by J J Marsh
“Her?” Päivi released her grip from her temples. “I’m talking about a young black guy, British and wet behind the ears. He tried pumping me for information last night.”
“Presumably he was unsuccessful.”
Päivi flushed, thinking of the unsubtle pass she had made and the clumsy hints she’d dropped. If the guy was any good, he’d join the dots and connect her to the paid protestors and therefore to the death of Seppä. “I gave him Finnish vodka and pinched his arse. He got nothing more than a reminder never to try winkling a story out of a hard-nosed journo. What now?”
“Do as I told you. More instructions after I see the evening news. Päivi, make sure your entire staff stick to the editorial line. Have a good evening.”
The phone buzzed the second she rang off. Activity in the corridor caught her eye. A gaggle of people demanding her attention. She picked up the wastepaper basket and hurled it at the door. Her deputy and two junior reporters recoiled and hurried away.
A smile lifted her lips and she answered the call. “Do you have any idea how insanely busy I am? I can’t talk to you now.” Her honeyed tones belied the message in her words. “Give me a few hours. Can you go for a jog around three this afternoon? I know you have a lot to tell me.”
His voice was breathless. “Three o’clock? The usual place?”
“The usual place,” she purred. “I deserve a little rest and relaxation.”
Chapter 18
The best way of arranging a meeting with the Gaia Warriors was definitely through Tuula. Theo called her from his hotel room before leaving to collect Samu’s mother. This time, he decided, he needed to meet all the leaders of the movement and ideally, somewhere that did not serve alcohol.
Tuula was doubtful she could gather the whole team at such short notice, but she promised to try. She gave him the name of a café near the museum where they could meet in relative privacy. Theo thanked her, took another swig of sparkling water and deemed himself sufficiently recovered to be able to drive. Due to the sheer embarrassment factor, he’d been unable to ask Beatrice the questions which were nagging at him. He had very little recollection of the night before. He wanted to know exactly what he had said to his new boss, who had undressed him for his shower, why there was a half-eaten burger on the end of his bed and how come the pockets of his bathrobe were stuffed with handfuls of chips.
On the road to Haaga, he opened the window and allowed the fresh air to fill the car and his lungs. Since he hadn’t managed to get himself fired for drunken behaviour last night, he had to put every effort into making sure it never happened again. One way to get back in his boss’s good books would be to make some sort of progress today so they could both fly home in plenty of time for the wedding. Where that progress would come from, Theo had no idea.
Nina (not Mrs) Pekkanen spoke very little on the journey into Helsinki. Theo explained the importance of impressing the dangers of Samu’s condition on these young people. He told her it was a strategic move so that they would spread the word, hopefully getting back to the people who were keeping Valpuri and Samuel hidden. He also asked her to bring Samu’s preventative inhaler, just in case. She did as she was asked and posed no awkward questions. When they arrived at the café, good as her word, Tuula had gathered the other three remaining members of the Gaia Warriors’ leadership.
The only one Theo had not seen before was Ursula. She was the complete opposite to her friend. Whereas Tuula was all tattoos, piercings and torn black fabric, Ursula was completely unadorned. Her long straight hair hung down her back, her face was free of make-up and she wore a simple white T-shirt, denim shorts and ballet flats. She seemed like the youngest in the group and Theo couldn’t get his head round the fact she was a university undergraduate.
He made the introductions and watched with some amusement as Risto tried to keep up both his sneering posture with Theo and respectful humility towards Nina Pekkanen. She spoke to them in Finnish, so Theo was excluded, but that was not a bad thing. These kids had to keep their full attention on this softly spoken woman, so Theo trained his focus on the table in front of him and breathed himself into stillness. He did not look up, nod, make noises of encouragement or move a muscle while she spoke. At one point, she placed the two inhalers on the table. No one moved to pick them up.
Once he sensed their attention was completely held by Nina’s words, he risked lifting his head a few millimetres to take in their postures. It made for interesting viewing.
Risto leaned back, his arms folded and brow hooded over his eyes. His focus on his friend’s mother only wavered occasionally as he flicked a glance towards Aleksis. Ursula was the picture of sympathetic concern, her brow creased in understanding as she murmured her comprehension at every statement. In contrast, Tuula seemed tense and fidgety, her attention divided between a worried mother and the brooding figure of Risto beside her. It was almost impossible to get a good look at Aleksis because he sat the other side of Ursula, shrinking back so far Theo thought he might fall off the bench.
In his stillness, Theo noticed every tiny movement. Tuula fiddling with the fringe of her top and biting at her lip. Aleksis’s hunched shoulders and downcast gaze. Ursula, placing her hands either side of her legs, while making little noises to express compassion. The slight creak of his jacket as Risto folded his arms still tighter. Theo looked past the three people sitting opposite him; Nina Pekkanen and Ursula. Behind them was a long brushed steel counter, the kind you might find in an American diner. The reflections of the mismatched party were clear and he realised he could see a rather different angle.
To his surprise, Ursula’s hand snaked along the bench towards Aleksis. The young man was curled forward as if to stare at his navel, his injured left hand resting in his lap. Ursula caught his right wrist and he winced, but did not look up. All the time, the fresh-faced pretty blonde kept her head turned towards Nina Pekkanen, still nodding, still saying ‘mmm’.
