‘It doesn’t sound like you’ve got very far with your investigation, but that’s probably just as well. We’ve been forgotten. Everything has been forgotten.’
‘Not quite,’ Matthew protested. ‘After all, I’m writing about it now.’
‘But not because of us girls—am I right? Because of the murdered men. Everything relating to us has been misplaced or lost, so you won’t find any evidence.’
‘Perhaps the evidence will turn up once the genie is out of the bottle. After all, you’re a witness and you can testify.’
Paneeraq sipped her coffee and moved back a little in her chair. ‘There were four of us. Me, Najak, Julianne and Nuka. We were all about nine years old when we arrived at Ammassalik. That must have been in 1969. There was a children’s hospital there and we were being treated for tuberculosis.’ She shook her head. ‘Frankly, I think it was nothing but an orphanage, but someone wanted an excuse to test pharmaceutical products on us, and TB provided a convenient pretext because no one paid much attention to little girls with a chronic cough.’
‘So you spent two years at the orphanage in Ammassalik? That’s not at all what I had imagined.’
‘Yes, I guess we were there for about two years. The days merged together. I think we had given up hope that we would ever go home again, then suddenly it happened, and on the same day the four of us were flown back to Nuuk. We were told that we had been cured, but that we would need ongoing treatment to stay healthy, and that treatment would be best provided in Nuuk. It was more than a year since I had last coughed, so it made no sense to me at the time, but today I know why. But whatever the reason, it was a huge relief to get out of that place. Or so we thought.’
‘All right,’ Matthew said hesitantly. ‘So no one had been assaulted before the murders were committed?’
‘I didn’t say that.’
The silence settled around them.
‘I wasn’t raped at home, but I was raped at the orphanage.’ Paneeraq’s eyes closed. Her face was distorted by distant pain. ‘It was a dreadful place. Rapes. Humiliation. Medical experimentation. They gave us pills and injections from the very first week. Amphetamines, I believe today. But also lots of other things—I didn’t know what they were then and I still don’t. We were never told anything, except that it was part of our treatment. Some drugs gave me such severe pain in my back and legs that I could barely walk. And we slept much more than we ought to have done. Some days we were given pills that would give us our energy back, but they couldn’t do anything about the pain.’
Matthew cleared his throat. ‘Are you telling me that being raped was a part of life at the orphanage?’
‘It was for me and those three other girls. There was an old doctor from Denmark. He had been there for years, and there was a rumour that he had once got a girl pregnant. Today, I believe that was why we were sent away when we reached the age of eleven or twelve. Not only because we were starting to understand what was going on, but also because we might get pregnant.’
‘What a bastard. Why didn’t anyone stop him?’
‘A Danish doctor in Tasiilaq in the sixties and seventies? If you’re a man, you can get away with anything in Tasiilaq. You could then and you can now.’
‘Tasiilaq? I thought you said Ammassalik?’
‘Tasiilaq used to be called Ammassalik. It’s perhaps one of the most beautiful places on earth, but only if you’re a man…or a rock.’
Matthew rubbed the bridge of his nose. ‘Did you ever meet the doctor again once you returned to Nuuk? Or other people? I’m thinking of civil servants who wanted to make sure you kept silent.’
She nodded with a light smile that hid behind two sad, black eyes. ‘So you do know something after all. We continued with our treatment after we came back to Nuuk. Once a week we would go to the hospital to get an injection in our thigh. I don’t know what it was for, but I was knocked out for hours every single time. Except that twice I woke up and found the doctor between my legs while I lay semiconscious in a hospital bed.’
‘The doctor from Tasiilaq?’
‘Yes.’
‘So he had also come to Nuuk?’
She nodded. ‘Yes, he had. I don’t know how that came about, but at the time I thought he must be stranded in Nuuk for the winter, because there were very few winter flights by helicopter in those days.’
‘Did he also rape the other girls after they came back to Nuuk?’
