acting?"
"I'm fascinated by it," Axel admitted. "All the roles we need to play. If we're good, we'll go far."
"Are you good?" Sejer wanted to know.
Axel smiled a patronizing smile.
"I do all right," he said.
Skarre's pen raced across the pad. From time to time he looked up, alert.
"What about Jon?" Sejer asked. "Could he play a role? Was he capable of acting?"
Axel hesitated.
"Jon was quite helpless," he said. "What can I say? He was at the mercy of reality. No shield. So I suppose the answer is no."
"Can you tell me anything about Jon's reality?" Sejer asked.
Axel looked to Reilly for support, but he had lowered his head so that his long hair concealed his face like a curtain.
"You had better ask at the hospital," Axel suggested. "Ask his
doctor. She must have found out something during the last few weeks."
"I will talk to his doctor," Sejer said, "but I also need to ask his best friends. You were close, weren't you? What else did you talk about?"
"Ladegården Hospital. Jon told stories from the ward. It was funny."
"How long was he there?"
"Four weeks."
"You visited him there?"
"Yes."
"Did he like it there?"
"He didn't have a choice," Axel said.
They talked about Jon for an hour. When it was all over, Axel held out his hand.
"Please don't hesitate to get in touch if there is anything else," he said.
Chapter 6
W ELL, WHO WOULD HAVE thought it?" Jacob Skarre said. "Frimann, Reilly and Moreno are in our system. And they have been since last December."
Sejer leaned forward and read the screen.
"They were questioned as part of a missing person's case," Skarre said, "but it was just a routine interview. An odd coincidence. Or perhaps there's no such thing?"
"I'll have a look at the file," Sejer said. "But there's no reason to suspect that a crime has been committed, so we'll proceed on that basis. For now," he added. "And if there is a link, it'll show up eventually, don't you think?"
"It'll show up," Jacob Skarre agreed.
Three days later they visited Axel Frimann in his apartment. Axel was convinced that he had made a good impression on the two men. There were several factors which contributed to his credibility; his attractive appearance and broad shoulders were
only two of them. He was eloquent too. He spoke with concern and restraint and most of the time he felt on top of the situation. Concealing details about Jon's suicide was a tiny act he had performed to spare Ingerid Moreno more painful knowledge. He directed Sejer and Skarre to the sofa while he pottered about because being active gave him a sense of control. Axel Frimann never relinquished power.
"When it comes to Jon's death," Sejer said, "there are a few details which baffle us. That's why we are here."
Axel looked at him, open and inquisitive, and thanks to his complete mastery of his features his face took on an expression of mild, indulgent patience. He moved closer to the window. As though he wanted to steal radiance from outside and appear in an innocent light.
"We would like to talk to you about them," Sejer said.
Axel noticed that Skarre was already busy taking notes.
"At some point during the night Jon got up and went outside," Sejer said. "He sneaked out of the cabin while you and Reilly were asleep. You heard nothing, so we don't know what time that was."
Axel had found a comfortable position leaning against the wall.
"If we presume that he left with the intention of drowning himself in the lake," Sejer went on, "there are several things which are hard to understand."
It grew silent in Axel's living room. He rarely found himself with nothing to say and he realized that the very silence itself was revealing.
"Jon was wearing very warm clothing," Sejer said. "If I hadn't known better, I would have assumed he was dressed for a walk in the forest."
Axel smiled a glum smile.
"Surely it's not very odd," he declared, "that he put on a jacket. It was just out of habit. Because he was going outside."
"He had buttoned all
"I'm fascinated by it," Axel admitted. "All the roles we need to play. If we're good, we'll go far."
"Are you good?" Sejer wanted to know.
Axel smiled a patronizing smile.
"I do all right," he said.
Skarre's pen raced across the pad. From time to time he looked up, alert.
"What about Jon?" Sejer asked. "Could he play a role? Was he capable of acting?"
Axel hesitated.
"Jon was quite helpless," he said. "What can I say? He was at the mercy of reality. No shield. So I suppose the answer is no."
"Can you tell me anything about Jon's reality?" Sejer asked.
Axel looked to Reilly for support, but he had lowered his head so that his long hair concealed his face like a curtain.
"You had better ask at the hospital," Axel suggested. "Ask his
doctor. She must have found out something during the last few weeks."
"I will talk to his doctor," Sejer said, "but I also need to ask his best friends. You were close, weren't you? What else did you talk about?"
"Ladegården Hospital. Jon told stories from the ward. It was funny."
"How long was he there?"
"Four weeks."
"You visited him there?"
"Yes."
"Did he like it there?"
"He didn't have a choice," Axel said.
They talked about Jon for an hour. When it was all over, Axel held out his hand.
"Please don't hesitate to get in touch if there is anything else," he said.
Chapter 6
W ELL, WHO WOULD HAVE thought it?" Jacob Skarre said. "Frimann, Reilly and Moreno are in our system. And they have been since last December."
Sejer leaned forward and read the screen.
"They were questioned as part of a missing person's case," Skarre said, "but it was just a routine interview. An odd coincidence. Or perhaps there's no such thing?"
"I'll have a look at the file," Sejer said. "But there's no reason to suspect that a crime has been committed, so we'll proceed on that basis. For now," he added. "And if there is a link, it'll show up eventually, don't you think?"
"It'll show up," Jacob Skarre agreed.
Three days later they visited Axel Frimann in his apartment. Axel was convinced that he had made a good impression on the two men. There were several factors which contributed to his credibility; his attractive appearance and broad shoulders were
only two of them. He was eloquent too. He spoke with concern and restraint and most of the time he felt on top of the situation. Concealing details about Jon's suicide was a tiny act he had performed to spare Ingerid Moreno more painful knowledge. He directed Sejer and Skarre to the sofa while he pottered about because being active gave him a sense of control. Axel Frimann never relinquished power.
"When it comes to Jon's death," Sejer said, "there are a few details which baffle us. That's why we are here."
Axel looked at him, open and inquisitive, and thanks to his complete mastery of his features his face took on an expression of mild, indulgent patience. He moved closer to the window. As though he wanted to steal radiance from outside and appear in an innocent light.
"We would like to talk to you about them," Sejer said.
Axel noticed that Skarre was already busy taking notes.
"At some point during the night Jon got up and went outside," Sejer said. "He sneaked out of the cabin while you and Reilly were asleep. You heard nothing, so we don't know what time that was."
Axel had found a comfortable position leaning against the wall.
"If we presume that he left with the intention of drowning himself in the lake," Sejer went on, "there are several things which are hard to understand."
It grew silent in Axel's living room. He rarely found himself with nothing to say and he realized that the very silence itself was revealing.
"Jon was wearing very warm clothing," Sejer said. "If I hadn't known better, I would have assumed he was dressed for a walk in the forest."
Axel smiled a glum smile.
"Surely it's not very odd," he declared, "that he put on a jacket. It was just out of habit. Because he was going outside."
"He had buttoned all
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