‘So you haven’t had any contact with Jan or the foster parents since 1970?’
‘That is… I should’ve had visiting rights. I was s’posed to visit him at the weekend, and if I’d recovered I’d’ve been able to take him home. But he was in the foster home for such a long time and… well… I didn’t recover. Things went downhill! I was so bad I couldn’t even visit him. It wouldn’t’ve done him any good, they said. Jens had me admitted — to Hjellestad for rehab. But what help was that? We had dope smuggled in there, too. Dealers were in the forest outside our windows throwing ropes up to us. We tied them to the window catches and then we hauled up the goods. We just had to promise on our word of honour that… well, you know, when we got out again… If not, we’d’ve been beaten up. And I must say they kept precise records. I was on my back being screwed by anything that moved for six months without getting much more than pocket money. Then I had to keep going for even longer to earn what I needed every day. I’m tellin’ you, I didn’t even have time to think about him… about Johnny boy, I mean.’
From the next room came a familiar siren. ‘Meeeette!’ But it wasn’t the doorman this time. It was Terje Hammersten.
‘She’s in there, Terje,’ a voice said.
‘They’re screwing!’ It was one of the women, who burst into hysterical laughter afterwards.
‘What?! I’ll bloody…’
The bedroom door opened with a bang. Hammersten stood in the doorway, and he did not look well pleased. He was ready for trouble, and I was not left in any doubt that I was the trouble, and this time there was no escape.
9
One of the first things you learn in social services is to blather your way out of even the trickiest predicaments. Often children are present and they must be spared head-to-head confrontations between parents and other adults.
But this time there were no children around, and Terje did not let me get a word in before he went for me.
‘Tryin’ it on with my girl, are you?’ He rushed towards me at great speed with one fist raised. I jumped back, careered around the bed and started to speak. But he wasn’t listening. He leapt up onto the bed, the base gave way with a crack, and Mette tumbled forward screaming. He staggered in my direction and this time he got close. The first punch hit me in the shoulder and I felt as if I had been struck by a sledgehammer; when I saw the left hand swinging towards me I levered myself off the wall and hurled myself in the opposite direction.
‘Hammersten!’ I yelled. ‘You’re impeding a civil servant in the performance of his duty!’
That stalled him for a moment. Like a heavyweight boxer he stood with both fists raised, half on tiptoes. ‘D’you know who I am?’
‘I know who you are, and I’ve met you before. I’m from social services, and if you hit me one more time, you will be reported and end up in clink again. If you stop now, I’ll forget…’
He scowled at me, unconvinced. ‘Then you won’t report me?’
‘No. You have my word on it.’
‘I could crush you with these hands. You know that, don’t you?’
‘Don’t be too sure. I can take quite a bit of punishment, if I have to.’
For a second he gauged me with his eyes. My hands hung down by my sides, ready for action if he launched another attack. But I seemed to have taken the edge off his fury.
He looked down at Mette, who was sitting on the floor beside the bed, while she stared vacantly up at us both. ‘What d’you reckon, Mette? Did he touch you?’
She slowly shook her head. ‘We were just — talking. He had some news, about Johnny boy.’
‘Some news? What?’
‘We didn’t get that far.’
‘There was no news,’ I said. ‘I just wanted to find out if you had seen him recently.’
‘And that’s what you were asking her? I call that harassment!’ Again the fury in him rose. ‘You were the one who took ’im from her.’
‘You think this would be the right surroundings for him to grow up in, do you.’
‘You…!’ He took two steps forward and raised his fists again.
I held up both my hands, palms outwards.
‘Hammersten! Remember what we agreed!’
‘Terje! Don’t…’ whimpered Mette from behind him. ‘I can’t take any more. I’ve lost him for ever. I know I have…’ She slowly dissolved into tears.
Hammersten took another step closer. ‘D’you know what I’m gonna do? Tomorrow I’m gonna go with her to her solicitor, Langeland, if you know who that is, and ask him to complain to the local council about you, whoever you bloody are and whatever your bloody name is!’
‘Veum is my name, and I can save you the bother. I’m going to have a chat with Langeland myself, I reckon.’
‘What about?’
‘It’s none of your… It’s absolutely no concern of yours.’
He glowered at me while obviously fighting with himself. One moment he was going to knock me senseless, the next he was shaking like a leaf, angst-ridden and dying for a drink.
‘Veum…’ It was Mette mumbling my name.
‘Yes?’ We both turned towards her.
‘When you meet Jan, could you say hello from me and…’ She began to sob. ‘I still love him! I miss him so much! Oh, Jan my boy… my Jan
… Johnn…’ Her words were smothered by sobs.
‘I promise you, Mette. I’ll say hello from you.’
Terje Hammersten gave me a look of contempt. I turned on my heel and left the wretched bedroom with the two dysfunctional individuals.
In the sitting room hardly anyone noticed me pass through. Outside on the landing the neighbour had gone. I was glad. On returning to my office, I phoned Paul Finckel, the journalist, an old classmate from Nordnes.
‘Hi Paul… guy called Terje Hammersten. Does that name ring any bells?’
‘Loads! Have they let him loose again?’
‘What was he in for?’
‘GBH. If I were you, I’d keep well away from him, if I could.’
‘Thanks for the advice. Got any more info?’
‘Cost you a beer.’
‘So long as it isn’t too many.’
‘I said one, didn’t I. I’d better bring you some photocopies, so you know who you’re dealing with.’
‘Is he dangerous?’
‘Dangerous doesn’t begin to cover it.’
‘But he hasn’t killed anyone?’
‘Not officially at least.’
‘Not… What do you mean?’
‘We can discuss this over a beer…’
‘Usual place?’
‘Usual place.’
10
