Snow Woman Read Online Free

Witnesses where I grew up too, but the most noticeable difference between them and the other kids was that they couldn’t participate in any music programs, not even marching along with a tambourine, and they couldn’t watch educational shows on the school TV. They did grow up to have their own huge packs of kids, but I’d never heard of any of them dying giving birth.
    “Those police officers broke the law unless you were behaving violently. You should call the one who isn’t a member of the church and negotiate with him. I’d also contact the county police. What’s your husband’s name and occupation?”
    “Leevi Säntti. He’s a minister,” Johanna replied, and I almost started laughing. It sounded so unbelievable.
    “So he’s some sort of town bigwig?”
    “Our church’s lay pastor.”
    “He’s a pretty famous preacher, actually,” Elina added, and both of them looked at me expectantly.
    I wasn’t quite sure what they wanted from me. I asked again whether Johanna had a lawyer, and the answer was also complicated. The town’s legal aid counsel was a Laestadian, and Johanna didn’t have the money to hire anyone else.
    I kicked myself in the mental shins to prevent myself from promising her anything. In addition to my police qualifications, I had gone to law school and worked in a law firm for almost a year before it went belly up. Sometimes I got the itch to practice my other profession, but when was I going to find time for that? My desk was already piled high with unsolved cases. And even though Johanna did live far away from Espoo, I wasn’t completely sure of the ethical dimensions of this case. Maybe a policewoman shouldn’t do legal gigs on the side.
    “I know someone who might be able to help,” I finally said. Leena was a friend from law school who sometimes volunteered on the Feminist Association’s legal hotline. “I’ll give you the number. You should call her. And I can check with the county police. I may know someone there. Have you officially filed for divorce?”
    “Not yet,” Johanna whispered.
    “As far as I can tell, you aren’t insane or an alcoholic. And you haven’t been with any other men yet, right?”
    Johanna shook her head quickly, as if appalled by my question.
    “It would be really strange if the court gave the children to your husband.” I tried to sound comforting, although I knew a lot depended on the judge. Just then my beeper went off.
    “I’m sorry, I need to use my phone. I’m on call.”
    “The kitchen is quiet, and Aira can handle the paperwork there too. I don’t imagine you could stay for dinner?”
    “I don’t think so. But keep me up to date about this situation,” I said as I scribbled Leena’s phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to Johanna.
    Aira was busy cooking in the kitchen. Based on the smell, she was making some sort of vegetable casserole. I filled out my pay slip as I punched in the phone number for the station. When Ström picked up, he growled that a woman had stabbed her husband in Suvela. For some reason he thought that was right up my alley. I promised to head straight there.
    I didn’t speak to Elina or Johanna again before leaving. Walking to my car, I saw the group of women through a window chattering happily around a long, candlelit table. Elina was just sitting down at the head, and Aira was carrying in baskets of bread. Johanna was nowhere to be seen.
    Just as I was turning the key in the ignition, the front door of the house opened. Milla’s purple-striped head was briefly framed in the light from the hall, then the door closed, and after a few seconds I saw the glow of a cigarette. I drove toward the gate, which opened automatically and then closed silently behind me, leaving Rosberga trapped within its walls, far removed from the rest of the world.

2

    I stared out my office window at the Turku Highway, where cars glided by at long intervals despite it being a weekday afternoon. An inexplicable fatigue