The Dinosaur Feather

by S. J. Gazan

  “Johannes was killed by repeated blows to the back of his head. It was messy, blood everywhere,” he went on, observing her closely. He noticed when she moved her foot and when she cleared her throat, his face contracted imperceptibly. It was eerie, and suddenly Anna felt scared.

  “This is completely illegal, isn’t it?” she demanded. “Aren’t you being totally unprofessional? Waiting for me in the supermarket, pretending to be shopping when really you were following me? That’s harassment.”

  Søren got up and sat down on the sofa next to Anna.

  “Hey,” she growled and tried to get up, but Søren grabbed hold of her and pulled her back down.

  He held her by the shoulders and hissed, “I’ve had enough of you, Anna Bella.” His grip was vice-like. “I’ve had enough of you refusing to cooperate. I’ve been a police officer for many years, and I’ve never had a case as impenetrable as this, and the last thing I need is a stubborn suspect who, for reasons utterly beyond my comprehension, acts as if the police in general and me in particular were put on this earth to annoy her. I can see it’s not easy for you, Anna. I really can. A young child, a demanding dissertation, and now two sudden deaths. I can understand you’re scared and angry and beside yourself. But I don’t understand why you’re angry with me. I’m your only friend in this whole crappy business.” He let go of her.

  Anna yelled, “You’ve bruised me. Are you out of your mind? You can’t manhandle me, you unprofessional shit.”

  Søren got up and went to the window.

  “Then make a formal complaint, Anna. Go to the station tomorrow and do it. You’ve been uncooperative, and you’re technically still a suspect. Did you kill Professor Helland? Is that what you do when you get angry? Do you get so mad that you kill? And what about Johannes? Did you get angry with him, too? Did he tell you a few hard truths and you went berserk? Was that what happened? And what about Lily? Judging by your behavior, I ought to have her taken to child protective services. You’re mentally unstable, anyone can see that, and it might be better for your daughter to grow up away from you. So, go ahead, Anna Bella. You file that complaint.” Søren looked calmly at her while he spoke, and when he had finished, he turned again to the window.

  Anna’s heart was racing and she gasped for breath. Søren had said terrible things, he suspected her, he had found her Achilles’ heel, but to hell with it. She couldn’t imagine life without Lily. Søren stared into the darkness. Anna noticed his right hand was shaking.

  “I’ll help,” she croaked. “I promise to help you.”

  Søren turned around slowly and looked at her for a long time, then he nodded.

  “Some woman was in love with Johannes, and she… bothered him,” she said. “A woman he had met at this club he goes to… the Red Mask.”

  “A woman?” Søren raised his eyebrows and looked at Anna.

  “I’m not sure… I assumed it was a woman. I thought that’s what he said. Someone he got along with, but he wasn’t in love with her, and I think she freaked out because she was in love with him.” Anna squirmed as she realized how little attention she had paid. “He told me last Monday, but I was too preoccupied with my own problems,” she added, miserably. “But there was someone who wouldn’t leave him alone, who kept calling and…”

  “We’ve found some e-mails on Johannes’s computer,” Søren said, looking pensive. “They were sent from an account in the name of Donald Duck and the sender calls himself YourGuy, so we think it might be a man. Ring any bells?”

  Anna shook her head and stared out of the window.

  “It just seems… so extreme to kill Johannes,” she said. “He’s the nicest person in the world! He never argues with anybody. That’s what makes him so irritating,” she added. “Johannes sees the good in everyone.” She froze, realizing she had used the present tense.

  “Johannes had falling out with Professor Helland,” Søren protested.

  “No, definitely not. Helland and Johannes were friends. Johannes got really uptight if I ever dared criticize Helland even a little.” Anna replied as though Søren’s statement had been a question.

  “Anna, I’m telling you Helland and Johannes had clashed. We have it in writing, a long e-mail exchange that began before the summer and was still ongoing. Helland wasn’t pulling his weight regarding a paper they were meant to cowrite. Johannes appears to have been dissatisfied with Helland’s contribution and upset that Helland was making so little effort. Did Johannes ever mention this?”

  Anna looked wretchedly at Søren. “No,” she whispered.

  “And you never noticed his relationship with Professor Helland was strained?”