When she finished her speech, Mrs Pekkanen thanked them for listening and asked them once again if they heard anything to go to the police. She repeated it in English, for Theo’s benefit.
Risto cleared his throat. “I mean no disrespect, Nina, but we don’t have a lot of faith in the police. Even less after Saturday.”
Theo saw Ursula’s hand release Aleksis and she twisted her body to place a hand on Nina Pekkanen’s arm. “Please don’t worry. We will be sure to do the right thing.”
“And if you don’t feel you can trust the police, contact me,” said Theo, his eyes taking in the sight of Aleksis rubbing at his wrist and pulling his sleeve down to cover his hand. “I’m going to give each of you my card and you can call me on this number any time, in confidence.” He passed his business cards around the table and everyone except Tuula took one. The inhalers remained where they were.
“I’ve already got one of your cards,” said Tuula, with a knowing smile, playing with the earring in her left ear.
Ursula shot her a sharp look and the girl’s smile faded.
“Tuula, I’m sorry to take up your break like this and I want to thank you all for taking the time to listen to what Nina had to say. I have one last question. Can you tell me how you travelled to Saturday’s march? I’m just curious how you transported all your placards and so on.”
Theo kept his face bland and open, making eye contact with them all, but intensely aware of Aleksis in his peripheral vision. No one spoke for a second and Theo could sense the tension. Each of them was waiting for Ursula.
She took a long drink from her water bottle and screwed on the cap. “Same way we always travel to events. In our minibus. We parked it at EuroPark because it’s only three minutes’ walk from the President’s Palace. Then we marched to Senaatintori and LokiEn’s office.”
“Right, thanks. Who travelled in the minibus?”
Risto spoke. “The six leaders of the Gaia Warrior Movement. I’m the only one old enough to drive it, so I pick everyone up and take everyone home after the event.”
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“At what time did you decide to leave without Valpuri and Samu?”
Risto’s eyes hardened. “We don’t always travel together if we’re close to home. People have other things to do. We sent them a text, saying we’d be leaving at one. Neither of them replied so we figured they’d gone off somewhere and would get home by train. We left just after one.”
“You travelled in together, but went home separately,” Theo repeated. “So they hadn’t left any bags, coats or anything else in the bus?”
Ursula shrugged. “Obviously not.”
Theo thanked them again and walked outside with Nina Pekkanen. Once the café door had closed behind them, he spoke.
“Nina, I appreciate your doing that. Who knows if it will make any difference, but it was worth a try. Would you like me to drive you home?”
“No, thank you. I have a few errands I need to run in the city. I’ll take the train home when I’m ready. Thank you for all your help and please give my regards to Beatrice Stubbs.” She held out a delicate hand for Theo to shake. “I wish you luck. I have a good feeling about you.” With that she turned and walked away in the direction of the park. He watched her go, so light and fragile he could almost imagine her being whisked away with the wind.
“Mr Wolfe?”
Ursula stood at his shoulder, her long brown limbs awkward and gauche. “We wanted to show you something. Do you have a minute?”
Theo followed her as she led the way around the side of the café and down towards the car park. As they drew closer, Theo saw Risto leaning up against a motorcycle. Aleksis sat on the pavement, his arms wrapped around his knees. There was no sign of Tuula.
Ursula stopped and held out a hand to Risto. It took a second, but Risto reached inside his jacket to retrieve an envelope. Ursula took it from him with a solemn look and handed it to Theo.
He looked at the envelope which had three words typed on it. The Gaia ‘Warriors’. Theo noted the sardonic inverted commas. He didn’t touch it but looked at Ursula.
“What’s inside?”
She pulled out one sheet of paper, again, typed, and held it out for him to read.
You have blood on your hands. Today, the blood of three people. From Saturday, the blood of millions.
You must be stopped. You must be killed.
You will be killed.
For the benefit of Finland.
Theo looked at the two expectant faces in front of him. Aleksis kept his head bowed.
“You should take this to the police,” he said, still careful not to touch the paper. She shook her head.
“As Risto said, we don’t have any faith in the police. But we wanted someone to see the evidence. People should know we’re being threatened. We think whoever has Samu and Valpuri sent this. Some powerful people want us dead.”
Chapter 19
Look at me, thought Valpuri. Little Miss Green, environmental activist, Gaia Warrior, defender of the planet and here I am throwing plastic into the sea. She waded deeper, until the waves began to splash around her thighs. The current was strong and she dared not lose her footing for fear of being tossed against the rocks. She steadied herself, picked up the first of the bottles and threw it as far as she could out to sea. It landed a pathetic two metres in front of her. That was better than her first attempt when she hadn’t even managed a single metre. Despite the cold, she flushed with embarrassment, recalling the hysterical weeping fit which had followed.
This was a new iteration. She and Samu kept all the water bottles their captors had given them. Valpuri drained and dried each one, dropped a small pebble into the bottom and inside each, she stuffed one of the many messages she and Samu had scribbled on lined paper.
