White Night

by J J Marsh

  “That’s right,” agreed Jouko, now nodding as if he were in a rocking chair.

  Karoliina’s temper was hanging by a thread. “If either of you gentlemen thinks I give more of a shit about bricks and mortar than the safety of environmental activists and freelance journalists, then you are living under a delusion. Yes, I agreed to the presence of security guards, in principle. My mistake was in allowing you or your henchmen to brief them. My understanding was that a small security presence would be inside the building when the protesters entered to deliver the petition. Instead, they were confronted by what amounted to a private army, who refused them access. Not only that, but if you have studied the media footage in any detail, those heavy-handed goons were the ones to strike the first blow.”

  Jouko blew out his cheeks. “Hardly!” He reached into his briefcase and withdrew a printed article. Before he even began, Karoliina knew it would come from Valo, the right-wing, trouble-making news site. With insufferable self-importance, he shook the paper and commenced to read.

  Shocking scenes. On Saturday 15 June, teenage climate activists charged the headquarters of LokiEn, the energy giant responsible for the newest of Finland’s existing nuclear power facilities and the long-awaited Neljä plant at Kolkko. Initially peaceful, the protestors gathered at Pohjoisesplanadi at 10.00 and marched towards the LokiEn offices on Senaatintori to deliver a petition. When refused entry, a small group of young people at the head of the march attacked the security guards protecting the building from malicious damage. Fighting broke out around 11.00 and over twenty people were seriously injured, several of whom are still in hospital. Police struggled to control the violent disorder, during which many of the marchers were seen to throw their placards at officers’ heads. So far fifteen people have been arrested ...”

  “Oh please, Jouko, give it a rest! Instead of an internal enquiry as to the conduct of the private security company, you prefer to spout hysterical ill-informed bias across this table. Put that mouth-foaming crap away and listen. We have to take partial responsibility for what happened this weekend. But as far as I’m concerned, that is a secondary consideration. Two of the protesters leading the march have now disappeared. Their welfare must take priority. If they have not been found safe and well by Saturday, we cannot possibly go ahead with the plans for the opening ceremony.”

  The two men raised their voices in protest and Karoliina shouted over both of them. “You can threaten to go ahead without me all you like. How do you think that will look? No, I’m sorry, but we need to handle this with extreme delicacy. This is how we’re going to do it.”

  Ville pressed two fingers either side of his temples. “Karoliina, I must ask you to lower your voice. This is a meeting of chief executive officers, not a fish market. Before you continue with your mission of appeasement, I feel there is something important I need to share with you both. Yesterday evening, whilst entertaining some international guests, I received this through my letterbox.” He reached inside his jacket and pulled out an envelope which he placed on the table between them. On the envelope, there was nothing more than his name: Ville Ikonen.

  With a face-palm, Karoliina released a growl of infuriation. “Let me guess. It’s a threatening letter and you didn’t see who delivered it. Because you know best, you decided to pick it up with your bare hands, thereby obliterating any existing fingerprints and exposing yourself to potential toxins. Rather than reporting it to the police, you chose to bring it into the office to share with me and Jouko.”

  This time, Ville did not attempt to disguise his hostility. “You think you’re very smart, don’t you? I’d like to see how you would handle such intrusion into your privacy.”

  “Would you really? Then why don’t you ask the police? They are in possession of a death threat delivered to my home and the security camera footage from outside our house last night. Jouko, if Ville and I have had threats, yours will only be a matter of time. Pick it up with gloves, bag it and inform the authorities immediately.” She spotted his shifty expression. “Oh, great. You had one too. What did you do with it?”

  Jouko thrust out his chins. “I burnt it. They don’t scare me.”

  “Nor do you scare them,” Karoliina sighed. “The only sense of unease they feel is the knowledge the police have at least one copy of their work. Mine. If it happens again …”

  “We’ll involve the police,” snapped Ville. “The only reason neither of us saw the need to do so is that unlike you, paranoia is not our constant companion.”

