‘Plus the Black Cat on Kungsholmen,’ continued Höglund who was standing beside her at the short end of the table with a Danish cookie in one hand.
‘And when were you thinking about striking?’ said Fabian in an attempt to hurry up the meeting. Officially or not, the perpetrator was not only at large, according to Carnela Ackerman, but he probably had several more victims on his list. Not to mention, Niva had just succeeded in hacking into the cell phone operators’ system after working day and night.
‘Tomorrow night,’ said Carlén.
‘And I hope you really mean we,’ said Höglund, looking each of them in the eyes. ‘This is such a large operation that we’re going to need help from everyone in the department.’
Fabian exchanged a look with Tomas and Jarmo, and could see that they hadn’t received Niva’s message yet.
‘We understand that this comes at an inconvenient time, right before Christmas and all,’ Carlén continued. ‘But unfortunately, Diego Arcas doesn’t break for holidays.’
Höglund pressed on the remote control and the map was replaced by an aerial photo of the block around the nightclub. ‘As you know, the Black Cat is here in a big basement space facing Hantverkargatan.’ He motioned with the laser pointer. ‘But because it has three different exits we’ll need to spread out…’
Fabian stopped listening. Tomas and Jarmo’s cell phones had just started vibrating on the table in front of them, and he saw them click open the message from Niva.
‘One response team is going to make their way in here, through the light opening in the courtyard,’ said Höglund, pointing again. ‘The other will be waiting in a bus around the corner on Polhemsgatan and will go in through the main entrance on Hantverkargatan at our signal. Questions?’
‘No, I think it seems clear.’ Tomas looked up from his phone. ‘What do the rest of you say?’
‘Completely clear,’ said Jarmo, putting his phone in his pocket.
‘The important thing is that no one gives the start signal until the show is in full swing,’ said Carlén. ‘It’s then, and only then, when they’re most distracted and vulnerable, that we go in. Okay?’
‘Was there anything else? Otherwise I have a lot to do,’ said Fabian.
‘No, I think that was all,’ said Carlén with a sigh.
‘It might be good to take this opportunity to do some Christmas shopping now, when it’s still so quiet,’ said Jarmo with a smile.
‘Good idea,’ said Tomas, standing up.
‘Wait a minute,’ said Höglund, holding up his hands. ‘Inger and I have been working on this for over six months. It can’t fall to pieces. Before you leave, I want to know that you’re all sure that you understand all the details.’
‘Quite sure,’ said Tomas. leaving the meeting room together with Fabian and Jarmo.
‘yes, i’m in,’ said Niva. ‘But because I’m not at NDRI the fun will be over as soon as the spiders find me.’
‘The spiders?’ said Fabian, seeing Edelman come out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee in hand while he hurried through the corridor along with Tomas and Jarmo.
‘Yes – the bots. The point is that I need more data, and soon.’
‘Right, but this isn’t a good time for me,’ said Fabian as he tried to read Edelman’s face, but he looked completely neutral. He had to try his best not to reveal anything, and gave him a curt nod without slowing down. Edelman echoed it and continued walking towards his office for what felt like an eternity.
‘All you need to do is listen,’ Niva continued. ‘As I said yesterday, I need more places and times, the more specific the better. I only have two now: the door at the parliament building and the condemned apartment, which won’t be enough. So Huey and Dewey need to go through that surveillance video and pull out an exact time the perpetrator was at the Slussen car park. You can work on Shurgard.’
‘We’re working as fast as we can.’ Fabian rounded a corner and ran into a woman, who dropped her bag.
‘Pardon me,’ she said in Danish.
‘I’m the one who should apologize.’ Fabian crouched down and gathered the toothbrush and travel-size containers of shampoo and body lotion that had fallen on the floor, and put them back in the H&M bag that contained a red dress and a pair of high heels.
‘You’re from Denmark?’ said Tomas with his chest muscles tensed.
‘Yes, I’m looking for Malin Rehnberg. Do you know where she sits?’ said Dunja.
