Again she listened, though not for as long this time, then she said, “I know, I know. With regard to Kasper Planck, do you think that I can get a comment from either Simonsen or Planck himself?”
While she listened to her answer, she deleted the e-mail and read the next one. She received two new messages before she wrapped up the call.
“I think I’ve got the right little Lolita-Anita for the job. The girl has such high morals she should be studying to become a minister rather than journalist, so she meets both of your criteria. And for God’s sake, call me back soon.”
She hung up and called out into the editorial cubicle area, “Anita!”
CHAPTER 13
There was nothing charming about the Pathology Institute in Copenhagen but through the years there had been many times when Simonsen had felt a certain relief upon entering the place. Perhaps it was the ubiquitous smell of rodalon that stung the palate and nostrils, but that nonetheless did not manage to conceal the heavy odors, or else it was the strange mix of hypermodern machines and gray-white organs in holding jars from an earlier era that appealed to him. The institute was a locked world where only a few insiders belonged, and he was not one of them.
Arthur Elvang went through the preliminary autopsy results. The board was soon covered and in a little while he would wipe it clean for the fourth time. Simonsen glanced at Arne Pedersen and Pauline Berg, who were sitting at his side and were following the professor’s discourse with great concentration, in contrast to the head of Criminal Forensics, on his other side, who was sleeping. His name was Kurt Melsing and he was respected for his abilities. In contrast to the professor, he was a likable man. From time to time he nodded or gave a little snort, waking for a brief period of time, after which he soon fell back asleep. He had been up all night and none of the others wanted to interfere with his nap.
The presentation had lasted almost an hour and nothing indicated that Arthur Elvang was nearing his conclusion. Unfortunately, the information offered did not contribute significantly to making a breakthrough in the investigation. The lengthy explanation was caused mainly by the number of dead, but each individual relationship was useful. First, the time of death had been established to Wednesday, between twelve thirty and two o’clock. The cause of death had also been established: four men had died by hanging and the last by strangulation. The latter had probably fainted when the noose was fastened around his neck. Apart from that, there was almost nothing that cast any light on the identity of the dead, nor had they discovered any shared characteristics among the men apart from their mutilated sex organs. The ages ranged from forty-five years to approximately sixty-five, and the muscle mass of two of the victims indicated regular physical activity and therefore manual labor, which was not true of the other three.
But there was one glimmer of light. Arthur Elvang was working with a provisional set of names for the men, which Simonsen intended to borrow. The professor had established that looking from the main door to the back wall of the gymnasium was due north, whereby he came up with the following names for the dead: Mr. Northeast, Mr. Northwest, Mr. Southwest, and Mr. Southeast. The last person was called Mr. Middle.
When the lecture came to an end at long last, the three police officers had a chance to ask detailed questions and Arne Pedersen was the quickest off the mark.
“Could you repeat what you said about the use of anesthetic?”
The professor repeated himself. Simonsen noted that his choice of words was basically identical to the first time, only spoken somewhat slower.
“All five men were partly anesthetized with Stesolid about two hours before they died. Stesolid is a tranquilizer or sedative. Depending on the amount used, it can cause either unconsciousness or drowsiness. The medication is administered by intravenous injection. All five bodies have a prick mark on the left or right arms and there are also marks on their upper arms most likely resulting from a tourniquet. The concentration of Stesolid in their blood is identical almost down to the decimal point, which indicates that they have received individually calculated doses determined by their body weight. The doses have been calculated and administered by a professional. One can deduce this if only because of the fact that all five injections hit a vein on the first attempt. My assumption is that a physician or nurse or the equivalent has handled the injections.”
Pedersen followed up. “You said partly anesthetized.”
“Yes, the concentration was not particularly strong, and its effects will have been limited. I assume that the aim was to make the men cooperative. Easily manipulated, if you will.”
“You mean passive?”
“Something like that. Slow and dull for a couple of hours is more precise.”
“You say that their body weight has been taken into account; were they weighed?”