English, Karin joined them.
Half an hour later the door opened and Karin entered. Hans followed right behind her.
“All done,” said the Dutch woman, seemingly relieved. “Now they need to question you two, and we should be finished.”
“And after that?” Petra wanted to know.
“I think they will just bring you to your holiday address.” She made an apologetic gesture right away. “I’m not entirely sure. But I think so.”
Petra got up. Because Niels remained seated, she gently pulled him up. “Come on, sweetie. We need to go and have a little chat and then we can go home.”
“I want Daddy to come.”
Hans walked up to his son and rubbed his head. “I know you’re a big boy, and I am proud of you. Just do me a favor and go with your mother. I already went, and they are very nice people.”
Visibly reluctant, Niels got up and let Petra guide him to the adjoining room.
“Please have a seat,” Carlo Martuccia said in English when they entered the room. Tardelli gave a friendly nod. Martuccia pointed to the chairs in front of the desk. As soon as they sat down he began to speak Italian to Karin.
“Niels, this gentleman’s name is Carlo Martuccia,” she said a few moments later. “He works for the police, and he would like to help you. He also wants to ask you a few questions. The other man is named Filippo Tardelli, and he may also ask you some questions. But he will do so in Italian, because his English isn’t very good. Mister Martuccia will also ask most of the questions in Italian, which I will then translate.”
Niels kept his head down, clearly feeling uncomfortable.
Martuccia said something else to Karin, which she immediately translated.
“Would you mind telling us what you and Mats did tonight?”
Suddenly Niels became very skittish. He pressed his face against Petra’s chest, shook his head and quietly began to cry.
“No … no.”
Martuccia asked another question.
“Is there something else that you want to tell us maybe?” Karin asked Niels with a warm smile. He pressed his face even closer to Petra, and the quiet cries quickly changed into full-on sobs.
Karin looked at Martuccia, who gave an understanding nod. Besides the sound of Niels’s crying, the room was silent. Martuccia exchanged a glance with his colleague and looked at his watch. He focused on Petra.
“The doctor should arrive here any moment. We would like Niels to undergo a brief physical examination. As soon as that is done, you can return to the campground.”
“Just a little while longer, sweetie,” Petra whispered. “The doctor is going to have a quick look at you, and then we can go back to the campground.” She gave him an encouraging tap on the shoulder.
Niels nodded slowly. He stopped crying and was visibly relieved.
15
Accompanied by Karin, Hans entered the office of Carlo Martuccia the next morning at nine o’clock. Petra and Niels waited for them in another office. They had been picked up by two plainclothes detectives, and when they arrived at the police station, Karin had explained to them that the detectives only wanted to speak to Hans. They needed some more information about what happened the night before.
Carlo Martuccia and Filippo Tardelli exchanged some pleasantries when Hans sat down across from them.
“Following your statement yesterday, we still have a few questions,” Martuccia began in English. Hans understood these people had to do their job, but what else could he tell them that he had not already told them? What could he possibly add?
Martuccia tapped a file on the desk with his nail. “The medical report shows no evidence or any traces that your son suffered any sexual abuse or physical injury. Obviously, this is just the preliminary report. During the course of our investigation we may find new facts. Certainly because Niels hasn’t been able to tell us anything himself.”
Hans let out a big sigh of relief.
“Has Niels told you or your wife anything we
Half an hour later the door opened and Karin entered. Hans followed right behind her.
“All done,” said the Dutch woman, seemingly relieved. “Now they need to question you two, and we should be finished.”
“And after that?” Petra wanted to know.
“I think they will just bring you to your holiday address.” She made an apologetic gesture right away. “I’m not entirely sure. But I think so.”
Petra got up. Because Niels remained seated, she gently pulled him up. “Come on, sweetie. We need to go and have a little chat and then we can go home.”
“I want Daddy to come.”
Hans walked up to his son and rubbed his head. “I know you’re a big boy, and I am proud of you. Just do me a favor and go with your mother. I already went, and they are very nice people.”
Visibly reluctant, Niels got up and let Petra guide him to the adjoining room.
“Please have a seat,” Carlo Martuccia said in English when they entered the room. Tardelli gave a friendly nod. Martuccia pointed to the chairs in front of the desk. As soon as they sat down he began to speak Italian to Karin.
“Niels, this gentleman’s name is Carlo Martuccia,” she said a few moments later. “He works for the police, and he would like to help you. He also wants to ask you a few questions. The other man is named Filippo Tardelli, and he may also ask you some questions. But he will do so in Italian, because his English isn’t very good. Mister Martuccia will also ask most of the questions in Italian, which I will then translate.”
Niels kept his head down, clearly feeling uncomfortable.
Martuccia said something else to Karin, which she immediately translated.
“Would you mind telling us what you and Mats did tonight?”
Suddenly Niels became very skittish. He pressed his face against Petra’s chest, shook his head and quietly began to cry.
“No … no.”
Martuccia asked another question.
“Is there something else that you want to tell us maybe?” Karin asked Niels with a warm smile. He pressed his face even closer to Petra, and the quiet cries quickly changed into full-on sobs.
Karin looked at Martuccia, who gave an understanding nod. Besides the sound of Niels’s crying, the room was silent. Martuccia exchanged a glance with his colleague and looked at his watch. He focused on Petra.
“The doctor should arrive here any moment. We would like Niels to undergo a brief physical examination. As soon as that is done, you can return to the campground.”
“Just a little while longer, sweetie,” Petra whispered. “The doctor is going to have a quick look at you, and then we can go back to the campground.” She gave him an encouraging tap on the shoulder.
Niels nodded slowly. He stopped crying and was visibly relieved.
15
Accompanied by Karin, Hans entered the office of Carlo Martuccia the next morning at nine o’clock. Petra and Niels waited for them in another office. They had been picked up by two plainclothes detectives, and when they arrived at the police station, Karin had explained to them that the detectives only wanted to speak to Hans. They needed some more information about what happened the night before.
Carlo Martuccia and Filippo Tardelli exchanged some pleasantries when Hans sat down across from them.
“Following your statement yesterday, we still have a few questions,” Martuccia began in English. Hans understood these people had to do their job, but what else could he tell them that he had not already told them? What could he possibly add?
Martuccia tapped a file on the desk with his nail. “The medical report shows no evidence or any traces that your son suffered any sexual abuse or physical injury. Obviously, this is just the preliminary report. During the course of our investigation we may find new facts. Certainly because Niels hasn’t been able to tell us anything himself.”
Hans let out a big sigh of relief.
“Has Niels told you or your wife anything we
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