The Value of Life Page 3

  Chapter 3: Josef Lindahl

  Josef cursed at the phone and ruffled through the cushions for the remote control to the TV, he found it and hit mute just before accepting the call on his mobile. He didn't recognize the caller's number but it was from another mobile.

  "Josef Lindahl," he said politely.

  "Josef? It's Peter Bentworth." Josef was instantly alert, "We've come up against a situation here and to be frank it's not one we're used to, I need you to come in."

  Josef was taken aback, although he knew the Chief Detective Inspector of his division it was only in passing and a face at meetings; they were certainly not on first name terms. Josef had only been a policeman six months and although he had been taken on as Detective Constable, due mostly to a degree in Criminal Psychology, he had yet to do anything that proved he was worth his rank as detective.

  "No probs," he said, "Can you tell me the nature of the problem?"

  "It looks as though a child has been kidnapped," Bentworth said flatly, taking Josef completely by surprise. He'd pictured himself in riot gear stamping on a petrol bomb or something.

  "What can I do? I mean, why me?" he stuttered.

  "You're the nearest person with any kind of psychological training, and, it seems, the only one," He let the idea absorb for a second. "So," he continued, "Quick as you can, meet us at the CID interview rooms upstairs."

  Josef barely had chance to agree before he was cut off.

  Within ten minutes he was in his Clio heading towards Longmarsh police station, his mind was racing with both excitement and fear. When he pulled into the car park it had been barely twenty minutes since the call. He swiped his card in the back door card reader and headed straight upstairs to the CID interview rooms. Peter Bentworth was waiting in the corridor.

  Bentworth was surprised by Josef's appearance. He'd expected a geeky looking thimble in a suit. Instead he saw a young man, not conventionally handsome, but rugged looking, with short-cropped black hair and broad shoulders. He wore a casual suit with a tie.

  "Ah, there you are. Step in here while I brief you," he said, indicating a door to a small office on their right.

  Inside Josef was given the brief timeline and series of events, just as the parents had given the department, but the CDI explained, even though he himself would conduct the interviews, a thorough questioning had been put off until Josef arrived.

  Josef left the room with more questions than answers but he kept silent and followed the CDI into the first interview room, a female PC was sat close to a woman.

  "This is Mrs. Janet Martin, the child's mother," Bentworth said diplomatically, "Mrs. Martin, this is Detective Constable Josef Lindahl our psychological expert."

  Josef tried hard not to look surprised and hoped it worked. He offered his hand and a gentle smile. When she took it her grip was momentary and soft.

  Josef sat down at the table and although the interview room had its own recording system he took out his own compact digital dictaphone and set it on the table with a notepad and pen.

  "I hope you don't mind this?" he said softly, "I'm always surprised how much detail I forget without it,"

  She shook her head but didn't make eye contact with him.

  "Besides," he continued, "It saves the rainforests." Josef pressed the record button. Bentworth took that as a cue and did likewise on the main recording system, identifying those present, the time and the date.

  "Please Mrs. Martin," Bentworth began, "Can you tell us everything you remember." She looked around for the first time and seemed puzzled by her surroundings.

  "Where's my husband, I want him here, why are you recording everything?" she seemed agitated and when the pause lasted more than half a second Josef leaned a little closer.

  "Please Mrs. Martin," he said softly, "Everybody's memory is a little different. Your perspective will be different from your husband's. You notice different things and place importance on different signs. You each know your son a little differently and it's very important we hear your individual account and interpretation without it being influenced by the other. That way we have every possible detail that might help us."

  He gave that a minute to sink in and when she seemed to settle at this he continued, "I'm sorry if this seems a bit formal but we have a system for collecting the information and keeping it together and this is it, please try not to worry about anything. We need your whole mind focused on what you recall." He smiled the soft smile it had taken so long to master as a psychology student and she seemed to accept his words and relax. Josef sat up again, and as if on cue Bentworth took up where he left off.

  "Please," he said, "tell us everything you recall from this evening, take your time and think of all the details you can." Josef listened intently and when Mrs. Martin had finished her account he knew all the important facts, the boy's habits, who had seen the boy last, where, at what time that was and everything that had happened after the boy's absence had been discovered. Josef had made several mental notes and had jotted down some questions.

