The Dangerous Game (7 page)

‘Well, friends,’ Knutas began, ‘you’ve all been awakened in the middle of the night, and we now have an unusual case in front of us. Early this morning the photographer Markus Sandberg was the victim of a murder attempt by an unknown assailant at the Hotel Fabriken on Furillen. Do all of you know who Sandberg is?’

Everyone sitting at the table nodded.

Knutas went on. ‘The perpetrator attacked the victim, possibly using an axe, but that hasn’t yet been verified. This information is based on a statement from the medics. I plan to talk to the doctor at the hospital as soon as we’re done with this meeting. What we do know is that Markus Sandberg was seriously injured, and it’s unclear whether he’ll survive. He was taken by helicopter to the neurosurgery division of Karolinska University Hospital. He has been heavily sedated and will be undergoing surgery soon, if that hasn’t already happened. All right, then. Sandberg was found by no less than Gotland’s own Kate Moss – the Swedish celebrity and fashion model Jenny Levin, from Gammelgarn. Does everyone here know her?’

Again, they all nodded.

‘He was found inside a small cabin that belongs to the hotel. It’s about a kilometre from the main building, and he was supposed to spend the night there. When he didn’t turn up for dinner, Jenny got worried, so later she cycled over there to check on him. And that’s when she found him.’

‘Check on him?’ Wittberg queried, raising his eyebrows. ‘I’ve seen those cabins. They’re called “hermit retreats” and are deep inside the woods. What time did she get there?’

‘A few minutes past one. The call came in at 1.17, but it took a while for her to find a place where she had mobile coverage.’

‘Why would she go out in the dark so late at night to “check on him”? Was it purely out of concern for a colleague? I doubt it.’ Wittberg shook his head with the golden curls.

‘She was worried. I think the whole crew was probably a bit concerned. As I mentioned, Sandberg never turned up for dinner.’

‘Right,’ snorted Wittberg, looking at his fellow officers seated around the table. ‘Those two are having an affair. She was going to spend the night with him. That’s obvious. And Jenny Levin isn’t just anybody, let me tell you. She’s probably the hottest model in Sweden at the moment. She was discovered only a year ago, and her rise has been nothing short of meteoric. I was just reading about her in
Café
.’

‘Of course you were,’ said Jacobsson caustically.

‘She’s bloody gorgeous,’ replied Wittberg, laying it on thick as he grinned at Jacobsson. He loved teasing his colleague.

‘Maybe so, but that has nothing to do with the matter at hand,’ said Knutas sharply.

It was well known that Wittberg was a real playboy. Almost every woman who worked at police headquarters had at one time or another been in love with the suntanned and buff ladies’ man. Except for Karin Jacobsson. They often worked together, and she always kept Wittberg at a safe distance, although the two of them couldn’t help bickering. Sometimes they behaved just like siblings.

Knutas continued, ‘At the moment Jenny Levin is in hospital. We’ll have to wait to interview her. So far, we have no specific leads regarding the perpetrator. None of the hotel staff noticed anything out of the ordinary. Nor did any of the crew doing the photo shoot, and they were the only guests at the hotel. But we’ll see. After Sandberg was discovered, everybody out there was upset and confused, of course, and no one was thinking clearly. Right after this meeting, we’ll start by conducting the necessary interviews. Hopefully, they’ve all had a chance to calm down. Four staff members sleep at the hotel: the hotel owner and his wife, the restaurant manager and a cleaner. They were all questioned at the scene, but they’ll be coming here this morning, along with the other staff. We’ve cordoned off a large area around the cabin, and a dog unit is patrolling the site. We need to start knocking on doors as soon as possible.’

‘Knocking on doors?’ said Norrby. ‘How many permanent residents live on Furillen?’

‘None, as far I know. But there are a few homes in the area around Lergrav. The question is: How should we handle the press? This is going to attract a lot of attention. Markus Sandberg is a very well-known photographer, and as soon as the reporters get wind of the fact that Jenny Levin was the one who found him, they’ll be after us like sharks. What do you think, Lars?’

‘I suggest that we hold a press conference as soon as we can,’ said Norrby, giving Knutas a challenging look. ‘That’s essential, given the situation.’

