now realize that this whole
affair has taken more out of me than I thought. Please, don’t exclude me
from your classes."
Her eyes search mine for several long seconds before she responds.
"Cecilia, I’ve always admired your dedication to the philosophy of
Aikido, but you have to understand that I cannot place my students at
risk. I could see that you were in a trance and, if it happened once, it may
happen again. I think you need professional help. I suggest you have a
few sessions with a psychotherapist." She takes a business card from the
desk drawer and hands it to me. "See this woman. She is good. She may
help you resolve your difficulties."
I take the card and lower my head. I know there is no point begging
her. It is against the Aikido creed and would only lower her opinion of me
even more. She is a woman who weighs her actions and words carefully.
Once she makes up her mind, nothing is likely to shift her.
I leave the gymnasium, despondent, cursing the day I listened to
Edward Long’s rumor.
Friday, 24 th October, 11:20 a.m.
The building entrance intercom chimes. I put down Involuntary Witness ,
a crime novel by the Italian author Gianrico Carofiglio, which has been
translated into English, although I would have preferred to read it in the
original Italian version. I rise to answer.
"Police. Detective Sergeant Somes and Police Officer Barlow. Let us
in."
I don’t like her peremptory tone. "Why should I?"
"This is the police. Open up."
"What do you want this time?"
"We are to escort you to the Snow Hill Police Station."
"You could learn a bit of politeness from DI Willis. It would improve
your manners enormously." I can’t resist, but at the same time also press
the release button. Then I open the front door a hand width and
immediately go to call Crawford’s office. I leave a message with his
secretary that I’m once more being taken to the police station. She wants
to know if I have been arrested. I reply that I don’t know, but hope that
Mr. Crawford will be able to join me there.
While I talk, there is a hard knock at the apartment door. Without
waiting for a response, Somes enters and comes directly into the kitchen,
just as I hang up.
"Are you arresting me, detective?" I question.
"Miss Walker, my orders are to take you to the police station."
"Let me grab a jacket and my purse."
She follows me and stands watch in the bedroom door. As if I were
going to jump out the window! And if I really wanted to abscond, Somes
would hardly be able to stop me, even with the help of Barlow.
At the station, Somes deposits me once more in the same interview
room. I inform her that I’m not going to answer any questions except in
the presence of my lawyer. She grunts something unintelligible and
leaves. It takes almost forty minutes, before Crawford shows up. He is his
usual uncommunicative self. We both wait another few minutes in silence
for Willis and Somes to appear. Willis nods to both of us.
Crawford speaks first. "Detective Inspector, are you arresting Miss
Walker and if so on what charges?"
"The answers to that depend on what Miss Walker can tell us," he
responds. He switches on the recording device and says: "Interview
started at 12:47 p.m. in the presence of DI Willis, DS Somes, Miss C.
Walker, and Mr. Crawford, representing Miss Walker." Next he places a
document in front of me. "Miss Walker, can you explain to us the
meaning of these transactions in the statement of account numbered
343.650056, issued by the London branch of the Union Bank of
Switzerland on the 22 nd October to I-Consolidated Holdings Ltd.,
attention C. Walker?" He says it all in one breath, quite a feat, while
tapping his index finger consecutively on five lines on the document. "For
the record they are a deposit of 10 million pounds, a debit of 9.94 million
pounds, both dated 15 th of October, another deposit of 11.98 million
pounds and two debits of 10,007,438 pounds and of 2,032,560 pounds,
respectively, both
affair has taken more out of me than I thought. Please, don’t exclude me
from your classes."
Her eyes search mine for several long seconds before she responds.
"Cecilia, I’ve always admired your dedication to the philosophy of
Aikido, but you have to understand that I cannot place my students at
risk. I could see that you were in a trance and, if it happened once, it may
happen again. I think you need professional help. I suggest you have a
few sessions with a psychotherapist." She takes a business card from the
desk drawer and hands it to me. "See this woman. She is good. She may
help you resolve your difficulties."
I take the card and lower my head. I know there is no point begging
her. It is against the Aikido creed and would only lower her opinion of me
even more. She is a woman who weighs her actions and words carefully.
Once she makes up her mind, nothing is likely to shift her.
I leave the gymnasium, despondent, cursing the day I listened to
Edward Long’s rumor.
Friday, 24 th October, 11:20 a.m.
The building entrance intercom chimes. I put down Involuntary Witness ,
a crime novel by the Italian author Gianrico Carofiglio, which has been
translated into English, although I would have preferred to read it in the
original Italian version. I rise to answer.
"Police. Detective Sergeant Somes and Police Officer Barlow. Let us
in."
I don’t like her peremptory tone. "Why should I?"
"This is the police. Open up."
"What do you want this time?"
"We are to escort you to the Snow Hill Police Station."
"You could learn a bit of politeness from DI Willis. It would improve
your manners enormously." I can’t resist, but at the same time also press
the release button. Then I open the front door a hand width and
immediately go to call Crawford’s office. I leave a message with his
secretary that I’m once more being taken to the police station. She wants
to know if I have been arrested. I reply that I don’t know, but hope that
Mr. Crawford will be able to join me there.
While I talk, there is a hard knock at the apartment door. Without
waiting for a response, Somes enters and comes directly into the kitchen,
just as I hang up.
"Are you arresting me, detective?" I question.
"Miss Walker, my orders are to take you to the police station."
"Let me grab a jacket and my purse."
She follows me and stands watch in the bedroom door. As if I were
going to jump out the window! And if I really wanted to abscond, Somes
would hardly be able to stop me, even with the help of Barlow.
At the station, Somes deposits me once more in the same interview
room. I inform her that I’m not going to answer any questions except in
the presence of my lawyer. She grunts something unintelligible and
leaves. It takes almost forty minutes, before Crawford shows up. He is his
usual uncommunicative self. We both wait another few minutes in silence
for Willis and Somes to appear. Willis nods to both of us.
Crawford speaks first. "Detective Inspector, are you arresting Miss
Walker and if so on what charges?"
"The answers to that depend on what Miss Walker can tell us," he
responds. He switches on the recording device and says: "Interview
started at 12:47 p.m. in the presence of DI Willis, DS Somes, Miss C.
Walker, and Mr. Crawford, representing Miss Walker." Next he places a
document in front of me. "Miss Walker, can you explain to us the
meaning of these transactions in the statement of account numbered
343.650056, issued by the London branch of the Union Bank of
Switzerland on the 22 nd October to I-Consolidated Holdings Ltd.,
attention C. Walker?" He says it all in one breath, quite a feat, while
tapping his index finger consecutively on five lines on the document. "For
the record they are a deposit of 10 million pounds, a debit of 9.94 million
pounds, both dated 15 th of October, another deposit of 11.98 million
pounds and two debits of 10,007,438 pounds and of 2,032,560 pounds,
respectively, both
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