‘Yes, he did, and that was where things went really wrong because he was found out. Nukannguaq Rossing Lynge, Najak’s mother, came to pick up her daughter at the hospital after treatment one day, and when she entered the ward she saw him lying on top of her naked child. Najak was awake and started screaming and crying when she saw her mother. I don’t know if any of the other girls were also raped by their fathers. But the doctor was another matter, and suddenly all hell broke loose. Some men from the Town Hall and from Denmark turned up, but they had no intention of exposing the truth—they were there to silence us. That was when we realised that all the drugs we had been given weren’t entirely by the book. They were experimenting on us, and that was the big secret. That was the real reason for the cover-up. Not the rape of four little girls.’
Matthew had put down his mobile. ‘Do you know what happened to the other girls?’
‘Najak went missing. I think her body is hidden somewhere in Nuuk. Julianne and Nuka got ill and died as a result of the treatments we were subjected to as children—I’m sure of it. I’m the only one of us still alive, but there are hundreds of other orphanage children from those days.’
‘Do you think those men killed Najak?’
Her eyes slumped into an even deeper darkness. ‘Yes, but not with their bare hands. I think they gave her an overdose of something.’
‘And what about the girls’ fathers?’
‘I don’t know,’ she said, staring down at the table and shrugging in resignation.
‘Please forgive my many questions. Only the murders were so brutal, and the events aren’t connected in the way I expected.’
‘That’s quite all right.’ She looked up again. ‘There were probably powerful reasons why the murder investigation was stopped.’
‘Those reasons being that the men who visited you at home and who were mixed up in it all were Jørgen Emil Lyberth and Kjeld Abelsen?’
‘I don’t know how you got those names, but you’re on the right track. They came to our place a couple of times and argued loudly with my father, but I’ve no idea if they murdered my parents. Most of the row was about the doctor and the years of medical experimentation.’
Matthew drummed his fingers on the table. ‘If they wanted to silence you, it makes no sense to kill only the fathers of the other girls—and why did the murders have to be so brutal?’
‘Perhaps the brutality was to paralyse people’s thoughts, and divert their attention away from the real reason.’
Matthew traced the side of his coffee cup, which was getting cold. He still hadn’t mentioned Jakob and neither had she, but he didn’t want to ask her about theories that were still disjointed in his mind. Jakob was dead and gone, and wiped from every archive. If he asked Paneeraq about Jakob or anything specific from the notebook, he would have to admit that he had it, and he wasn’t ready to do that yet. He couldn’t risk her getting upset with him for not owning up to just how much he already knew when he knocked on her door. Nor was he sure who to believe. Paneeraq’s and Jakob’s stories didn’t match. The motive for the murders—as Jakob had seen it—might be gone, but Jakob was unlikely to have known that when he made his notes.
Matthew looked at Paneeraq out of the corner of his eye. ‘Have you heard that they found the body of a man out on the ice cap?’
She shook her head, and didn’t seem troubled by this news.
‘I heard this morning that it might be a fifth victim from 1973,’ he said. He paused and looked in vain for a reaction in her eyes. ‘There were only four girls—is that right?’<
br />
‘Yes, we were four.’
Matthew shook his head. ‘It’s just too much of a coincidence. The man on the ice cap was killed in the same way, but his body was hidden. And if he was also murdered in ’73, you would think there’d be a connection.’
‘I wouldn’t know.’
There was no expression in her eyes. No fear, anxiety or grief. Not even relief. Matthew looked at the brown chest of drawers, where the candles glowed over the small fossil.
‘Do you know where the Hemplers used to live? I believe they died in the 1960s, in a plane crash near Kolonihavnen, but as far as I know they had a house here in Nuuk. I’m curious about whether the house is still there.’
Paneeraq hesitated, then nodded. ‘I visited that house myself as a child, but I don’t want to talk about that now. Perhaps some other time.’ She smiled distantly. ‘It was where I got my sea urchin.’
‘But do you know if the house still stands?’
‘Oh, it does. It’s near Kolonihavnen.’
Matthew’s mobile interrupted her. Leiff—newspaper said the display on the screen.
‘Go on, answer it,’ she said. ‘I don’t mind.’
Matthew pressed Answer. ‘Hi, Leiff.’
