Medusa (39 page)

– What envelope?

The secretary didn’t mind telling them.

On their way back out to the car, Nina said: – What she says seems credible enough. It would explain how Glenne’s fingerprints ended up on the photos.

Viken grunted. – I’ll admit it’s probable the woman believes it herself, he conceded. – She seems the naïve type. It won’t surprise anyone to learn that Glenne is a world champion manipulator of other people.

His mobile phone rang. He took the call and listened for a few seconds before saying:

– Aker Brygge? You’ve warned Central? Good, we’ll be there in a couple of minutes. By the way, Nina tells me that this Miriam was engaged; obviously we need to find out more about that too … Got that?

He nodded briskly as the caller finished what he had to say.

– Great work, Arve.

He ran down the remainder of the steps and jumped into the car. As Nina got in, he opened the window and placed the blue light on the roof, turned on the siren. As they sped down Bogstadveien, he gave her the news in a sharp burst: – Call registered on Glenne’s phone four or five minutes ago. He’s at Aker Brygge or very close to. At least
someone
is doing their job.

Nina tightened her seat belt. On an emergency call-out she would much rather drive herself than be Viken’s passenger.

– What about this man Miriam was engaged to?

– Arve checked that out a long time ago, it says so in the report. A guy she met at a school somewhere or other in the west country. At the moment he’s living in Brazil.

– Is that definite?

– Of course, he said with a heavy sigh. – Arve’s double-checked it.

He threaded his way through the traffic. His phone rang again. He pulled a hands-free set out of the glove compartment and fitted the earpiece into his ear.

– Yes, he answered irritably, but his tone changed at once. – Thanks for ringing, but can it wait? … Okay, let’s do it now then.

He spun through the red light at the crossroads and then up along Slotts Park, now and then grunting into the phone.

– Thank you very much, he said finally. – I’ll call you back.

He pulled the earpiece out as they sped down Henrik Ibsen’s gate.

– That was Plåterud. About the fibres found under Elvestrand’s fingernails. They confirm what they suspected about the DNA profile. They come from a man who
may
have a close family relative with some kind of chromosomal abnormality. Such as Down’s syndrome. Not much help. The woman might have scratched any man in town. But there’s something else Plåterud says we ought to take a closer look at.

Nina didn’t dare distract his attention from the driving by asking questions, but Viken went on:

– They found traces of saliva in Elvestrand’s hair and analysed it.

– And it wasn’t the same profile? Nina hazarded.

Viken accelerated down Løkkeveien.

– That’s a pretty safe bet. Not from a human being at all.

Nina held on tight to her seat. She felt as though they were playing a game of join-the-dots and getting it all wrong.

– A fucking bear, Viken added to himself.

A
XEL WOKE TO
the stink of rotting meat. He lay there without moving. The smell was a warning. Carefully he opened his eyes to darkness. Am I blind now? The thought shot through him. He tried to lift a hand, felt a burning pain in his upper arm as though from a bad wasp sting. His hands wouldn’t move. They were twisted over each other and tied to something behind him. He turned his head slowly to one side, then the other. Finally he located a pale strip of light, diagonally up from him. I can see, he muttered as he tried to sit upright. There was a flash in his head, and then he collapsed and was gone again.

– What happened, Axel?

His father’s voice is cold and without a trace of anger. It makes Axel more afraid than his anger does.

– I don’t know.

He looks down, but notices his father slowly shaking his head.

– Do you think I’m an idiot, Axel?

– No, Father.

– You were there. The two of you were the only ones there. I’m asking you to tell me what happened.

Axel stares at his father’s shoes. They glow a reddish brown in the light falling from the living-room window. He and Brede have made a pact. If he breaks it, there will be no one left to defend his brother.

– Ask Brede, he manages to say.

– I
have
asked Brede. He maintains that it wasn’t him, but he refuses to say any more. Brede always denies everything, you know that. He’s the type who just doesn’t know how to do the right thing. He’s been given several chances to confess, but he simply goes berserk.

His father takes a few heavy breaths.

– I
know that you and Brede will never tell on each other. That’s good.

