The Rabbit Hunter

55

While Saga is taking a shower at the boxing club, Joona calls Carlos to make sure that the police have gone to Ratjen’s home. He tries calling five times before giving up and leaving a voicemail saying that he’s out of prison, and wants to question Absalon Ratjen as soon as possible.

‘We might be able to stop the killer before anyone else dies,’ he concludes.

Joona and Saga leave the boxing club and walk together towards the car park.

‘Verner promised to take care of your release himself,’ Saga says.

‘If I don’t hear anything I have to be back at the prison in three hours.’

They cross the street and walk through the black gates. Suddenly Saga stops.

‘My phone just died,’ she says, holding it up. ‘Look, it’s been blocked. I’ll have to go to the office and find out what’s happened.’

They reach Joona’s Volvo, then see two serious-looking men wearing dark suits and earpieces heading in their direction.

‘Move away from the car, Bauer,’ the younger of the two agents calls out.

Taking her laptop out of her gym bag, Saga does as he says.

‘Is this Verner’s idea?’ she asks.

‘Give us the laptop,’ the older agent with cropped grey hair says.

‘This one?’ Saga asks, unable to hold back a grin.

‘Yes,’ he replies, and holds out his hand.

She tosses the laptop over the roof of the car, and it spins through the air before Joona catches it without changing his expression.

The two agents switch direction and start walking towards him. Melodic folk music is streaming out from an open window at the school. Joona stands still with the computer in his hand. The men walk around the car and approach with don’t-mess-with-us expressions.

‘That laptop is being sequestered according to paragraph—’

Just before they reach him Joona throws the laptop across the car roof again. Saga catches it with one hand and takes a step back.

‘This is just childish,’ the older agent says, struggling to suppress an involuntary smile.

They turn around again and start walking towards Saga. The younger one adjusts the cuffs of his sleeves.

‘You realise you’re going to have to give us the computer,’ he says patiently.

‘No,’ Saga replies.

Before they reach her she drops the thin laptop between the grille of a drain-cover. There’s a splash as it hits the water below. The two agents stop and stare at her.

‘That was a bit stupid, wasn’t it?’ the older agent says with a frown.

‘You have to come with us, Bauer,’ the other one says.

‘You should have seen the looks on your faces,’ she says, smiling, and heads off along the side of the building with the two agents.

She’s much shorter than them, and her leather jacket shimmers damply from her wet hair.

‘Do you want me to do anything for you?’ Joona calls after her.

‘You need to call Verner,’ she replies, turning to look at him. ‘He promised you wouldn’t have to go back to prison.’

Once Saga is in the agents’ car and they’ve driven off, Joona takes out his phone and tries Carlos again, then calls the Security Police Communication Centre.

‘Security Police.’

‘I want to speak to Verner Sandén,’ Joona says.

‘He’s in a meeting right now.’

‘He needs to take this call.’

‘Who shall I say is calling?’ the woman asks.

‘Joona Linna. He knows who I am.’

The line crackles, then Joona hears a recorded voice encouraging him to follow the Security Police on Twitter and Facebook. The voice stops abruptly when the woman comes back.

‘He says he doesn’t know you,’ she says in a reserved voice.

‘Tell him—’

‘He’s in a meeting and can’t take any calls right now,’ she interrupts, then ends the call before he has time to say anything else.

Even though Joona knows there’s no point, he calls the main government building and says that the Prime Minister is expecting a call from him. In a friendly voice, the secretary asks Joona to send an email to the admin department.

‘The address is on our website,’ he says, then hangs up.

Joona gets in the car and dials Janus Mickelsen’s number, but the call doesn’t go through and an automated voice informs him that the number is not in use. He tries the other contacts on the borrowed phone, but none of the numbers is in use now.

He looks at his watch.

If he starts driving now, he can be back at Kumla in time. He has no alternative. He can’t risk getting an extended prison sentence.

He starts the car and reverses out, then stops to let a woman and guide-dog pass on the pavement before turning right towards Norrtull.

The news on the radio includes a report that says the security services have averted a major attack on Sweden. As usual, no details of the operation are given, including whether the suspected terrorists were arrested. The Security Police’s Press Officer has issued a statement praising comprehensive strategic surveillance and a highly successful operation.