I'm Travelling Alone (43 page)

‘I can’t say for sure,’ Gabriel said.

‘Get yourself to the office and call me when you’re there.’

She ended the call and rang Ludvig.

‘Where have you been?’ her colleague wanted to know. ‘All hell has broken loose here, haven’t you heard?’

‘Yes, I’ve heard. Where’s Holger?’

‘No idea, he’s not answering his phone. Are you far away?’

‘Twenty minutes, half an hour,’ Mia said.

‘Damn. This is a total cock-up.’

That was undoubtedly true. They had had Marion under police protection, and now she was gone.

She ended the call and rang Directory Enquiries. It had started to rain now. The raindrops beat the windscreen hard and visibility was diminishing. She turned on the windscreen wipers, but didn’t take her foot off the accelerator.

‘Directory Enquiries?’

‘Please put me through to Høvikveien Care Home.’

‘Would you like me to inform you of the number?’

‘No, damn it, just put me through,’ Mia snarled, and hit the brakes when she realized that she was dangerously close to the verge.

It took a long time before anyone picked up.

‘Høvikveien Care Home. Birgitte speaking.’

‘Yes, hello, this is Mia Krüger. You wouldn’t happen to have Holger Munch there, would you?’

‘He was here a while ago,’ the voice said.

‘I know, but is he there now?’

‘No, I haven’t seen him.’

Bollocks.

‘Is Karen there?’

‘Yes, Karen is here. Hang on.’

A million seconds passed. Mia felt like screaming into her phone. She had to turn the windscreen wipers on to max in order to be able to see out of the window. A million more seconds passed before Karen finally arrived.

‘Yes? Karen speaking.’

‘Hi, Karen, it’s Mia Krüger.’

‘Hi, Mia, nice to hear from you.’

‘Have you seen Holger today?’

‘Yes, he was here earlier. His mother had a turn, but fortunately it was nothing serious. The doctor gave her something to make her sleep and—’

‘Yes, all right, fine,’ Mia interrupted her. ‘But is he there now?’

‘No, he’s left.’

‘Do you know where he went?’

‘No, I don’t. He was completely exhausted. I told him that …’

Mia swore under her breath. She didn’t have time for this.

‘… so I woke him one hour later. He didn’t look all that well when he left, but Ö’

‘But you don’t know where he went?’

‘No, he got a call and ran out of the door. He didn’t even say goodbye,’ Karen said.

‘OK,’ Mia said. ‘Thank you.’

‘Listen,’ Karen said, just as Mia was about to ring off.

‘Yes?’

‘I don’t know if this is important, but her car is outside.’

‘Whose?’

‘Malin. Malin Stoltz. Her car is here.’

It was now raining so heavily that Mia was forced to slow down. The raindrops battered the windscreen almost like hailstones; she could see the cars in front of her hit the brakes, the red lights glowing at her through the windscreen. She eased off the accelerator and exhaled. Holger had got a call. Who from? Someone had called him, and he had run. Holger never ran. He hadn’t even said goodbye. But run. Who on earth made Holger Munch run?

The killer.

It was obvious. Marion had been abducted. The killer had called Holger. Holger, for his part, had not called anyone from the team. He had run off without saying goodbye. It had to be Marion. He would never run for anyone else.

‘Are you still there, Mia?’

‘Sorry, Karen, what did you say?’

‘Oh, it’s probably not important. We can talk about it another time.’

‘No, what did you say? About her car?’

‘It’s downstairs in the underground car park. I don’t know if it means anything, but …’

‘What kind of car is it?’

‘It’s a white Citro‘n.’

A white Citro‘n.

Mia looked through the windscreen. Trying to work out where she was. She saw a sign saying Slependen. She wasn’t far from the care home.

‘I’ll be there shortly,’ she said. ‘Is the car locked?’

‘I don’t know,’ Karen said. ‘But she might have left a spare key in her locker in the staff room. She can be a little distracted, misplacing things, I think I heard her say that’—

‘Great, Karen,’ Mia interrupted her again. ‘Please would you find out for me. I’ll be there shortly, OK?’

She ended the call and rang Anette.

‘Anette speaking.’

‘Hi, it’s Mia.’

‘Thank God. Where have you been?’

‘Åsgårdstrand. Has Munch called you?’

‘No, have you heard?’

‘Yes, what a nightmare.’