  “No.” She jerked her head and stared at Søren. “You’re not insinuating Johannes killed Helland, are you? That’s outrageous. Johannes is the sweetest man I know, he would never…” She clutched her forehead.

  “Anna,” Søren assured her. “I’m not insinuating anything. I’m just trying to make sense of it. That’s all. Why do you think Johannes never told you anything?”

  “Because I’m utterly self-centered,” Anna said in a chastened voice.

  “Pardon?” Søren said.

  “Nothing,” Anna replied.

  Lily appeared in the doorway, dangling Bloppen in one hand.

  “I can’t sleep,” she said, drowsily. “Bloppen is being noisy.”

  The World’s Most Irritating Detective sat down and looked at Lily. Now alert, she glanced from her mother to Søren.

  “Darling, you need to go back to bed,” Anna said, wearily.

  “Bloppen is jumping up and down in my bed,” Lily complained.

  “It’s late, darling,” Anna pleaded and got up.

  “But Bloppen is reading my books,” Lily persisted. “While he sings.”

  “No wonder you can’t get to sleep,” Søren said. Anna wanted to explode. Pig! How dare you talk to my daughter when you’ve just threatened to take her away from me? Søren looked at Lily.

  “He makes so much noise,” Lily said, shy, but pleased to have an audience.

  “Why do you think he makes a noise when you’re trying to sleep? That’s not a nice thing to do.”

  “Bloppen teases me,” Lily complained.

  She toddled further into the living room, past Anna as if she didn’t exist, and up to Søren where she stopped in front of his legs. She reached almost up to his chest and her nightgown touched the floor. She dumped the naughty toy dog on Søren’s lap.

  “Shall we ask him why he’s so noisy?” Søren suggested.

  Lily nodded.

  “I’m a police officer,” Søren said, conspiratorially. “It’s better if I ask the questions, isn’t it? Then Bloppen might think you’ve called the police because he was noisy.”

  Lily thought that was an excellent idea.

  Søren picked up Bloppen, narrowed one eye and looked at him sharply. “Bloppen,” he said. “Why are you noisy, why do you read Lily’s books, sing, and jump in her bed so she can’t sleep?”

  Lily stared at Bloppen, she was mesmerized. Søren barked like a dog.

  “Oh, no,” he said. “I’m afraid I don’t understand what he’s saying.”

  Lily looked terribly disappointed.

  “However, I believe you speak dog language. I think your mom told me.”

  Lily turned to Anna, beamed, and looked back at Søren again.

  “Oh, yes,” she said. “Bloppen says he’s only teasing me because he feels sad.”

  “What’s he sad about?” Søren asked.

  Lily asked Bloppen very earnestly and listened carefully when he barked his answers.

  “He’s sad because someone’s teasing his mom. Teasing her a lot. And now she’s not happy anymore.”

  Søren looked at Lily for a long time before he said: “Shall we agree I’ll catch the people who have been teasing Bloppen’s mom, so Bloppen will be happy again and you can get some sleep?”

  Lily nodded.

  “Shake on it,” he said, offering her his
shovel-size hand. Lily gave him her small pink hand. “I’ll tell Bloppen and you as soon as I’ve caught them, promise.”

  Lily nodded, satisfied. Then, somewhat at a loss, she turned to Anna, who said, “Come on, darling. I’ll take you back to bed.”

  “No, I want him to do it,” Lily said, pointing at Søren.

  “No, Lily.”

  “Yes,” she said, pouting. “I want him!”

  Søren rose and sent Anna a placatory glance. Then he took Lily’s hand and off they went.

  Then something happened that had never happened before. Lily let go of Søren’s hand, went back to Anna and kissed her. A small, dry kiss on the cheek.

  “You love me, Mom,” she said.

  Ten minutes later Søren returned. Anna sat on the sofa, still dazed. Søren took the chair from the window, placed it with its back facing Anna, and sat down astride it.

  “Anna,” he began. “Three and a half days have passed since Lars Helland was found dead, and all I know is how he died; apart from that I’ve got nothing. Today we found Johannes’s body and, again, I’ve got nothing.”

  “Do you think I did it?” Anna breathed.

  Søren looked at her for a long time.

