Was this a setup? Elin decided to tell the truth, anyway.
“Yes.”
“To satisfy your curiosity.”
“Yes,” Elin replied, uncertain.
“And play a little private detective at the same time?”
Elin nodded vigorously.
“OK, then I’m in.”
Great—it wasn’t a trap, after all! Elin gave Maja a huge hug. “Cool! This is awesome.”
“Wow, you really are passionate about this.” Maja laughed. “But I’m not going along with just any old bullshit.”
“Yeah right, gotcha.”
The two of them started getting ready. They brought along various paraphernalia for their disguises and also a couple of self-defense items since you never knew what could happen.
Elin wanted to take a closer look at the hooded man from Södertälje. She had also managed to identify the other guy, which was easy. She had chatted with the elderly woman who lived in his building while she helped her with her shopping bags. Elin had asked about the balding man on the top floor, and the elderly lady had instantly recalled his name. Lars then had an old police chum of his run both names through the police database. There was nothing on the balding guy, but the guy in the hoodie had been placed on probation a year ago for illegal drug possession. That was probably why he had been so careful about the stolen car. In any case, that was why Elin thought it would probably be more worth her while to check him out rather than the other guy. She didn’t yet have a concrete plan, but she figured it would come to her.
Finding his address was easy. He lived in an eight-story apartment building on the outskirts of Södertälje. Since they didn’t know exactly which apartment he lived in, she and Maja had simply watched the entrance. And they were lucky. After just shy of half an hour, the guy emerged minus his hoodie, so that Elin was unsure at first. He was wearing jeans and a long green parka. But his slightly hunched-over posture and his limping gait seemed familiar, and when the man walked over to the Mustang, that clinched it for her.
Earlier, Elin had slipped a tracker onto the underside of the Mustang, which made following good ol’ Per Brorsson an easy task. He drove to downtown Södertälje and pulled into a parking garage whose entrance was next to an O’Leary’s pub. Across from the entrance, the wind was rippling over the waters of Maren, a connecting arm between the Baltic Sea and Lake Mälaren. Thanks to this arm of water, Södertälje had a small harbor and several promenades that ran along the water’s edge.
Elin stopped in front of the entrance. “I’ll follow our friend on foot,” she said to Maja. “Can you stay close to the car? We may still need some wheels.”
“Sure, no problem.”
Elin had stuck a tracker in her own pocket so that Maja could find her more easily if she needed to. She had also hung her camera around her neck. It had a telephoto lens and in that way was far superior to her smartphone. And besides, it made her look more like a tourist.
Now Elin got out of the car and took her place beside a kiosk on the promenade. From there, she had a good view of the entrance to the parking garage. There were lots of people out and about, which was typical of a Saturday afternoon. She wouldn’t stand out.
Maja turned on the engine and started to drive away. It didn’t take long before Per came down the long stairway. He looked around on every side and finally headed Elin’s way as he walked along the water.
Per seemed somewhat wary. Had he noticed something? Elin had to be careful, so she followed at a safe distance. Per was walking at a brisk pace along the water. It wasn’t easy keeping him in her sights: there were people heading in all directions and children running this way and that. It was a sunny Saturday, and there was clearly a lot going on.
The guy continued past the backside of a parking lot, where he turned onto a street that curved away from the water. This made it easier for Elin to pursue him since there were fewer people on the sidewalk, although there was also a greater risk of being noticed. She decided to switch to the other side of the road. Per crossed the street at the next intersection and turned into a small park. The sign read Stadspark, or “city park.”
Elin followed the guy to a small fountain, where he sat down on a bench. She kept walking and finally took a seat in a small glass booth that served as a bus stop. From there, if she craned her neck, she could see across the bush to the bench where Per was sitting. She then phoned Maja and described her location. Maja said she would come and park nearby.
Elin stretched her neck some more and noticed a teenager joining Per. They exchanged something between them, but it happened so quickly that Elin couldn’t tell what it was. By the time she had her camera in position and had removed the stupid cap from the lens, the teenager had already gotten up and left. What a pile of crap—she had missed it. But Per remained seated, which gave Elin hope that something more might happen. And she was right. Not five minutes had passed when a man in a suit came sauntering by, looked around, and sat down next to Per. This time Elin had her camera in place and could make out every detail. She switched it to video and filmed what happened. The two of them were talking to each other without looking at one another, but Elin could clearly see that their lips were moving. Then the man reached into one of his side pockets, pulled out a couple of bills, and slipped them to Per, who put them in his own pocket. Per then took out a small plastic bag that contained something white and passed it to the man. After the man had pocketed it, he looked both ways, rose from his seat, and sauntered off again.
Good ol’ Per had remained true to his career: he was still dealing.
55
It was a beautiful day, so they took the children to the ABBA Museum. The museum had only been around for two years, and until now, Liv hadn’t had a chance to go. Saga had been really excited to see it. Martin liked ABBA’s music, but he had been skeptical about what more a museum could offer him. The main point, though, was to do something together, and since the zoos and the amusement park Gröna Lund were closed at this time of the year, he was OK with the museum.
