The Girl in the Ice aka A Price for Everything

CHAPTER 56

Marcus Kolding and Konrad Simonsen met in Hareskoven, by coincidence less than three kilometres from where Pauline Berg sat alone in the bunker, fighting for her life. They left their cars and walked side by side through the forest in the pleasant sunny weather. Simonsen started by thanking the man for his assistance in identifying the Finnish girl, Elizabeth Juutilainen, and received an indifferent shrug in response. Their subsequent conversation was barbaric, primitive, but also rewarding for both of them. Life for one, death for the other -the comment by the head of DSIS to Simonsen after the meeting at the Ministry of Justice was about to become bloody reality. Marcus Kolding considered the homicide chief’s proposal for a long time before he summarised in a neutral tone.

“I kidnap and torture your mass murderer, until he comes out with where he has hidden the women. In return you tell me the name of the informer you say I have in my organisation.”

“Yes, that’s the deal.”

“What about the psychopath… What’s his name again, I’ve forgotten it?”

“Andreas Falkenborg.”

“Do you want him back alive?”

They walked a dozen steps before it occurred to Kolding that he would not get an answer. Then he said in a business-like way, “Okay, I understand.”

The only controversy between the two men was about when Kolding would get his information. Simonsen held firmly to his proposal.

“When you get him to talk-not before.”

“How do I know that you won’t cheat me? Although that would be very stupid of you, obviously.”

“You can’t know that, and stop threatening me. You have to trust that you’ll get what I’ve promised you.”

“Or that these aren’t false accusations against one of my employees that you have fabricated to suit your agenda?”

“They will be in a form which you can judge for yourself.”

“An audio recording?”

“You’ll have to see.”

Doctor Cold confirmed the horse trade by standing still and extending his hand. Simonsen took it with displeasure. They agreed on the practical details and soon they were back at the cars, where neither of them felt compelled to shake hands again. Simonsen left first; his interlocutor sat in his car and waited a few minutes, while in the meantime he rubbed his large snout with characteristic rotary movements.