His tone of voice is friendly now, which makes it even worse. When that friendliness is there, you have everything. When it’s gone, you lose everything.

– But you’re going to have to make an exception here. Killing a dog is as bad as killing a human. That’s why I’m asking you, Axel. And I’m only going to ask you this once: was it Brede?

– Yes, Father.

He was sitting with his back wedged up against something hard and round; a pipe, perhaps. His body was stiff; he must have been sitting in the same position for hours. His hands were cuffed, he could feel that, and he tried to understand what had happened. I was attacked. He was here. Waiting for me inside the cabin. The police didn’t come. The cellar … I’m a prisoner in that cellar.

– Miriam, he whispered.

He heard the echo of breathing somewhere in the dark. To his left. Not an echo. Someone else’s breathing, slower and more powerful than his own. The stink of something rotten was so acrid that it had woken him up. He had been present once when the police broke into an apartment belonging to an old woman who hadn’t been seen for over a fortnight. The stench invading his senses now was even worse than that. He breathed through his mouth as slowly as he could to try to control it. Fought against the urge to howl up at the ceiling. Forced himself to sit still. My only hope, he thought, without knowing why. Stay calm. Miriam’s only chance.

H
E WAS WOKEN
by a sound. The strip of light was gone. It had to be evening, or night. Footsteps directly above his head. A door closing. Footsteps back across the floor, stopping. Something being moved, a piece of furniture. Directly afterwards, a trapdoor opening. Bright light, burning his eyes. He had to shut them tight again. Heard steps coming down a ladder, a kick on his foot. He raised an eyelid. The torchlight was playing directly into his face. Behind it a form bending to him.

– Right, so you’re awake.

He still couldn’t see who the figure was. But he knew at once.

– Got something for you to drink.

A plastic bottle was pressed against his lips. There was no smell from it and he took a couple of swigs.

– What do you want from me, Norbakk? he murmured.

The cone of light moved away from his eyes.

– What do
you
want from
me
? You’re the one who broke in here.

Axel breathed as deeply as he could.

– Miriam …

It sounded as if the other man laughed.

– You mustn’t harm her, Axel groaned. – I’m the one who got her involved in all this.

– Shut up, Norbakk hissed. – I know everything that’s been going on, understand? Every last thing the two of you have been up to. When you screwed up in the pine shelter, and at home in her bed. She wanted you. Don’t try to defend her, it might make me angry with you too.

Again he directed the torch beam into Axel’s face.

– I’ve got nothing against you, Glenne, he said, calmer now. – No objection to you screwing Miriam. That’s okay by me. I let you do it. You’re not a bad guy. If you hadn’t come out here, you would have escaped.

– Escaped what? Axel managed to ask.

Norbakk didn’t reply. A few moments later he said: – That day you were riding in the forest. I was standing there watching when you swam in the tarn. Would have been a piece of cake to take you then. Standing there bollock naked and looking round. But that would have been too easy. So I just messed with your bicycle.

He made a noise like the sound of air escaping from a tyre.

– It was when I saw you stop to have a chat with that old biddy that I knew what was going to happen. It was a great moment. Other people might have had the same idea, but how many of them would have managed to carry it through?

He whistled a snatch of melody.

– This wasn’t about you. You just happened to get in the way. He leaned down towards him. – Not your fault, Christ, no. I like you, Glenne. You’re a good doctor, a great father to your kids. She’s the one who stirred up all this shit. She promised me everything. And then off she went. Did she say that you were her twin, did she tell you that too?

Axel couldn’t answer.

– What do you think we should do with these women who promise us everything and then run off?

This time he didn’t wait for a reply.

– I gave her some idea of what was going to happen. Made her feel it was getting closer without letting her quite realise what it was. One … two … three. And the fourth will be … Those other old biddies, that was just chance, same as you.

He laughed.

– She felt sorry for me, Glenne, she couldn’t bring herself to do anything that might get me into worse trouble. She had to be a hundred per cent sure first. Poor girl. Who should we feel sorry for now? What d’you think?

– I like you, Norbakk repeated when Axel still did not respond. – It’s too fucking bad you had to come out here.

– They’ll find us, Axel coughed. – I used my mobile phone up here.