‘She’s not currently sitting – she’s lying down,’ said Tomas, grinning.
‘Unfortunately she’s on sick leave and won’t be back for at least six months,’ said Fabian, giving the bag back to Dunja, who was dressed in jeans and a white blouse under an unbuttoned coat.
‘But maybe I can help you?’ said Tomas.
‘Yes, this concerns a car that apparently belonged to—’
‘Hello? Did I say it was urgent?’ Niva’s voice screamed through the phone.
‘I’m sorry, but unfortunately we have to go. Tomas,’ said Fabian, hurrying on.
*
DUNJA WATCHED THE THREE men head down the corridor and wondered how she should continue. Her only contact at the National Bureau of Investigation in Stockholm was on sick leave and would apparently not be back for quite some time. The consequences of her lack of sleep slowly washed over her. She just wanted to go home and pull the covers over her head.
‘Excuse me, but you look a little lost. Are you looking for someone?’
Dunja turned to see a man wearing round glasses walking towards her. ‘Yes. I actually came to speak with Malin Rehnberg, but apparently she’s sick.’
‘Yes, that’s right. But I’m her boss. Maybe I can help you.’ He held out his hand. ‘Herman Edelman.’
‘Sorry. I’m Dunja Hougaard from the Copenhagen Police.’
They shook hands and Edelman showed her to his office. ‘Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Tea? I even have a little Gammel Dansk.’
‘No, thanks, I’m fine. Actually a glass of mineral water might be nice.’
Edelman opened two bottles of Ramlösa and poured each into a glass.
‘Also, would you happen to have a charger for my cell phone?’ She held up her iPhone. ‘It’s completely dead.’
Edelman went over to the desk and came back with a charger. ‘Be my guest. But how did you get in, by the way? From what I understand you don’t have a scheduled meeting.’
‘No, but as I just said, I wanted to surprise Malin,’ said Dunja, pushing the charger into the outlet.
‘And they just let you in?’
Dunja nodded, while Edelman shook his head.
‘I hope you have better security at the Copenhagen police station. What can I do for you?’
‘I’m working on a homicide investigation and we’ve discovered a car that belonged to your Minister for Justice.’
‘Are you referring to Carl-Eric Grimås?’
‘Yes. The licence plate is HXN 674.’
‘And where did you find it?’
‘At the bottom of the harbour in Helsingør. And from what I’ve understood, he was one of the victims of a major homicide case here in Stockholm.’
‘Yes, that’s right. But just so I’m completely clear: What homicide are you investigating?’
‘I’m looking into a series of victims who have been raped and mutilated.’
‘Of course. The TV celebrity and his wife.’
Dunja nodded.
‘I thought that was closed.’
‘It is, technically. I was just tying up some loose ends to make sure that we hadn’t overlooked anything, when I discovered this connection.’
‘Calling it a connection might be a bit of an overstatement, but obviously we’ll get to the bottom of it. I’m sure there’s a completely reasonable explanation.’
‘And what might that be?’
‘Well… Grimås was known for collecting cars – fancy cars – and it’s not inconceivable that one of them was stolen
and made its way into the underworld. Your perpetrator probably needed a car that couldn’t be connected to him. But, as I said, I’ll be sure to check this out and promise to get back to you as soon as possible.’
Dunja pulled the charger out of the phone and stood up. ‘I would prefer if you get back to me directly.’ She gave him her business card.
‘Absolutely. No problem. And you’ll be reachable at this number between Christmas and New Year, too?’
‘I’m always at that number.’ She shook his hand.
‘When it’s not dead, that is.’ Edelman laughed and showed her out.
90
WHEN FABIAN CAME HOME with Tomas and Jarmo, they found Niva glued in front of the largest computer screen displaying a long list of various names and cell phone numbers.
‘Don’t tell me that all of those are suspicious,’ said Tomas, looking over Niva’s shoulder. She didn’t bother to answer.
