The Nightmare

76

Carlos, Saga, and Joona are heading down the long hallway to Säpo headquarters. Verner Zandén is already waiting for them, and without unnecessary greetings, he speaks the minute they’ve shut the door behind them.

“Klara Olofsdotter at the International Prosecutor’s Office is in on this. I don’t have to tell you, this is a big stakeout for CID and Säpo. But who the hell are we trying to catch?”

“We know next to nothing about him,” Saga says. “We don’t even know if he’s working alone or if he’s part of a team of professional killers from Belgium, or Brazil, or even leftover operatives from the KGB or from the former Eastern bloc.”

“It’s not very difficult to listen in on our radio communications,” Carlos admits.

“This man knows Penelope’s being protected and it will be difficult to get at her,” Joona says. “But there are always small chances: at times a door must be opened, guards change, people bring her food, she’ll have to meet her mother, confer with a psychologist, and she’s planning to meet Niklas Dent from the NHS-”

Joona stops talking when his cell phone rings. He checks the display and clicks it to voice mail.

“Of course, our first priority is Penelope,” Saga says. “But even while protecting her, we feel we might have a chance to catch this man who’s murdered so many of our colleagues.”

“I don’t have to remind you that he’s extremely dangerous,” Joona says. “None of us will meet a more dangerous human.”

The secure apartment, at Storgatan 1, has a window that faces Sibyllegatan with a view over Östermalm Square. There are no apartment buildings across the street and the closest building is at least one hundred meters away.

Saga Bauer holds the steel door open at street level for Dr. Daniella Richards to lead Penelope Fernandez from an iron-gray police bus. Armored Säpo guards surround them.

“This is the most secure aboveground apartment in all of Stockholm,” Saga explains.

Penelope doesn’t seem to notice her words. She just follows Dr. Richards to the elevator. Security cameras proliferate around the entry hall and the stairwell.

“We’ve put in motion detectors, an advanced alarm system, and two encrypted direct lines to Central Control,” Saga tells Penelope as the elevator heads up.

On the fourth floor, Penelope is brought through a heavy door to yet another locked door, which yet another uniformed officer opens, letting them into the apartment.

“This apartment has tremendous protection against fire,” Saga says. “It has its own electrical generator and its own ventilation system.”

“You’re safe here,” Dr. Richards says gently.

Penelope raises her face and looks at the doctor with an empty expression.

“Thanks,” she finally says, almost soundlessly.

“I can stay with you if that’s what you want.”

Penelope shakes her head. Dr. Richards and Saga wait for a long moment before they turn to leave.

Penelope locks the door behind them and then walks over to one of the bulletproof windows with a view of Östermalm Square. The window is opaque from outside. She looks down and understands that some of the people moving about on the square must be police in disguise.

She slowly touches the window. She can hear nothing from the outside world.

The doorbell rings.

Penelope jumps and her heart starts to pound.

She walks over to the monitor, finds the intercom button, and presses it. The female officer’s face appears and she says that Penelope’s mother has arrived.

“Penny? Penny?” her mother’s anxious voice asks from behind the officer.

Penelope presses the combination to the door lock and hears the mechanism tick an answer before she can open the heavy steel door.

“Mamma,” she says quietly. The sound of her own voice drops into the apartment’s oppressive silence.

Penelope lets her mother into the room, then closes and locks the door. After that, she can’t seem to move. She presses her lips together and feels her body start to tremble. She forces all feeling from her face.

She glances up at her mother but doesn’t dare meet her eyes. She waits for her mother’s tirade and accusations because she wasn’t able to protect Viola.

Claudia has stopped and takes a slow look around.

“Are they taking good care of you, Penny?” she asks.

“I’m fine now.”

“But they have to guard you.”

“They are, so I’m safe here.”

“That’s all that matters,” Claudia says in words almost beyond hearing.

Penelope tries to swallow her tears.

“There’s so much I have to take care of now,” her mother says, and turns her face away. “I… I just can’t realize that I have to arrange Viola’s funeral.”

Penelope nods slowly. Her mother reaches out her hand to touch Penelope’s cheek, but Penelope startles back and her mother jerks her hand away.

“They tell me that it will be over soon,” Penelope says. “The police think they’ll get that man… the man… who killed Viola and Björn.”

Claudia nods and looks at her daughter with a face so naked and unprotected that Penelope is surprised to see her smile. “Just think, you are alive!” Claudia says thickly. “Just think, I have you again! It’s all that matters now… It’s the only thing that matters.”

“Mamma.”

“My little girl.”

Claudia reaches out her hand again, and this time Penelope does not shy away.