  “Right now I can’t eliminate anyone. But if you ask me, off the record, now that I’ve carried your shopping home and put your daughter to bed, I’m pretty sure you have nothing to do with Helland’s or Johannes’s death. But I have to get to the bottom of this, and I need your help.”

  “How?” Anna suddenly detected a flicker of growing interest.

  “Number one, stop being so hostile,” he said. Anna looked down. “Do you think you can do that?”

  “Suppose so,” she mumbled.

  “Number two, keep your eyes and ears open around the institute and report back to me. Your world is uncharted waters to me, and I’m ashamed to admit I’m having problems navigating it. Everyone’s cooperating, answering the nice policeman’s questions, but I get nowhere. You can help me because you speak their language, you understand their rivalries, you can see through them—I hope. Or better than I can,” he added. “Help me find Dr. Tybjerg, for example. I think he’s hiding, but why? Help me understand Johannes. You were his friend. You must know what he was like. Are you sure he wasn’t gay? Was he seeing someone? Can you think of anything that might help the investigation? Did he ever mention anyone who might have reason to dislike him? Everything, Anna. I need help with everything!”

  Anna studied him as he spoke. “But what if I did it?” she asked.

  “Then I’ll arrest you, take you down to the station, have you put before a judge, and request you be remanded in custody; you risk a lengthy custodial sentence. But I don’t think you killed Helland or Johannes.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you have too much to lose.”

  They sat for a while.

  “Mrs. Snedker said Lily doesn’t have a father,” Søren remarked.

  “None of your business.”

  Søren raised his hand as if to deflect a ball.

  “Be nice,” he warned her.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled.

  “Though you’re right, it’s none of my business. I’m just curious.”

  “Lily has a father. His name’s Thomas and he lives in Stockholm. He’s a doctor. He opted out.” Anna shrugged and looked around the room. “Out of all of it. Lily, the responsibility, and a girlfriend who turned out to be unlovable. Who wants to be stuck with a worthless shit like me?” she said harshly and glared at Søren. “He says he left me, not our child,” she muttered. “That’s what he says. But we haven’t seen him for two years. Satisfied?”

  Søren nodded and got ready to leave.

  “I want you to come to the station tomorrow and make a statement.”

  Anna was surprised.

  “My hunch isn’t enough. I need to interview you, as I would any other witness. When can you get there?”

  “Tomorrow’s not good for me,” Anna squirmed. “I’m going to Odense.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Yes, I am.” Anna looked defiantly at Søren.

  “What are you doing in Odense?” he asked, irritably.

  Anna twirled a box of matches between her fingers.

  “There’s something I need to find out. I’m going with Lily. It’s a long story,” she added and sighed when she saw the way Søren was looking at her. “Okay,” she explained. “I’ve discovered that my parents have been lying to me. On top of everything else.” She threw up her hands in despair. “They’re lying, and I don’t know why.”

  “Sorry, but you’ll have to cancel,” Søren insisted.

  Anna rose and looked resolutely at him. “I’ll take Lily to nursery school tomorrow morning, then I’ll come to the station to be interviewed.” She weighed her words. “Ten o’clock. I’ll be at your disposal until one o’clock. Then I’ll pick up Lily and go to Odense. I have to go. I’ll be back tomorrow night, and if you’re going to Helland’s funeral on Saturday you’ll see me there.” She closed her eyes. Johannes was dead. “Christ, Johannes.” Her face crumpled. “It makes no sense at all.”

  Søren watched her in silence, then he said: “Okay. I’ll let you go to Odense between one and midnight tomorrow. But you promise not to hurt anyone or make a run for it.”

  “This isn’t a joke,” Anna objected weakly.

  “No,” Søren emphasized. “It isn’t. And I want you to start taking this seriously. Do you hear? Do you know where Dr. Tybjerg is?” His question came out of the blue.

  Anna’s eyes flickered. If she told him where Dr. Tybjerg was, the police would pick him up immediately and her dissertation defense would be canceled.

  “No,” she lied.

  Søren locked eyes with her. “Okay,” he said and went on, “Is there anything at all you want to tell me now?”

  Anna looked at him for a long time. “I know what killed Professor Helland. I know about the parasites.”

  Søren groaned. “How?”

