The Nightmare (35 page)

“That was in 2009, wasn’t it?” asks Pollock.

“It wasn’t written up in the Swedish press,” Saga says. “But the indictment pointed a finger at the president’s direct participation in torture, rape, and genocide in Darfur.”

“So the deal was scotched,” Carlos says.

“Yes,” says Saga.

“And what about that photograph? What’s going on there? Nothing?” Verner asks.

“Penelope Fernandez must not have thought it was dangerous since she displayed it openly on her door,” Saga says.

“And yet it must be important—since she had it there at all,” Carlos says.

“We have no idea why. Perhaps it served as a reminder of how the world works,” Saga speculates. “A few poor people fight for peace at the bottom of the barrel, while at the top the mighty clink their glasses and drink champagne over an arms deal.”

“We hope to question Penelope Fernandez soon, but we’re fairly sure Björn Almskog tried to deal behind her back,” Joona continues. “Perhaps he knew nothing more about the photo than Penelope, or maybe he was just grasping at a chance to make money. But on the second of June, Björn uses an anonymous e-mail address in an Internet café to write a blackmail letter to Carl Palmcrona. The e-mail begins a very short correspondence: Björn writes he knows the photograph can be troublesome for Palmcrona and he’s ready to sell it to him for a million crowns.”

“Classic blackmail,” Pollock mutters.

“Björn uses the word ‘awkward’ concerning this photograph,” Saga continues. “This makes us believe that he does not understand how serious Palmcrona will find it to be.”

“Björn believes he’s in control,” Joona says. “So he’s amazed when Palmcrona turns around and warns
him
. Palmcrona explains darkly that Björn does not know what he’s gotten himself into and then pleads with him to mail him the photograph before it’s too late.”

Joona drinks some water.

“What is the tone of the letter?” Nathan Pollock asks. “You say it’s ‘dark,’ but is it also aggressive?”

Joona shakes his head as he passes out copies of the correspondence.

“No. Not aggressive. Rather, tinged with fear—for himself.”

Tommy Kofoed reads the e-mails, nods, rubs his pockmarked cheeks, and writes something down.

“What happens next?”

“Before the housekeeper leaves that Wednesday, she helps Palmcrona fasten a noose to the ceiling fixture.”

Petter has to laugh. “What? Why would she do that?”

“Because he’d had back surgery and couldn’t reach up to do it himself,” Saga replies.

“Well, then,” Carlos says, and can’t help a small smile.

“The next day at lunch … after the mail had been delivered, we believe,” Joona continues, “Palmcrona calls a number in Bordeaux and—”

“We can’t trace the number beyond Bordeaux,” Saga adds.

“The number could have gone to an exchange and been sent on to another country, or even back to Sweden,” Joona explains. “Anyway, wherever it went in the end, the conversation was only forty-three seconds long. Perhaps he just left a voice message. We presume he told about the blackmail letter and expected help.

“Shortly thereafter, just a few minutes later, Palmcrona’s housekeeper uses Palmcrona’s name to call for a taxi from Taxi Stockholm. It is to arrive at two o’clock for a trip to Arlanda Airport. Exactly one hour and fifteen minutes after the Bordeaux conversation, the telephone rings. Palmcrona has already put on his overcoat and his good shoes, but still answers the phone. The phone call comes from Bordeaux and from the same number. This conversation lasts two minutes. Palmcrona sends one last e-mail to his blackmailer warning him it is now too late. They both will die. He gives his housekeeper permission to leave for the day, pays the waiting taxi for his trouble, goes into his apartment, and doesn’t even bother to take off his coat. He walks into the small salon, puts his briefcase on edge, climbs up, and hangs himself.”

Everyone at the table is quiet.

“But the story doesn’t end there,” Joona says slowly. “Palmcrona’s call has set things in motion. An international hit man is engaged. A professional killer is sent here to erase everything and get the photograph.”

“How often … I mean in Sweden … do we have to deal with professional killers?” Carlos says with skepticism. “There would have to be a great deal of money involved here.”

Joona looks at him without expression. “Correct.”

“Palmcrona must have been frightened and just rattled off the contents of the blackmail letter including the bank account number Björn had given him,” Saga says.

“With a bank account number, it’s not difficult to find anyone,” Verner mutters.

