“There are some chances of linking the bust to the plastic bag. Melsing had a couple of ideas, which I did not completely understand. He and his department are ready to get started, as soon as they have both objects. The problem is time. Twenty-four hours is far from enough for the ongoing investigations. A week is more realistic, and then only if they work around the clock, but . . . ”
She smiled. Simonsen and Berg were hanging eagerly on every word.
“If they can find traces of plaster inside the bag, and they can determine that tonight, Melsing is willing to talk up his findings to the judge. And that will guarantee us a week more to work with.”
Simonsen struck a clenched fist against the tabletop and exclaimed, “Yes!” Then he added, “So we got our miracle after all.”
It lasted for five minutes. Then Troulsen came back, almost exuding frustration.
“The plastic bag no longer exists, it was destroyed. I’ve spoken with the N?stved police, and Catherine Thomsen’s murder was considered solved, so in 2002 when they got new space for the archives—”
Simonsen interrupted him.
“I don’t care what happened. Is it certain that it’s gone?”
“Yes, unfortunately.”
CHAPTER 40
“Someone has to stop him.”
Jeanette Hvidt’s brown eyes flashed with anger, but the girl’s outburst also contained a touch of anxiety. Pauline Berg did not answer; she did not know what to say. Jeanette repeated, this time almost shrilly: “Someone has to fucking stop that crazy psychopath.”
The two women were sitting on a lawn with a view of the Isefjord. A fresh breeze from the water was blowing towards them, and Berg had its salty taste in her mouth. The shadows were long, the late-summer day waning. A short distance away, out of earshot, sat a handful of young people drinking beer. They were Jeanette’s third-year classmates at the Frederiksborg High School in Hiller?d, who were patiently waiting for her. The group was on their way to a party when Pauline Berg caught up with them and after a brief discussion isolated her witness. A young man turned his head and watched for a long time when he saw Jeanette waving her hands in the air, but it was doubtful he could hear what she had called out. The wind snatched away the words. Berg noted that despite his age he looked big and strong, and thought that was exactly the type of protector the girl could use. That is, may have use for—hopefully it would not be necessary.
“What about men . . . do you have a boyfriend?”
Berg indicated the girl’s friends with a toss of her head.
“Do you call them men? What does that have to do with you anyway?”
“Wait a minute, Jeanette. I didn’t come up here on a Friday evening just to annoy you, and you know that perfectly well. If it makes you happy, I had to cancel a date this evening that I’ve been looking forward to for days, but some things in life are more important than others, and at the moment you’re more important than my date. My boss thinks so, and I think so too.”
The girl thought for a moment and then said, “Your boss is named Simonsen, but you call him Simon, isn’t that right?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Is he a good boss?”
“Now and then he can be tough, but all in all, sure, he’s good.”
“I’ve met him, did you know that?”
“I know.”
“I liked him, he was really sweet with my grandma, in a nice, quiet way.”
“Yes, that sounds like Simon. It doesn’t surprise me.”
“I didn’t know she had been assaulted. No one ever told me that. It’s strange, there are so many people I know who knew it, but they never told me a thing. It feels kind of false—you think you know people, and then you don’t at all when it comes right down to it.”
“I know just what you mean. Some secrets are known by a whole generation, but never talked about, as if everyone would prefer to forget. I’m sure we’ll be that way ourselves when we get old.”
The girl looked at Pauline Berg with surprise.
“Do you think so?”
“Definitely.”
“I never looked at it that way. Would you like a beer?”
“No, thanks, I’m driving, and besides I’m on duty.”
“Don’t cops ever drink on the job?”
“Occasionally, it’s like with everyone. Most rarely drink during work hours. Tell me, where are you going exactly?”
“Copenhagen, the train leaves in half an hour. We’re going to a party.”
“Why don’t you go over and ask the others to leave without you, and I’ll drive you to Copenhagen when we’re finished?”
Jeanette thought for a moment about the proposal, after which she got up. Pauline Berg observed her body language while she explained to her friends. It was clear that she had a central place in the group. Shortly after that her friends left.
“Were they upset?”
“Really upset, really upset. No, they weren’t, I’ll see them later. The psychopath gets out Sunday at the earliest, isn’t that right?”
“Yes, Sunday morning.”
“So I can party the whole night without looking over my shoulder. This may be my last party.”
Her smile was lovely, but Pauline Berg shuddered anyway.
“Let’s not say things like that, this is not something to joke about.”
“No, I know, it just seems so unbelievable. Suddenly, in less than a week, there may be a monster like that chasing after me. Tell me, is he big?”