The Redeemer(133)

Walking up the stairs to the sixth floor he could hear voices, footsteps and laughter resounding in the atrium. But when the Crime Squad department door closed behind him it was as though the volume had been switched off. In the corridor he met an officer who observed him, shook his head in silence and walked on.

'Hi, Harry.'

He turned. It was Toril Li. He could not recall her using his first name before.

'How are you doing?' she asked.

Harry was about to answer, opened his mouth, but realised all of a sudden that he had no voice.

'We thought we might assemble after the briefing to pay our respects,' Toril Li said with brisk delicacy, as though to cover for him.

Harry nodded in silent gratitude.

'Maybe you could get in touch with Beate?'

'Of course.'

Harry stood in front of his office door. He had been dreading this moment. Then he entered.

In Halvorsen's chair sat a person leaning back and bobbing up and down, as if he had been waiting.

'Good morning, Harry,' said Gunnar Hagen.

Harry hung his jacket on the hatstand without replying.

'Sorry,' Hagen said. 'Poor choice of words.'

'What do you want?' Harry sat down.

'To express my regret about what has happened. I'll do the same at the morning meeting, but first I want to do it face to face with you. Jack was your closest colleague, wasn't he?'

'Halvorsen.'

'I beg your pardon.'

Harry rested his head in his hands. 'We called him Halvorsen.'

Hagen nodded. 'Halvorsen. One more thing, Harry—'

'I thought I had the requisition order at home,' Harry said between his fingers. 'But it's gone.'

'Oh that . . .' Hagen shifted; he seemed uncomfortable in the chair. 'I wasn't thinking about the gun. With regard to travel expense cutbacks, I've asked accounts to present me with all receipts for approval. It turns out you've been to Zagreb. I don't recall having authorised any foreign travel. And if the Norwegian police have carried out any investigations there, it is a flagrant breach of instructions.'

They've finally found it, thought Harry, his face still buried in his hands. The blunder they have been waiting for. The formal reason for kicking the alkie inspector back to where he belongs, among the uncivilised civilians. Harry tried to sound out what he felt. But the only thing he was conscious of was relief.

'You'll have my notice on your desk tomorrow, boss.'

'I have no idea what you're talking about,' Hagen said. 'I assume there has been no investigation in Zagreb. That would have been very embar-rassing for all concerned.'

Harry looked up.

'The way I read it,' Hagen said, 'you've been on a little study trip to Zagreb.'

'Study trip, boss?'

'Yes, an unspecified study trip. And here is my written consent to your oral enquiry about a study trip to Zagreb.' A printed A4 sheet sailed over the desk and landed in front of Harry. 'And so this business should be a thing of the past.' Hagen stood up and went to the wall where the photo of Ellen Gjelten hung. 'Halvorsen is the second partner you've lost, isn't he?'

Harry inclined his head. It went quiet in the cramped, windowless room.

Then Hagen coughed. 'You've seen the little piece of carved bone on my desk, haven't you? I bought it in Nagasaki. It's a copy of the little finger belonging to Yoshito Yasuda, a well-known Japanese battalion commander.' He turned to Harry. 'The Japanese usually cremate their dead, but in Burma they had to bury them because there were so many and it can take up to two hours for a body to burn out. So instead they would cut off a little finger, cremate it and send the ashes home to the family. After a decisive battle by Pegu in the spring of 1943 the Japanese were forced to retreat and hide in the jungle. The battalion commander begged his superior officer to attack that same evening so that they could recover the bones of their dead men. His request was rejected – the victors' numbers were too large – and that evening he stood weeping before his men in the light of the campfire and told them of the CO's decision. On seeing the hopelessness in his men's faces, he dried his tears, drew his bayonet, laid his hand on a tree stump, cut off his little finger and threw it on the fire. The men cheered. It came to the CO's ears and the next day the Japanese attacked in full force.'

Hagen went to Halvorsen's desk and picked up a pencil sharpener, which he studied in minute detail.

'I made a number of mistakes in my first days here as boss. For all I know one of them may have been an indirect cause of Halvorsen's death. What I'm trying to say . . .' He put down the sharpener and breathed in. 'Is that I wish I could do as Yoshito Yasuda did and enthuse all of you. But I don't know how.'

Harry was nonplussed, so he kept his mouth shut.

'So let me just put it like this, Harry. I want you to find the person or persons behind these murders. That's all.'

The two men avoided each other's eyes. Hagen clapped his hands together to break the silence. 'But you would be doing me a favour if you would carry a weapon, Harry. You know, in front of the others . . . at least until the New Year. Then I'll rescind the instruction.'