‘Yes, it certainly is. And Mikkelson is here. He’s freaking out.’

Mia realized that she didn’t give a toss what Mikkelson thought.

‘Who’s in charge now?’ she said, scouting for the exit.

‘Mikkelson,’ Anette replied.

‘But he doesn’t have a clue about what’s going on, Anette. You have to take over.’

‘What do you want me to do? By the way, where are you?’

‘I’ll be in Høvik soon. We’ve found Stoltz’s car. Any news about her, by the way?’

‘No, nothing. What do you want me to do?’

‘Get hold of Gabriel and get the GPS location from that bloody film. And make him put a trace on Munch’s phone. I think the killer might have called him and that he’s on his way to meet him.’

‘OK,’ Anette said. ‘Anything else?’

‘We have to …’

Mia saw the exit for Høvik and turned off. The worst of the rain was easing of now and she could actually see where she was going.

‘Have to what?’

She couldn’t think of anything else.

‘Just get that bloody film sorted out and trace Munch’s phone.’

‘OK,’ Anette said. ‘Oh yes, Ludvig has something for you.’

‘What is it?’

‘A photograph. The therapy group in Hønefoss.’

Brilliant.
Her hunch had proved to be spot-on.

‘Ask him to forward it to my mobile.’

‘But nothing on Stoltz?’

‘Not a dickie bird.’

‘OK, I’m just about to arrive. I’ll call you if the car turns out to be interesting.’

Mia ended the call and pulled into the care home.

Chapter 72

Lukas was sitting on the bench by the lake wrapped in a blanket. He was wearing dry clothes, but he still struggled to warm up. Pastor Simon had held him underwater. He had almost drowned. Pastor Simon had asked him if he could see the devil, but he couldn’t, and then the pastor had pushed his head under the water. Lukas was confused. First, the pastor nearly drowned him, then he brought him dry clothes. He had kept the dry clothes and the blanket in the car. The pastor must have planned this? Why?

Pastor Simon returned from the car with a packed lunch and a Thermos flask. He sat on the bench of the picnic table, facing Lukas. Brown cheese sandwiches. He unscrewed the lid on the Thermos and poured hot chocolate into the cup.

‘Eat and drink,’ the pastor said.

Lukas took a sip of the cocoa and felt the warmth flow down his throat. He ate the sandwiches slowly while the pastor watched him. The pastor didn’t say a single word. He sat on the bench with his hands folded in front of him, looking at Lukas with a soft, warm gaze. Lukas was still a little scared, but he was starting to feel much better. The pastor didn’t take his eyes off him for one second. Usually, he would look above his head, towards Heaven, or at some other point; at any rate, never directly at him, never fix his eyes on him like he did now. Slowly, Lukas’s body began to warm up. He tried meeting the pastor’s gaze but was only partly successful. He had eaten all the sandwiches and drunk three cups of hot chocolate before the pastor finally started talking.

‘God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to earth to take on himself the sins of the world,’ the pastor said. ‘The people had the chance to save Jesus, but they chose Barabbas, the thief, instead.’

Lukas nodded softly.

‘What does this tell you about people?’ the pastor asked him.

Lukas did not reply. He didn’t want to get it wrong and end up under the water again. He could still feel the panic coursing through him.

‘That people don’t know what’s good for them,’ the pastor continued. ‘People should not be allowed to decide for themselves. You understand that, don’t you, Lukas?’

Lukas nodded. They had talked about this before. Most people were stupid. They didn’t know what was good for them. For that reason, God had chosen only a few who would go to Heaven. Only the special ones. The initiated. Those who had realized this. Forty people from the church. And a few others. People from across the world whom they would meet in the course of time.

Pastor Simon looked straight at him and took his hand.

‘I am God,’ the pastor said.

At this, Lukas felt all the warmth return to his body. He started tingling all over, more strongly than ever. From his toes, up to his ankles, his thighs, his stomach, up to his throat, his face was flushed and now, also, his ears.

‘I am God,’ the pastor said. ‘And you are my Son.’

Lukas sat with his mouth hanging open. The pastor was God. It was obvious now. This was how it was. It made perfect sense. When he talked to God in his office, he was talking to himself. The pastor was God. And he, Lukas, was the Son of God.

‘Father,’ Lukas said in awe, and bowed his head.

‘My Son,’ the pastor said, placing his hand on Lukas’s head.

Lukas felt the warmth from the hand of God spread across his scalp.

