Level Three

The Leaning Tower and Popiełuszko Stone

The kidnapping of Zofia Jastrzębska - now Mężydło (Toruń kidnappings)

• Let’s go to the Leaning Tower so that Simon can see some other things in Toruń than underground meeting places, demonstrations and brutal police or militia, proposed Ola. Let's go.

It wasn’t far. They went down Żeglarska St. to the Vistula and turned along the wall into narrow Bankowa St. Passing by the monastery gate Mikołaj, who was curiously looking at all cars, so different from the ones he was used to, noticed a van, similar to those with ZOMO forces dispersing demonstrations, but in w strange colour. The vehicle was dirty yellow, the windows were also dirty and a lean man was sitting at the wheel. A bit further off an ordinary white Fiat 125 was parked with two men and a woman in the back seat, who cast a glance at them and the package they were carrying. Ola was telling Simon the history of Toruń and the city walls they were walking along.

• I guess Toruń was set up and built at the same time as Westminster Abbey in London, she shone with the knowledge she had just acquired at a lesson of English.
• Oh, Westminster Abbey, Robert guessed. Very long time ago. Nobody has ever knocked them down? After all, there have been so many wars here.
• That’s right, Ola was laughing. Nobody managed it, so now can drag around some Englishmen.
• But these house are completely ruined, Simon showed a corner granary at the exit of Piekary St.

Ola didn’t have the time to reply, because she was getting ready to speak about the Leaning Tower. In the meantime the white Fiat drove past them so closely, that it almost rubbed against Mikołaj. In the mirror they saw a bad face of the man sitting next to the driver. The car stopped and they were uneasy. Could they really neglect something? Didn’t they look like tourists wandering around the town? But what kind of tourists visit this dark, gloomy city in the winter? Ola was surprised to find that they were wearing different clothes than in the morning, it was cold and grey outside, even though it was only 3 p.m.

• Simon, she whispered terrified. I guess something has happened with time again.

Simon reached out for the phone, but Ola held his hand.

• Those guys from the car are watching us, let’s hide somewhere. Let’s go to the tower, there’s a souvenir shop.

However, there was no souvenir shop in the tower. There was a plate informing that this is the seat of Society of Toruń Enthusiasts. When they were reading it, a door opened and a young, lean woman went out into the street. She started to walk towards Rapacki Square. At the same time the white Fiat also started to move. It was approaching them slowly and all three thought that they will surely get caught soon. Yet, the car passed them by and stopped at the woman they had just seen. They didn’t even notice when she was pulled inside, yet the screaming for help was so clear that it couldn’t be a mistake.

• They kidnapped her, cried Ola with terror and looked around.

Two elderly ladies at the far end of the street were looking at them without a word, otherwise the street was empty. Only a man ran to a cream-coloured Fiat with numbers on the door and was struggling with the door handle.

• I think it’s a taxi, guessed Mikołaj.
• Ola ran and started to shout to switch the radiotelephone on. They kidnapped a woman, here, just a while ago. You have to call the police, she called.
• I saw it. Get in. You may come in handy, if you want to help.

Ola didn’t have time to think on what she was doing, and she was sitting in the back seat of the Fiat.

• I think I know this girl by sight, said the taxi driver. She is a friend of a friend of mine, Antoni Mężydło, but I am sure I know this car. They are secret police agents. We will follow them. For the time being there is nothing we can do, but we will see where they took her.

They saw the white Fiat turning right towards Osiedle Młodych housing estate. The taxi driver speeded up on the bend, Ola looked back. The dirty yellow van Mikołaj was so curious about was driving from the Leaning Tower. The van turned where they went.

• This van seems to be following us, said.
• The one in the back?
• Yes, but maybe it’s a coincidence?
• We’ll see.

The taxi driver turned right following the Fiat, which was rushing fast towards the theatre.

• I think they are going to Wały St. to the prison.

Yet the white Fiat passed the militia headquarters in Wały Sikorskiego St. and was speeding ahead towards Rubikowo, and Ola in the taxi cab behind it. Behind them all the time they were followed by the yellow and orange van.

