Dennis Lehane - The Terrorists

Rhea Nielsen laughed out loud. Martin Beck placed his right hand over her left one. She laughed even more loudly. The judge pointed out that spectators were expected to keep quiet, then turned to look irritably at the two lawyers. Bulldozer gazed so intently at Rhea that he almost missed the beginning of the interrogation.

Crasher, on the other hand, showed no reaction. He asked, ‘Were you first into the bank?’

‘No.’

‘Did you seize this girl, Rebecka Olsson?’

‘No.’

‘Rebecka Lind, I mean,’ said Crasher, after a few sniggers.

‘No.’

‘What did you do?’

‘I grabbed the other one.’

‘Were there two girls present at the robbery?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

Kristiansson pondered a moment. ‘So she wouldn't fall.’

‘How old was this other girl?’

‘About four months.’

‘And so it was Kvastmo who seized Rebecka Lind?’

‘Yes.’

‘Do you think you might say that he employed violence or excessive force in doing so?’

‘I don't understand what counsel for the defence is trying to get at,’ said Bulldozer banteringly.

‘I mean that Kvastmo, whom we all saw earlier today …’

Crasher rummaged for a long time among his papers. ‘Here it is,’ he said. ‘Kvastmo weighs over fourteen stone. He is, among other things, a specialist in karate and wrestling. He is regarded by his superiors as a keen and zealous man. Inspector Norman Hanson, who submitted the evidence, says however that Kvastmo is all too often overzealous on duty and that many of those taken into custody complain that Kvastmo used violence against them. The evidence also says that Kenneth Kvastmo has received various reprimands and that his ability to express himself leaves much to be desired.’

Crasher put down the document and said, ‘Would the witness now answer the question as to whether Kvastmo used violence.’

‘Yes,’ said Kristiansson. ‘You could say that.’ Experience had taught him not to lie where duty was concerned, at least not too much or too often. Also, he disliked Kvastmo.

‘And you took custody of the child?’

‘Yes, I had to. She was carrying it in a sort of harness, and when Kvastmo was taking the knife away from her, she almost dropped the child.’

‘Did Rebecka offer any resistance?’

‘No. When I took the kid, she just said, “Careful you don't drop her!”’

‘That all seems clear enough,’ said Crasher. ‘I will return to the possible continued use of force later. Instead, I should now like to ask you about another matter –’

‘Yes,’ said Kristiansson.

‘Since no one from the special unit concerned with protecting the banks' money visited the scene of the crime,’ said Crasher and stopped short with an imperious look at the prosecutor.

‘We work day and night,’ said Bulldozer, ‘and this was considered an insignificant case, one of many.’

‘Which means that the initial interrogations were conducted by whatever police happened to be present,’ said Crasher. ‘Who spoke to the cashier?’

‘Me,’ said Kristiansson.

‘And what did she say?’

‘She said the girl came up to the counter with the kid in a harness and put her shoulder bag on the marble slab. The cashier saw the knife right away, so she started stuffing notes in the bag.’

‘Did Rebecka take out the knife?’

‘No, she had it in her belt. Around in the back.’

‘Then how could the cashier have seen it?’

‘I don't know. Yes, of course, she saw it afterwards when Rebecka turned around, and then she screamed, “A knife, a knife, she's got a knife!”’

‘Was it a sheath knife or a stiletto?’

‘No, it looked like a small kitchen knife. Like the kind you have at home.’

‘What did Rebecka say to the cashier?’

‘Nothing. At least, not right away. Then they said she laughed and said, “I didn't know it was so easy to borrow money.” And then she said, “I suppose I have to leave a receipt or something.”’

‘The money appears to have been scattered all over the floor,’ said Crasher. ‘How did that come about?’

‘Well, Kvastmo was standing there holding on to the girl while we waited for reinforcements. And then the cashier started counting the money to see if any was missing. And then Kenneth started shouting, “Stop, that's illegal.”’

‘And then?’

‘Then he yelled, “Karl, don't let anyone touch the loot.” I was carrying the kid so I only got hold of one of the handles and dumped it on the floor by accident. It was mostly small denominations, so they flew all over the place. Well, then along came another patrol car. We gave the child to them, and then took the prisoner to the station on Kungsholm. I drove and Kenneth sat in the back seat with the girl.’

‘Was there trouble in the back seat?’

‘Yes, a little. At first she cried and wanted to know what we'd done with her kid. Then she cried even louder and then Kvastmo was trying to put handcuffs on her.’

‘Did you say anything?’

‘Yes, I said I was sure she didn't need them. Kvastmo was twice as big as her and anyway she wasn't offering any resistance.’

‘Did you say anything else in the car?’

Kristiansson sat in silence for several minutes. Crasher waited silently.

Kristiansson gazed at his uniform-clad legs, looked guiltily around and said, ‘I said, “Don't hit her, Kenneth.”’

The rest was simple. Crasher rose and went over to Kristiansson. ‘Does Kenneth Kvastmo usually hit the people he arrests?’

‘It has happened.’

‘Did you see Kvastmo's shoulder flap and the almost torn-off button?’

‘Yes. He mentioned it. Said his wife didn't keep his things in order.’

‘When did this happen?’

‘The day before.’

‘The prosecution's witness,’ said Crasher gently.

Bulldozer caught Kristiansson's eye and held it. How many cases had been wrecked by stupid policemen? And how many had been saved?

‘No questions,’ said Bulldozer lightly. Then, as if in passing, ‘The prosecution withdraws the charge of assaulting a police officer.’

What happened next was that Braxén requested a recess, during which he lit his first cigar and then made the long trek to the men's room. He came back after a while and stood talking to Rhea Nielsen.

‘What sort of women do you run around with?’ Bulldozer Olsson asked Martin Beck. ‘First she laughs at me while the court's in session and now she stands there chatting with Crasher. Everyone knows Crasher's breath can knock an orang-utan unconscious at fifty yards.’

‘Good women,’ answered Martin Beck. ‘Or rather, one good woman.’

‘Oh, so you've married again? Me, too. It gives life a little more zip.’

Rhea came over to them. ‘Rhea,’ said Martin Beck, ‘this is the senior public prosecutor, Mr Olsson.’

‘So I gather.’

‘Everyone calls him Bulldozer,’ said Martin Beck. He turned to Olsson. ‘I think your case is going badly.’

‘Yes, one half has collapsed,’ said Bulldozer. ‘But the rest of it'll stick. Bet me a bottle of whisky?’

At that moment the case was called again and Bulldozer Olsson rushed into the courtroom.

The defence called its next witness, Hedy-Marie Wirén, a suntanned woman of about fifty.

Crasher sorted his papers, finally finding the right one, and said, ‘Rebecka did not do well in school. She left at sixteen with grades far too low to enable her to go on to high school. But did she do equally poorly in all subjects?’

‘She was good at my subject,’ said the witness. ‘One of the best pupils I've ever had. Rebecka had a lot of ideas of her own, especially when it came to vegetables and natural foods. She was aware that our present diet is objectionable, that most of the food sold in supermarkets is in one way or another poisoned. Rebecka realized at a very early age the importance of a healthy way of life. She grew her own vegetables and was always prepared to gather what nature had to offer. That was why she always carried a gardening knife in her belt. I have talked a great deal to Rebecka.’