Page 33 - Maj 2020 PDF

His familiar face appears through the door, as he rushes and wilts when he

enters the office.
"Good day, good day Vince," the mayor says, while politely nodding at

Mrs. Richardson. Upon meeting the mayor, she sent him such eyes as if she could

enter his mind, knowing more about the case. The police chief had noticed
through the years, that Mrs. Richardson is tiptoeing around the office. He knows

that she isn’t aware of it - yet. It’s particularly prominent when she’s very eager

to intercept a conversation or listening to gossip, that she can tell back at home.
He now realizes why the call-system needs to be used again, and as soon as the

press conference is over.
"That’ll be all, Mrs. Richardson," the chief says in a firm tone, letting her know

that they would like to be left alone.

"Oh, yes. Please, tell me if there's anything you need," she says with a slightly
vexed grin, quickly closing the door behind her.

As soon as she left, he sits down heavily on the office chair again, almost

throwing himself.
"Sit down, Frank. Calm yourself down before we begin today's big topic," he

says in a casual manor. Frank Gustavson pats his face with a large handkerchief
he has picked up from his chest pocket in his white suitjacket. Slowly but surely,

the familiar, all-powerful mayorally smile disappears, and the heavy, bushy

eyebrows fall into a serious frown.
"This damn heat," he groans, and with a gentle motion he pulls off his jacket.

“I want to talk at the press conference. I might as well throw myself to the lions.

If it is as I fear, my political career is over anyway. There is only one thing that
can save me, and well, the whole situation, and that is if you quickly find out who

is behind all this,” he says short of breath.

"Calm, calm now. What about me? I am not going the popular one at the press
conference either, ” the chief of police says deprecatingly. “Ultimately, it's easiest

to let me take the blame, isn't it, Frank? I'm retiring soon anyway, so don’t you

think I’m the one who gets scapegoated, huh? You've read the news about the
lack of police surveillance and so on? "

"Nah, I haven’t noticed. Is there anything crucial?" The mayor replies nervously
as he pulls at the zipper on his leather bound briefcase.