‘Hi. You need to meet Malik out by that Tupaarnaq’s apartment. They’ve found Lyberth inside it. Dead. More than dead, as far as I can gather.’
‘Dead, really? Are they sure it’s him?’
‘They’re quite sure. Hurry up.’
‘Okay, I’ll be there in ten, fifteen minutes max.’ He checked the time on his mobile. ‘I’ll be there before eight o’clock.’
‘All right—but there’s something you need to know first.’
‘Go on…’
‘You know I can never let sleeping dogs lie? I decided to find out what became of the surviving boy in the Tasiilaq murders. You know, the ones involving Tupaarnaq?’
‘I’m with you.’
‘Now, it just so happens that Ulrik Heilmann came to Nuuk a mere three days after the Tasiilaq murders. And not only is he the same age as the surviving boy, he also shares the same birthday and has no known family. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?’
‘You’re saying that he—’
‘Yes. I’m trying to get a copy of his birth certificate, but it’s not easy. Perhaps Lyberth helped him out—he was the local vicar back then. But, yes, I’m pretty sure that Ulrik is Tupaarnaq’s brother. How he met Lyberth I’ve yet to find out. By the way, I think we can safely assume that he knows who Tupaarnaq is. In such a small police station, everyone is bound to know when a convicted murderer comes to town.’ He paused briefly. ‘Right, you had better get going. I’ll keep digging. Just bear it in mind in case you see them, will you?’
‘I will,’ Matthew said. ‘And Malik is already out there, you said?’
‘Yes, he’s waiting for you. Oh, by the way, how did your meeting with the woman who knew your father go?’
‘She said that she lived with him for ten years, but that she doesn’t know where he is now. She also said I have a sister who is at school in Denmark.’ Matthew shook his head. ‘This day just gets more and more bizarre.’
54
As Matthew farewelled Paneeraq, she told him he could visit her again if he had any more questions, or if it became necessary for her to read his article before he posted it.
After reaching the yard between Blocks 1 and 2, he hurried through the centre of town towards Tupaarnaq’s apartment, which was less than a ten-minute walk away. Red and white police tape had been put up around the stairwell by Block 17. Near the tape a couple of police officers in black trousers and light-blue shirts were talking to a group of people—perhaps curious onlookers, or maybe residents now denied access to their own homes.
‘Hey,’ a voice called out to Matthew. ‘Got any cigarettes? I seem to have forgotten mine.’
‘What’s going on in there?’ Matthew asked as he lit two cigarettes and handed one to Malik, who accepted it and took a drag deep into his lungs.
‘It’s mind-blowing,’ Malik said, smoke seeping out of the corners of his mouth. ‘Batshit crazy. It’s none other than Lyberth—would you believe it?’
‘Ulrik’s Lyberth?’
‘Yes, that’s the one.’
‘Have you been inside?’
‘No, they’ve restricted access to the whole area, but we know it’s Lyberth.’ He nodded towards the police officers by the tape. ‘I’ve taken a few shots of the guys over there, and a few more from the other side, up towards the balcony and windows.’
‘Great—that’ll do for now.’
‘Oh, no, it won’t.’ Malik shook his head. ‘We’ll hang around for a bit longer. They’ll have to bring him out at some point.’
‘I don’t know,’ Matthew said, staring at the wet car park in front of the apartment building. ‘We might be in for a long wait.’
‘So what? We’re talking about Lyberth! Don’t you want to see what happens?’
‘Yes, of course I do.’ Matthew closed his eyes. The wind had eased off, and the rain was no longer quite so intense, but the smell of a wet world still hung around them like a thick, damp fog. ‘Only I have some stories I need to finish writing.’ He took a long drag on his cigarette. ‘And I need to check out the garden of a house down by Kolonihavnen.’
‘A garden—in Greenland?’
‘Yes, or whatever you have here. Rocks. Heather. I just need to take a look around.’
‘Today? Why?’
‘I think an eleven-year-old girl was buried there in 1973, and that her skeleton might still be there.’
Malik threw aside his cigarette butt. ‘Seriously? Is this a joke?’
‘No. That notebook Ottesen gave me hints at something like that.’
