If that was even remotely possible …
As I said, good to meet you, Rebecca, Colonel Pellas said as he shook her hand in farewell. And if you do hear from your brother, or get the slightest idea of where he might be, wed be extremely grateful if you could let us know immediately.
He handed her a business card which she tucked away mechanically.
Well be in touch, Eskil, he said to Stigsson as he got into the back seat of the large Volvo.
The door closed, the driver put the car into gear, and just as it was about to pull away he gave her a quick look through the side window. She tried a tentative smile, looking for the slightest sign of acknowledgement. His face didnt move.
The car glided round the corner and disappeared, its tyres rattling on the cobblestones of the slope.
Oh yes, Normén … Stigsson said just as she was about to walk off. Weve found a safe deposit box belonging to your brother … He left a meaningful pause, and she almost walked into the trap. But at the last moment she stopped herself.
Do you happen to know anything about that? he continued when she didnt respond.
She shook her head.
Henke and I havent had much contact recently …
No, so you said at Police Headquarters, yet here you are at his flat just as we go in to search it …
Once again she refrained from answering. As long as she didnt say anything, he couldnt claim she was lying.
The tactic didnt seem to bother Stigsson in the way she had hoped.
Youre listed as sharing it with him, Normén, so I presume you knew what was in it?
She shook her head.
Nothing, Normén. The box was empty.
Oh … She tried to look as unconcerned as possible.
Fortunately the bank has an advanced security system …
She felt her heart beat faster.
Loads of cameras, much like over in Police Headquarters …
He paused again, trying to lure her into saying something, but she just stared down at the cobbles instead. What date had she visited the vault? She thought about the cameras, counting them in her head. Seven, eight, nine …
Is there anything you want to tell me, Normén? His voice suddenly sounded rather more friendly. According to Runeberg, youre a very good bodyguard, an asset to the department, Im sure those were his words …
She looked up and met his gaze. Stigsson had tilted his head.
Obviously we stick up for our own. Help colleagues who find themselves in tricky situations …
Another pause.
She opened her mouth to say something, then hesitated for a few seconds.
Yes … ? he said, to prompt her.
Seven, she said.
W-what? At last his composed expression seemed slightly shaken.
Seven days, thats how long the banks usually store recorded material, isnt it? At least that was the case when I worked in crime …
His mouth closed like a trap. His almost paternal expression from a minute ago had vanished completely. Not that that mattered. His bluff had failed, and they both knew it. There were no pictures, nothing that could tie her to the vault. It had all been erased several days ago.
Did you want anything else?
Stigsson didnt answer, so she waved at Runeberg who was standing a short distance away, then turned to go.
Weve requested the list of passcards from the bank … Stigsson said when shed taken a few steps. It will be a couple of days before we get it, but Im guessing well soon be speaking again, Normén.
HP woke up with his whole body shaking like a pneumatic drill.
It may have been the middle of the summer, but taking an evening nap outdoors on a boat under a fucking tarpaulin hadnt exactly been his smartest move, in hindsight.
He needed to get warm, right away. But his body didnt seem to want to obey him. His head ached, his mouth was dry, his arms and legs felt like overcooked spaghetti. When he tried to roll onto his stomach he suddenly noticed the wet lump in his underwear.
At first he thought it was the bundle of notes he had dug out of the glass jar buried a few hundred metres up in the woods. But then he remembered that hed stuffed it into one of the front pockets of his jeans.
It took another few seconds before he realized.
Fucking hell!
He reached for the railing and tried to get to his feet. The stench from his trousers caught in his nose, and his stomach cramped. It took a huge effort just to stand up.
The deck swayed beneath him, making his knees buckle.
He fell forward, hit his chin on one of the benches and ended up lying there on the deck.
Food poisoning, how fucking ironic. He hadnt eaten properly for weeks, and had basically lived off tinned sardines and baked beans. But now hed finally managed to get hold of a kebab, it turned out to be a staphylococcus bomb with extra garlic sauce …
His stomach cramped again, making him curl up into a ball.