It turned out to be a pleasant surprise—it really was very well done. Of course, there were the typical items on display: pictures, gold records, and other memorabilia. But the interactive exhibits were the best part. You could take a seat at a mixer in a sound studio, climb into a helicopter, or rock out on the dance floor. The children loved the last part the most. And in the end, even Martin joined in.
After the museum, they went to a nearby restaurant. The kids had hamburgers and french fries, while Liv and Martin had the most deliciously prepared fish.
The children had now gone to their rooms. Hampus was at his PlayStation and was racing cars. Saga was tired and was sleeping. Liv had been somewhat quiet since they had returned. Maybe she was also tired. She was opening a bottle of red wine while Martin, after his third attempt, had finally managed to get the fire going. He didn’t have a fireplace at home and had imagined the whole process to be easier. After Liv had explained to him that you had to leave enough space between the logs to let the air through, it had finally worked. Now they were sitting in front of the fire sipping their wine.
“Are you tired?” Martin asked her.
“No, not really.” Liv shook her head without looking at him.
Martin waited, but she said nothing.
“You’re quiet tonight. Is something bothering you?”
Liv hesitated. She glanced at Martin and then looked back at her glass.
“Yeah, I don’t know.” She took a sip of her wine and stared at the fire.
Martin didn’t want to pry, but this was his last evening there. If she had something on her mind, then he would love to know what it was.
“Do you want to talk about it, Liv? Can I help in some way?”
She took another sip. Then she glanced at him briefly again. Something was not quite right. Finally, she cleared her throat.
“You’re taking off tomorrow,” she said.
So that was it.
&nbs
p; “I am,” replied Martin. “I’d love to stay longer, but I have my law practice, and my daughter is also coming to visit.”
“I understand that, Martin.” Liv was now looking him in the face. “I’m very grateful to you for coming, especially on such short notice and without hesitating. And also that you were there for me. I have no idea how I could have managed without you.”
Martin could feel himself blushing.
“But that’s a given, Liv.”
“No, it isn’t. I can’t think of anyone else who would have done that for me.”
“Well, regardless, I’m here for you if you need me.”
Liv looked back at the fire, shifted in her seat, and started playing with a strand of hair, just as she always did when she was nervous. She cleared her throat again.
“That’s very sweet of you. But, well, that’s also what’s bothering me.” She paused and looked at him. There was a question in her big, blue eyes. “Exactly why are you here for me?”
What should he say to that? Martin felt a bit uncomfortable. What was she driving at?
“I mean, you already rescued me once—in the fall. Do you now feel responsible for me? Like in the Chinese saying: once you’ve saved another person’s life, then you’re responsible for that person forever afterwards because you intervened in his fate?”
Wow, now things were getting complicated. Martin had the feeling that no matter what he said, it would be wrong. Better to keep quiet. He smiled, shook his head, and looked into her blue eyes.
“Or to put it another way: what exactly am I to you? Am I like a little sister who’s always in need of help?”
“No, not at all.” Martin plucked up his courage. He had to tell her what he felt. It was obvious it wasn’t clear to her.
“Liv, I would love to tell you what you mean to me. I just didn’t trust myself until now because the conditions were never right. There was always some kind of danger or stress. And then there was your family and the bit with your husband. I didn’t want to get the timing wrong.”
Liv looked at him expectantly.
“I’ll be honest with you,” he continued. “I fell in love with you the first time we met.”
There. Now it was out.
Liv stared at him in disbelief. “Really?”
“Yes, and the feeling has only grown stronger. I think you’re a wonderful woman and that you’ve done an amazing job dealing with all these tough situations. And yes, I ... I would love to be with you. But I don’t know how you feel about that.”
“Oh, Martin.”
He could see the tears welling up in her blue eyes.
“I also liked you from the very beginning,” she said. “And I was so impressed that you risked yourself and did so much for me without even knowing me. And I also feel so safe with you. That’s why I felt I needed you here when that happened to Saga. But ... what I don’t understand is … well, not that long ago, I went in to you during the night. And please don’t misunderstand me: it was nice lying next to you, and I felt very safe. But ... didn’t you want me as a woman?”
So that was it. No matter what he did, it could be taken the wrong way.
“Liv, of course! I had to fight to restrain myself. Because I didn’t want to exploit the situation. You were desperate, and the relationship was too important to me to start getting intimately involved with you. If something ever did happen between us, I wouldn’t want it to be out of desperation but out of love.”
Martin looked at Liv, who nodded. A tear was trickling down her left cheek. She wiped it away with the back of her hand.
“That’s what’s so wonderful about you,” she said. “You’re so considerate. And I thank you for that. But for once, could you please just stop and take me in your arms?” Liv was beaming at him.
Martin’s heart was pounding madly. He rose from his seat and walked toward her with outstretched arms. Liv threw herself into them so hard that he nearly lost his balance and had to take a step back. As he did so, he bumped against the coffee table and knocked over the wine glass, which rolled clear across the table, spilling the wine all over the tablecloth. He tried to bend down to get it, but Liv wouldn’t let him go.
