My First Murder by Leena Lehtolainen

Tommi’s apartment, and we had to interview his colleagues at work. I also needed to find out who his other friends were. None of the choir members had said anything about a permanent girlfriend, but he might still have had one—or more than one, given that this was Tommi we were talking about.
    I was also going to have to look into Tommi’s financial situation. He had a surprisingly expensive car for such a young man, especially one who probably still had student loans to pay off.What kind of money was Tommi making at work? Maybe his murder had something to do with his job.
    It was important that I not focus too much on the choir. Some members of the group had a life outside the choir. Tommi certainly did. I knew there wasn’t any sense expecting to turn up much evidence in the first round of interviews, much less a direct confession tied nicely with a bow. But everyone had been so shockingly calm, as though it were the most normal thing in the world for a friend to die. It was possible that one of them was an exceptionally good actor. Or were they all innocent? But then, why would someone from outside the group choose a summerhouse buzzing with people as a site for a murder? It was unlikely there were even burglars prowling around during the vacation high season.
    “If we assume that one of them murdered Peltonen, what would you say?” I asked Rane. He shrugged.
    “Hey, listen, I’m perfectly happy that this isn’t my headache. They’re all strange birds, just look at the way none of them dares to break away from the others. But my favorite is definitely the round girl...Rasinkangas. She’s a regular ice queen. Just like my mother-in-law. Definitely has the nerves to bash someone’s brains in.”
    “But what’s her motive?”
    “Oh, you’ll find it. That feisty girl, Tuulia Rajala, said that Rasinkangas threw herself in Peltonen’s lap once. Maybe there were some unpleasant consequences that nobody knew about, and she’s been plotting her revenge for who knows how long.”
    “It’s too bad I won’t be able to use your brilliant imagination on this case. This whole thing terrifies me. I knew Tommi, and I really can’t be objective on this one.”
    “Take it easy. Use it to your advantage that you knew this Tommi guy and some of the rest of them. They seem to treat you as more of a friend than a cop. Maybe they won’t take you quite as seriously, but in this case, that may not be a bad thing.”
    Over the summer Rane had witnessed other occasions when my role as a police officer hadn’t been taken seriously. I was surprised to find that he was trying to buck me up.
    “If I were you, I’d talk to that Rasinkangas again. She definitely knows more than she’s telling. It looks like she’s a little more of an outsider in the group and makes a habit of keeping tabs on other people’s business. I’d also check out the kid, Lasinen. Maybe he was so drunk he doesn’t even remember clocking Peltonen.”
    “OK, Uncle Rane. Have a good vacation.”
    After his pep talk, I genuinely meant that.

3

    But what is man?
A restless will-o’-the-wisp, a restless will-o’-the-wisp
    On Monday morning I looked at my reflection in the mirror and was satisfied with what I saw. My narrow, navy-blue uniform skirt and carefully pressed shirt were no-nonsense. I had pulled my hair back in a tight bun and applied dark makeup, which made me look older. Thankfully, I could use clothing, hairstyle, and makeup to adjust not only how people saw me but also how I acted. In my uniform, I was mature and businesslike, but in jeans and tennis shoes I always seemed to end up swearing and running places when I should be walking. As I applied a layer of lipstick, I felt as though I were painting on a mask in order to hide my true self—which was exactly what I wanted. At ten o’clock sharp I was meeting Tommi’s father, Heikki Peltonen, who was some sort of engineer; before then, I needed to go over the results of the laboratory