Below the Surface

by Leena Lehtolainen

  Andreas was waiting at the front door.

  “What is it now?” he asked gruffly, but his face looked pale.

  “We need a little more information.”

  “You can’t come bother us now. The race is on, and I’m watching it with Heli and Mom.”

  “Where’s your father?”

  No one had talked much about Viktor Smeds yet, and although he had the best alibi of the group, we couldn’t overlook him.

  “Resting. He can’t handle the stress.”

  Andreas was dressed in all black, and his jeans and sweater made his face look colorless and his eyes oversized. From his breath I caught a whiff of beer. “The worst special stage is on now, and it’s pissing rain.”

  “What’s the score?” Puupponen asked, genuinely interested.

  “Sasha’s thirty seconds ahead of Sainz, and Bosse is up to third. If he gets between Sasha and Sainz, that’s just about it.”

  From somewhere inside the house came a woman’s shout, which was quickly stifled, and Andreas went to see what it was. I motioned for Puupponen to follow.

  “You and Ursula go watch the rally and try to get something out of Heli and Andreas. I’ll talk to Viktor. Koivu, you come with me. The winner won’t be decided today.”

  With a sigh, Koivu followed me. I knocked on the elder Smeds’s bedroom door and heard a faint response. Carefully I opened the door.

  The room was spacious—it was obviously the master bedroom. In addition to the double bed, there was room for a couple of armchairs with a table between them, a dressing table, and a bookcase. On the left side of the bed lay Viktor Smeds with his eyes closed and face ashen.

  “Är det du, Rauha?”

  “No, this is Maria Kallio from the Espoo Police and Detective Koivu,” I responded in Swedish, ignoring Koivu’s stare. Foreign languages had never been his strong suit, and Anu teased him now and then by speaking Vietnamese, which Koivu only knew well enough to say “I love you.” At least he didn’t grouse about Swedish speakers like some of our colleagues, although he did argue that Russian should be part of the police academy curriculum instead of Swedish. The previous year the department had hired a full-time Russian interpreter, who was kept busy with drug and prostitution cases. In contrast, Swedish Finns mostly broke the speed limit and committed white-collar crimes, and rarely killed each other.

  “We didn’t get a chance to speak to you on our last visit,” I said. “How well did you know Annukka Hackman?”

  Viktor Smeds sat up a bit. He was wearing old-man clothes: polyester trousers, a cardigan, and wool socks. His eyes were cloudy and his speech slow.

  “I didn’t know her. I did meet her a few times, but she wasn’t interested in me. Bright girl, but so curious. How’s Sasha doing? The doctor won’t let me watch. He says it’s too much strain on my heart. Rauha wanted Sasha to stop, but here he is on the verge of the championship . . .”

  Viktor gave a little smile and rested his head back on the pile of pillows. The veins were raised in his gaunt hands, which also had liver spots.

  “How long were you at your follow—”

  Just then the door opened with a bang and Rauha Smeds swept in.

  “What’s the meaning of this?” she hissed in Finnish. “Viktor is resting. He can’t be disturbed. Don’t you understand he’s still recovering?”

  I had always imagined the furies from mythology as tall women with dark complexions, piercing eyes, and sharp features. The fury standing before me now, however, bore no resemblance to that. Koivu instinctively recoiled from Rauha Smeds.

  “We don’t want to disturb your husband, but we have a job to do. We’ll try to handle this as calmly as possible,” I said.

  “Handle this what? You’re just like that Annukka Hackman. Questions, questions, questions! How long did I nurse Sasha? Where did Viktor and I meet? Is Heli a good daughter-in-law to me? What business is that of anyone else?”

  Rauha walked over to Viktor’s bed and took her husband by the hand.

  “Min käraste, ska jag vara med dig när polisen avhör dig?”

  Viktor nodded. I was amused that Rauha didn’t ask my permission to stay in the room. She managed to look majestic in a garment I could only describe as a barn jacket. Her hair was even more unruly than my own, but I hoped mine would gray as beautifully as hers.

  “How long did the follow-up visit with your cardiologist last?” I asked Viktor.