“At about the same time that Palmcrona is kicking away his briefcase, Björn Almskog is at the Dreambow Internet Café,” Joona says. “He goes into his anonymous account and sees that he’s gotten two messages from Palmcrona.”

“Of course he’s hoping that Palmcrona will come across with a million crowns,” Saga says.

“Instead, he is greeted by Palmcrona’s warning and then the short message that they’re both going to die,” adds Joona.

“And now they
are
both dead,” Pollock sighs.

“We almost can’t imagine how frightened Björn must have been,” Saga says. “He’s no professional blackmailer. He just took a chance at money when he saw it.”

“What does he do then?” Petter watches them with his mouth slightly open. Carlos pours some water for him.

“Björn regrets what he’s done and decides to send the photograph to Palmcrona and wash his hands of it,” Saga says.

“But Palmcrona is already dead when Björn writes that he’s giving up and sending the photograph to him,” Joona says.

“And there’s another problem. He doesn’t actually have it. The photograph is in Penelope’s apartment, taped to the glass door,” Saga says. “And Penelope knows nothing about the blackmail attempt.”

“He has to get the photograph without telling her anything,” Tommy Kofoed says, nodding.

“We have no idea how he’d try to explain it,” Saga says with a wry smile. “He was probably panicked, just wanted to put a stop to the whole thing, and hoped it would all blow over while they were hiding out on the boat in the archipelago.”

Joona gets up and looks out the window. A woman carrying a child in her arms is pushing a stroller filled with grocery bags down on the sidewalk.

“The next morning, Penelope gets a taxi to the television studio for a debate,” Saga continues. “As soon as she’s left, Björn enters her apartment, tears down the photograph, runs to the subway station at Slussen, takes a subway to the Central Station, buys an envelope and some stamps at the Pressbyrån kiosk, and mails the photograph to Palmcrona. Then he runs to the Internet café and writes a note to Palmcrona to tell him that the photo has been sent. Björn then goes to his apartment and picks up his own and Penelope’s luggage for the trip, and goes to his boat, which is docked at the motorboat club harbor at Långholmen. When Penelope is through, she takes the subway from Karlaplan and apparently goes directly to Hornstull to walk the last stretch to Långholmen.”

“By now, the hit man has already ransacked Björn’s apartment and started a fire that has destroyed the entire floor.”

“But I’ve looked at that report,” Petter objects. “The fire inspectors said it was caused by an iron that was left on in the neighboring apartment.”

“I’m sure that’s exactly how it happened,” Joona says.

“Just as a gas explosion would be the official cause for the attempted fire in Penelope’s apartment,” Saga comments.

“The hit man’s plan was to obliterate any trace,” Joona continues. “When he did not find the photograph in Björn’s apartment, he burns everything and heads next to Björn’s boat.”

“He’s still searching for it,” Saga adds. “He plans to kill them both and disguise the murders in a boating ‘accident.’”

“What the hit man doesn’t know is that there has been a change in plan. Penelope’s sister, Viola, is also on the boat.”

Joona falls silent and thinks about the dead woman in the morgue. Her young, vulnerable face. The red mark across her chest.

Joona continues. “I believe the young people anchor at one of the islands around Jungfrufjärden close to Dalarö. Before the hit man arrives, Penelope and Björn have gone ashore for one reason or another. When the hit man climbs aboard, he mistakes Viola for her sister. He drowns her in a tub and puts her in the bed of the main cabin. He has to wait for Björn, and while he does that, he must have searched for the photograph. Since it’s not there, he occupies himself by completing the arrangement to have the boat explode. You have Erixson’s report on that. We are not sure what happens next, but somehow Björn and Penelope escape.”

“And the boat with Viola Fernandez on board is set adrift.”

“We don’t know how or where they run, but by Monday they’re on Kymmendö.”

Benny smiles. “At Ossian Wallenberg’s place? He was a good television MC, but I always had the feeling he wasn’t a good fit for this country.”

Carlos clears his throat and pours more coffee.

“When the hit man realizes he’s lost them, he goes to Penelope’s apartment to continue the search for the photograph,” Joona continues. “Erixson and I show up and foil his plan. Only when I’m facing him do I realize that we have a
grob
, an international hit man.”

“We’ve decided he’s able to tap into our police communications,” Saga says.

