Pernille? How could you do that to her?’