The Girl in the Ice aka A Price for Everything

CHAPTER 23

The meeting with the profiler resumed when, a good hour later than promised, Konrad Simonsen again took his seat at the conference table. The episode with Arne Pedersen had lowered his spirits. Not so much the incident itself-Pedersen would get a good night’s sleep now, there was little doubt about that-but more as a result of his reflections on his colleagues and himself. The truth was that the male part of his inner circle, Simonsen included, was a sorry collection of wimps. Poul Troulsen was on the verge of retirement, Pedersen was bedevilled by compulsive thoughts due to a relationship he couldn’t handle, and Simonsen himself-well, what was there to say really? Perhaps he should be thinking about applying for a pre-retirement position, somewhere he could wind down gradually while letting the younger men take over the big investigations. One thing was certain: if he were to remain in the saddle, he needed a colleague among his small circle of assistants with some strength in him, one who could kick down a few doors without getting out of breath.

Simonsen concentrated on the meeting and summarised the previous findings as he turned to the psychologist.

“You rejected grouping Andreas Falkenborg among the thrill killer, lust killer and power seeker groups of serial murderers. When I left, you were going to review other possible groups.”

The psychologist continued his review, as if the interruption had lasted only a few moments and not over an hour. Berg and Troulsen also acted as if this type of break in their meetings was normal. No one asked about Pedersen.

“A possible grouping is gain killers-that is, serial murderers who achieve material goods or financial gain by their murders. But we can rule this out. Then there are two relatively synonymous groups, namely visionaries and missionaries. The first group is guided by voices or thinks that in some other way they are directed from outside, for example through a spirit who has possessed the neighbour’s dog, to take a specific example. The second group sees it as their mission in life to free the world from a particular type of person, whom they consider to be a danger. Here there are actually some slight points of resemblance with Andreas Falkenborg. The ghost’s mask could fit into that pattern, and also his victims’ marked external similarity, but serial killers in both these groups are almost always psychotic or schizophrenic, and that does not apply in his case. In addition they are seldom organised to such an extreme degree as he is, and-this is the most significant point-as a rule they are of low intelligence, with an IQ between ninety and one hundred. Falkenborg’s intelligence quotient is significantly higher.”

Simonsen interjected, “So there is only one group left, as far as I can see.”

“Yes, that’s correct. The final group is hedonist killers, that is, serial murderers who simply find enjoyment in killing other people. This group is very uncommon in its purest form-that is, where there is not also an element of dominance or sadism. I don’t consider the lipstick, the nail clipping and the similarity between victims to fit with this profile either. And definitely not the fact that on the one hand he is uncommonly persistent with respect to Rikke Barbara Hvidt, even after his first attempt fails, but then gives up the minute she cuts her hair. To witness her death, with her hair cut short, would obviously give him no satisfaction. I have never heard of such an exclusive hedonist before, nor anyone as tireless in pursuit of his victims once he has chosen them.”

Troulsen asked, “But you would not completely rule it out? That the motive is pure enjoyment of killing?”

The psychologist considered for a moment. “This is not an exact science, but… No, it simply can’t be correct.”

He looked at Simonsen, who said, “So what could be correct?”

“Tell me, how interested have you been in his childhood? I have read almost nothing about that period.”

It was Pauline Berg who responded.

“That’s because there is almost nothing documented. But obviously that’s a mistake?”

“Yes, that is a mistake. Almost all serial murderers have had a dysfunctional childhood, which often involves sexual abuse, the parents’ abuse of drugs or alcohol combined with exaggeratedly harsh punishment for insignificant offences. One of the classic reaction modes for the child is to resort to daydreams, which later in life may develop into a fantasy universe. This may very well be lived out in parallel with the person’s regular life and concealed from those around him.”

Troulsen raised an objection.

“We have nothing that points in that direction, his childhood home seems normal enough.”

“Then dig deeper, because his childhood home was not normal. Something or other in his childhood or early adolescence has left its mark on him and led him to kill two women. Or three, if you will. Maybe there is a single, overriding circumstance you need to find, typically one that involves a death, or else there is a general failure of care combined with abnormality between his parents. Possibly both at once.”

Simonsen asked, “Is this where the mask comes into the picture?”

“Yes, though that’s not necessarily to say that you are looking for an episode in his childhood specifically involving a mask, whereas I am guessing that red lipstick and long fingernails do figure somewhere in his background. His mask, on the other hand, he more likely uses to conceal himself from the real world while he lives out his fantasy. The covered face is his protection and at the same time a way to activate his fantasy. Not as dominance in the usual sense, more as a means of being taken seriously, and possibly also in his own self-understanding avenges a childhood injustice.”

“What about the type of woman he pursues? Does this also derive from his childhood?”

“That’s my guess, and I think he is afraid of that type of woman. That is why he does not seek them out himself. But once they intrude on him, he is forced to react. For him they are a life-threatening danger, and therefore he has to conquer them and ultimately eradicate them, whatever the cost. Perhaps the action of killing itself involves some form of regression-that is, a return to childhood-but on the other hand he knows full well that he is doing something wrong, both before, during and after his murders.”

“What is the probability that he will confess when we confront him with the evidence we have against him-as slender as that might be at the moment?”

“That I don’t know. He is intelligent and can presumably assess for himself how seriously he is implicated, in legal terms, and what is only speculation on our part. On the other hand it will be painful for him to realise that other people have seen through his deepest secrets. He is unusually naive besides, and this particular character trait may very well prove to be decisive.”

Simonsen attempted a conclusion.

“But will it be doubly painful for him if we can directly refer to motives stemming from his childhood?”

“Painful times ten. I’m guessing he couldn’t handle that. But as I said, I don’t know. Bear in mind that he has been living a double life for many years.”

Troulsen had a question.

“Does he take trophies? Say, something he stores at home?”

“Hardly. He has no desire to be reminded of the women, more likely he prefers to forget them entirely. Or that’s my guess.”

“What about his business as a professional spy and eaves-dropper?”

“Perhaps that too has its background in his upbringing, business often does, but I don’t want to speculate further.”

Troulsen consulted the notepad he had in front of him and said, “I would like to hear more about his childishness. It keeps coming up. Is he really childish or has he mentally gone off the tracks? I mean, has he developed abnormally?”

“If you are thinking about a personality disorder such as Asperger’s, Tourette’s, autism, ADHD, any of these diagnoses, the answer is clearly no. These disorders are burdensome for those affected and their surroundings, but they definitely do not create serial killers, although I will grant that sometimes they incorporate a certain element of childishness. Perhaps it is better to think of him as a person who easily lets himself be dominated. Uncommonly easily, I would say, based on what I’ve read about him so far.”

Simonsen looked around. No one had any more questions. He gathered together his papers and concluded, as he let his eyes run over his two remaining associates, “Falkenborg’s childhood. Keep working on that and get some groups organised. Playmates, hobbies, studies, teachers, and above all his parents, the whole kit and caboodle, everything we can find. If he scraped his knee at an end-of-season dance or stumbled on the first verse of a hymn, I want to know it. And as quickly as humanly possible.”