  "Is there anything else you can think of?" Bentworth asked. Mrs. Martin shook her head and continued to look at the table, so he continued. "Well I have only one more question, you said the voice sounded like a white male, did he have any accent you could recognize?"

  Mrs. Martin seemed to think about this for a second. "No he didn't," she said.

  Bentworth looked at Josef, noted the scribbles on his pad, and turned to Mrs. Martin.

  "I think the officer here has some questions for you," he looked at Josef. "Officer Lindahl," he said and waited.

  Josef leaned a little closer again.

  "I'm sorry Mrs. Martin," he began, "some of the questions I have are not easy and although you may find it hard to answer some and you may not want to answer others it would really help if you could try." He looked at the woman and waited, she hadn't spoken directly to Bentworth or himself but he wanted eye contact now and he was waiting to get it, after several seconds she looked up and nodded,

  "I'll try," she said quietly.

  "Thanks," he replied genuinely and looked at his notes. "First, the bag. Close your eyes and remember your journey home, remember as you came through the gate, what were you doing? Were you looking in your bag for keys or putting down your umbrella, were you looking anywhere near the ground? It's very important. Could you have missed the bag by the gate where your husband said it was?" He hoped she would not react to what the question might imply but she seemed completely wrapped in the memory, she opened her eyes and for the first time looked directly at him.

  "It was raining, I didn't have an umbrella and I had my keys in my hand and my hands in my pockets. I went straight for the door. I didn't really look. I didn't see anyone in the street or around, I can't say if the bag was there or not."

  "OK, do we have the bag? Has anyone but you and your husband touched it?"

  She looked distracted, then said, "It's in the hall where Michael left it, I didn't touch it"

  "Good," Josef continued, "we'll need to check it. Now I have a question about the call, close your eyes and concentrate on the call. You told us that the caller had no accent, it's very important you think carefully about the voice, tell us exactly, one more time what the caller said and how he sounded."

  Again she closed her eyes and seemed to concentrate on the question.

  "I picked up the phone and I said, 'Michael, have you found him?' and there was a two or three second pause and he said 'No, and he won't. I just rang to tell you that I have Daniel and he is safe ... for now. You will be contacted' then he hung up."

  Her eyes remained closed. "He sounded white, older, I think maybe over thirty but it's hard to say and he didn't really have an accent."

  "And those were his exact words?" Josef asked. "He definitely said 'and he is safe' not 'he's safe' not 'I've got him', he's well spoken?"

  "Yeah, well spoken, that's right." Her eyes opened and she looked at him again.

  "And you're su
re that he sounded natural, not as though he was faking it, hiding something?"

  She closed her eyes again and seemed completely focused.

  "Yeah, I'd say that's right."

  "I've got just one more question Mrs. Martin," Josef relaxed and let his shoulders droop slightly. Mrs. Martin subconsciously took the visual cue and relaxed herself. "Have you upset anyone recently? Made any enemies? Have you seen anyone around? This person obviously knew your habits. In short, do you have even the slightest idea who might have taken your son?"

  "I've been asking myself the same question for the last hour and a half and you know what?" she said flatly, "I can't think of a single thing. I wish I could, but I can't."

  Josef sat upright again and again Bentworth took the cue.

  "Well thank you very much for your help," he said, "It'll take some time to talk with your husband, if you like the young lady here can accompany you to the canteen and get you something to eat and a cup of tea." She nodded and stood, Josef stood and offered a hand.

  "Thank you Mrs. Martin," he said. "You've been much more help than you realize." She took his hand, this time more firmly and made eye contact.

  "Thanks, I hope so," she said.

  Josef let go and took a card from his wallet. He'd never actually used them, he'd only had them made during the initial excitement of getting DC rank and he tried not to look embarrassed now.

  "If you remember anything, anything at all call me right away, OK?" she took the card without looking at, put it in her pocket and left. Josef snapped the Dictaphone off.

  When they were alone Josef sat again and looked at his notes.

