Chapter 6: Secure Perimeter

Stockholm. The Night of Jennifer's Return

Whilst Anatoly struggles to recover from the consequences of his wife's actions, Jenny is free and reunited with her husband Joe and her parents, Andrew and Inga. This long-hoped for moment has arrived so unexpectedly and none of them has been fully able to come to grips with what has just happened...

The four of them, Joe, Jenny, Andrew and Inga, take a taxi ride from Strandvagen Quay to the Summer House. It's only forty minutes but they pass mostly in silence, Andrew riding in the front, Jenny wedged between Joe and her mother in the back.

Andrew is awash with emotions. He is full of joy at Jennifer's unexpected return, something he had steeled himself to accept would never happen and he is proud of her brave escape. To jump from a yacht and swim for shore under the gaze of her abductors - that took nerve.

His pride gives way to anger; anger at what was done to his daughter; anger at what that did to Joe to him and to his wife. Finally Andrew is angry at the idea that, her usefulness at an end, she was thrown overboard, like unwanted rubbish.

Anger is followed by determination; a cool determination to see her safe, to see her delivered home without further incident, to see her kept safe from those who might be tempted to do her harm once more.

He listens with half an ear to Jenny intermittent ramblings. She's talking about her return being some sort of magical gift. She's pleading with Joe not to look at the magic too closely.

He can imagine how Jenny must be feeling. He understands her reaction to her situation. He's seen troops after combat; been with them through it. They're relieved that it's over, still loaded with adrenalin, grateful that they've survived, guilty that they've survived when others have not. All that his squad ever wanted to do was to get back to safety, down a beer or two and sit with their relief and their gratitude and perhaps, their guilt.

He knows, too, that things can't be left as they are for too long any more than he could abandon his soldiers to their own devices. He's already mapping out in his mind what has to happen next. They need to make sure Jenny is safe from whoever took her. They need to get back to England. They need to tell the police what's happened.

He looks up at the taxi's rear view mirror. He can see his daughter curled up against her husband and suddenly he knows that he has to do something. Whoever took her, whoever let her go, might try to take her back. He's suddenly aware that far from this being a release for them all if could be a great source of danger and if Andrew is sure of one thing, he is determined to protect his daughter, his wife, Joe, and himself come to that.

He knows someone has to take charge of events. This is what he has been trained to do. This is his forte. Taking decisive action in difficult and unexpected circumstances.

Once inside the house, Jenny is sent off to the shower by Inga and as Joe tries to collect his wits, Andrew steps outside into the garden. He switches on his mobile and dials...

"British Embassy Stockholm, Duty Officer."

"Colonel Andrew Palmer speaking. I need help and advice, urgently"

"Yes Sir; How can I assist you?"

"My daughter was abducted in London (well: was she? Andrew does not know exactly, but he wants action and action in the middle of the night is not produced by beating about the bush). She escaped her captors in Stockholm this evening. She will need a passport to get home. She is at our summer house in Stockholm right now."

"Oh ... er I see ... er..." This is clearly not something the duty officer comes across very often. "Shouldn't you call the police?"

"There are a lot of people I should call and I have to start somewhere. We need to get her home and in the circumstances, you are a good start."

"Erm, the Embassy is closed for the moment – until the morning"

"I am sure it is. We will need emergency travel documents. Jennifer has no documents whatsoever at the moment. What papers would you like us to provide? My wife will try to get them whilst my daughter and I go to the Police"

The duty officer tries to recover control of the conversation. He's feeling steam-rollered. "Colonel Palmer. When this sort of thing happens, Colonel Palmer, (1) it's usually tourists who have lost their passports to pickpockets or dropped them in the harbour. There is not much you can provide but come to the Embassy and we will make arrangements. You will need paperwork from the police to confirm the circumstances. This usually is a copy of any statement that has been given about a passport theft, but in this case ... Was your daughter's disappearance reported to the local UK Police?"

"It was. There was a Scotland Yard investigation."

"Oh, I see. I'm sure that the Swedish Police will want to contact their opposite numbers in London. I'm very pleased to hear your good news. I hope your daughter recovers from her ordeal. I'll brief the team here. They will be pleased to pick things up with you later in the day, Colonel Palmer."

The conversation ends. The Duty Officer notes the call in his log. It's certainly an event which will stand out amongst the routine for quite some time! Someone else can pick it up tomorrow.

Andrew's next call is to the police. He wonders for a moment if it should be best left to a native speaker of Swedish like his wife Inga but on the other hand, he does not wish to provoke any sort of confrontation with Jenny. It's better if he does things himself. He remembers the advice from the veteran TV reporter and globe trotter, Alan Whicker, 'if you are abroad, speak English; then the other fellow has to understand you. If you try to speak his language, you have to understand him!' (2) Andrew speaks good Swedish but he takes the advice and calls.