• It still doesn’t mean anything. We’ll see where they’ll turn, and now I’ll just get closer. Keep your eyes open.
• She has a bag on her head, noticed Ola with horror as she looked at the two figures in the back seat.
• It looks bad. Maybe they’re going to the jug in Kowalewo. I dunno. You can’t go any further, that’s sure. I’ll drop you off. Will you find your way back? Maybe you could let somebody know? Remember the numbers of this Fiat and maybe the van, too. When you get back, go to Rabiańska St. to the Institute of Astronomy of the Polish Academy of Science. I can’t remember the number, but you’ll find it. Ask for Mr. Antoni Stawikowski or Jan Hanasz. Tell them what happened. I’ll drop you off at the stop and we’ll see what the van will do then. Oh, and tell them you were driven by Edek Staszkiewicz.

The van kept driving, Edek’s Fiat followed it. Ola went back by tram to the theater and ran towards Rabiańska St. thinking what she would do, if nobody had been there. Fortunately she quickly found the building. The doorkeeper made a call and a smiling elderly gentleman went downstairs.

• What is it?

Ola introduced herself. They sat aside and quietly she told him the whole story. Mr. Stawikowski stopped smiling for a while and when she finished he thanked her for the information.

• So what now? asked Ola.
• Nothing. Thank you once again, he smiled again.
• But what are you going to do about it? Were they really secret police agents?
• I’ll do what I can. But first I need to give a think. It could be secret police, but it’s really too early for conclusions. Go now and don’t worry.

She told the rest of the story to hungry boys, awaiting her at home. Simon and Mikołaj listened, but nothing showed they had a surprise.

• A leaflet fell out of the yellow or orange van! Mikołaj was excited. It’s hard to understand it, but there’s a date: 2 March 1984! Kidnappers are some kind of terrorists: the Anti-Solidarity Organization, that wants to fight, because the ‘inept Jaruzelski government and bureaucratic secret police are incapable of fighting the cancer that keeps destroying society: conspiracy and fashion for opposing the government.’
• So it wasn’t militia, added Simon. Nor any other ZOMO.
• The taxi driver said something different, Ola opposed.
• But this Mr. Stawikowski also didn’t confirm that it was secret police. Maybe the taxi driver was in league with them, Simon was wondering.
• I don’t think so, Ola was hesitating. No. Kidnappers wouldn’t like any witness. They threw the leaflet away on purpose. Simon, do you understand what is going on with time? It was may in the morning, almost two years earlier. Are we slowly approaching our times?
• I haven’t done anything. I haven’t locked the keypad, as the mathematician advised. Maybe something is going on there.

Simon took the phone out of his pocket. The display showed an extremely complicated sequence do math symbols.

• Can you remember them? Write them down? Could we do something about it? asked Mikołaj.
• To be honest, I’m afraid to touch it, said Simon in a hesitant voice. I wouldn’t like us to go back any further. So far we have moved in the right direction.

Simon mechanically pressed the ‘hang up’ button. When they looked at one another they could see that something has changed again. The radio was on and they were surprised to find that instead of the weird music of those years, the announcer keeps speaking about kidnapping, murder and punishment of the guilty.

• Is it about our kidnapping? asked Ola.
• I don’t think so, because they are speaking about a man here. Listen up!

A man was talking on the radio how in the car park in front of the Kosmos hotel he lifted up the trunk to check if the priest was alive. Then the priest, even though he was tied up, broke free and started to run away. They caught him and Piotrowski hit the priest with a club several times. He and Chmielewski put him into the trunk again and drove away towards Włocławek.

• Let’s switch on the TV, perhaps we can learn more there, Simon proposed.
• Ola was thinking for a while. It seems it is about father Popiełuszko. He was kidnapped by militia or secret police agents and drowned in the Vistula in Włocławek. Then they were tired and in Toruń, where he tried to escape, there is a commemorative stone.

The old TV was showing the faces of four men sitting in between militia officers.

• This is from the court, guessed Mikołaj. They are reading the sentence.

Zhe judge started with the date: 7 February 1985.

• We’ve moved in time again, Simon whispered, excited with the news. Let’s hope those who kidnapped the lady in the street will also be tried by the court.

He took his phone out to take a picture of the black and white TV with priest’s kidnappers, but when he looked up there was just grainy snow on the screen and a lot of static crackling from the speaker. Time has moved again.