I’ve prepared myself for this. Among other things by covering the remainder of the bruise on my forehead with concealer. I don’t want the police to ask the wrong questions.
But they barely ask anything anyway; instead they let me speak, and I tell them everything. About the boiler which almost cost us our lives, about the car accident that pushed Erik off the road. “There are police reports and hospital files on both of these incidents, which I’m sure you’ll be able to take a look at. The day before yesterday, Erik said that he suspected Gabor Energy Engineering were behind all of it. But he didn’t think anything of it when they asked him to pick up some business partners from Munich station on Monday. His boss specifically told him that he had to be there at ten minutes past one, and not be late.”
I look at first one, then at the other policeman, seeing their faces blur before my eyes. Tears, at exactly the right moment. “And it seems he was there on time.”
The policeman sitting opposite me and to my left has been making notes the whole time. Now he lays his pen aside. “If all of this is the case, Frau…” He glances at his notepad. “Frau Berrigan, why didn’t you report the suspicion previously? Why didn’t Herr Thieben?”
“We didn’t have any proof.” I wipe the back of my hand across my face, taking care not to touch the part with the concealer. “Do you think Erik would have been able to keep his job after that? And besides, we didn’t know whether we were right, it all seemed so implausible. And there wasn’t even any reason for Gabor wanting to get rid of Erik.”
The two policemen exchange a quick glance.
“You said on the phone that one of Erik’s coworkers called you yesterday and warned you?”
“Yes.” I pick up my phone from the coffee table and open the caller list. Hopefully the officials will also see my forty-seven unsuccessful attempts to reach Erik; that can’t hurt.
“This call here at half past twelve, that was Bernhard Morbach, a close colleague of Erik’s. He’s never called me before, so I have no idea where he got my number from. He seemed to want to apologize more than anything. He said that he hadn’t known exactly what was going to happen, that he should have warned Erik, and that he was sorry. And then he said that I should disappear, hide as quickly as possible. Otherwise I would soon be dead too.”
Another quick exchange of glances between the two. The one on the right makes a note. “Thank you, Frau Berrigan, this information could prove to be very helpful. It would probably be a good idea if we take you to a safe place until we’ve checked the details of your statement. We don’t want anything to happen to you. Would you agree to that?”
I hesitate, then shake my head. “For now, I’d rather stay here. In case Erik turns up again.”
The man shrugs regretfully. “We’d like to station someone here to protect you, but right now we need everybody we’ve got. So it’s best if you don’t open the door to anyone and call the police if anything strange happens. Maybe you have some friends who could stay with you for a few days?” I don’t answer and just shrug instead.
“OK then. If you change your mind…” He presses a card into my hand; I take it with a grateful smile.
No place the police could offer me would be as safe as the one I’m going to get us to.
Just another day, then everything will be over.
34
I exit the pantry. At last. I felt like a criminal, hiding in there.
The fact that Joanna knowingly lied to the police officers is arousing a feeling of discomfort inside me. After all, these men are some of the people we’re hoping will help us. But she’s right, it had to be done.
Roughly another minute passes before she calls from the hall. “You can come out now, their car is leaving.” She stops in the passage through to the kitchen when she sees me sitting at the table.
“You did that really well,” I say.
She sits down opposite to me. “What else—”
The doorbell. Again. I shoot her a querying look, and she does the same to me.
“The police,” Joanna guesses and gets up.
I follow suit. “Yes, maybe they forgot something. Sneak over to the door and take a look. But don’t open it if it’s somebody else.”
She nods at me. I see the fear in her eyes. Can she see it in mine too? She sneaks into the hall and I position myself by the door to the storeroom, ready to vanish into it again.
Nothing happens for quite a while, then Joanna says something. So the policeman really did come back. I pull the storeroom door shut behind me until only a small strip of light falls through.
Joanna’s voice again; I can’t understand what she’s saying. I hear it again, more muffled … no, that’s not Joanna. It’s coming from outside. Another woman. She keeps talking, quickly and excitedly. I think I hear my name, and suddenly I can understand everything that’s being said.
Joanna has let the woman come into the house.
Then I recognize the voice. Nadine. I clench my teeth so hard it hurts my jaw. This simply can’t be happening. Nadine, of all people. What if Gabor sent her? Ever since her performance here the other day, I wouldn’t put anything past her. I hear the front door being pushed shut.
“Thanks for letting me in,” I hear Nadine say. “Despite the stupid way I acted a few days ago.”
“If you really wanted to talk to me, you could’ve just called.” The way Joanna’s talking to Nadine leaves no doubt about the fact that she’s not particularly thrilled by her showing up here.
“I did, but you wouldn’t pick up. That’s why … I just need to know about Erik. Also, I—” She pauses. Formulates a new sentence. “I’ve been here for a while. The two men arrived almost at the exact same time as I did. I hid and waited until they’d left again. So that’s how I knew you were home. Who were they?” Nadine’s voice still sounds agitated.
“Why do you want to know?”
“Because I … was it someone from my work?”
There’s a brief pause. Joanna’s thoughts are probably racing right now, just as much as mine are. What’s Nadine up to? And—if she knows where Joanna is, does Gabor know as well?
“No, it wasn’t anyone from work. Come on.”
The sound of footsteps moving away, then immediately coming closer from the other side. They’re in the living room.
“Have a seat.”
“Thanks. So who were those men, then?”
Another pause. Then Joanna’s voice. “That’s none of your business. I’ve got other things to worry about right now; I don’t have time to play games. So, will you please stop asking me questions and tell me why you’re here?”
Careful, Joanna. Don’t be so abrupt. You’re sick with worry about me, remember? Nadine isn’t stupid.
There’s silence for a while, followed by the sound of someone forcefully blowing their nose. Then Nadine’s voice again. It’s tearful now, interspersed with sobs.
“I think it’s terrible that we still don’t know about Erik. And I rented the car he took to Munich, too.”
More sobbing. Joanna cuts in after a few moments.