The police station answers. "Hej: Stockholm Polisen Kan jag hjelper ni?" (3)

"Colonel Andrew Palmer speaking. May I speak English?"

"Of course" The voice is accented but the delivery is confident. The signs are that they will be able to communicate accurately.

"My daughter was abducted in London two years ago and this evening she escaped from her captors in Stockholm." There's an audible intake of breath at the other end of the phone line. "We found her on Djugarden Quay. I think her captors made their escape in a large sea-going motor yacht. We came straight back to our house in Stockholm for safety. I have assumed her captors will not know our address. I have to report this incident."

The gasp of surprise from the switch-board operator or receptionist or desk-sergeant or whoever he is speaking to tells him that someone else in Stockholm is not accustomed to dealing with abduction escapees. Andrew smiles a tight, determined smile. He is happy to have secured their full attention!

"First I must have details. Your daughter is..."

"Jennifer Karin Palmer."

"And her age is... ?"

"27 years old."

"Ah, so she is an adult."

"When did you find her?"

"At about 9.15 this evening, that's 21:15 hours"

"And where?"

"We were on Djugarden Quay and she swam to us from the harbour."

"And she is English?"

"Not quite: she has dual British-Swedish nationality."

"And your address..."

The brief interrogation establishes that Jennifer disappeared in London, that there was a police investigation and eventually her disappearance was reported to Interpol in the event that the investigation led abroad.

"Colonel Palmer, you are military?"

"Army, retired."

"So have you a diplomatic connection to the British Embassy?"

"No: my wife and I - and co-incidentally my daughter's husband - were on holiday here. We have a house."

"Ah, so you are not with friends or renting a cottage?"

"No."

"Could you come to see us in Kungsholmen, immediately?" (4)

Andrew pauses. "I do not think so. Jennifer is quite upset and disorientated at the moment. I don't think it would be wise but I would be grateful if your people could come here. My wife and I and Jennifer's husband could give you more details from our point of view and we could bring Jennifer to see you in the morning. Also, even though I have no reason to believe that her abductors will know where we are, it would be reassuring to have some protection here."

"I understand. I think it is very unlikely that you are in any danger from your daughter's abductors, however I can understand your concern. We will send a car to you, to verify details."

Andrew closes the call and returns inside. Jennifer and Joe are together. There is tension in the air.

Inga says: "I have made coffee. It's in the sitting room. Perhaps we all need something stronger?"

"Too bloody right we do. Oh, I have contacted the Police and the Embassy. The police are sending people over."

"Ah. I think I need to disturb the children."

Andrew understands at once what she means. The murmur of voices that he can't quite overhear has a hard edge to it...

At 11:45 pm a police car arrives with a male and female officer from the Stockholm County Police. There is a knock at the door. Andrew opens it. The uniforms of the officers are reassuring. Signs that something is being done. Signs that Joe and the Palmers are not dealing with the situation all alone. Signs that Jennifer now has the protection of a well organised and efficient State Organisation.

"Hej."

"Hej."

"Herr och Fru Palmer?"

"Ja vi är det"

"Ville du ringa till polisen om din dotter?"

"Ja vi gjorde. Kommer du. Kommer du. Och det är Josef. Han är Jennifer's man. Han är Herr McEwan." (5)

"Joseph speaks some Swedish," interjects Inga, "but he is not fluent so perhaps we can use English?" Inga makes her request in English so we all are sure of what is being said.

"Of course", replies Maria Lindahl, the more senior of the two. Joseph is struck by the contrast between her natural grace and attractiveness and the seriousness and aggressiveness of her equipment belt and the Sig Sauer pistol bulging in its holster at her hip. She is followed in by a smaller thick set male officer. He says: "I will go check outside the cottage." Andrew notices his holster is unclipped. He is prepared for trouble. Some minutes later, he is back and joins them in the family room. Marie looks at him and he at her. "All clear," he says.

"We need to speak with Jennifer McEwan. She is here?"

"Yes: in the bedroom but she is asleep, just exhausted." replies Joe.

"But I must confirm that she is here", replies Lindahl. "I must see her."

It occurs to Joe that 'see her' and 'conduct a detailed interview' are not the same.

He says; "Look, Jenny is exhausted. By all means come into the bedroom to verify that there is someone actually there but can we do any interviews in the morning? She seems pretty confused and on edge right now – as well as very tired?"

Lindahl wrestles with indecision for a moment. If there is evidence, the sooner it is acted upon the better the change of arresting any criminal elements, if there should actually be any. On the other hand, if the girl Jennifer really has just escaped from abductors and is sodden with fatigue and asleep, anything she says might not be reliable. There is no acute danger as far as they can tell. The girl's escape took place three hours ago ... she settles for a visual identification of the sleeping girl. "That will be OK for now," she says.