Norbakk clucked his tongue.

– Sorry to have to tell you this, but those calls are my department. And the last call registered from Axel Glenne’s telephone was made from Aker Brygge. Full call-out. I’ll leave you to guess who made it. Now your phone is lying at the bottom of the fjord just off the end of the quay.

Axel tried again: – There’s a lot of people know you and Miriam were a couple. Sooner or later …

– Maybe they will find out, Norbakk interrupted. – And maybe they won’t. In any case, it’ll be too late.

– What d’you mean?

– I’ve just had an idea. Now I can see how this all works out in the end. It’s actually quite beautiful. Norbakk sounded as if he was talking to a close friend. – You’ll be found tomorrow. Together. Someone will discover your bodies in the boss’s garage under the police station. You’ll be lying with your arms around each other, as though you’re embracing … There’s a logic to it. It’ll be big. Like planting a huge bomb under the place.

Axel tried to make sense of what he was hearing but couldn’t manage it.

– If they shape up a bit, they’ll find out who put you there, Norbakk mused. – That’s the way I want it to end. They could have guessed a long time ago. If Viken had been a little bit smarter and a little bit less self-centred, he would have known about Miriam and me weeks ago.

Suddenly he sounded frustrated and annoyed.

– I’ve given them something to work with all along, helped put them on the right track. If they’d done their job properly, none of this would have happened. But now it’s happened anyway.

Axel tried to turn.

– Where is she?

Norbakk coughed.

– You want to know?

– Yes.

– She’s lying in bed in a room up there. Had to lock her in. She’s fine now. I’d just finished putting the covers over her when you came barging in.

Axel shook the handcuffs.

– If you release me, I’ll help you.

Norbakk laughed loudly.

– You’re lying there and you’re going to help me? Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Glenne. I like you, remember. Don’t disappoint me. We mustn’t lie to each other, you and I.

He squatted down and added confidentially: – I’ll let you out of those handcuffs soon.

He picked up a syringe and held it in the light from the torch.

– I’ll give you something that’ll help you sleep. When you wake up, the cuffs will be unlocked. I’ll give you a chance. I’m not a monster.

– A chance?

Norbakk played the light in an arc around the cellar. The room was almost big enough for him to stand upright in. It was partitioned by a gate.

– You ought to be curious about this place, Glenne. Your father must have been here many times when he was with the Resistance. My grandfather helped him escape. It was just before he was caught himself. I can well imagine they were friends. They had a transmitter here. Even a printing press. But no prisoners. That came later. Long after the war. It was my father who put that partition in.

He shone the light into a corner. A huge dark hulk lay there. It was breathing slowly and deeply.

– What the hell is that?

– Not so loud, Glenne, unless you want to wake him up.

Norbakk played the torch back and forth over the sleeping shape a few times.

– Not too hard to trap one of these when you know how they live. And where. How they react when you put out bait for them and cover it up with branches and soil. All you have to do then is lie there and wait. But a giant like this one, I would never have managed to get him here all on my own … You should meet my brother, Glenne.

Axel’s eyes were wide open. He couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

– It’s had the same medicine as you’re going to get. It’ll sleep for a while yet. And now
you’re
going to sleep. In an hour’s time, when you wake up, you’ll be in there, with the animal.

He leaned forward and pushed the syringe into Axel’s upper arm.

– What’s the matter, Glenne? Don’t you like teddy bears?

O
NCE MORE THE
darkness had coiled itself around him. He lay and swam in it. Felt far away, drugged.
I found you, Axel
. Somewhere up there he sees her face. Miriam, he says.
Do you regret it, Axel?
No, you were the one I was looking for. Was always looking for. She smiles down at him.
I want you to live
. With one finger she closes his eyes. A crowd of people come up the hill, in through the door. They’re carrying candles. They gather round and look at him lying there. Daniel leans forward and lays a flower on his chest. A rose. Tom is crying. His whole face is open wide. I tried to be good enough, Tom. Tried to get close to you. Bie is wearing a little black hat with a veil across her face. She’s holding Marlen close to her. Her eyes are hard and dark blue, resembling a certain kind of jewel, the name of which escapes him.