Postcard killers

Chapter 79

They were sitting in Matts Duval 's room when the press spokesman of the Criminal Investigation Department contacted them and confirmed that the situation with the media was chaotic, almost completely out of control. This sort of thing just didn't happen in Sweden. And imagine if they discovered the police had made mistakes.

Stockholm was besieged by foreign newspapers and television crews – especial y American ones. The Postcard Kil ers saga had al the ingredients of a real y juicy criminal scandal. Good grief – two young Americans with Hol ywood good looks who were either notorious serial kil ers or the victims of a terrible miscarriage of justice. It didn't matter which of these it was, they were both "Breaking News."

"We'l have to hold a press conference," Sara Hoglund said. "We have no choice."

"And say what?" Jacob wondered. "That we haven't found a thing that connects them to the crime? That the prosecutor thinks we've been holding the wrong people?"

"Wel," Mats Duval said. "We've got something. They've been traveling throughout Europe al the while these murders have been going on."

"And can come up with alibis for several of them," Jacob said. "When the Athens murders were committed, they were definitely in Madrid. They were in the south of Spain when the couple was found in Salzburg. And in the countries where they withdrew cash, Norway and Belgium, there haven't been any murders at al."

"So, now you think they're innocent?" Gabriel a said.

"Not for a second," Jacob said. "We just haven't got the evidence yet, that's al. They're clever and they've covered their tracks pretty good."

"We've stil got to handle the press," Sara Hoglund said. "Several of the main channels have already done their own vignettes on the Rudolphs, with music and everything."

Jacob stood up.

"We've got to knock a hole in their defense," he said. "We've got to continue to provoke them into making mistakes."

He stopped in front of Sara Hoglund.

"Let me question them," he said. "Let Dessie interview them. Let us talk to them both together."

Sara Hoglund got to her feet.

"You're not exactly the shy, retiring type, are you? What makes you think that a reporter on the evening paper and a desperate father would be better at breaking down criminals than experienced murder investigators?"

"With al due respect," Jacob said, forcing himself to sound calm and col ected, "you aren't the only murder cops in this room. And I'm American.

You don't pick up the nuances in the language."

"And Dessie Larsson can?"

"She's written a doctoral thesis on criminology. In English. Have you?"

Dessie stood up as wel.

"I've done it before," she said in a quiet voice.

Jacob and Sara Hoglund looked at her in surprise.

"I've interviewed criminals during ongoing investigations," she said.

"Without pen and paper, or a tape recorder, of course, and under police supervision, but it wouldn't be the first time."

"What do we stand to gain from it?" Mats Duval asked. "Please tel me that."

"What do you stand to lose?" asked Jacob.