"Here" says Joe, opening the bedroom door.

Lindahl sees a dark skinned, tattooed, muscular, bare headed girl half covered by a sheet. Her appearance is extraordinary, even if her story wasn't extraordinary enough. Lindahl leaves her sleeping and heads back to the Family Room.

"So, give me a brief account of what happened."

Brief, Joe thinks. How can you give a brief account of a nineteen month absence? He tries, "Jennifer disappeared in London on Tuesday 10th November 2009 at about two o'clock in the afternoon..."

"You are very precise?"

"It's not something you forget, your wife going missing." Joe's response is terse.

"No, I can understand. And then?"

"We contacted the police as soon as we realised she was gone."

"As soon as?"

"After I said good-bye to Jennifer I travelled to Seoul in South Korea with business colleagues and it was several days before I realised that something was wrong. I was on the other side of the world you see, and I couldn't contact her"

"But what about her parents?" The police officer glances at Inga and Andrew.

"We do not live nearby", offers Andrew.

"I see. So there was a police investigation in the UK?"

"Yes: I cannot remember the name of the officer in charge of the investigation in London but the Officer responsible in the town where we live was called Inspector Ackroyd. He was the policeman I saw most often."

"Do you have his number?"

"Yes: here." Joe brings up 'contacts' on his phone and offers it to the policewoman.

"We have had no contact with Jennifer at all: no sightings, telephone calls, emails - nothing until this evening."

"Tell me what happened this evening."

"We had been out to dinner at the Blau Porten restaurant on Djugarden. (6) We walked down the quay. We were sitting on a bench..."

"Watching the world go by," adds Andrew.

"We heard someone calling us on a loud hailer."

"Calling you?"

"That's right. There was woman waving at us from a large yacht which was sailing by, She was pointing to someone in the water. I thought the boat might have just missed running down whoever it was and so we waited for the person to swim to shore."

"Ah, so you know the people on the boat?"

"Absolutely not! None of us know anyone with a boat like that."

"But they know you? Someone called to you from the boat, so they must know you..."

"Well, I suppose so but..."

Joe falters in his account. Inga takes up the thread. "You see none of us knows anyone who owns a yacht." I work at university," replies Inga "and University employees do not earn enough money to buy big yachts."

"I am – was - a career soldier", adds Andrew, "No one in the British Army earns that sort of money either and I just do not know anyone who does."

"Mr McEwan?"

"I am an engineer. Some of our clients may well be able to live at that level but I do not personally know any who do."

"So the woman on the boat knows you but you do not know her?"

"Yes, that's right."

"I see. What did she say?"

Well, what did she say? The voice was so unexpected, distorted by the loud hailer, reflecting off the water, mixed with the other harbour sounds. Did the voice actually call their names?

"I ... I think I heard my name replies Joe after several moments but ... but I really can't be sure."

"Can you describe the boat?"

"Well, it was large ... white or maybe cream."

"Was it all one colour or was the hull different to the rest of it?"

"Actually we were looking into the sunset," points out Andrew. "Everything was dark – in silhouette. The boat had a stern flag but our attention was all on the person in the water. When I looked back to the boat there was another boat in the way so I can't be sure about the flag."

Lindahl makes a decision. She will have to speak to Fru McEwan immediately.

She straightens up to face the Palmers and the woman's husband.

"I am sorry, she says but I must now speak to Fru McEwan. If there are international implications to this incident, the investigation will be taken over by the National Investigation Bureau (7) and I will have to contact their Officer on Duty as soon as I can establish all the facts. Fru Palmer, please come with me as a chaperone." With that, this very determined self-assured police woman lead the way to Jennifer's bedroom to rouse her and make further enquires.

Jenny's Awakening

Neena is shaking me by my shoulder. I must have over slept. I open my eyes immediately. The room lights are on. I spring out of bed and kneel. My head bowed.

"Prostetye mnye pazhalsta, Gaspazha" (8)

Of course this will not spare me the punishment I deserve. I know that I shall have to pay for my lack of self-discipline.

There is a hand on my shoulder, It's a sign I must look at Neena and receive her judgement on my laziness. I can't understand how I could have been so careless as to sleep in! For goodness sake, I go to bed when I am told. There is just time to wash and clean my teeth and then the lights in my cell fade down and I am left alone in the darkness, Sleep - and my dreams – are all I have left to enjoy all on my own.

I open my eyes and stare for a moment as Neena's feet. What is she wearing? I can see a pair of 'sensible' work boots and thick dark blue trousers.

I look up, to meet her eyes, - and see a uniform I do not recognize. There is the face of a woman I have never seen before looking down at me. She has a gun in a holster on her belt. She steps back.