The Year of the Hare Read Online Free PDF Page B

some cigarettes out of his pocket and offered them to the police. They glanced at each other first, and then each took a cigarette. The telephone rang; the duty officer answered it.
    “Nilsiä Police Station, Heikkinen speaking. Ah. All right, we’ll pick him up tomorrow. Oh, quiet enough, just one case this evening.”
    The duty officer regarded Vatanen as if estimating what sort of case this was.
    “We had a call about him—Laurila, it was. Evidently attempted breaking and entering. Seems decent enough. Just brought in. Bye, now.”
    He hung up.
    “Social-welfare officer. We’ll have to go and pick up Hanninen tomorrow—otherwise he won’t move, apparently.”
    The duty officer gave Vatanen an interrogative look. He arranged a few papers on his desk, and then summoned a more official tone.
    “Yes ... this business. May I see your papers?”
    Vatanen gave him his wallet. The officer took out the identification papers and a wad of banknotes. The others came over to see the contents. The duty officer studied the identification papers and then began counting the money. It took quite a while; the duty officer’s level voice echoed in the room as he went on with his work. It was like tallying the final results of a presidential election.
    He whistled. “Two thousand seven hundred and eight dollars.”
    There was a silence.
    Then Vatanen explained: “I sold my boat.”
    “You don’t happen to have the receipt with you?”
    Vatanen had to admit he didn’t.
    “Never had a wad like that in my wallet in all my life,” one of the arresting constables said.
    “Me, neither,” said the other, darkly.
    “Are you the Vatanen who writes for them weeklies?” the duty officer asked.
    Vatanen nodded.
    “So what’s your business in these parts, then? Some writing job, is it? Seeing you’ve got that hare with you?”
    No, Vatanen said. He wasn’t on assignment. Where, he asked, could he spend the night? He was getting more than a bit tired.
    “We’ve got this charge against you, though. Dr. Laurila’s. He’s the local doctor. He’s told us to detain you. That’s all I have to go on.”
    Vatanen said he didn’t see how some Laurila could simply take it on himself to have whomever he liked detained.
    “Anyway, it’s our duty to make some inquiries, seeing you’ve got all that cash on your person. And what’s the meaning of this hare? The local doctor claims you attempted to break in, coerced him to call for a taxi ... and threateningly demanded overnight accommodations. Quite enough there to keep you in custody—though not implying any very big issue, of course. If only you’d say what your business here is.”
    Vatanen explained that he had left his home and his job, that he was in fact on strike. He hadn’t yet managed to decide what he would do next. In the meantime, he was having a look around this part of the country.
    “I’d best get in touch with the boys in Kuopio,” the duty officer decided and dialed a number. “Hello, Heikkinen here, from Nilsiä. Evening. We’ve got an odd case here.... To start with, he’s toting a tame hare around. A journalist, he is. Criminal charges were phoned in—been disturbing the peace, trying to force entry into a house for the night.... Yes, and in his wallet he’s got two thousand seven hundred-odd in notes. He seems all there, though. That’s not why I’m calling—it’s what to do with him. He wants to leave.... Yes, I can certainly put it in writing as well.... He says he’s not doing anything in particular—just having a look around these parts with his hare. Not drunk, either—no, decent enough looking. Yes. But it could cause a hassle. . . . You don’t say.... Right, well, we’d better hang on to him then, I suppose.... So thanks a lot. Raining, quite a downpour here, been coming down the whole day ... So long.
    “The boys in Kuopio say they’d keep you inside overnight, no matter what. You’re a vagrant, and in possession of all that