The Fire Witness

134

Saga is still swearing as she storms outside onto Kungsbro Bridge. She has to force herself to walk more slowly while she tries to calm down. Her cell phone in the pocket of her hoodie rings. She pulls it out and looks at the display. It’s her boss at Säpo.

“We have an inquiry from the National Police,” says Verner, his deep voice rumbling in her ear. “I’ve checked on Jimmy and Jan Petersson, but they can’t do it, and I’m not sure Göran Stone is up to it.”

“What’s it about?”

“The interrogation of a minor, a girl. She’s psychologically unstable, and the head of the preliminary investigation needs someone trained in questioning techniques and who also has some experience-”

“So that’s why you went to Jimmy first,” Saga says, not hiding her irritation. “But why Jan Petersson? Why would you ask him before you’d ask me? And why in the world would you ever think that Göran Stone…”

Saga forces herself to shut up.

“You want a fight?” asks Verner with a sigh.

“Who the hell went to Pullach and did the German National Defense training and-”

“Please-”

“I’m not finished! You know I was there when Muhammed al-Abdaly was interrogated.”

“But you weren’t the head of the investigation.”

“No, but I was the one who made him spill. Whatever.”

She ends the call. She thinks she’ll resign tomorrow.

The cell phone rings again.

“Okay, Saga, we’ll put you on it.”

“Just shut up!” she yells, and turns off the phone.

Carlos spills fish food on his jacket when Anja flings his office door open. He starts to scrape the flakes into his palm but then his desk phone rings.

“Can you please put it on speaker?” he asks Anja.

“It’s Verner,” Anja says as she presses the button.

“What a surprise,” Carlos says cheerfully as he brushes his hands over the aquarium.

“It’s Verner here again. Sorry it took me a while to get back to you.”

“Not to worry.”

“Well, I’ve looked high and low but all my best guys are already on loan to Alex Allan at the Joint Intelligence Committee,” says the head of Säpo. He clears his throat. “We have one woman, though. You might have met her. Saga Bauer. She might be able to sit in.”

Anja leans toward the telephone and barks, “So, sit in and look pretty, is that what you mean?”

“Hello? Who’s that?” asks Verner.

“Shut up!” Anja hisses. “I know Saga Bauer and I can tell you that Säpo doesn’t deserve such a hardworking, diligent-”

“Anja,” Carlos says, wiping his hands on his trousers and placing himself between her and the phone on his desk.

“Sit down!” Anja roars.

Carlos sits down at the same time as Verner’s voice says, “I am sitting down.”

“You call Saga right up and beg her pardon,” Anja says to the speaker.