HELP!!! SOS!!! MAYDAY!!! Samu Pekkanen and Valpuri Peura are in a cave on this coast. If you find this message, contact the police urgently. Samu is asthmatic and needs medical help. EMERGENCY!
Every bottle she hurled at the waves provoked a surge of embarrassment at the futility of the exercise. But what else could she do? Since helping her write the messages, Samu had retreated into his sleeping bag, uncommunicative, lethargic and constantly complaining of thirst. Of the six bottles in yesterday’s cold box, only one remained to last them until the evening when their captors should return. Will return, Valpuri chided herself. They will return, they will bring water and they will bring his puffer.
In addition to the messages for the bottles, Valpuri had composed a third letter to those holding them hostage. Every time the winch came down to collect the empty cold box, Valpuri inserted a note, the tone of which grew increasingly hysterical. Firstly, she warned of Samu’s condition and the importance of regular medication. The second time, her words were less measured and she demanded they either provide him with his medication or release them to seek medical attention. This time, she used the most potent language at her disposal. So far, he had managed his one and only attack with the reliever, but the cold, damp and stress of their confinement would only lead to more.
The people holding them had to be in the employ of the energy companies. They didn’t give a shit about the planet, about people or even about Finland. The only thing that made them happy was profit. So she had to hit them in the wallet. Her carefully composed letter explained that Samu’s breathing had now become laboured and wheezy, a potential threat to his life. If he died or suffered brain damage as a result of their incarceration, the company’s reputation would never recover. Neither would the profits. According to the Geneva Convention, even war criminals were entitled to basic medical care. Should anything happen to Samu or her, her friends, family and colleagues would ensure the energy companies would carry full blame.
The light was fading and Valpuri was chilled to her bones. On a hot, sunny beach, the Baltic Sea might seem refreshing. Not so in a dank cave with almost no natural light. At least while wading as far as she dared, she had managed to urinate, so as not to pollute the cave any further. For the first two days, she and Samu had meticulously buried their waste deep in the sand. Yet the smell crept out, increasing in intensity as time went by. And now Samu had lost all interest in basic hygiene, merely crawling out of his bag to urinate a few paces from their base camp area.
Each day, Valpuri tried to drag their sleeping bags closer to the gap in the roof and further from the soiled sand. That strategy backfired when a rainstorm hit the coast, waking them with fierce fat raindrops pelting their faces. All their fleeces, sleeping bags and blankets were wet and they had no means of drying them. That was when Samu started to cry, broken, defeated sobs racking his large frame. She dragged him away from the opening to the elements and found a dry spot of sand. She wrapped them both in a groundsheet and curled her body around his.
Now, she dried herself as best she could with the brown paper bag which once held bread rolls. The thought of the bread triggered a twinge in her stomach accompanied by a desperate thirst. She dragged on her jeans and crawled over to where Samu lay on his side. Her heart plummeted when she saw the empty water bottle by his side. She had hidden it behind the cold box, rationing the last precious drops. But he had obviously found it and finished the lot.
For a second she knelt there, battling with her rage at his selfishness. Then she sat back on her heels and blinked away tears. She reached into her sleeping bag for a fleece which had dried overnight. She sat cross-legged on the groundsheet, releasing her hair down her back to keep her ears warm. She closed her eyes and began to turn her gaze inward, focusing on the strength of her breath and the power of her mind. It wasn’t easy to direct her thoughts while her physical body sent signals of discomfort; cold, hunger, thirst, desperation. Her eyes snapped open as if a sound had disturbed her but the aural landscape of the environment was unchanged. Waves rushed in and out, Samu wheezed from the depths of his bag, and the wind howled angrily across the aperture above. Breathing steadily, ignoring the frequent wafts of urine and faeces, she drew on her strength, chanting silently ‘I will prevail’, until she almost believed it.
It tasted of limescale and dank greenery but it was fresh. Fresh water. Sweet water! She drank capful after capful then forced herself to stop. A little would keep her going but if it made her sick, she would be unable to help Samu through this ordeal. Tilting the bottle on its side, she managed to fill it halfway and making sure Samu did not see, hid it in her sleeping bag. She got inside and lay down to wait. Nothing else to do but hope for mercy from their abductors.
Chapter 20
The key to effective detective work was adaptability, Beatrice told herself. Karoliina could not make time for a conversation that morning and offered to meet Beatrice after lunch. That worked out equally well, so Beatrice rearranged her plans, informed Theo and used her free morning to do some poking around. Once all her emails and messages had been either dealt with or deflected, she left the hotel to retrace the marchers’ route and explore the central government and business district of Vironniemi. Happily, it was within easy walking distance, the sun was shining and she was comfortably full of top quality pulla, a sort of Finnish cinnamon roll.
Last Saturday, peaceful protestors had gathered outside the President’s Palace with its gold-tipped fence and imposing courtyard. Beatrice took a couple of photographs through the bars and a few more of the Sky Wheel in the distance. She checked her map and set off up Mariankatu at a steady pace. It was a long time since she’d been on a protest march, but from memory, large crowds of people tended to move incredibly slowly. A little park caught her attention and she was just crossing the road for a closer look when Theo rang.