Read Online The Fire Dance by Helene Tursten - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Helene Tursten
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There was not much left of the building.
Irene got up from her desk to look at the map hanging on the wall. The location of the fire was in the oldest area of the industrial park at the end of a narrow cul-de-sac, not far from the rifle range. A thicket of hawthorn and birch trees had grown up around the abandoned building. No otherindustrial buildings were nearby. The shed had belonged to a tire company, which had closed years ago. Recently, the entire area had been bought by a pharmaceutical company that planned to demolish the shed and the buildings nearby and start construction on a lavish new office complex.
All the buildings in the area had been searched thoroughly. Although there were signs of unauthorized inhabitation, there were no traces of Sophie. The police quickly were able to determine that Sophie had not been kept hostage in any of the other buildings. It was also highly unlikely that Sophie had been held in the burned building since, prior to the fire, most of the roof had caved in. The weather had been cold and rainy the three weeks that Sophie had been missing. The chill dampness would have killed her in just a few days. And the area was not so deserted that someone could come and go for weeks on end unseen. Someone would wonder. Even if the suspect only appeared at night.
So the questions remained. Where had Sophie been kept the three weeks she had been missing? And who had been her captor?
“S O, WHERE DO we go from here?” Superintendent Andersson began.
He helped himself to a slice of mocha cake, which he rapidly stuffed into his mouth, washing it down with large gulps of coffee.
The other people around the table contemplated his question, ignoring the cake, which Birgitta Moberg Rauhala had brought in for her birthday. They all felt they needed to stay focused. The discovery of Sophie Malmborg’s body had made the papers with large, boldface headlines. Journalists were blocking the entrances to the main police station and the telephone lines were constantly busy. Irene could empathize with the journalists a bit. The case was sensational.
“We’ll have the autopsy report tomorrow or Wednesday. Then we can see what they’ve found out about Sophie,” Tommy said.
“Poor girl,” said Birgitta, shivering.
Birgitta’s husband and colleague, Hannu, who had recently returned to work after his paternity leave, nodded in agreement. Little Timo was now going to nursery school. Irene thought it was good to have Hannu back in the department again. His substitute, Kajsa Birgersdotter, had returned to her position in general investigation, but after the New Year she was scheduled to start a new position in the narcotics division.
Kajsa was the person who had received the missing person report. Angelika Malmborg-Eriksson had been expecting Sophia for a dance recital on September twenty-fifth. When she was unable to reach her the following day, she reported her daughter missing. When the charred body at the Högsbo industrial park was identified as Sophie, Kajsa had handed over the investigation to her former colleagues in the Violent Crimes unit.
Irene sneaked a glance at Tommy. Kajsa had been a source of comfort for him right after his divorce. Tommy’s divorce had been a complete surprise for Irene—and also a hard blow. Tommy and his ex-wife, Agneta, had been best friends with her and her husband, Krister. Nothing would be the same again. No more shared vacations or midsummer celebrations … no more New Year’s Eves together …
Suddenly Irene was aware that everyone at the table was looking at her. She said, confused, “What? I was just sitting here and …”
“We know. Taking a cat nap,” said Jonny Blom.
“Thinking,” Irene countered. She stared at Jonny angrily. It didn’t help a bit. Jonny was grinning, as he’d been able to get in his little dig.
“Yes? And what was the result of all your thought?” asked Andersson.
Irene mentally pulled up her earlier speculations
Irene got up from her desk to look at the map hanging on the wall. The location of the fire was in the oldest area of the industrial park at the end of a narrow cul-de-sac, not far from the rifle range. A thicket of hawthorn and birch trees had grown up around the abandoned building. No otherindustrial buildings were nearby. The shed had belonged to a tire company, which had closed years ago. Recently, the entire area had been bought by a pharmaceutical company that planned to demolish the shed and the buildings nearby and start construction on a lavish new office complex.
All the buildings in the area had been searched thoroughly. Although there were signs of unauthorized inhabitation, there were no traces of Sophie. The police quickly were able to determine that Sophie had not been kept hostage in any of the other buildings. It was also highly unlikely that Sophie had been held in the burned building since, prior to the fire, most of the roof had caved in. The weather had been cold and rainy the three weeks that Sophie had been missing. The chill dampness would have killed her in just a few days. And the area was not so deserted that someone could come and go for weeks on end unseen. Someone would wonder. Even if the suspect only appeared at night.
So the questions remained. Where had Sophie been kept the three weeks she had been missing? And who had been her captor?
“S O, WHERE DO we go from here?” Superintendent Andersson began.
He helped himself to a slice of mocha cake, which he rapidly stuffed into his mouth, washing it down with large gulps of coffee.
The other people around the table contemplated his question, ignoring the cake, which Birgitta Moberg Rauhala had brought in for her birthday. They all felt they needed to stay focused. The discovery of Sophie Malmborg’s body had made the papers with large, boldface headlines. Journalists were blocking the entrances to the main police station and the telephone lines were constantly busy. Irene could empathize with the journalists a bit. The case was sensational.
“We’ll have the autopsy report tomorrow or Wednesday. Then we can see what they’ve found out about Sophie,” Tommy said.
“Poor girl,” said Birgitta, shivering.
Birgitta’s husband and colleague, Hannu, who had recently returned to work after his paternity leave, nodded in agreement. Little Timo was now going to nursery school. Irene thought it was good to have Hannu back in the department again. His substitute, Kajsa Birgersdotter, had returned to her position in general investigation, but after the New Year she was scheduled to start a new position in the narcotics division.
Kajsa was the person who had received the missing person report. Angelika Malmborg-Eriksson had been expecting Sophia for a dance recital on September twenty-fifth. When she was unable to reach her the following day, she reported her daughter missing. When the charred body at the Högsbo industrial park was identified as Sophie, Kajsa had handed over the investigation to her former colleagues in the Violent Crimes unit.
Irene sneaked a glance at Tommy. Kajsa had been a source of comfort for him right after his divorce. Tommy’s divorce had been a complete surprise for Irene—and also a hard blow. Tommy and his ex-wife, Agneta, had been best friends with her and her husband, Krister. Nothing would be the same again. No more shared vacations or midsummer celebrations … no more New Year’s Eves together …
Suddenly Irene was aware that everyone at the table was looking at her. She said, confused, “What? I was just sitting here and …”
“We know. Taking a cat nap,” said Jonny Blom.
“Thinking,” Irene countered. She stared at Jonny angrily. It didn’t help a bit. Jonny was grinning, as he’d been able to get in his little dig.
“Yes? And what was the result of all your thought?” asked Andersson.
Irene mentally pulled up her earlier speculations
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