  "Well?" Bentworth asked, "What do you think? Could she be a suspect?" Josef turned to face him.

  "I don't think so, there's things in what she said that are difficult to make up." Bentworth raised his eyebrows in question. "For example," Josef continued in reply, "she said the man on the phone had no accent but was pretty well spoken. If you're gonna make up a call you generally make up an accent. The thing about criminal lies is that they tend to serve a purpose. They tend to be helpful, but helpful in the wrong direction. She didn't show any tell tale signs of lying."

  "Then what did we learn?" Bentworth asked.

  "Well, the call," Josef said. "Like I said, if you're gonna make an anonymous call you tend to disguise your voice, an' it's much easier to disguise your voice with an accent than to remove all signs of one. It's also really hard to fake being well spoken, people who aren't tend to make a mess of it. I think the kidnapper called and didn't try to hide his real voice and that can mean several things." He stopped and gave the CDI chance to absorb this.

  "Go on," Bentworth said.

  "The way I see it, it could mean that, first, and most likely, and best case scenario, he's not gonna call again so he doesn't care and doesn't think she'll remember much. He has another method to contact the family again. You know, he said 'you will be contacted', not 'I'll call again' or something like that." Bentworth nodded.

  "The second and slightly not so good case scenario is that he doesn't care and doesn't think he can be caught. He might call again if he needs to and maybe he'll disguise his voice then but for now he's not worried. Third and worst, he has no intention of ever making contact again and just wanted, for his sick ego, to have the last word." He let this sink in and Bentworth looked at the floor.

  "And the bag?" Bentworth asked. "You learn something interesting from that?"

  "Well it was a leading question. She didn't take it as an insinuation which means she didn't feel accused herself, or suspect the husband, and that's good. She couldn't remember whether noticing whether it was there or not. She gave an accurate account of her memory and we can use that to test her if her story gets shaky but I was interested whether she had a subconscious feeling that the husband was involved in some way. But there was no sign she felt the husband might have lied about the bag either," he looked at the CDI, "I think she's on the level," he concluded. Bentworth nodded.

  "The husband then," he said. He stood and made for the door. Josef collected his notes and dictaphone, switched off the main interview room tape recorder, removed the tape and followed the CDI who had already left the room.

  He caught up with Bentworth in an interview room two doors down where Mr. Martin was sitting with a uniformed PC. He looked agitated.

  "What's goin' on?" he demanded. "I've been here over an hour an' I 'ain't been told nuffin'. Where's Janet and why're you keeping us apart, we're victims you know." He was almost yelling, "why 'ain't you out there looking for Daniel instead of keeping us here for hours and treatin' us like criminals."

  Josef placed his things on the table and looked directly at Mr. Martin, his face blank. It was Bentworth who spoke.

  "Mr. Martin I'm sorry you've been waiting, but as we explained to your wife, it's important we take your two accounts of tonight separately. You both saw things differently and it's better we get two accounts than one, there's more details."

  Mr. Martin still looked agitated but he seemed to accept it. Josef slipped the tape in the interview room recorder and switched it on along with his own digital recorder. Bentworth called time date and attendance for the tape then said "Please Mr. Martin, tell us everything you remember about tonight from the time you got home, take your time and try to remember every little detail."

  When Mr. Martin finished he looked agitated again. Bentworth looked directly at Josef this time.

  "Mr. Martin," Josef ventured. "Close your eyes and picture yourself coming home from work and walking up to the gate. Maybe you're getting your keys ready or something. How did you see the bag? Where was it exactly?"

  Mr. Martin didn't close his eyes but stared at the table. He was silent for a minute.

  "I had my keys in my hand 'cause I'd just locked the van. I was going into the garden an' I saw it on the ground, just behind the gatepost." He stopped there and when Josef realized he wasn't going to continue he said, "Was it in the open, where anyone could see it, or was it hidden like behind a bin or something?"

  Mr. Martin though for a second,

  "It weren't really hidden but it weren't obvious either, it was just behind the post, a little bit under the 'edge."

  "Mr. Martin," Josef said calmly, "your wife said she didn't see the bag when she got home, do you think she could have missed it or do you think it might not have been there when she got home." He seemed to consider the question seriously.

