Another Life
Part 2

Thursday April 21, 2022, 10:30am
Adelaide University

Dee

Dee wrapped her jacket tightly around her and shivered. Sven von Erikson’s office, on the fifth floor of the science block was cold. Science books and journals cluttered the shelves in no apparent order. The desk was a mass of papers weighed down by a model of a Mad Max replica of a Ford Falcon XB GT, colour red.

Sven, coffee mug in hand, hurried in slamming the door on a dozen students waiting to see him. He placed the mug on a stack of assignments, then with hands clasped leaned forward. ‘Now, Detective Berry, what can I do for you?’

Dee watched the coffee cup balanced on the paper pile, and worried that the coffee would spill and ruin the work. Resisting the urge to remark on this danger, she said, ‘Thank you for seeing me, Dr von Erikson.’
A young hopeful, seeming little more than a child, opened the door a crack and poked her head through. Sven smiled and waved the girl away.

Then he turned his attention back to Dee. ‘Sorry about that. First term, lost souls.’

‘That’s okay.’

Sven glanced at his analogue watch which Dee suspected was an Asian imitation of a famous and expensive Swiss brand. ‘I have half an hour, Ma’am. Lecture at eleven.’

‘Right, I’m investigating a cold case from…’ she paused and then said, ‘November 1980.’

Was that an expression of relief on Sven’s face? Dee noted the relaxation of Sven’s mouth. His cheeks all hard lines and gritting teeth before and during the pause. And then softening and a hint of a smile once the date was announced. What was that about? she wondered.

‘November 1980? What am I meant to remember about that time?’

‘The 29th of November 1980, to be exact.’ Dee held her gaze on Dr Sven von Erikson. ‘What can you tell me about the events of that day?’

Sven laughed. ‘I barely remember what I had for breakfast and you’re asking me to recall my movements over forty years ago?’

‘I’m sure you can remember if those events are significant.’

‘Significant? How? Any hints?’

Dee glanced at her notebook and looked up. ‘I believe you attended a bonfire on the night of Saturday, November 29, at Sellicks Beach. Is that correct?’

‘If you say so.’ Was he mocking her?

‘We have a witness who puts you at the bonfire on that night.’ Dee narrowed her eyes. ‘Have you no recollection of that particular night?’

Sven shrugged. ‘Uni had…no, that was before I went to…I guess it’s something I would have done. Bonfires on the beach…ah, those were the days.’

‘Does anything spring to mind about that particular bonfire that you would like to tell us about, Dr von Erikson?’ Dee kept her eye on the Doctor of Computer Engineering for any flicker of deception.

The professor picked up the red model Ford Falcon XB and stroked the bonnet. ‘A roo hit my car; I remember about that time. Not at night, but the next morning. Gave my girlfriend a fright. We were nearly home, just driving down a little detour by the Happy Valley Reservoir. And this roo came leaping out and attacked my car. No respect those roos. Worse thing is, I had to stop and pull the animal off the road. Wasn’t sure what we were meant to do about a dead roo, so I left it there, I guess. My girlfriend at the time said that, if it had been a koala, being an endangered species, it would have been a different story, but…’

‘I see…’ Dee responded making a mental note of Sven’s version of how his car came to be damaged.

‘I always remember her saying that kangaroo-icide is better than koala-cide,’ Sven said with a chuckle.
Dee remained stone-faced. ‘Do you recall a motorbike incident? A fatality on that night?’

‘Vaguely,’ Sven looked her in the eyes and blinked, ‘oh, yeah, Milo…Milo Katz. Was that, then? I always thought it was 1981. Wow, 1980. His death, I remember had an impact on me. There I was back then, a tradie, a brickie, life going nowhere. Milo was in our youth group. Then, he was gone, killed in that motorbike accident. Snuffed out. And it made me realise that life was short, and I needed to make the most of it. So, I applied as a mature age for university. And here I am today. My girlfriend who became my wife was none too happy. Being a wife with a baby to a poor uni student. She couldn’t hack it, and she left me.’

‘You mean, Fifi Edwards.’

‘Yes, you know her?’

‘Yes.’

‘You interviewed her, I s’pose.’

‘Yes.’

‘I bet she had some stories to tell,’ Sven snorted.

‘I can’t comment on that,’ Dee replied flatly.

‘Yeah, well, I wouldn’t believe much of what she has to say; being the village gossip.’

I wonder…he’s hiding something. Dee thought and then remarked, ‘That’s for a jury to decide, Professor.’

‘Are you implying something?’

‘No, but…’

‘Well, then, I have nothing more to say.’

Sven von Erikson gathered up some papers and placed them into an antique leather case. Then he picked up his mobile phone and tucked it into his shirt pocket.

‘As I said, I have a lecture to give, now,’ Sven said, before striding to the door. ‘Thank you for your time. I hope you get the answers you are looking for.’

Dee clicked off the record function of her phone and followed the professor to the door. ‘Thank you, Dr von Erikson, we’ll be in touch,’ Dee replied.

As von Erikson vanished around the corridor’s corner, Dee messaged Dan: “Any info on von Erikson that you might have gathered, past or present? What about his sister, Lillie?”

© L.M. Kling 2024

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