The Leopard(77)

‘Everything OK, Jarle? Jarle?’

No, everything was not OK. For even through thick gloves, even with a brain that seemed unable to absorb enough air, he had no doubts about where his hand had strayed. Into the open mouth of a human body.





PART FOUR





36


Helicopter


MIKAEL BELLMAN ARRIVED AT THE LAKE IN A HELICOPTER. The rotor blades whisked the mist into candyfloss as he dashed, bent double, from the passenger seat across the field to the ropery. Kolkka and Beavis followed at a half-run. From the opposite direction came four men carrying a stretcher. Bellman stopped them and lifted the blanket. The stretcher-bearers averted their faces as Bellman leaned over and studiously examined the naked, white bloated body.

‘Thank you,’ he said and let them continue towards the helicopter.

Bellman stopped at the top of the slope and looked down on the people standing between the building and the water. Among the divers divesting themselves of their equipment and dry suits he could see Beate Lønn and Kaja Solness. Further away was Harry Hole, talking to a man Bellman guessed was Skai, the local County Officer.

The POB signalled to Beavis and Kolkka that they should wait, and with lithe, nimble steps, he glided down the slope.

‘Hello, Skai,’ Bellman said, brushing twigs off his long coat. ‘Mikael Bellman, Kripos, we’ve spoken on the phone.’

‘Correct,’ Skai said. ‘The night his people found some rope here.’ He jerked his thumb back towards Harry.

‘And now it seems he’s here again,’ Bellman said. ‘The question is, of course, what he’s doing at my crime scene.’

‘Well,’ Harry said, clearing his throat, ‘firstly, this is hardly a crime scene. Secondly, I’m looking for a missing person. And it does seem as if we’ve found what we were looking for. How’s the triple murder going? Found anything? You got our information about the Håvass cabin, did you?’

The County Officer acknowledged a glance from Bellman and absented himself in discreet haste.

Bellman surveyed the lake while running a forefinger along his lower lip as if to rub in some ointment. ‘Alright, Hole, you are aware, are you, that you have just ensured that both you and your superior officer, Gunnar Hagen, have not only lost your jobs but will also be charged with dereliction of duty?’

‘Mm, because we do the job we’ve been entrusted with?’

‘I think the Minister of Justice will be demanding a pretty detailed explanation as to why you initiated a search for a missing person right outside the ropery which supplied the rope that was used to kill Marit Olsen. I gave you Crime Squad people a chance. You won’t get another. Game over, Hole.’

‘Then we’ll have to give the Minister of Justice a pretty detailed explanation, Bellman. Naturally, it will include information about how we found out where the rope came from, how we got onto the trail of Elias Skog and the Håvass cabin, how we found out that there was a fourth victim called Adele Vetlesen and how we found her here today. A job Kripos, with all its manpower and resources, failed to carry out over two months. Eh, Bellman?’

Bellman didn’t answer.

‘Frightened it might affect the Minister of Justice’s decision on who is best suited to investigate murders in this country, are you?’

‘Don’t overplay your hand, Hole. I’ll crush you just like that.’ Bellman flicked his fingers.

‘OK,’ Harry said. ‘Neither of us has a winning hand, so what if I pass over the kitty?’

‘What the hell do you mean?’

‘You get everything. Everything we have. We don’t take credit for anything.’

Bellman looked askance at Harry. ‘And why should you help us?’

‘Simple,’ Harry said, plucking the last smoke from the pack. ‘I get paid for helping to catch the killer. That’s my job.’

Bellman grimaced and his head and shoulders moved as if he were laughing, but not a sound issued forth. ‘Come on, Hole, what do you want?’

Harry lit his cigarette. ‘I don’t want Gunnar Hagen, Kaja Solness or Bjørn Holm to take the rap for this. Your prospects in the force won’t be affected.’

Bellman squeezed his full lower lip between thumb and first finger. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’

‘And I want to be part of this. I want access to all the material you have and to resources for the investigation.’

‘That’s enough!’ Bellman said, raising a hand. ‘Are you hard of hearing, Hole? I told you to stay away from this case.’

‘We can catch this killer, Bellman. Right now that should be more bloody important than who’s in charge afterwards, shouldn’t it?’