‘You passed the test,’ the pastor said. ‘You put your life in my hands. And I hope that you trust me now. I could have killed you, but I didn’t. Because you have greater tasks to accomplish before we go home.’

‘Home?’ Lukas said cautiously.

‘To Heaven.’ The pastor smiled.

‘Am I really the new Jesus?’ Lukas stammered.

The pastor nodded.

‘Twenty-seven years ago, I sent you to earth.’

Lukas could barely believe his ears. Of course. It all fitted! And it explained why he had no parents.

‘And I found you again.’ Lukas nodded reverently.

‘You found me again.’ The pastor smiled.

‘But the first Jesus accomplished great things. What have I done?’ Lukas said.

‘It will happen.’ The pastor smiled. ‘Today.’

‘Today?’ Lukas said, with anticipation in his voice.

The pastor smiled and walked back to the car. He returned holding a small bundle, which he placed carefully on the bench.

‘For me?’

‘Open it.’ The pastor smiled again.

Lukas unwrapped the bundle with trembling fingers. His eyes widened when he saw the contents.

‘A gun?’

The pastor nodded.

‘What do you want me to do?’

The pastor leaned towards him and took his hand.

‘Last week, an intruder came into the House of Light.’

‘Who?’

‘A boy, sent by the devil.’

Lukas could feel the rage explode inside him. The devil had sent a boy to stop them from travelling. He knew it. The pastor and Nils had been so quiet recently.

‘But, fortunately, I am stronger than the devil.’ The pastor smiled once more. ‘I know him, but he does not know me.’

Of course, Lukas thought.

Deo sic per diabolum.

‘The path to God goes through the devil.’

Understand the devil.
Get to know him.
This was what the pastor had meant.

‘And where is the boy now?’

‘He’s being held in the safe room.’

‘And what are we going to do with him?’

‘You are going to kill him,’ the pastor said.

Lukas looked at the gun in front of him and nodded softly.

‘There’s just one small problem.’

‘What’s that?’

‘He has taken Rakel prisoner. My Rakel.’

‘Vile demon,’ Lukas sneered.

‘So you must be careful. Kill the boy, but don’t harm Rakel. I need my Rakel in Heaven.’

‘I promise to do my best.’

Lukas bowed and kissed the pastor’s hand. The pastor rose. Lukas wrapped the pistol in the cloth again and carried it back to the car.

‘When we get to Heaven, you’ll get your very own Rakel.’

‘Oh?’ Lukas said.

‘I promise.’ The pastor nodded. ‘You know the little angels who have been hanging from the trees?’

‘The girls everyone’s talking about?’

‘Yes.’ The pastor nodded. ‘They’ll meet us up there. You can choose one of them.’

His very own girl? But he didn’t want a girl. God was enough for him. What on earth would he do with a little girl? Lukas decided not to say anything; he didn’t want to argue with the pastor. He put on his seatbelt, started the car and drove calmly down the forest track to the farm.

Chapter 73

Kim Kolsø sat at the back of the incident room listening to everything falling apart. Not for him, but for Munch and Mia. Not that either of them were there – had they been, they might have been able to answer some of Mikkelson’s questions. Mia had been unavailable all day, but he believed that Anette had spoken to her and learned that Mia had been to Åsgårdstrand and was now on her way back. No one had heard from Munch.

Kim Kolsø sighed and drummed his fingers on the table. He looked up at Mikkelson, who was pacing up and down in front of the board like a teacher, his forehead furrowed above his glasses and his hands behind his back. They had been cast as his pupils, about to receive a telling’off. He glanced at Curry, who mouthed the word ‘bullshit’ and rolled his eyes. Kim had to look away so as not to laugh, but he totally agreed. Their workload was insane. Not one member of the team was able to sit still. Not even Ludvig, who was coming up for retirement; he was squirming like a fidgety little kid on the edge of his chair. Gabriel Mørk seemed to have borne the brunt of it. He had been dragged out of his office, where he had been Skyping a mate, who was cleaning up the sound on the Kiese movie. The young man was rocking back and forth against the back of his chair and looked as if he was on the verge of a meltdown.

‘Right?’ Mikkelson said, looking across the room. ‘Is everyone here?’

No one said anything. If Mikkelson was the teacher, they were the naughty kids who had been put in detention due to their lack of respect for authority. The room was a powder keg. The air was laden with tension.