Postcard killers

Chapter 60

Dessie took a deep breath and stared hard at the photograph in front of her.

A naked young man was lying on his stomach along the back of what looked like a leather Chesterfield-style sofa. Both of his hands were stretched above his head. On the left side of the sofa sat a young woman with her hands placed demurely in her lap.

On her head she was wearing Mickey Mouse ears.

The sofa was in front of a large window. The picture had been taken from a low angle, meaning that the bodies were shot with the daylight coming from behind them.

"Mil esgarden," Gabriel a said.

Mats Duval looked at her.

"Do you recognize the setting?"

She nodded her head.

"The artwork they're imitating. The man is supposed to be the flying statue in the garden outside. The woman might represent one of the animal sculptures that were in an exhibition there this past winter."

"Get the security recordings from Mil esgarden," the superintendent said, and one of the detectives disappeared through the door. "What does this business with works of art mean in this context?"

"We don't know yet," Gabriel a said. "So far it's just a theory."

Dessie squinted and held the picture closer to her face. Either she needed glasses or the picture was bad.

"I don't know, but maybe…," she said hesitantly.

"What?" Jacob said.

She pointed at a shadow next to the man's forehead.

"There," she said. "That could be a balustrade or a railing. Because it's so high up, it must be on the roof of a tal building."

"And?"

"Railings like that are unusual on residential buildings in Stockholm, unless they're to stop snow from sliding off the roof. This must be some official building."

"For instance?"

She hesitated and fiddled with her pen.

"Wel, I might be wrong…"

"Jesus!" Jacob shouted. "Spit it out!"

Dessie jumped and dropped her pen.

"The Royal Palace," she said.

Jacob blinked.

"The Royal Palace? How's that? Have the kil ers checked in with the king?"

She shook her head.

"The palace is in the background. That's what I see. The murder scene is exactly opposite."

Mats Duval stood up.

"The Grand Hotel," he said on his way to the door.