There had been a certain tension between the two men since Norrby had been passed over for promotion a few years earlier. Knutas had chosen Jacobsson for the position instead.

‘Okay. We might as well take on the whole bunch at once,’ Knutas concluded, slapping the palm of his hand on the table as if to underscore his words.

‘Who was on the crew at the photo shoot?’ asked Wittberg.

Knutas put on his reading glasses and leafed through his notes.

‘There were five people in addition to Jenny and Markus. A stylist by the name of Hugo Nelzén, an art director named Sebastian Bigert, a photographer’s assistant named Kevin Sundström, a producer, Anna Neumann, and also Maria Åkerlund, who’s a make-up artist. So seven people in all.’

‘How well do they know each other?’

‘I have no idea. That’s something we’ll find out today. Everyone is on their way over here to be interviewed.’

‘Were there any other models?’ asked Wittberg. ‘If so, I’d be happy to interview them.’

‘You’re hopeless,’ said Jacobsson, but she couldn’t help smiling.

Knutas was starting to get a headache, and his stomach was growling. He rubbed his forehead and then glanced at his watch. Seven thirty. He’d been up since one thirty but hadn’t yet had anything to eat.

Sohlman stood up. ‘If there’s nothing else, I need to go. I’ve got a lot of work to do out there.’

‘Okay.’ Knutas looked intently at everyone seated around the table. ‘Our colleagues have been searching all night for the perpetrator, and they’ve set up roadblocks at several places in the area. More officers are also on their way out to Furillen right now. The dog unit will continue to search. Who knows? Maybe the assailant is still there, hiding out someplace. As I mentioned, we’ll do a door-to-door in the vicinity this morning. It’s important for us to talk to as many people out there as possible. Those of you staying here at headquarters will help to conduct the interviews. As far as the press conference is concerned, I suggest we hold off on that for a while.’

Norrby frowned and looked as if he wanted to protest, but he restrained himself. He settled for muttering his displeasure.

‘For now, the media will have to make do with a press release,’ Knutas went on. ‘We need to find out more about what happened before we talk to any reporters. It remains to be seen what we’ll learn today, and whether the victim even survives. I’ll stay in contact with the hospital. The media interest is going to be huge, so we need to be prepared,’ he said, turning to look at Lars Norrby, who didn’t always find it easy to deal with journalists when the pressure was on.

Jacobsson stopped Knutas as he was heading for the door.

‘How come you know who Kate Moss is?’

‘Why shouldn’t I know who she is?’ he remarked, giving her an inscrutable look.

‘I can’t imagine that you’d be interested in fashion.’

‘I don’t know what you mean. I’m a virtual fashion maven,’ said Knutas, plucking at the checked shirt that he’d bought at the Dressmann menswear shop five years ago.

Jacobsson couldn’t help laughing.

‘Shall we grab a bite to eat?’ she asked.

‘Sure. But I don’t want to eat too much. I have to think of my figure. I’ve heard that, this winter, thin is in.’

IT WAS STILL
dark when Pia Lilja headed for Furillen in the TV van. Johan sat in the passenger seat, talking to the duty officer on the phone. No other police officer was available. When he finished the conversation, Johan turned to look at his colleague.

‘He would only confirm that an incident of aggravated assault took place in a cabin that belongs to the hotel, and that the victim has been taken to hospital. Of course, he refused to identify the victim or give any details about the attack. At any rate, the police are on the scene, but they can’t do much until daylight. So far, no one has been arrested.’

‘Aggravated assault,’ said Pia, snorting. ‘I think it sounds more like attempted murder. Apparently, it was a real bloodbath, according to Julia’s mother. And Markus Sandberg isn’t just anybody. Right now, he’s hovering between life and death. It might well turn out to be murder.’

‘Nothing on the TT wire service yet. We’re probably the only ones who know the identity of the victim. I’m going to ring the morning editor.’

Johan phoned the main editorial office of Swedish TV in Stockholm and explained the situation. The editor told him to report back as soon as he knew more. For the moment they would put out a simple statement on the news wire. They would wait until later to publish the victim’s name.

When Pia and Johan pulled up outside the hotel, they could see at once that something major had happened. Lights were on throughout the building, and several police vehicles were parked nearby.

They went into the lobby and were met by a uniformed policeman, who stopped them from going any further.