“Leave it! It doesn’t matter. Kiss me instead!”
She didn’t have to ask twice. Martin turned around and kissed her. Liv held him tight and pressed herself against him. Their lips parted, and their tongues touched. Martin could feel himself getting hard, and this time he would not be able to restrain himself. Although now, he no longer needed to. A feeling of happiness flooded his entire body. Finally—he was holding Liv in his arms, just as he had always wanted.
56
Elin flung open the front door and plunked herself down on the passenger seat.
“You won’t believe this! I got the whole thing on video. We have to bust this guy!”
Maja looked puzzled. “Hang on a second. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Elin told her about the park and what she saw there. “There were five people that stopped by, one after the other: a teenage kid, some dude in a suit, a young girl, and two young guys. They each bought something different. I don’t know much about this stuff, but the white powder is definitely cocaine, and there were some white and blue pills. The guy is like a drug warehouse.”
“OK, so what do you plan on doing with this? I mean, do you think it’s related to the kidnapping?”
“No, of course not—that’s ridiculous. But don’t you get it? We can use it as a way of pressuring him.”
Maja looked at her incredulously. “How did you come up with that one?”
“It’s obvious. We nab the guy and tell him that the photos are going to the police if he doesn’t tell us about his part in the kidnapping.”
“Hang on. This is getting to be a bit much for me. What do you mean by ‘nab’ him?”
Elin explained her idea. At first, Maja didn’t want to go along with it, but when she realized that Elin would go ahead and do it on her own, she finally gave in.
Elin then suggested they go to the parking garage and wait for Per at O’Leary’s. For the moment, he was still sitting on the park bench dealing, and they would be able to work out their plan in more detail at O’Leary’s. Maja started the car.
They didn’t need to wait long. They had had a bite to eat and had just finished their coffee when they saw Per approach. Elin had been watching the stairway to the parking garage the whole time. The lower part was not enclosed, so Elin had a good view of it from O’Leary’s. She and Maja had also paid in advance, which allowed them to immediately get up and follow the guy.
Elin and Maja raced up the stairs and flung open the steel door to the parking garage. Per was walking up ahead. They hurriedly pulled on their ski masks and started running after him. Luckily, there was no one else in sight. Just as they had almost caught up with him, he suddenly turned around. When he saw the masks, his eyes opened wide, but before he could react, Maja had already felled him with one quick blow. Elin had the cable ties ready and bound the guy’s hands and feet. Maja grabbed the parking receipt that the man had dropped—he had evidently just paid at the ticket machine. His car key was in his parka pocket, and the Mustang was parked just two spaces away. Together, they dumped the guy onto the backseat, which was not a problem for them. Elin then climbed in on the passenger side, and Maja got the Mustang going.
Maja and Elin had chosen a wooded area near the Södertälje Syd train station, and they quickly found a secluded spot that would allow them to interrogate good ol’ Per in peace and quiet. Per had already come to, so Elin was keeping a watchful eye on him. He asked them twice what they wanted, but the girls didn’t answer.
After Maja turned onto the woodland road and found a place to park about 100 meters later, both she and Elin turned to Per.
“So listen carefully,” Elin began. “We know who you are, Per Brorsson, but you don’t know us. We also know that you’re on probation. And now we have the proof that you’re still deal
ing, you little dumbshit.”
“What do you mean? What kind of proof?”
Elin showed him the video on her camera. Per looked on, speechless.
“Yup, and then there are also a couple of little bags in your parka pocket, and your fingerprints are bound to be all over them. And ours are obviously not. Trust me, the police will love this. That’ll put you in the joint for a few years.”
Per gulped. “OK, what do you want? Stuff?”
“No. We just need some information.”
He stared at her, astonished. This guy was seriously ugly. He had a big nose, his face was covered with acne scars, and he had a squint.
“What information?”
“About your job in Danderyd.”
Per looked dumbstruck. “What job?”
“Listen, don’t try and play dumb here! You spent days lurking around in that stolen Audi, and I want to know everything about it—who hired you and whatever else.”
“I don’t know anything about it.”
“OK, then let’s go to the police.”
Elin nodded to Maja, who started the engine. By the time she had turned the car around, Per was protesting.
“Now hang on a second! Man, I could be in deep shit if I told you about that. He said he’d finish me.”
Maja stopped the car but left the engine running. Elin gave him an intense look through her ski mask.
“No one needs to know what you said. We just want information. And that means everything you know!”
Per nodded. And then he told all. One of his clients had offered him the job. Per was supposed to procure a car and then watch the house in Danderyd 24/7. He had split the job with a buddy of his. They had been given a phone number, and they were supposed to call right away if anything unusual occurred. He had no idea what all of this was about, but the client had made it clear to him that discretion was critical. The payment for the job had happened at the park bench—yesterday, in fact.
“What’s the client’s name?”
“Not a clue.”
Elin stared at him and waited.
Vanished? Page 20
