The Return of the Dancing Master(134)
His cell phone rang in his jacket pocket.
“You’d better answer.”
It was Larsson. “Where are you?”
“At the hotel.”
“Something very odd has happened.”
“What?”
“Berggren has called Erik. She wants him to pick her up.”
“why?”
“She says she wants to confess to the murder of Abraham Andersson.”
It was 2:25. Monday, November 15.
Chapter Thirty-One
Larsson called at 6 P.M. and asked Lindman to come to Johansson’s office. It was cold and windy when he left the hotel. When he reached the church he stopped and turned around quickly. A car went by along Fjallvagen, followed by another. He thought he could make out a shadowy figure next to the wall of the building opposite the school, but he wasn’t sure. He continued to the community center. Larsson was waiting for him outside the entrance. They went to the office. Lindman noticed that there were two extra chairs—one for Berggren, he assumed, and the other for her lawyer.
“They’re on the way to Ostersund now,” Larsson said. “She’s under arrest, and will be remanded into custody tomorrow. Erik is with her.”
“What did she say?”
Larsson pointed at a tape recorder on the desk.
“A tape of the interrogation is on its way to Ostersund,” he said, “but I had two tape recorders. I thought you might like to hear the copy. You’ll be on your own here. I have to get something to eat, and rest for a little while.”
“You can borrow my hotel room if you like.”
“There’s a sofa in the other room. That’ll do.”
“I don’t need to listen to the tape. You can tell me what happened.”
Larsson sat in Johansson’s chair. He scratched at his forehead, as if he suddenly had an itch.
“I’d rather you listened to it.”
“Did she confess?”
“Yes.”
“The motive?”
“I think you should listen to the tape. And then tell me what you think.”
“You are not convinced?”
“I don’t know what I am. That’s why I want to hear your reaction.”
Larsson stood up. “Still no sign of Hereira,” he said. “We haven’t found the red Ford either. Nor the man who did the shooting. But we will in the end. I’ll be back here in two hours.”
Larsson put on his jacket.
“She sat on that chair,” he said, pointing. “Her lawyer, Hermansson, was in that one. She’d called him this morning. He was already here when we went to pick her up.”
Larsson closed the door behind him. Lindman turned on the tape recorder. There was a scraping noise as a microphone was being moved. Then he heard Larsson’s voice.
GL: So, we are commencing this interrogation and note that today is November 15, 1999. The time is 15:07. The interrogation is being conducted at the police station in Sveg by Detective Inspector Giuseppe Larsson. The witness is Inspector Erik Johansson. The interrogation of Elsa Berggren is being held at her own request. She is being represented by her lawyer, Sven Hermansson. Would you please give us your name and personal details?
EB: My name is Elsa Maria Berggren, born May 10, 1925, in Tranas.
GL: Could you speak a bit louder, please?
EB: My name is Elsa Maria Berggren, born May 10, 1925, in Tranås.
GL: Thank you. Could we have your full identity number, please?
EB: 250510-0221.
GL: Thank you. (More scraping from the microphone, somebody coughed, a door closed.) So, if you could just move a bit closer to the microphone.... Now, please tell us what happened.
EB: I want to confess to the murder of Abraham Andersson.
GL: You are confessing to killing Abraham Andersson with intent?
EB: Yes.
GL: So it was murder, is that correct?
EB: Yes.
GL: Did you consult with your lawyer before saying this?
EB: There’s nothing to consult about. I admit to having killed him with premeditation. Isn’t that what it’s called?
GL: That’s what they usually say, yes.
EB: Then I admit to having murdered Abraham Andersson with premeditation.
GL: So you are confessing to having committed murder?
EB: How many times do I have to repeat it?
GL: Why did you kill him?
EB: He threatened to expose Herbert Molin, the man living nearby who was killed shortly beforehand as a former National Socialist. I didn’t want that. He also threatened to expose me as a convinced National Socialist. And he also committed blackmail.
GL: Against you?
EB: No, Herbert Molin. He demanded money from him every month.