Out of the corner of his eye, Kulta noticed the TV news was on. He got up to increase the volume; he remembered Takamäki saying that Römpötti interviewed him that afternoon. The headlines were about bombs in Afghanistan, unrest in Haiti, and a train wreck in England.
Then a news anchor came on and began, “The Helsinki Police Department is investigating the death of a twenty-six-year-old mentally disabled woman. The case has unusual aspects. Our Sanna Römpötti reports…”
“What unusual aspects does this case have?” Kulta wondered. “Other than the porn.”
“Shh…,” Joutsamo said.
The picture went to a clip of the Nӓyttelijӓ Street apartment, and Römpötti summarized the basic details of the case. Then the text of yesterday’s police bulletin came on, with the words, “The suspect has confessed,” highlighted in yellow.
Römpötti said it seemed like a routine case, but that the police and the defense attorney were on a collision course.
Takamäki looked serious when his face appeared on the screen and said that the police considered the case virtually solved. Lind’s turn was next-she didn’t think the police’s assessment represented the whole truth. Takamäki and Lind took turns talking.
Takamäki: “The forensic evidence from the crime scene and the suspect’s confession play the most important roles.”
Lind: “My client was unable to remember all the events during the interrogation.”
Takamäki: “He has confessed to the crime.”
Lind: “The police have their view, and as a defense attorney I have mine.”
Römpötti came back onto the screen in front of the police headquarters.
“The situation is rather unique. Both parties can’t be right, so one or the other must be lying. We’ll follow the investigation.”
The newscaster moved on to an item about the economy and the recession, and Joutsamo and Kulta lost interest.
“What was the lawyer talking about? She was there when Korpivaara confessed. I don’t get it.”
“Yeah, hard to say,” Kulta agreed.
Joutsamo shook her head. She returned to her computer and turned it back on. The TV coverage meant that the police administrators were probably already on the phone with Takamäki, demanding an explanation, and Takamäki would be calling her any minute. Joutsamo decided to write a report to her bosses.
The computer began booting.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2011
CHAPTER 16
SATURDAY, 8:30 A.M.
KAMPPI, HELSINKI
Lind had suggested they meet at a coffee shop, but when Römpötti mentioned she was going to the gym, Lind wanted to come along. She was happy with the reporter’s story, especially the part where the police bulletin’s validity was questioned. Besides, TV exposure would bring her the visibility she desired. And a quick workout wouldn’t hurt; she wanted to drop a few pounds. It was hard to jog in downtown Helsinki-actually for her it was hard to jog anywhere.
Lind sat on a bench, her face glistening with sweat. The spinning class seemed to take much less out of Römpötti.
Römpötti’s hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, and she wore long, tight jazz pants and a tank top. Lind was embarrassed by her sloppy, gray sweatpants and oversized T-shirt. But she did have more weight to lose-and hide-than Römpötti.
“This was a good idea,” Lind said. They sat in a small lobby with doors leading to aerobics, the weight rooms, and dressing rooms. A vending machine whirred next to them. The entrance was off to the side.
“It’s better than a latté and pastry in a coffee shop,” Römpötti agreed. “I think I’ll hit the weights for half an hour.”
Lind let out a sigh. She was ready for a shower and the steam room.
“There’s one thing,” Lind said. This was her reason for wanting to meet with the reporter. “I need to ask your opinion.”
“Ask away,” Römpötti said, tightening her ponytail.
“What do you think of the way she was killed?”
“I don’t know how Laura was killed.”
“Her throat was slashed.”
“Well, that’s pretty brutal,” Römpötti said, nodding.
“What do you think it could mean?”
Römpötti thought for a moment.
“Was she sexually assaulted? And what was she wearing?”
“I don’t know what she was wearing, but the police said she wasn’t raped, and there were no signs of struggle in the apartment.”
“What position was the body in? I mean, was she set up in some sort of a sexual position?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen pictures of the body. But you think it might’ve been a sex crime?”
“Yeah,” Römpötti thought. “That’s a good starting point when a man kills a woman. It’s hard to speculate without all the information, but as far as I know the act wasn’t premeditated. Also, the police consider the case manslaughter and not murder. The first thing that comes to mind is one of those ‘if-I-can’t-have-you-nobody-can’ type motives.”
“What does the slashing of her throat tell you?”
“Mostly that the killer wanted to be quick and thorough. On the other hand, in some domestic violence cases the killer stabs the victim repeatedly, even a dozen times, in the chest and especially the heart. This usually means the killer wants retaliation for being abandoned. The throat slashing, on the other hand, is usually connected to overkill, where the victim is attacked in other ways, and the final slashing is to make sure they’re dead.”
“But in this case the slashing was the only thing,” Lind said.
“Was anything missing from the apartment?”
“I don’t know.”
“Again, it’s hard to speculate, but throat slashing is a quick, silent way to kill. In an apartment building, with plenty of people around, it would make sense to use stealth. It could be means to another objective, like theft. But I doubt Laura Vatanen had anything in her apartment valuable enough for anyone to kill for. Somehow I feel-and it’s just a hunch-that one way or another it had to do with a sudden rage resulting from something related to sex. The way she was killed would fit that the best.”
“Imagine I’m Laura Vatanen, and I’m standing in the living room. You stand up, too.”
Römpötti stood up. They had a few feet between them.
“Let’s imagine you’re holding a knife,” Lind continued.
“Okay.”
“If you attacked me from where you’re standing, how would you do it?”
Römpötti jumped forward quickly. She started low and swiftly punched Lind in the ribs. Lind didn’t have a chance to react and let out a grunt.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“That’s alright,” Lind said. “That’s the sort of attack I was picturing. Now do the same thing, only go for my throat.”
Römpötti stepped back and this time tried to go for Lind’s throat. She could only get half way, when Lind put up her arm.
“Did Laura Vatanen have injuries from trying to block the attack?”
“None that I know of.”
“So a frontal attack to the throat would be difficult, and it would be natural to stab, not slash. Laura might’ve been able to block a slashing motion, but a sudden stab would definitely hit her somewhere.”
“Slashing the throat from behind would be a more natural motion,” Lind observed.
“But if they were in the middle of a big argument, it’s not likely that Laura would’ve turned her back,” Römpötti said.
“Especially if the fight was about sex, or the lack of it, a woman wouldn’t turn her back and give the man a chance to attack.”
“Like I said before, without pictures of the crime scene this is mere speculation,” Römpötti said. “But it does seem that Laura Vatanen was taken by surprise; she wasn’t expecting the attack.”