  "She would ha' took it in if she'd seen it that's for sure, I mean, she could 'a missed it easily enough. Like I said it weren't obvious but I can't say if it were there or not, I mean, can I?"

  "OK," Josef nodded. "You said you left the house about half past seven, can you remember exactly where you went looking for your son?"

  "I drove round everywhere but I guess you want sommin' specific. Well I was starvin' so I drove through the McDonalds on the High Road, and I stopped for petrol at the Shell on Preston Road, that what you want?" he snapped. Josef smiled and nodded.

  "Please don't be offended," he said. "These are tough questions I know but it really helps, you and your wife have both been great. She's in the canteen now getting something to eat and a cuppa. I've got just one more question then if it's OK with the CDI here you can go join her." Josef looked at Bentworth, as did Martin. He nodded.

  "Think carefully about the last week, especially the last couple of days, have you noticed anything, anything at all, anyone hanging round, any cars or vans? Or anything that your son might have said or done that even in the least bit unusual?" Mr. Martin sat staring at the table for some time.

  "No," he said at length. "Daniel had a fight with a boy at school about two weeks ago but they're friends again now and anyway Daniel lost. He's not much of a fighter." Josef allowed a moment's silence.

  "Thank you very much Mr. Martin, like I said, you've been very helpful." Josef offered him a card, when he didn't take it Josef laid it on the table, "If you think of anything, anything
at all, please call me right away." Josef sat back and Bentworth spoke again.

  "I've no more questions just now Mr. Martin, please help yourself to whatever you'd like from the canteen while we wrap up here and I'll arrange a lift home for the both of you, and thanks again, you've been very helpful."

  Martin left the room accompanied by the PC and Josef was alone with Bentworth again.

  "Well, what's your take on Mr. Martin then?" he asked.

  "Same deal as Mrs. Martin really," Josef said. "He didn't react to being quizzed about the bag or if Mrs. Martin could have missed it. And his anger was directed at us wasting time not looking for the boy rather than his being questioned. The two places where his driving round can be confirmed make sense, he said he was just about to eat when he went out so McDonalds is natural, as is the petrol IF we check how much he bought and what time, and how much is in the tank of the van now and it works out. If that checks out then I don't have a problem with him either. I think they're on the level."

  Josef gathered his belongings, switched off the Dictaphone and the tape recorder, removed the tape and looked at his notes, conscious that Bentworth was watching him.

  "So?" Bentworth said, "conclusions?" Josef looked up.

  "Well. I want to be the one to drive them home and I want to check the van and the house and the scene," he paused and when no objection came he continued. "If everything checks out well, then, best case I think we have a genuine kidnapping, worst case an abduction. Either way we need to set up for kidnapping, phone trace, surveillance. I don't know what the usual is but it'll take a lot of door knockers and some tekkies too." He half expected a stream of protest at this but none came, instead Bentworth looked at the floor but his mind was elsewhere. Josef waited patiently and after a minute Bentworth said.

  "OK, take them home and check out the van and the scene. I'll arrange surveillance for tonight, it's a bit of an over reaction but it's better err to caution. I'll try and get the phone tap authorized but we'll need cooperation from the family. You get that if you can. It'd be best to have someone in the house with them round the clock if they'll agree. After that go home and get some sleep, if this really is kidnapping we're going to have a busy day tomorrow, and I want you here fully charged OK?"

  "Sure," Josef said, feeling for the first time in a long time, awake, alert, challenged and useful.

  "Call me if you have any trouble, otherwise brief me in the morning," Bentworth said. Josef collected his things from the table, looked at Bentworth and smiled.

  "He took it," Josef said. Bentworth wrinkled his brow in question. "My card, he took it," Josef flicked his head toward the table. Bentworth shrugged.

  "All my life I've been able to tell if a man's lying to me," he said. "A good skill for a copper. The problem is I've never been able to tell why," at that he stood and made to leave.

  "Good work tonight Detective," he finished and was gone.

  Josef stood a moment in the warmth of that praise, kicked his brain into gear and headed to the canteen.