Death on Pilot Hill

“I knew you would. . I just knew it the minute I walked in and saw you. . you’re a good man.”

Sohlberg and Wangelin turned down the hallway just as Danica Knutsen was ushered into a special interview room that Sohlberg had requested. The room had a one-way mirror that looked out into the hallway so that the police in the room could observe the reaction of witnesses and suspects inside the room to those witnesses or suspects who were made to walk past the room’s window without the walking witness or suspect knowing that they were being seen from the interview room.

Constable Wangelin turned on the video and microphone and made the obligatory statements.

Frumpy and arrogant Danica Knutsen did not present a pleasant picture. She did not acknowledge Sohlberg when he walked into the claustrophobic room. He noticed that Danica Knutsen cast a lustful if not lewd look at Wangelin.

Sohlberg sat down and looked straight into Danica Knutsen’s eyes and said:

“Froken Knutsen. . the game is over. We know what you did.”

“What?”

“Ja. . we know what you did. Let’s start off with what you did three days ago when Gunnar Haugen got arrested.”

“It was high time you arrested him. He’s responsible you know.”

Sohlberg kept a bored look that said, “I know everything there’s to know about this case but I have to go through the motions and tell you this stuff because of police bureaucracy.”

Danica Knutsen shook her head in disgust. “That monster Gunnar Haugen. He’s done so many horrible things. . I’m glad you brought me here. . I want to help as much as I can to put him in prison.”

The interrogation was progressing far better than Sohlberg had hoped for in his wildest dreams. Danica Knutsen was opening doors as soon as he offered them. She was the opposite of the recalcitrant father and stepmother of Karl Haugen.

“What has Karl’s father done that’s so monstrous?” said Sohlberg. “What horrible things has he done?”

“Uhhh!. . You name it,” yelled Danica Knutsen. “He’s verbally and physically abusive to Agnes. He ignored her and treated Karl as if he didn’t exist. He’s a controlling manipulative man.”

Sohlberg noticed that even while Danica Knutsen cast aspersions on Karl’s father she was sneaking appreciative glances at Constable Wangelin. He wondered how badly Agnes Haugen had lied to Danica Knutsen about the so-called monstrous behavior of Gunnar Haugen. He also wondered how Agnes Haugen had taken advantage of Danica Knutsen’s obvious preference for women.

“Froken Knutsen. . please be more specific about the horrible things Gunnar Haugen has done. . especially as to Karl’s disappearance.”

“For starters he’s the one who made Karl switch his science fair project from icebergs to red-eye tree frogs. . that’s the kind of insensitive beast that he is.”

“What else?”

“He’s the one who suggested that Agnes drive his pickup truck that day. . he’s the one who insisted on staying home from work that day. . he’s the one who wanted Agnes to take Karl to the doctor on a Friday. . he’s the one who told Agnes not to pack Karl’s lunch for that Friday. . he’s the one who asked Agnes to drive around town for the baby’s medicines. . he’s the one who suggested she take the baby on a long drive to calm the baby down. . He planned everything that happened that Friday. . don’t you see?”

“No. Please explain.”

“He did all of that just so he could stay home and spy on Agnes. He wanted to find out if men would come to the house if they saw that his pickup truck was gone and her red car was in the driveway.”

“Ja. . that’s very clever of him,” said Sohlberg who knew that the opposite had to be true because Danica Knutsen was merely repeating what Agnes Haugen wanted the world to believe about her husband. He admired the intricate and cunning plan of Agnes Haugen to frame Gunnar Haugen for his son’s disappearance. “But. . Froken Knutsen. . I need you to explain one small matter.”

“What matter?”

“You say that Gunnar Haugen planned and carried out a very complicated plan that would allow him to stay at home and spy on his wife. . ja?”

“Ja.”

“Then when did Gunnar Haugen have time to kidnap his son and make him disappear?”

“That was the diabolical brilliance of the plan. . Gunnar Haugen had his brother the pervert pick up Karl at school so that he and the brother could molest Karl. . just the same way that their grandfather had molested them as kids.”

“But,” said Sohlberg patiently, “Gunnar Haugen’s brother was not even near Oslo or Holmenkollen that Friday.”

“Oh he was. . you just haven’t looked into it.”

“We have. That’s why we know for a fact that Gunnar’s brother was working down south in Kristiansand. . that’s over two hundred forty miles away. We have several credible witnesses who saw him or met with him that day between seven in the morning and four in the afternoon.”

“Hah!. . Mister Detective you are so gullible. These people are lying for him. These so-called credible witnesses are friends of Gunnar and his brother. They’re all in cahoots. They’re lying!”

“What about a bank’s ATM camera. . do they lie? An ATM took a picture of Gunnar’s brother getting cash at seven-fifteen in the morning in downtown Kristiansand.”

“Bah. You are so gullible. But then again. . you’re a man. . always controlling women.”

Sohlberg pounded the desk and yelled:

“Froken Knutsen. . are you a parrot?. . Why do you have to repeat everything Agnes Haugen tells you or puts inside your head?. . Don’t you understand that you’re going to go to prison for a long long time?”

“Why?”

“Because you did her bidding. . you obeyed her orders. . you believed her lies. Don’t you understand that Agnes Haugen used you to help kidnap and murder the boy and frame her husband?. . Are you really that gullible?”

Sohlberg noticed that for the first time in her interactions with the police Danica Knutsen grew somber. He was glad that the seriousness of her situation was starting to dawn on her. He felt sorry for the naive woman. But he still had to deliver the first of two punches designed to knock down Danica Knutsen’s relationship with Agnes Haugen.

“Froken Knutsen. How many cell phones do you have?”

“One. Why do you want to know?”

“Because I just caught you in a lie. Three days ago we followed you after you received a telephone call from Agnes Haugen. We know where you went. We know what you did.”

“What?”

Sohlberg moved closer to observe her ever-widening eyes. “Our detectives saw you throw away a disposable prepaid cell phone at a garbage can next to a restaurant near your home. We of course retrieved the phone and downloaded all of the incoming and outgoing telephone numbers and text messages. And guess what?”

“What?” said Danica Knutsen as she visibly shrank away from Sohlberg.

“All your calls and text messages in and out of that phone went to another prepaid disposable cell phone owned by. . Agnes Haugen.”

Danica Knutsen moaned.

“Our detectives,” said Sohlberg loudly as he got closer to her, “followed Agnes Haugen after she called you three days ago. . and just like in your case they saw her throw away her cell phone. . in a dumpster by a bus stop. . and just like in your case they also retrieved the phone.”

A pale green color shaded Danica Knutsen’s face.

“Now Froken Knutsen. . why would two women. . in the middle of an investigation into the kidnaping of a child. . happen to buy and use two cell phones in addition to their own cell phones?”

“We needed our privacy. . Agnes told me the police were listening in on her phone after Karl disappeared.”