The Redbreast

75

Moller's Office. 11 May 2000.

'Well?' Moller said, after Harry and Halvorsen had taken their first sip of coffee and Harry, with a grimace, had told him what he thought of it.

'I think the connection between the newspaper article and the killing is a dead duck.'

'Why?' Moller stretched back in his chair.

'In Weber's opinion, the killer had been hiding in the forest since early in the day, so at most a few hours after Dagbladet had hit the stands. This was not a spontaneous action; it was a well-planned attack. The killer had known he was going to shoot Brandhaug for some days. He had been out to recce the area; he knew about Brandhaug's comings and goings; he had found the best place to fire from, with the least risk of being seen; he knew how he was going to get in and out, hundreds of tiny details.'

'So you think this is the murder he bought the Marklin rifle for?’

‘Maybe. Maybe not.'

'Thanks. That got us a long way,' Moller said acidly.

I only mean that it is a possibility. On the other hand, it's all completely out of proportion. It seems slightly over the top to smuggle in the world's most expensive assassination rifle to kill a high-ranking though relatively nondescript bureaucrat without a bodyguard or any security staff. Any hitman could literally ring the doorbell and shoot him with a handgun at close range. This is a little like… like…'

Harry made circle movements with his hands.

'Shooting sparrows with a cannon,' Halvorsen said.

'Exactly,' Harry said.

'Hm.' Moller closed his eyes. And what kind of role do you see for yourself in the continuing investigation, Harry?'

'As a kind of sweeper,' Harry smiled. 'I'm the guy from POT who does his own thing, but can request assistance from all other departments whenever necessary. Who reports to Meirik, but has access to all the documents in the case. Who asks questions, but can't be questioned. That sort of thing.'

'What about a licence to kill as well?' Moller said. 'And a very fast car?'

'In fact, this is not my idea,' Harry said. 'Meirik has just been talking to the Chief Constable.'

'The Chief Constable?'

'Yup. I suppose you'll get an email about it during the course of the day. The Brandhaug case has top priority from this minute and the Chief Constable does not want to leave any stone unturned. This is one of those FBI deals where investigation teams have to some degree overlapping duties in order to avoid the standardisation of ideas you get on big cases. You must have read about it.'

'No.'

'The point is that even if you have to duplicate a few of the jobs, and even if the same investigative work is carried out several times by different teams, this is more than outweighed by the advantages of different approaches and different lines of investigation.’

'Thank you,' Moller said. 'What has this got to do with me? Why are you sitting here now?'

'Because, as I said, I can request assistance from all other -’

‘… departments if necessary. I heard that. Spit it out, Harry' Harry angled his head towards Halvorsen, who was smiling somewhat sheepishly at Moller. Moller groaned.

'Please, Harry! You know we're down to the bare bones in Crime Squad.'

I promise you'll get him back in good condition.' I said no!'

Harry said nothing. He waited, entwining his fingers and studying the cheap reproduction of Kittelsen's Soria Maria Castle hanging on the wall over the book shelves.

'When will I get him back?' Moller asked.

'As soon as the case is over.'

'As soon… That's how a section head answers an inspector, Harry. Not the other way around.' Harry shrugged. 'Sorry, boss.'