Read Online The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jussi Adler-Olsen
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little to one side before bounding clumsily forward. Not until it was out in the open could they see what it was. Everyone cheered as Saxenholdt and Torsten sighted their weapons for another round.
‘Stop!’ Ditlev shouted, as the ostrich halted and glanced around, disoriented. It was about a hundred yards away. ‘Shoot it in the head this time,’ he said. ‘One shot at a time. You go first, Saxenholdt.’
The hunters stood still as the lad, holding his breath,
raised his rifle and fired. The shot was a little low, so the animal’s neck was torn off at once and its head disappeared backwards. But the crowd roared its approval, including Torsten. What use did he have for a three-bedroom flat in Berlin, anyway?
Ditlev smiled. He had expected the animal to drop to the ground, but for a few seconds it ran about, headless, until the uneven terrain made the dead body topple. There it lay, twitching momentarily before its head sank to the ground. All in all, it was quite a sight.
‘Bloody hell!’ the young man groaned, as the group fired a few salvos at the remaining pheasants. ‘An ostrich, I’ve shot a fucking ostrich! I’m getting some pussy tonight at Victor’s Bar. And I know exactly whose.’
The three of them met at the inn and were given the drink Ditlev had ordered. It was clear that Torsten needed it.
‘What’s wrong, Torsten? You look like shit,’ Ulrik said, swallowing the Jägermeister in one gulp. ‘Are you angry that you didn’t win? You’ve shot ostriches before, for Christ’s sake.’
Torsten spun his glass a few times. ‘It’s Kimmie. It’s serious now.’ Then he drank.
Ulrik poured another round and toasted them. ‘Aalbæk is on the case. We’ll get her soon. Relax, Torsten.’
Torsten Florin pulled a box of matches from his pocket and lit a candle that was on the table. There’s nothing sadder than a candle without flame, as he often said. ‘I hope you’re not assuming that Kimmie is just some silly little woman walking around in dirty old rags, waiting for your daft private detective to find her. He won’t, Ulrik. For
God’s sake, it’s Kimmie we’re talking about. You know her. They won’t find her, and it’s a problem that’ll cost us dearly. Do you understand that?’
Ditlev set his glass down and glanced up at the inn’s rafters. ‘What do you mean?’ He hated Torsten when he was like that.
‘She attacked one of our models in front of the fashion house yesterday. She’d waited for hours. There were eighteen cigarette butts stamped out on the pavement. Who do you think she was waiting for?’
‘What do you mean by “attacked”?’ Ulrik seemed worried.
Torsten shook his head. ‘Take it easy, Ulrik. It wasn’t all that bad, just a single punch. The police weren’t called in. I gave the girl a week off and a pair of tickets to Kraków.’
‘Are you sure it was her?’
‘Yes. I showed the girl an old picture of Kimmie.’
‘No doubt?’
‘No.’ Torsten looked irritated now.
‘We can’t allow Kimmie to be apprehended,’ Ulrik said.
‘You’re bloody right we can’t. And we can’t have her getting close to us either now, can we? She’s capable of anything, I’m sure.’
‘Do you think she still has the money?’ Ulrik asked, as a waiter stopped by, wanting to know if there was anything he could bring them.
Ditlev nodded at the man, still drowsy at this early hour of the day. ‘We have everything we need, thank you,’ he said.
They were silent until the waiter bowed and left the room.
‘Oh, for God’s sake, Ulrik. How much did she get off us back then? It was almost two million. How much do you think she spends on the street?’ Torsten sneered at him. ‘Nothing. That means for sure she has enough money to buy whatever she wants. Even weapons. If she hangs out in the inner city, there are plenty to choose from, I know.’
Ulrik’s bulky frame began to fidget. ‘Maybe we should reinforce Aalbæk’s team.’
10
‘Who did you
‘Stop!’ Ditlev shouted, as the ostrich halted and glanced around, disoriented. It was about a hundred yards away. ‘Shoot it in the head this time,’ he said. ‘One shot at a time. You go first, Saxenholdt.’
The hunters stood still as the lad, holding his breath,
raised his rifle and fired. The shot was a little low, so the animal’s neck was torn off at once and its head disappeared backwards. But the crowd roared its approval, including Torsten. What use did he have for a three-bedroom flat in Berlin, anyway?
Ditlev smiled. He had expected the animal to drop to the ground, but for a few seconds it ran about, headless, until the uneven terrain made the dead body topple. There it lay, twitching momentarily before its head sank to the ground. All in all, it was quite a sight.
‘Bloody hell!’ the young man groaned, as the group fired a few salvos at the remaining pheasants. ‘An ostrich, I’ve shot a fucking ostrich! I’m getting some pussy tonight at Victor’s Bar. And I know exactly whose.’
The three of them met at the inn and were given the drink Ditlev had ordered. It was clear that Torsten needed it.
‘What’s wrong, Torsten? You look like shit,’ Ulrik said, swallowing the Jägermeister in one gulp. ‘Are you angry that you didn’t win? You’ve shot ostriches before, for Christ’s sake.’
Torsten spun his glass a few times. ‘It’s Kimmie. It’s serious now.’ Then he drank.
Ulrik poured another round and toasted them. ‘Aalbæk is on the case. We’ll get her soon. Relax, Torsten.’
Torsten Florin pulled a box of matches from his pocket and lit a candle that was on the table. There’s nothing sadder than a candle without flame, as he often said. ‘I hope you’re not assuming that Kimmie is just some silly little woman walking around in dirty old rags, waiting for your daft private detective to find her. He won’t, Ulrik. For
God’s sake, it’s Kimmie we’re talking about. You know her. They won’t find her, and it’s a problem that’ll cost us dearly. Do you understand that?’
Ditlev set his glass down and glanced up at the inn’s rafters. ‘What do you mean?’ He hated Torsten when he was like that.
‘She attacked one of our models in front of the fashion house yesterday. She’d waited for hours. There were eighteen cigarette butts stamped out on the pavement. Who do you think she was waiting for?’
‘What do you mean by “attacked”?’ Ulrik seemed worried.
Torsten shook his head. ‘Take it easy, Ulrik. It wasn’t all that bad, just a single punch. The police weren’t called in. I gave the girl a week off and a pair of tickets to Kraków.’
‘Are you sure it was her?’
‘Yes. I showed the girl an old picture of Kimmie.’
‘No doubt?’
‘No.’ Torsten looked irritated now.
‘We can’t allow Kimmie to be apprehended,’ Ulrik said.
‘You’re bloody right we can’t. And we can’t have her getting close to us either now, can we? She’s capable of anything, I’m sure.’
‘Do you think she still has the money?’ Ulrik asked, as a waiter stopped by, wanting to know if there was anything he could bring them.
Ditlev nodded at the man, still drowsy at this early hour of the day. ‘We have everything we need, thank you,’ he said.
They were silent until the waiter bowed and left the room.
‘Oh, for God’s sake, Ulrik. How much did she get off us back then? It was almost two million. How much do you think she spends on the street?’ Torsten sneered at him. ‘Nothing. That means for sure she has enough money to buy whatever she wants. Even weapons. If she hangs out in the inner city, there are plenty to choose from, I know.’
Ulrik’s bulky frame began to fidget. ‘Maybe we should reinforce Aalbæk’s team.’
10
‘Who did you
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