  Dinosaurs, thought Karoliina. The pair of them should be in a museum.

  She pressed on, taking advantage of their momentary discomposure. “The threats are another reason I see Saturday as a major problem. We need a plan of action. First, a press statement. I will draft something this morning and share it with you both for approval. The response should come from all three companies as a united front.

  “Second, we launch an internal enquiry into the violence on Saturday morning.” She held up her hands to forestall their indignation. “We do not have to share the results with anyone, but we must be seen to do the right thing. Third, from our privileged position, we offer the police our unconditional support in finding the young activists, while making a few enquiries of our own.”

  Jouko snorted. “Those flag-waving, snot-nosed, over-privileged little shits. They’ve gone into hiding, don’t you see? This is what they want. A huge handwringing media circus, trying to find the poor ickle protestors. Only when they have disrupted our opening ceremony will they crawl out from whatever stone they’ve been hiding under, smiling all over their smug faces.”

  Ville cleared his throat. “Yes, well, perhaps you had better leave addressing the press to me.”

  “No.” Karoliina drained her coffee and got to her feet. “As the CEO of LokiEn and the chief stakeholder in the project, I represent the Neljä project. Any enquiries, send them to my team. A unified front, remember. We believe we are doing the right thing for the Finnish people and if takes a little longer to get everyone on board, so be it. Have a good day, gentlemen.”

  She left the room with a brief nod at the secretary, aware of two pairs of eyes boring into her back. As soon as this project was over, she reassured herself, she need never see Jouko Lahti or Ville Ikonen ever again. That prospect provoked the second smile of the day.

  Chapter 8

  On arrival at Helsinki airport, the plane taxied in the direction of the terminal and came to a dead stop. After a few moments, the captain’s voice sounded over the intercom system, informing passengers there was a problem with the skybridge at their gate and there would be a few minutes delay. Five minutes became ten, then twenty and Beatrice’s impatience grew, along with that of the other passengers. People switched on their phones, looked at their watches and craned their necks to stare out of the window.

  Beside her, Theo sat perfectly still, his eyes closed. Beatrice peered past him to watch the petrol tankers, baggage vehicles and catering vans waiting to service their aircraft. She sighed again and turned her attention to Theo, vaguely annoyed that he did not share her frustrations. His head rested on the seat, his face completely relaxed, long eyelashes resting on his cheeks. His chest rose and fell steadily, as if he were asleep.

  “Are you doing yoga?” she asked, a touch of belligerence in her voice.

  His lips curved slightly although he did not open his eyes. “Not exactly. More mindful breathing. Does it bother you?”

  “No, it doesn’t bother me. It just feels like you’re not here.”

  The plane started to move and Theo opened his eyes. “That’s the whole point. I am here, a 100% in the moment. You, on the other hand, are straining towards to the future, itching to be in that terminal, rushing to the next part of the day.”

  The seatbelt lights went off with a ping. The captain apologised for keeping them waiting and wished them a good stay or onward journey. Passengers unclipped their belts and began the mad scramble of putting on jackets, unpackin
g overhead bins and queuing to get out of the aircraft. Beatrice was one of the first to her feet.

  When they finally got into the terminal, Beatrice scurried to keep pace with Theo’s long strides. They cleared customs and emerged into the Arrivals Hall, where a man stood with a sign saying ‘Beatrice Stubbs’. She did enjoy having a car sent to collect her at the airport. It made her feel valued and just a little bit superior.

  Theo livened up on the drive from the airport, asking questions of the driver and observing the scenery. A familiar fizz bubbled up inside Beatrice. The land of the midnight sun, white nights, a new case and an opportunity to make a difference. Her optimism and excitement was tempered by a fear of the unknown and the constant worry she would fail, but she considered that a good thing. Overconfidence was a deadly flaw.

  The driver said they would travel through the city directly to the island of Kulosaari, where their host would be waiting. Sun sparkled off the Baltic Sea as they crossed the causeway and seagulls circled in the air, giving the atmosphere an almost holiday vibe.

