Black Seconds Read Online Free PDF Page B

kind, inviting, and friendly. They knew how to groom them, and they had the ability to spot the most trusting children quickly. A bizarre skill, Sejer thought.
    "So she could have gone with someone of her own accord?" he said out loud.
    "I suppose so," Joner said helplessly. "Anything's possible. I can't answer yes or no to a question like that."
    Sejer knew that Joner was right.
    Skarre spoke up. "Is she interested in boys?" he asked cautiously.
    Joner shook his head. "She's only nine. But then again, she could be starting to take an interest in them. Even though I personally think it's a bit early."
    "How about a diary? Does she keep one?"
    "You'll have to ask Helga later," he said. "I don't want to wake her now."
    "You and Helga," Sejer said delicately, "you get on well?"
    Joner nodded. "Yes, very much so!"
    "She called you last night, but didn't manage to get hold of you. Where did you spend the evening?"
    Joner blinked nervously. "At work. I often switch off my cell phone so I won't be disturbed."
    "You work shifts?" Sejer asked him.
    "No. But I no longer have a family. I mean, not like I used to. So I spend most of my time working. I'm at the office a lot. From time to time I even sleep there," he said.
    "What do you do?"
    "I'm in advertising. I work with text and layout. The agency is called Heartbreak," he added. "In case you need to know."
    Skarre noted down the name and address of the agency. Joner started talking about his work. It was a welcome distraction from this terrible situation and it seemed to cheer him up. His face took on a boyish expression. He radiated the instant appeal people acquire when they love their work and are given a chance to talk about it.
    "Helga's on disability," he said. "Because of her migraines. So I support both her and Ida." His face darkened because his daughter was once more foremost in his mind. "Ida is very forward," he said suddenly.
    "Forward?" Sejer said. "In what way?"
    "Pushy. Eager. She's not afraid of anything. She has a great deal of self-confidence," he said, "and she thinks very highly of herself. It would never occur to her that she might meet someone who would want to hurt her. She has no experience of that." Joner placed his glasses on the table. Finally he managed to leave them alone. "Isn't there anything I can do?"
    "We'll round up all the volunteers we can find and organize a search party," Sejer said. "It's no problem finding people for something like that. Everyone in the area knows that Ida's gone missing. It will be led by professionals and the volunteers will be told precisely how and where to look."
    "What about the river?" Joner said apprehensively. He did not like to say it out loud.
    "Of course we need to think about dragging it," Sejer said. "However, in the first instance we need to carry out a search of the immediate area, and our people will visit every single house along the road to Laila's Kiosk as well."
    "I want to join in the search," Joner said.
    "We'll let you know later about a meeting place," Sejer said. "We'll probably use the school playground. Please take care of Helga until then."
    Joner saw them out. He stayed standing on the steps watching them. Gripped the railings and leant forward. His eyes sought the horizon; Ida was out there. "She's been gone seventeen hours," he groaned. "It's too late and you know it!"
    He buried his head in his hands and stood there shaking. Sejer went back up to him. He grabbed Joner's arm and squeezed it hard. There was nothing else he could do. Then he returned to the car. It felt like he was turning his back on a drowning man.
    ***
    A large group of volunteers had gathered in the playground of Glassverket school. A whole night had passed and the seriousness of the situation was clear to see in every face. It was still raining, but more softly now. The search party was made up of volunteers from the Red Cross, the Home Guard, teachers and pupils from the school, people from the sports club and a range of