Only now did Fabian understand why he’d never heard about the possibility of triangulating an unknown cell phone number with a number of different places and times. The list of numbers and associated names seemed infinite. Even though Niva scrolled so quickly that the numbers and letters flowed together into a mishmash it never seemed to end. Although she wasn’t done, he had to make an effort to control his scepticism.
‘There must be something wrong. There just can’t be that many,’ said Tomas, who had started to exercise his biceps with an elastic resistance band.
‘Hundreds of thousands of people must pass through Slussen every day, which is why I need more data,’ said Niva with restrained irritation.
Tomas turned to Jarmo, who was sitting by the TV fast-forwarding through the surveillance video from the Slussen car park. ‘How are things going at your end? You haven’t started watching Fabian’s private videos, have you?’
‘I just found what I was looking for.’ Jarmo froze the image of the perpetrator driving out in Adam Fischer’s car with a gas mask on his face. ‘He left the garage at 3:33 p.m.’
‘Okay, we’ll set a limit of 3:32,’ said Niva, entering the command. ‘And when do you think he got there?’
‘He definitely wasn’t in the car when Fischer drove in,’ said Tomas, changing positions so that he could exercise his triceps. ‘Fischer would have noticed, and it’s obvious that he doesn’t have the faintest idea of what’s in store for him.’
‘Please, stop that right now,’ said Niva. ‘It’s noisy and smells like rubber.’
‘So what’s the problem?’ Tomas gave Fabian a mischievous look.
‘Did Fischer have a reserved space at the garage? Was his place nearby?’ Fabian asked to change the subject. He’d regained faith in the idea.
‘He had the coolest apartment at Mosebacke with a view that you couldn’t help but be jealous of,’ said Tomas. He finished up a final set before rolling up the band.
‘So either the perpetrator followed Fischer in his own car, or else he was waiting in the car park.’
‘I would guess the latter,’ said Jarmo. ‘I’ve gone through the video second by second, and I can promise you that he’s not in any of the cars behind Fischer.’
Tomas sighed.
‘How can you be so sure? It’s not like he drove in with the gas mask on. He could basically be in any one of the cars that entered afterwards.’
‘Well, in that case he’s changed genders because there were only women behind the wheel in the seven cars that followed. But surely the expert must have a good explanation for that.’
‘Okay, we’re all tired here,’ said Fabian.
‘Not me,’ said Tomas.
‘Me neither,’ said Jarmo.
‘Well, then, it’s just me. And actually it doesn’t really matter. Let’s just assume that he was there for at least as long as Fischer.’
‘That was eleven minutes,’ said Tomas, pushing a packet of snus under his upper lip.
‘Okay, let’s say ten to be on the safe side. How many are we down to now?’ Fabian asked Niva.
‘A few thousand,’ said Niva with her eyes fixed on the screens. ‘Hopefully there will be fewer once I’ve cross-referenced them with the numbers from the parliament building and the apartment on Östgötagatan.’
‘Is anyone hungry besides me?’ said Tomas.
‘Take what you want from the fridge,’ said Fabian, who was hungry himself, but couldn’t tear himself from the screen where the list of cell phone numbers was getting ever shorter as the computer did its calculations.
When Tomas came back with a plate full of toasted marmalade and cheese sandwiches seven minutes later, the list was so short that it fitted on to a single screen.
‘How many are we down to now?’ asked Tomas as he wolfed down a sandwich.
‘Forty-three.’ Niva stretched in the chair.
‘Is it done calculating?’
Niva answered with a curt nod, and Fabian felt disappointment pulling him back down into the fog of fatigue. Forty-three was, of course, considerably better than hundreds of thousands, but it was still too many.
‘I don’t understand. Can forty-three people really have been at three of these places at the exact same time?’
‘Keep in mind that this doesn’t take into account precise GPS co-ordinates,’ said Niva, taking the last piece of toast.
‘What the hell—’
‘I’ve used a number of cell phone towers to triangulate an area as far as possible, but as I said, it’s far from an exact science. Any number of these cars might have only just passed by Slussen.’