  The approach to Karoliina Nurmi’s house gave Beatrice all the information she needed regarding the woman’s status. On a gentrified island filled with large, expensive properties, the majority with a sea view, Karoliina’s property sat at the end, clearly the most expensive and exclusive of them all. Theo let out a low whistle.

  “She’s not short of a bob or two then?” he said, his head taking a slow scan of the grounds, the private jetty complete with yacht, the landscaped gardens and split-level house with floor to ceiling windows.

  Beatrice had seen it all before. If not this particular piece of real estate, then something with a very similar price tag. “Put it this way, she can afford us,” she muttered.

  The car crunched to a halt and the driver had opened Beatrice’s door before she had even released her seatbelt. A woman was standing at the portico. Beatrice raised a hand and the woman responded in kind as she moved down the path to greet them.

  Karoliina wore a simple blue linen tunic over capri pants, and minimal jewellery. Her face was broad and open, unadorned with make-up and her ash-blonde hair lay in a plait over her right shoulder.

  “Thank you so much for coming, Ms Stubbs. I really appreciate how quickly you arrived given such short notice. And this must be Mr Wolfe. Hello and welcome. Please, come in and have a cool drink after your travels.” She addressed the driver in English. “Erik, this will take no more than an hour and then I’d like you to drive our guests to their hotel. Thank you.”

  Inside, Karoliina led them through the wide open spaces of the living room and out onto a terrace overlooking the sea. A tray was set with three glasses and a water jug with a sprig of mint floating in it. Their host motioned for them to sit and Beatrice eased herself into the chair, absorbing the most relaxing view she could imagine.

  As she poured water Karoliina spoke. “I prepared all the documentation I thought would be relevant. But I am not a detective. If you think there is anything missing that I can provide, please say the word. The fact of the matter is that this is no simple investigation. Two people, both teenagers active in the environmental protest movement, have been missing since Saturday lunchtime. Their parents are frantic with worry, the press are pointing fingers at us and some of my colleagues believe the young people are in hiding on purpose. On top of this, we have four days before the opening ceremony of our new power plant housing a modular reactor to heat many of the homes in Helsinki. The very power plant which was at the centre of the protests this past weekend. Obviously, the police have been informed and are actively working this as a missing persons’ case. The reason I contacted you is because…”

  Beatrice waited for her to continue. “Is because?”

  Karoliina’s pale grey eyes flicked from her to Theo. “... is because I would like someone to look at the situation with unbiased eyes. I wanted an outsider, someone neutral, with no emotional investment. I need you to focus solely on the facts. My intention was originally to send the paperwork directly to your hotel, keeping myself out of it. Then I realised you would have questions and there really is no time to waste worrying about protocols. That’s why I had my driver bring you here, so you can read at your leisure and I will be available for any questions you may have. I will leave you now and come back in thirty minutes. Can I bring you anything?”

  Beatrice shook her head but Theo looked up at her with an easy smile. “I don’t need anything, thank you. I just wanted to clarify something. You said ‘the press are pointing fingers at us’. Who is us?”

  “Ah, I see,” Karolina said, lowering herself into her seat. “By us, I meant the three energy companies behind the nuclear power plant. That’s me, at the helm of LokiEn, Ville Ikonen who is the CEO of Scanski Solutions and Jouko Lahti, currently chief executive officer at Baltic Energy Services. The project is a collaborative venture between the three of us, although as the project lead, I represent the public face and deal with the stakeholders.”

  Theo thanked her and she retreated into the house. The following half hour Beatrice and Theo spent in silence, turning pages, making notes and double checking their findings. The sea rushed at the walls, the gulls screeched and swooped and a fresh breeze blew across the table, provoking a contented noise from DI Stubbs. Opposite her, Theo’s neatly plaited black locks formed a screen around his face.

  “Should we have a chat before she comes back?” Beatrice asked. “Or aren’t you ready yet?”