  “From noon to five . . . They poked and prodded everything,” he said, trying to smile. “Rauha, how is Sasha . . .”

  “Very well. Try not to think about it. You should be sleeping, but these police!” Rauha looked back at us, exasperated.

  “I asked Annukka to leave Viktor alone while the poor man was waiting for his surgery,” she said. “He’s going to recover, but not without rest.” Then she gave me a stern look. “I’ve always thought of the Finnish police as being very considerate. What’s the meaning of your barging in here during the rally finals?”

  “These things can’t wait.”

  “Do you really think my husband could have killed Annukka Hackman? Does he look like a murderer? Do you think he’d have the energy to walk all that way through the woods? The papers said Annukka was found in a lake in the middle of the woods.”

  Maybe Rauha was right. She left her husband’s side and gestured for me to follow. She took me to a room upstairs that she called the guest quarters. The window had a view of the fields, and I saw a white-tailed deer running on the edge of the forest.

  “Beautiful view,” I said.

  “The trees have had time to grow back. When my parents returned here, the Russians had burned most of the forest. All the neighboring buildings had been demolished and used for firewood. Only one of our barns was still standing, but the house had survived. I remember my mother saying as we left that she intended to live to be eighty years old so she could come back home. Fortunately she was able to come back in her prime when she was only a little past forty. I don’t imagine that’s the sort of thing you came to hear about, though. What exactly are you interested in?”

  “I’m actually familiar with this area already. My in-laws’ summer cabin is at the end of this road. At the moment they’re living there year-round.”

  “Ah. I don’t know many of the people in the cabins. But you didn’t answer my question. Why are you here now? What do you want?” Rauha crossed her arms and stared at me just like I would when I was interrogating a suspect.

  “Could you tell us more about Tuesday of last week? According to the family, you and Viktor were in Helsinki for a heart surgery follow-up exam.”

  “Yes. We left at ten thirty and got back after six. Luckily we have enough money to take Viktor to a private hospital. On the public side, the line reaches all the way into spring. By that time Viktor probably would have been dead. So that’s one good thing about Sasha’s hobby.”

  “Hobby? I thought rally driving at that level was considered a profession.”

  “It’s just boyish foolishness Sasha has dragged out too long. It isn’t a profession. I’ve had a very hard time accepting that he decided to take it so seriously. That’s why I wanted the farm to go organic. To give us some sense of balance.” It was clear to me that whatever Rauha Smeds wanted to happen happened, regardless of the men in the family. I remembered Antti’s bitter pronouncements about gender inequality.

  “Of course Hackman wanted to make a fuss in public about a rally star’s mother thinking the whole sport was frivolous, but she couldn’t claim we didn’t support our sons. I’ll tell you, honestly, that I didn’t like Annukka Hackman. I don’t like people who try to profit from other people’s lives.”

  “What car did you take to the appointment?”

  “The Škoda. I drove. By some miracle I found a parking spot on South Hesperia Street, so Viktor didn’t have to walk far.”

  During my schooling I’d lived in that area, one of the older parts of Helsinki. I’d jog around Töölö Bay and hang out
at the posh cafés like Elite and Kuu Kuu.

  I didn’t feel like harping on the cardiology visit anymore. Besides, Ursula had already verified the details with the hospital. But I did ask Rauha what the boys and her daughter-in-law had been up to on the day of the murder. Rauha claimed she didn’t know.

  “A household with five adults like this is pretty unique,” I observed. “How do you all get along?”

  “Maybe it’s unique nowadays, but this used to be the normal way of life. I wouldn’t mind a third generation either, but Heli doesn’t want children as long as Sasha is racing. I can understand that, of course, since the constant fear almost ruined Viktor’s heart. And why wouldn’t we get along? Heli and Andreas care for the cattle, and Sasha helps in the fields when he can, just like me. I handle the bookkeeping, and Viktor does light repairs. There’s plenty of work and plenty of space for everyone. I like my daughter-in-law and she likes me. Do you have a bad relationship with your mother-in-law? Is that why you ask? Or are you on your second or third mother-in-law?”

  I laughed. “First. And I have nothing to complain about.” My mother-in-law was in the same situation as Mrs. Smeds, spending most of her time caring for an ailing husband.