Fuckingbloodyhell!
He tried to crawl to his feet but it was hopeless. All the energy had drained out of him and he couldnt stop shivering. But he had to get away from there at once, otherwise it would be autumn before Nisse or whoever owned this bastard boat found his freeze-dried corpse.
It was late in the evening, and the stretch of Pålsundet where the old boat lay was hardly a busy place even during the day.
The fall had knocked most of the strength out of him, but if he didnt want to end up like Ötzi the Iceman, he had to get away from there.
His stomach cramped again, making him pull his knees up around his ears. The cold lump of clay in his underwear moved slightly up the base of his spine.
Fuckingbastardbollocks …
He waited for the attack to pass, then gathered what little strength he had left and forced himself up onto his knees. The jetty was no more than half a metre away.
He planted one foot in the bottom of the boat, tensed the muscles in his thigh and got up onto his feet. His legs swayed but he stayed upright. One step forward, then another. He lifted one foot, and took aim at the jetty.
But the leg he had all his weight on suddenly collapsed and he fell backwards into the dark water.
He churned his arms like mad and swallowed several litres of water as he tried to turn the right way up. For a brief moment he was back on the prison bunk in Dubai where the cops had tried to drown a confession out of him. But then the tips of his toes touched the bottom and his panic subsided somewhat.
He dragged himself laboriously up onto the shore, crawled up into a sitting position and leaned his back against a tree. He gasped for breath a few times, then let loose a fountain of green water from Lake Mälaren. Over and over again, through both his mouth and nose, until his stomach was exhausted. Him too, come to that …
Forfuckssake … !
But, oddly enough, after a while he started to feel a bit better. As if the little swim and involuntary stomach pump had rebooted his body.
Besides, hed had an idea. The youth hostel on Långholmen, in the converted prison. Why hadnt he thought of that before … ?
Using the tree trunk as a support he got to his feet, and felt automatically in his pockets for his fags. He found a soaking wet stub that he tried in vain to light.
Then, with the unlit cigarette between his lips, he staggered carefully up towards the path that led to the old prison.
His office door was closed, but she didnt even bother to knock.
Ive been fired, she said before he even had time to turn round.
Er, yes … So I heard.
He stood up, but made no attempt to move closer to her.
Oh, so the rumours already out. How much do you know?
Not much, we had a conference call with Anthea a little while ago …
And?
He shrugged his shoulders and seemed to be studying a mark on the wall behind her.
She just said that youd been dismissed with immediate effect.
He met her gaze for a moment, then looked away again.
Something about ill-considered behaviour that had put the company at risk. That you had therefore lost the confidence of those in charge …
You dont buy that, do you? She fixed her eyes on him.
No, of course not …
You dont sound very convincing …
Stop it, Becca, I actually tried to defend you. I said what a hard time youd been having lately, with the sleeping pills and all that …
You said WHAT?!
He held his hands up in front of him.
Nothing, just that youd been having trouble sleeping. Thats true, isnt it. Lack of sleep can have a serious effect on peoples judgement …
I cant believe Im hearing this … She covered her face with her hands for a moment.
Well, I was only trying to help … he muttered.
She took a couple of deep breaths, and resisted saying the first thing that popped into her head, then the second as well.
I have to empty my desk straight away, she said, as calmly as she could. Then Im going to contact a lawyer. Theyre not going to get away with this. She glanced at her watch.
We can talk more at home.
Erm.
He seemed to be plucking up courage all of a sudden.
I mean, Becca, I like the company. A lot, actually. Ive been here pretty much from the start, and now that PayTag has pumped money in …
He looked her in the eye. For a few moments neither of them said anything.
To be honest, Becca, you and me, it hasnt been working for a long while. Not since …
She opened her mouth to say something, to cut him off with some biting remark.
But instead she stood there in silence.
Now or in two months time, the result will still be the same, so why drag it out … ?