  Theo lifted his head as if waking up. “I’ve read it all, but I’m going to need some thinking time. I would like to ask a few things about context. What about you?”

  Beatrice gathered her papers together and took them back into the file. “No. I’d rather some digestion time first. Talking of digestion, I could do with a spot of lunch. What do you mean by context?”

  “I’m interested in the principles behind this situation. What I want to know is why Finland has embraced nuclear energy with such enthusiasm. Why is it such an emotive subject and what are the key questions which divide public opinion? Obviously we should look at both sides. Right now, we’ve got one of the project’s managers willing to give her side of the story, so why not grab the opportunity?”

  Beatrice stared out to sea. “I’m not sure it’s necessary to get into the whole environmental debate. Our focus is to find the missing kids. The facts are that LokiEn and two other power companies are building a modular nuclear reactor and the environmentalists disapprove. Quite simply, the protestors care about the planet. All the companies care about is profit.”

  As if summoned by their voices, Karoliina appeared from behind the diaphanous curtains at the French windows, followed by a large Burmese cat which sauntered across the patio and into the garden. “May I add my thoughts on the subject?” she asked.

  “Yes, please do,” said Beatrice, a little embarrassed and irritated her blunt assessment had been overheard.

  Karoliina took her seat. “I wasn’t trying to listen to your conversation. I came to see if you were ready. Ms Stubbs, your analysis of the situation is very common, but I’m sorry to say, incorrect. Our modular nuclear reactor, along with the others in this country, is part of an effort to tackle climate change. We too care about the planet. Where the protestors and I diverge is on the best way to do that.”

  Before Beatrice could reply, Theo asked a question. “My understanding of nuclear power is that it has the potential to be the safest and cleanest source of energy, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. So why do people react so strongly against it?”

  “That’s an excellent place to start. Rather than my repeating some bland mission statement, let’s ask your partner. Do you mind if I put you on the spot, Ms Stubbs? I don’t know your own views on the subject, but you stated that the protestors care about the planet. In which case, why do they object to our state-of-the-art modular nuclear reactor, which will be used to heat their homes?”

  In terms of scientific data on energy production, Beatrice’s
grasp of the facts was sketchy at best. To stick her neck out would mean exposing her ignorance. Taking that into consideration, she doubted anything helpful would come out of such a conversation. Nevertheless, she gave it her best shot.

  “I’d say young people mistrust previous generations for very good reasons. Our careless consumption of natural resources has left them with a huge problem. We’ve spent decades on short-term solutions and ignoring long-term risks. The reasons they object to your reactor, I assume, is part of that. Nuclear energy might well provide a modern solution, but what about the risks?”

  With her open face and clear grey eyes, Karoliina bore more resemblance to a yoga instructor than the head of a multi-million-Euro company. “Your analysis seems to reflect everything I have heard from people concerned for our environment. That is the key word. Risk. Why do people think nuclear energy carries the most risk?”

  She knew it was a trap, but couldn’t help herself. “Umm, Chernobyl, Fukishima? One accident can decimate an area.”

  With a yowl, the cat leaped onto the table, took a circuit to ensure no food was on offer and jumped down again to twirl between Karoliina’s calves.

  Theo spoke. “I read that when nuclear power goes wrong, it’s a disaster. But when fossil fuels go right, it’s also a disaster. Fossil fuels go right a lot more often and its effects take longer, that’s all.”

  Karoliina stroked the cat, her eyes thoughtful. “That much is true. But is that the best we can do? The lesser of two evils? What if I told you nuclear energy uses fewer planetary resources than even renewable forms? That the new fourth generation reactor can recycle spent fuel, using up to 90% of our existing nuclear waste? That Finland is committed to storing the limited amount of residue safely, in our own country?”

  “That all sounds very reasonable,” Theo agreed. “It seems the majority of Finnish people are in favour, so long as the facility is not physically on their doorstep. From what I read online, the problem with your new reactor is that it’s right in the middle of the suburbs.”