  “That’s good. Hating people is a waste of energy.”

  A noise came from downstairs, and I realized that Koivu must be watching the race. Had Ursula and Puupponen even bothered to interview Heli and Andreas? I told Rauha she could go back downstairs to watch too.

  “Despite it all, I hope Sasha wins, but only if he earns it honestly. The decision the team made last year was infuriating since it was nothing more than money and power dictating who would win. I admire my son’s tenacity and how quickly he recovered from that.” Rauha stood and headed for the door.

  “How quickly did Andreas recover from the end of his career?”

  Rauha turned back toward me. Most of her face remained in the shadow of the doorway. “I don’t think he’s ever recovered,” she said.

  When we got downstairs, everyone was watching the race. I couldn’t make out anything on the screen at first—the camera lens was covered in mud—but the view soon shifted to an aerial shot. Puupponen and Ursula were as enthralled as the people they were supposed to be interrogating. I motioned for Puupponen to join me in the entryway.

  “They’re sticking to their stories. Heli was on a store run, and the brothers were home. Heli was in Espoo, but she denies going to the lake. And Andreas is backing up his brother. So they could have done it together.”

  Could Sasha and Andreas have kept something like that a secret in a tightly knit household like this one? Rauha and Viktor were out of the running, so only the younger generation was left. As I watched Sasha on the TV, pushing the limits as he rounded each corner, I thought he must have incredible nerve.

  The camera angle changed again, and the commentator exclaimed that Sasha’s car was approaching the most demanding section of the seventh special stage. Sasha’s lead was already more than thirty seconds, and the commentator shouted with excitement, even though two days remained in the competition. There were only three miles remaining in the stage, so I decided to let my subordinates watch the rest.

  Heli sat on the couch looking calm, but her fingers fiddled with the fringe of a throw pillow she held in her lap, braiding and unbraiding the tassels. Andreas was sitting in an armchair, drinking a beer. Rauha stood close by, and reacted physically to every turn of Sasha’s car. She relaxed for just a few seconds when the screen showed the cars coming up behind, but the tension returned as soon as the camera shifted back to Sasha’s Citroën.

  The car raced along a narrow ledge above the seashore, climbing upward. Between the road and the drop was a low rock wall. Mud splashed from the wheels, and the windshield wipers worked overtime to clean it off. Puupponen sighed audibly when Sasha made it through the next curve.

  Then, a deer appeared out of nowhere. It jumped right in front of the car, and Sasha had no time to react. He lost control of the vehicle. It careened first into the rock wall, which crumbled, then bounced over the ledge, rolling down the hillside until the cameras lost sight of it.

  10

  For a moment the only sound was the commentator’s stuttering. Then Andreas put his hands over his eyes, Heli stood up, and Ursula started to scream.

  “Quiet!” Rauha demanded. “Viktor can’t hear about this until he’s had his medicine. Andreas, call Jouko. I’m going to check on Viktor.”

  Rauha rushed out of the room, while Heli stood in the middle of the floor and stared at the television screen. I grabbed ahold of Ursula to get her to stop screaming, and Koivu turned up the TV. Heli looked as if she might faint. Somewhere a phone started to ring. The sound came from Heli’s clothing. It took her a few seconds before she pulled the phone out of her shirt pocket.

  “Hi, Jouko.” Heli’s voice was small and high pitched. “I saw on TV. Yes. I’ll leave now. Exactly. Call me. Yes.” Heli hung up. “Andreas, will you get me the flight schedules? They’ll come pick me up in London as soon as I know what airport I’m flying into. Jouko will call as soon as he knows more.”

  “Those rally cars have the very best safety equipment, roll cages and everything,” Koivu said consolingly. “And aren’t their suits fireproof too?”

  Andreas removed his hands from his face. He got up and walked past Heli without a word. I thought it was strange that he didn’t even hug his sister-in-law. It was as if the entire family had fled from around Heli.

  “Look, it’s burning!” Ursula suddenly exclaimed. The image on TV showed a few flames through the rain. Heli put her right hand over her mouth.

