Chapter 8: Torpedo Running!

London and Stockholm. The afternoon after Jennifer's release.

Lightning Strikes Twice

In the early afternoon, Grantby receives another unexpected call. Alice buzzes his telephone.

"Grantby?"

"I have an Inspector Ackroyd on the line for you from the Warwickshire Force." (1)

"Oh, put him through." Grantby remembers Ackroyd from their work together on the McEwan disappearance. He assumes that the energetic Inspector Thomassen must have got Ackroyd's name from Joseph McEwan and contacted him separately. Hmmm. Thoroughness. He liked that. He could see himself growing to like the insistent Inspector Thomassen.

"Chief Inspector? This is Brian Ackroyd here from 'Warwickshire. Look, I don't know how significant this is going to be but I have had a bit of a peculiar call from a lady called Cathy Corbyn. She is a friend of that girl Jennifer McEwan. Do you remember? She was the one who disappeared a couple of years ago..."

"Yes, I do as a matter of fact. I have just been glancing through her file."

"Really? Co-incidence, that. Well, this woman Corbyn was a colleague to Jennifer McEwan at the University of Warwick and she has just told me..."

Grantby is trying to guess where this conversation is going. It seems that Inspector Thomassen had not got hold of Ackroyd after all.

" ... that she has found some academic work done by Jennifer McEwan in Warwick before she disappeared, all written up in a Russian technical journal just recently, so I thought you might like me to run that past you, so you could add it to the file. What do you think?"

The hairs have begun to rise on Grantby's neck as Ackroyd has drawled through his message. Lightening was striking twice in the same place. He clears his throat

"Well, funny you should ring because this morning I had a call from the Swedish National Investigation Bureau. McEwan has turned up in Stockholm."

"Stockholm?"

"Stockholm! I have just had an email with some details. She swam ashore from Stockholm harbour yesterday evening. Her husband and parents were there to greet her. They were on there holiday and they just happened to be sitting on the quay, so what do you think of that?"

"No! Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"So is that where the little blighter has been all along whilst we have been running around like blue-arsed flies trying to find her?"

"Well, that is the question. According to someone called Inspector Thomassen who 'phoned me this morning, McEwan is very reluctant to say where she has been, even after the Swedes threatened to arrest her for obstruction of justice or the Swedish equivalent of same"

"Well, I am not surprised she is keeping her mouth shut if she has been sat with her feet up in Stockholm all the while. I don't think I would want to say much, either!"

"Of course, if she was abducted, then her reappearance counts as an escape, so perhaps we should start by being sympathetic, at least till we get a feel for the way the land lies?"

"Well, there is that I suppose."

"This article thingy. That puts an interesting complexion on it."

"Yes, true enough. What are you going to do?"

The family are flying back to Heathrow on Saturday. I will have Borland meet them - do you remember her?"

"Borland? Yes, nice girl I thought."

"Yes, exactly. So Borland will meet them and I will arrange to speak to her parents pronto and perhaps you can speak to her in Warwick. Oh – the Swedish Inspector is coming over to discuss the case with me on Monday."

"That's quick."

"Quick? Insistent is just not the word for her. She is interested in whether we are dealing with a people trafficking racket or something like that."

"Ah ... I see ... look, after Borland has met them, can she give me a ring, just to bring me up to speed?"

"I will tell her. Keep in touch Brian."

"Thank you Sir. I will do that."

School Sports Day

Anna Thomassen spends some of her afternoon making telephone calls to NHCE and to the reception staff at Gwenda'a hotel. At 4pm she decides it is time to see Gwenda again.

Gwenda has dozed off through the boredom of not having anything to read, to look at, to listen to, or to think about, apart from thinking about Anna Thomassen, but at the sound of her cell door opening, Gwenda is instantly wide awake. The first thing she notices is that Anna Thomassen is not alone.

Another police officer stands guard behind her.

"Good afternoon Hyacinth! I wanted to call on you before I went home."

As soon as she hears that, Gwenda knows that Thomassen has not come to give her good news. The realization even prevents her from reacting to being teased again about her middle name. Gwenda merely says, "I wish you would call me Gwenda."

"Hmmm. I understand but I do not usually have the chance to call anyone Hyacinth."

"Surely there are not many Gwendas in Stockholm?"

"Yes, well, that is also true. Still, I have news for you. I have good news and not so good news."

Gwenda sighs: "well what is it?"

"Your hotel confirms that you arrived when you say you did. That is in your favour."

"And the not so good news?" Gwenda voice is resigned. She sees no choice but to play the games of those keeping her from her freedom. She is sure that this will be just one more reason to keep her here.

"I am afraid I have been unable to contact your Mr Parker. He is not in his office. I have tried to contact him on his mobile more than once but he seems to be out of range. I guessed you would not want me to explain to just anybody in your office why I was calling? Because of your secret mission?"

"Oh fuck!" gasps Gwenda. Thomassen is right. Gwenda is very glad the detective has kept her confidentiality but ... Gwenda realises what is coming next before the other woman speaks.

"Mr Parker will be back in the office at the end of tomorrow morning, so I am afraid you are going to have to stay with us till at least then," says the smiling Anna Thomassen, "enjoy your evening!"

Gwenda sinks back on her bed. There is nothing for her to do but wait.

It is twelve o' clock on the following day, 11 am in the UK. Anna Thomassen estimates that this corresponds to 'the end of the morning', the time when Chris Parker was expected in the office. She rings NHCE and this time, is put through.

"Christopher Parker?"

"Yes, that's me", replies a bright confident voice.

"Hello, I am Anna Thomassen, from Stockholm."

"Oh", replies Chris carefully