  “The rumor’s all over the Institute of Biology,” she sent him a knowing look, “and from Professor Moritzen. She called me into her office, told me you had visited her in her cottage and why. She wants me to contact her if I hear any suggestions the parasites might have come from her department. Though I can’t imagine how anyone could know. It’s not as if the little bastards are ringed. But if you can determine their origins, or whatever, and trace them back to her stock, then she wants to know.”

  “Why?” Søren asked.

  “They’re closing Parasitology. Hanne has three years to complete her research, then her department will be dismantled. However, she’s convinced that the Faculty Council would love to get rid of her before her three years are up, given half a chance. They would need a reason to dismiss her, and if it turns out the parasites came from her department, if she has so little control of her stock that parasites ended up in her colleagues’ tissue, they can fire her on the spot. Obviously, she wants to be prepared and doesn’t want to go down without a fight.

  “And I’m sure Mrs. Helland is lying.” Anna fed the shark, hoping he would forget all about Tybjerg.

  “What makes you think so?” Søren was fascinated.

  “She claims Professor Helland was fit and healthy. There were no limits to his vigor and vitality, according to his wife and that’s bullshit. I saw him, I know he was sick as a dog.” Anna told Søren about the incident in the parking lot, suddenly embarrassed that she hadn’t mentioned it earlier. “He scared the living daylights out of me, and he was clearly seriously ill,” she concluded.

  “When did you speak to Mrs. Helland?” Søren asked.

  “I visited her today,” Anna admitted. “I got this.” She lifted the pendant free from her blouse and looked shyly at Søren. “Helland must have had it made for me. My graduation present. Mrs. Helland wanted to give it to me before the funeral.”

  Søren was deep in thought.

  “She’s lying,” Anna repeated.r />
  “Anything else?” Søren asked, scrutinizing Anna. She had never felt so cooperative in all her life.

  “I think Professor Freeman is in Denmark.”

  Søren nodded slowly. He already knew that.

  “How do you know?” he said.

  Crap. She had this information from Dr. Tybjerg. She decided to lie.

  “There’s a bird symposium at the Bella Centre,” she said. “I saw his name in the program.”

  Søren bought it.

  “Any chance Dr. Tybjerg’s disappearance is linked to Freeman’s arrival?” Søren suggested.

  “No, how could it be?” Anna said, innocently.

  “Anna,” Søren said earnestly. “I need to be clear about this. In your opinion, could Helland’s and Johannes’s deaths be linked to your dissertation? Your topic is a scientific controversy about the origin of birds, which Helland was heavily involved in, right? Helland, Tybjerg, and the Canadian scientist, Clive Freeman. But where does Johannes fit in? I can’t see it. I’m just a stupid cop, and I can’t see it. Murders are usually triggered by jealousy, drugs, money, or family issues, and I just don’t buy that someone might kill because their scientific reputation was threatened; because of a dissertation.”

  Anna pondered this.

  “Johannes helped me,” she said. “He is… was a science theorist and very talented. He helped me extract aspects of scientific theory that are relevant to controversies in biology. I’ve used those arguments to demolish Professor Freeman.” Anna suddenly looked directly at Søren. “That’s what my dissertation is about. I destroy him.” She gulped. “Johannes knew a vast amount about Karl Popper and his ideas about falsification, about Thomas Kuhn, who introduced the concept of paradigm in the 1960s, and especially about Lorraine J. Daston and her concept of scientific moral economies… I know, it took me weeks to grasp, so don’t feel ashamed if you think I’m speaking gibberish. The point is that plenty of vertebrate scientists and ornithologists have attacked Freeman over the years. Attacked his anatomical conclusions and his fossil analyses, and let me tell you something: he doesn’t care; he evades the issue, no matter what’s thrown at him. Before 2000, before Sinosauropteryx was found in China, you would often hear Freeman say, ‘Show me a feather that grew on a dinosaur, then I’ll believe your nonsense.’ And when he was finally shown a feathered dinosaur, his response was either: ‘That’s not a feather!’ or, if he couldn’t deny the structure was a feather, he would say: ‘That’s not from a dinosaur, just from a very old bird, which would, of course, have feathers!’ The problem is Freeman’s so well-versed in anatomy and physiology that it’s impossible for most people to take him on. But no one has ever tried to attack his underlying scientific principles. No one has ever proved he breaks the most fundamental scientific rules.”