  “My bag . . . It’s always ready. I have to get my bag,” she said. Heli disappeared, and I followed her. She walked upstairs to a room that was apparently her and Sasha’s bedroom. She opened a closet and took out a suitcase.

  “This is always ready with my passport and clothes for a couple of nights. I knew this day would come. I promised Sasha I would always come immediately if anything happened. I just need my credit cards.” As Heli grabbed the suitcase, it was obvious she was used to lifting heavy objects. Still I took the bag from her, and when my hand touched hers, it was ice cold.

  “Do you intend to go alone?” I asked.

  “That’s the plan. I’ll be fine.” Heli’s voice was just as cold as her hand. Andreas appeared in the doorway. There was a strange expression in his eyes, one I couldn’t read.

  “There’s a seat on the four thirty flight to Gatwick. I can’t drive you, though. I’ve had three beers. Should I call you a taxi?”

  “I can take her,” I heard myself say. Just then Heli’s phone rang again.

  “Yes? Good. I’m coming on the four thirty flight. It goes into Gatwick. Call me again. I’m not driving myself. Tell Sasha that I love . . .”

  Although Heli’s voice faltered, there were no tears in her eyes.

  “The helicopter has put out the fire and is trying to land near the car now,” she said. “They don’t know if Sasha and his co-driver, Heikki, survived. Jouko will call again when he knows.” She then looked directly at her brother-in-law. “You tell Rauha. Jouko will call you too.”

  The television downstairs was still showing replays of Sasha’s car rolling down the hill. The sports commentator kept repeating how shocking the incident was and that he would tell the viewers more when there was more to tell. The special stage had been suspended.

  “I’m taking Heli to the airport,” I told my team. “I’ll see you at the Christmas party tonight. Make sure they don’t need any more help here. Koivu, you check in on the parents.”

  I knew Koivu could handle whatever would need to be done. As she stared at the TV, Ursula’s mascara was a little smudged, making her look vulnerable. I heard Heli in the hall saying something to her in-laws, then she appeared in the living room.

  “Shall we go, Detective?” she asked. She wrapped a soft gray wool overcoat around herself. Andreas took the suitcase from me and escorted us to the
car. I opened the door for Heli, then went around back to unlock the trunk. As Andreas lifted the suitcase in, he said, “Thank you.” Then he quickly returned to Heli’s side of the car, where I saw him reach out and lightly stroke her cheek.

  “Call when you can,” he said.

  “I will. I promise,” Heli replied.

  I placed my police light on top of the car. Once we were underway, I turned it on so the cars ahead of us would move aside. Luckily the Friday rush hour traffic wasn’t too bad on the highway. However, Ring III in Vantaa was already gridlocked. Heli sat next to me in silence. I wished I could comfort her, but words weren’t going to help now.

  “What’s your first name, by the way?” Heli suddenly asked.

  “Maria.”

  “Please, Maria. I . . .” Her phone started to ring again. I didn’t know the tune it was playing. “Yes? Alive? Ah. In the car. Four thirty. Call the house. The others are there. The police. No, it’s fine. They’re friendly. Bye.”

  Heli dropped the phone in her lap, and the tears began to flow. “Sasha’s alive but unconscious. They’re extracting him from the car right now. He has serious burns. Heikki’s injuries are even more serious.” She spoke in a choked voice as the tears kept coming. For a second I removed my right hand from the steering wheel and patted her on the shoulder. I wanted to stop the car and give her a hug, but the most important thing was to get her to her plane on time.

  “I knew we’d be punished. But why Sasha? Sasha didn’t do anything wrong,” Heli stammered.

  “Punished?”

  “Annukka saw us. She spied on us and got what she wanted.”

  “Saw who?”

  “Me and Andreas. Haven’t you and your people read Annukka’s book? Annukka came snooping around when Viktor had his surgery. That woman had no shame. Once, we even caught her in the house; she’d snuck in and was snooping around Rauha and Viktor’s bedroom. The day she caught us, Rauha was at the hospital with Viktor, and Sasha was at trials. We thought we had a couple of days to ourselves. The barn door is never locked. We were just kissing, but that was enough for Annukka . . .”