‘I understand that too,’ said Fabian. ‘But the far exit of the building in the late afternoon when the snow is pouring down? Come on. There must be something wrong.’
‘You’re forgetting that it’s not that far from the Central Bridge.’
‘And what do we have on Östgötagatan?’
‘For one thing, it’s near Götgatan. But it was nine o’clock at night by then, so the majority of people who were there were probably residents.’
‘Why isn’t there a name attached to that number?’ Tomas pointed towards the screen.
‘It’s a prepaid card.’
‘Right, but surely he’s not dumb enough to run around with a cell phone account in his own name.’
Niva looked up from the screen. ‘Why didn’t I think of that before?’
‘So how many are we down to now?’
‘One.’
‘Just one?’ Fabian repeated. ‘Is it turned on?’
‘Let me check.’ Niva’s hands were back on the keyboard.
‘I need some snus,’ said Jarmo, squeezing past Niva.
‘Didn’t you quit?’ Tomas handed over a pouch.
‘The cell is turned off right now,’ said Niva, continuing to enter commands.
‘Can you see if it’s been anywhere else?’ said Fabian, and Niva nodded.
‘Axelsberg. Selmedalsvägen 38, 40 or 42.’
91
THE PAST WEEK FOR Carnela Ackerman could only be described as a never-ending nightmare. Every morning when she woke up she kept her eyes closed, clasped her hands and prayed that it would be a dream.
Two days ago Semira died. Besides her beloved sister, she had nothing else to live for, other than her job. It appeared that she had been brutally murdered for an innocent wish to be rid of her pain and to have her sight back – a wish she hadn’t even dared to express out loud. Instead she had accepted her place on an endless waiting list.
She had no idea who had punished her sister, but two things were clear: Semira wasn’t the only victim and the police had arrested the wrong person. Even that Fabian Risk knew it. He’d mentioned Gidon Hass, which was when she had changed her mind and realized the forces she was about to awaken.
She’d intended to tell him about the permits that were still not entirely in place and that constituted one final chance to stop the move. Soon that train would have also left, and if she didn’t tell it would never come out. She needed to collect her thoughts and decid
e whether to contact him again. Actually, she should have called in sick and stayed at home. Instead she was sitting behind her desk trying to convince everyone that she was someone who could be relied on.
At the very least, she wanted to be left alone and not to have to talk to anyone, especially that woman from the district council who refused to take no for an answer. And now the woman from reception was calling her again.
‘Yes, this is Carnela Ackerman,’ she said in an attempt to sound as neutral as possible.
‘Hi, this is reception.’
‘Hello. What’s this about?’
‘I’m sorry, but it’s that woman from the district council. She keeps calling, and now she’s threatening an unannounced visit and fines if we don’t answer her questions. I know that you would prefer not to take any calls today – I’ve really tried to put her off – but…’
‘Okay, transfer her to me.’
‘Oh, thanks a lot.’
Carnela awaited the transferred call and answered. ‘This is Carnela Ackerman.’
‘Finally. You’re not the easiest person to get hold of, you know.’
‘No, I have a very full schedule in these last few days of the year. Who am I speaking with?’
‘Sorry. My name is Eva-Britt Mossberg, and I’m calling on behalf of the Östermalm District Administration. We are doing a study of your employees’ work environment.’
‘This can’t wait until January?’
‘Unfortunately not. The information has to be compiled before the end of the year, and you’re the last on my list. I just have a few simple questions that won’t take more than three minutes to answer at most. The alternative is that we come for an inspection, and you’ll have to pay for that.’
‘Sure, sure, let’s get this over with.’
‘Okay. Thank you. Do you use your own cleaning personnel, or are they brought in?’
‘It’s external.’ Carnela did not intend to say a single unnecessary word.
‘I see, and how often do they come?’
‘Three times a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday.’
‘Do they come during office hours, or—’
‘No, they come after office hours.’
‘I see. And what company do you use?’
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