“Or several, who are interested in Greek mythology,” said Mia.
“Okay, but if we should try to find out how it all fits together...” said Gunnar. “Lena still hasn’t told us how she knew about the containers or who gave her the order to delete the file in Juhlén’s computer. And this makes me wonder: Why delete a file? You do it to hide something. Hans Juhlén didn’t delete it himself. It must be Lena who has something to hide.”
“But did Juhlén know about the containers?” said Henrik.
“Yes, but we don’t know what he knew about them, perhaps he didn’t know the truth.”
“You mean about the drug dealing with children involved?”
“Exactly.”
“So the containers also may have contained drugs?” said Henrik.
“I don’t think they’d smuggle drugs as well as illegal refugees. But sure, it’s a theory.”
“Okay, but if they got rid of the adults, why keep the children?”
“Their being under age for criminal responsibility,” said Mia triumphantly. “And they tend to be loyal to their taskmasters...”
“On the island a sort of training center with quite a lot of weapons had been set up,” said Henrik. “Do you think the children were trained to...”
The room fell silent. Henrik went on. “I believe Hans Juhlén found out about all this. That’s why he was in the dock area with Thomas Rydberg. And Rydberg was scared he would be discovered, and he told Lena, who then deleted the file in the computer. She also gave somebody the order to kill Juhlén and then Rydberg.”
“We do actually have another interesting name to add to the investigation,” said Gunnar. “According to Bj?rn Ahlmann a few strands of hair were found on one of the children, and the DNA analysis shows that the hair comes from this man.”
He reached out to pick up the remote and started the projector, which showed a picture of a dark-haired man with a broad nose and a large scar across half of his face.
“Christ, just look at him!” said Mia.
Jana was just about to open her mouth to shout out: “That’s him!”
But she stopped herself and instead sat uncomfortably still on her chair.
“Gavril Bolanaki. Evidently he is called Papa,” said Gunnar. “I want you, Ola, to check what links exist between this man, Thomas Rydberg and Lena Wikstr?m. Check if they share a past. Company? Schoolmates? Anything.”
“What do we know about this Gavril?” said Henrik.
“Not much. Born 1953 on the island of Tilos in Greece. Swedish citizen since 1960. Did his military service in S?dert?lje. Some military equipment was stolen in the mid 70s and for a lot of reasons he was at first suspected, but then was found not guilty on what was described as dubious grounds,” said Gunnar.
“Do we know which weapons disappeared?” said Henrik.
“No,” said Gunnar.
“Where is he?” said Jana with an exaggeratedly soft voice.
“We’ve put him on the national Wanted List, and informed all police authorities. Let’s hope that will help us to arrest him quickly,” said Gunnar. “I think we’re on the right track now.”
I think so too, Jana thought to herself.
“In the first investigation of the island they found some food which leads us to believe that someone has been there recently. We don’t know yet whether that would be Gavril or someone else. I’ll get a dog handler to go over the area and I want you, Henrik and Mia, to come with me and Anneli to the island again. We’re leaving in ten minutes.”
*
Mia Bolander was seasick again.
She tried to fix her gaze on just one place in the distance when the coast guard launch bobbed up and down on the big waves. She had eaten breakfast only half an hour earlier, before they had left the station. She had managed to persuade a trainee to treat her to a sandwich.
Today was the twenty-eighth. Only three days since she had received her salary and already she was broke. A whole month until the next payment. And today was Saturday too, and that always meant going out somewhere. Mia wondered how she’d be able to afford a beer.
Mia put a hand over her mouth, then leaned over the railing and vomited.
*
The search led to results. The police dog had found an underground concrete bunker quite close to the barn. The entrance was well hidden by bushes.
Gunnar went in first. It wasn’t very big and he stopped after about three meters. The ceiling was low and he had to keep his head down when he looked around. There were two empty bags on the floor. A large number of guns hung on the walls. Gunnar immediately recognized the AK-47s, Sig Sauers and Glocks. Lots of ammunition lay sorted in various plastic containers. There were five smallish knives and several silencers too.
Gunner turned round and went out. He was met by Henrik Levin’s and Mia Bolander’s questioning gazes.
“It’s a weapons stash. The biggest I’ve ever seen,” said Gunnar.
“Could they be from S?dert?lje?” said Henrik.
“Very likely. There are some older weapons as well as newer ones.”
“So it could be that this Gavril, in some way, smuggled weapons out from the barracks in S?dert?lje and built a weapons store here,” said Henrik.
“There are several Glock pistols in there and that is one of the most common weapons in the army,” said Gunnar.
“And one was used to murder Hans Juhlén,” said Henrik.
*
Gabriel Mellqvist had only one hour left of his watch by the jetty. He stamped his feet in turn to try to keep them warm. He scanned the horizon again. Just at that moment he caught sight of a boat heading toward the island. He looked through his binoculars at the railings to see if any of his colleagues were on board.
The boat slowed down, seemed to almost come to a stop and then suddenly turned sharply and drove off.
Gabriel grabbed his radio.
No time to lose.
*
Henrik Levin was just on his way down into the bunker when police officer Hanna Hultman came running.
“An unknown boat has been sighted, it’s driving fast away from the island.”
Henrik Levin ran as fast as he could to the jetty and jumped up onto the coast guard launch.
Mia Bolander was right behind him.
“After it!” he shouted. “Don’t wait for Gunnar. Go ahead!”
Henrik waved to the coast guard Rolf Vikman who quickly steered the launch out from the jetty and followed the boat that Gabriel Mellqvist had seen. It had disappeared from sight and Rolf increased speed in the direction it had last been seen, while he radioed in to the county communication center.
Henrik also stared into the distance. They had reached 30 knots and the launch threw up cascades of water around it. When they approached a little island they slowed down, but the boat still couldn’t be seen anywhere. Henrik turned his head in all directions.
Mia too. They listened for the sound of an engine but couldn’t hear anything except the noise of the launch they were sitting in.
When they reached the next island, Rolf slowed down a little and Henrik’s gaze swept over the jagged rocks. The wind whistled in his ears. Two seagulls circled high above them, with a shrill squawking.
Mia stood on her toes to be able to look over the railing. They slowed down a bit more, and Rolf zigzagged among the waves to stop them from drifting into land.
“Go on ahead,” said Henrik, and they rounded the island. Rolf increased the speed again and the wind caught Henrik’s jacket. A feeling of doubt was beginning to grip him. No boat to be seen.
“There!” shouted Mia suddenly and pointed eagerly with her hand. “There! There! I can see it!”
Rolf immediately steered in the direction she pointed.
“A Chaparral,” he shouted out. “A fast vessel I’m afraid.”
The Chaparral sped off, as if the driver had seen the coast guard launch. Henrik drew his gun and Mia did the same. Rolf increased the speed of the launch and slowly got nearer to the boat.
“Police!” Henrik shouted and showed his weapon. “Stop!”
His words drowned in the noise from the engines.
The Chaparral went off at full throttle and increased the distance between them.