“Is that how he found Björn and Penelope on Kymmendö?” asks Petter.

“We’re not sure,” Joona answers.

“He’s very quick,” Saga says. “Apparently he went to Dalarö to search for Björn and Penelope soon after he escaped from Penelope’s apartment.”

“Why do you assume this hit man is working alone?” asks Carlos.

“At this level, that’s just how they do it,” says Joona.

“So what happens next?”

“We’re still reconstructing it,” Petter says. “Somehow he managed to hijack the police launch and kill Lennart Johansson and Göran Sjödin. Then he drives the boat to Kymmendö, where Björn Almskog and Ossian Wallenberg are murdered. He blows up the launch. He follows Penelope and shoots down the Rescue Service helicopter.”

“And disappears,” Carlos sighs.

“But Petter Näslund acted so quickly that Penelope Fernandez was saved in the end,” Joona says. He watches Pollock turn to Petter with interest.

“Of course, we’ve got to go through everything again in more detail,” Petter says grimly. Nevertheless, there is an undernote of pleasure at having his actions recognized.

“Well, what about this photograph? There’s got to be
something
there!” Carlos exclaims.

“It’s just a fucking photograph,” Petter says with a sigh.

“Seven people died because of it,” Joona says gravely. “And more are going to die if we don’t…”

Joona falls silent as he still looks out through the window.

“Maybe the photograph is a lock and we must hunt for the key,” he says.

“What key?” asks Petter.

“The photographer,” says Saga.

“Isn’t Penelope Fernandez the photographer?” says Pollock.

“Perhaps,” says Saga, drawing out the word.

“But?” asks Carlos.

“Where’s any evidence for someone else?” Benny demands.

“Joona doesn’t believe Penelope took that picture,” Saga says.

“What the fuck!” Petter almost screams.

Carlos shuts his mouth firmly. He looks at the table and is smart enough to keep quiet.

“Penelope is still in a state of shock and we do not yet know her role in this,” Saga says.

Nathan Pollock clears his throat and distributes copies of Carl Palmcrona’s will across the table.

“Palmcrona has a bank account on the island of Jersey,” he says.

“That wonderful tax haven.” Petter Näslund nods. He takes his snuff out from beneath his lip. He wipes his thumb on the table without noticing Carlos’s glance.

“Can we find out how much money he has in that account?” Verner asks.

“Officially, no,” Joona says. “However, according to this will, he estimates he has nine million euros.”

“His personal assets have taken a nosedive lately. It’s hard to understand how he managed to accumulate so much lawfully in such a short time,” Pollock states.

“Transparency International, the global agency fighting corruption, tells us they have nothing on Carl Palmcrona or anyone else in the ISP. Not even a rumor.

“Palmcrona’s fortune was willed to a sixteen-year-old boy by the name of Stefan Bergkvist. As it turns out, he is Palmcrona’s son. A son he’d never met in person—and a son who died in a freakish fire only three days after Palmcrona’s suicide.”

“The boy never knew who his father was,” Saga adds.

“According to the preliminary police report, it is an accidental death,” Carlos says.

“Of course. Accidental. But is there anyone in this room who believes it’s just a coincidence that Palmcrona’s son dies three days after Palmcrona’s suicide?”

“No, a coincidence it is not,” Carlos says.

“But that’s just sick,” Pollock exclaims. His cheeks flare red. “What motive would anyone have to murder a son Palmcrona never actually met?”

“What the hell is this all about?” Verner asks, rubbing his hands through his hair.

“Palmcrona keeps popping up again and again,” Joona says. He taps the photograph on the face of the smiling man. “He’s in the photograph. He’s been blackmailed. He’s found hanged. His son dies. He has nine million euros in the bank.”

“The money is interesting,” Saga says.

“We’ve looked at his life,” Pollock says. “He has no other family, no other interests, doesn’t invest in anything like stocks or—”

“So this accumulation of money in his bank account, it has to be connected in some way to his position as the general director of ISP,” Joona says.

“Maybe he was involved in insider trading using a dummy front,” Verner says.

“Or he took bribes,” Saga says.

“Follow the money,” Pollock whispers in English.

“Let’s have a chat with his successor, Axel Riessen,” Joona says, and gets ready to leave. “Anything odd or out of the way might be obvious to Riessen by now.”

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