‘Bloody hell, what a day!’ Malik exclaimed, and he slapped Matthew on the shoulder. ‘I’ll join you later, if that’s all right. I want to see what happens here first.’
‘Someone’s trying to get our attention,’ Matthew said, nodding towards the tape.
‘Ah, I know her,’ Malik said. He waved back and started marching down the gallery towards the officer. ‘Come with me. We’re about to be allowed in.’
‘Hello.’ The young female officer’s voice was mild but firm.
‘Hey…Can we come in now?’ Malik tried hopefully.
‘No, that’s not why I waved you over.’ She looked at Matthew. ‘Ottesen would like a word with you.’
‘With me?’ Matthew said, every muscle in his body freezing. ‘Why?’
‘I don’t know, but in you go.’
‘Right, we’ll do just that,’ Malik said, putting his hand on Matthew’s shoulder.
‘Not you, Malik,’ the officer added swiftly. ‘Just Matthew.’ She took a small black walkie-talkie from her belt and raised it to her mouth. ‘Matthew is on his way.’
The walkie-talkie crackled briefly before a voice broke through: Okay, I’m coming down.
Matthew avoided looking at her. The short distance to the heavy, wonky swing door felt like a funeral march.
‘Hello again,’ Ottesen said the moment the door had slammed behind Matthew.
‘Hello,’ Matthew squawked, with absolutely no control over his voice.
‘You may have heard that we’ve found Jørgen Emil Lyberth dead in Tupaarnaq’s apartment.’
Matthew nodded slowly, while he tried to steady his breathing. His gaze scanned the junk mail on the floor, where the vagrant to whom he’d given his cigarettes had been sitting.
‘I told you she was dangerous,’ Ottesen said, and he pressed his lips together for a few seconds. ‘We can’t say anything for certain yet, as there are several things we need to establish, so…Whatever you reporters may hear, please would you restrict yourselves to just writing that he was found in Block 17, and that police are treating his death as suspicious? Just until tomorrow. Then I promise you there will be an official press briefing at the police station or the Town Hall.’
‘Sure,’
Matthew said, and he inhaled air deep into his lungs. ‘We’ll hold off. It’s all right.’
‘Thank you.’ Ottesen rubbed his upper lip between two fingers. ‘You know that notebook I gave you?’
Matthew felt the sweat break out all over his body.
‘I know that Lyberth was keen to get his hands on it. Do you have any idea why?’
‘I think he was mixed up in some scandal in the early seventies.’
‘Does it say so in the book?’
Matthew nodded again. ‘I thought you had read it?’
‘I have.’ There was silence. ‘We should probably put that notebook back.’
‘All right—I’ll go and get it.’
‘Okay. Matthew,’ Ottesen hesitated. ‘About Tupaarnaq…You’ve seen quite a lot of her recently, haven’t you?’
‘Yes,’ Matthew croaked.
‘You went seal hunting together, and now you’re the guy she calls when we pick her up?’
‘She asked me. I…I…’
‘Yes?’
‘I’m just trying to work out who she is.’
‘And who is she?’
‘She’s not who everyone thinks she is.’
‘Good.’ Ottesen inhaled deeply through his nose. ‘Because right now there’s a lot to suggest that you’re wrong. Have you ever been inside her apartment?’
‘No…No, she wouldn’t let me.’ He ground to a halt and stared at the floor.
‘Wouldn’t let you?’
‘She’s not ready for visitors yet. She has just been locked up for twelve years, don’t forget.’
Ottesen smiled briefly. ‘You’re right. It does funny things to people.’ Then he shook his head. ‘I’ve never liked prisons. Right—you bring me that notebook, okay? And if you see Tupaarnaq, please tell her that we really want to talk to her.’
‘Okay.’
‘And you need to stay here in Nuuk.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Don’t leave town until we say so.’
55
The twilight was slowly gathering in the long shadows of the fog around the houses in Kolonihavnen when, just under two hours later, Matthew and Malik stood in front of the house where Jakob Pedersen had lived forty years earlier.
The Girl without Skin Page 21
