Postcard killers

Chapter 122

The meeting broke up and the members of the investigating team went back to their respective rooms. Everyone was excited about the new leads but also shocked about the Rudolphs being on the loose.

Jacob and Dessie ended up sitting beside the coffee machine in the unofficial staff room on the fourth floor. On the table in front of them was a map of northern Europe.

"They never go back to where a murder was committed," Jacob said.

"They keep moving on to new places, new countries."

Dessie ran her hand over the map.

"So we can probably discount Denmark, Norway, and Germany," she said.

"They know things are heating up," Jacob said. "They'l want to lie low for a while now. So they'l avoid any transport that involves passenger lists.

They won't pay with credit cards or anything that means they have to provide ID. So where the hel are they going, and how?"

Dessie put both hands over the Stockholm district on the map.

"They're pretty much broke," she said, "and they're on the run."

"So?" Jacob said.

"They'l steal a car," Dessie said. "If you're right, they're heading for Finland."

Jacob looked at the map, his finger landing on the Baltic Sea.

"Why not a boat? It's only a couple of inches to the Baltic states."

"In this country we guard our leisure craft like they were gold reserves.

It's much easier to steal a car. Then they'l have to get up to Haparanda."

She indicated a point on the map where the two countries met. "That's over a thousand kilometers from here."

"So they're behaving like petty criminals again," Jacob said.

"There are no motorways north of Uppsala. The E-four isn't bad, but there are speed cameras the whole way. They'l have to drive up inland, past Ockelbo, Bol nas, Ljusdal, Ange…"

Jacob fol owed her finger as it moved along the narrow, winding roads 164 leading up the oblong country.

"Your home territory," he said. "When wil they get to the border? How long?"

Dessie bit her lip.

"They'l have to stick to the speed limit – they can't risk getting stopped for speeding. And there's a lot of wildlife out on those roads. Elk, deer, maybe reindeer farther north…"

"Are there self-serve gas pumps where they can pay cash to refuel without being seen?"

"They're everywhere," Dessie said.

Jacob ran his hands through his hair.

"We've got to check al cars stolen in Stockholm this morning, and any that are stolen in the north of Sweden over the next few hours."

He put his index finger on the map and screwed his eyes shut. Postcard Kil ers, he thought, where the hel are you?