‘No journalists in here. The hotel is off limits.’

‘Can you tell us what’s going on?’ asked Johan.

‘No. I need to refer you to our spokesperson, Lars Norrby.’

‘Is he here?’

The cop gave him a weary look.

‘I don’t believe so.’

‘Is there anyone on site that I could interview?’ Johan was trying to quell his irritation.

‘No, not at the moment. Right now, the investigative team needs to do its work in peace and quiet. We’re dealing with a serious crime here, and we need to catch the perpetrator.’

‘So you haven’t arrested anyone?’

The cop pressed his lips together. Then he said, ‘I can’t comment on the state of the investigation. I need to refer you to Lars Norrby, our spokesperson.’

Johan cast a glance around the hotel lobby, which was deserted. They went back outside.

‘What a sodding sourpuss,’ sniffed Pia. ‘Julia’s mother, Birgitta, has worked here as a cleaner and breakfast waitress for several years. She sleeps at the hotel at night. She said we should wait for her here.’

They sat down at a table that was made of concrete so as to withstand the elements year round. Johan looked about.

‘Damn, what a creepy place.’

He surveyed the dimly lit gravel forecourt and the stone crusher on top of the hill. A feeling of doom hovered over the place.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching across the gravel. A blonde woman in her fifties appeared.

Pia jumped up to give her a hug.

‘Hi, Birgitta. How’s it going?’

‘Oi. What a horrid thing to happen. Especially out here, where it’s so quiet. The most peaceful place you could imagine. We’re all really upset.’

Birgitta shook hands with Johan.

‘It’s probably best if we get started right away,’ said Pia. ‘Could we go somewhere else to do the interview? Otherwise, there’s a risk that Mr Police Officer in there will try to stop us.’

‘Sure. Come with me.’

They walked around to the side of the building, and Birgitta opened a door to an empty room. There were no corridors inside the hotel; all the rooms were entered from the outside. It was a lovely room, sparsely furnished. A generous-sized bed with fluffy pillows dominated the space. The whitewashed walls were bare. Several sheepskin rugs were spread out on the stone floor.

‘Okay. This is fine,’ said Pia. ‘Let’s get going.’

The camera began to roll.

‘What were your thoughts when you heard about what happened?’ Johan began the interview.

‘I was shocked. Couldn’t believe it was true. I never would have imagined that something like that would happen here on little Furillen. It’s terrifying.’

Brigitta looked around, as if afraid that the perpetrator might be hiding in the bushes in the dark outside the window.

‘What’s the mood like inside the hotel?’

‘Everybody thinks what happened is really awful, of course. So it’s not exactly cheerful here at the moment. Nobody can believe it. This is the calmest and most peaceful place you could imagine. At the same time, it’s lucky that we don’t have other guests at the hotel at the moment. But, as I said, the mere thought that an assailant has been sneaking around in the bushes … We’re really shaken up. All of us.’

‘What can you tell us about the victim?’

A slight blush appeared on the woman’s cheeks, and she fidgeted a bit.

‘I know Markus Sandberg because of … well, because of that TV programme he once had. I know it wasn’t very good, but I still couldn’t help watching it, because everyone was talking about the show. Plus, he’s been out here several times for work.’

Johan let her talk, even though he wasn’t sure that they would reveal the victim’s identity when the report was broadcast. It might be too soon for that. On the other hand, they were dealing with a photographer who was well known to the public. But, naturally, his family needed to be informed first. The decision to make his name public or not would come later.

‘What do you know personally about the attack?’

Birgitta grimaced and shook her head.

‘From what I’ve heard, he was seriously injured. Covered with blood and badly beaten. I don’t know whether the weapon was an axe, but it was something like that.’

‘So the attack occurred inside the cabin?’

‘Yes.’

‘Who found him?’

‘Jenny was the one who found him. She cycled out there.’

‘Why would she do that?’

Birgitta shrugged and didn’t comment.

‘Then what happened?’

‘She rang the police, and the officers and medics were here in no time.’

‘Have you personally noticed anything strange or different out here lately?’

‘There is one thing. About a week ago a man phoned. Sometimes I work on the reception desk. In a place like this, you have to be able to do a bit of everything, especially in off-season.’