The Nightmare Read Online Free PDF Page A

lemon juice over the salmon, and reassembles his sandwich.
    Suddenly the door to the meeting room swings open and Joona Linna steps in. His short-cut blond hair stands straight up.
    “ Syö tilli, pojat ,” he says in Finnish.
    “That’s right!” Nathan Pollock laughs. “Eat your dill, boys!”
    Nathan and Joona grin at each other. Tommy Kofoed’s cheeks turn red and he shakes his head with a smile.
    “ Tilli .” Nathan Pollock repeats the Finnish word and laughs out loud as Joona walks past Tommy and sticks the dill back onto his sandwich.
    “Let’s get back to the meeting,” says Petter.
    Joona shakes hands with Nathan, then takes an empty chair, slinging his black jacket over the back as he sits down.
    “Please pardon my being late,” he says.
    “Let me welcome you as a guest of this meeting,” says Carlos. “We were just bringing up recruiting. I believe I’ll hand the floor over to Nathan.”
    “All right, and I want everyone to know that I’m not alone in this,” Nathan Pollock begins. “Rather … we’re all in agreement. Joona, we’re hoping that you’ll come on board with us.”
    The room falls silent. Niklas Dent and Erik Eriksson nod. Petter Näslund is a dark silhouette in the backlight.
    “We’d really like to have you,” Tommy Kofoed ventures.
    “I appreciate the offer,” Joona answers as he runs his hand over his hair. “You’re hardworking guys, and you’ve proved your mettle. I respect your work…”
    Everyone around the table smiles.
    “But as for me … I just can’t be tied down to your strict methodology. To any strict method of investigation,” he explains.
    “We know, we understand,” Kofoed says quickly. “The way we work is a little rigid, but it’s shown…”
    Kofoed falls silent.
    “We just wanted to ask,” says Nathan Pollock.
    “It’s just not the way I work,” Joona explains.
    To a man, they look down at the table; someone nods. Joona’s cell phone rings and he excuses himself to answer it. He stands up from the table and leaves the room. A minute later he returns and slides his jacket off the chair.
    “Sorry. I would like to stay, but—”
    “Something serious?” asks Carlos.
    “That was John Bengtsson from Routine Patrol,” Joona says. “He’s just found Carl Palmcrona.”
    “Found?” asks Carlos.
    “Hanged,” Joona answers. His eyes gleam like gray glass.
    “Who is Palmcrona?” asks Nathan Pollock. “I can’t place the name.”
    “He’s the general director for ISP,” Tommy Kofoed says quickly. “He makes the final decisions on Swedish arms exports.”
    “Isn’t everything at ISP classified?” asks Carlos.
    “True,” Kofoed answers.
    “So let the guys at Säpo take it.”
    “I’ve just promised Bengtsson I’d come in person,” Joona answers. “There’s something not quite right about the scene.”
    “What?” Carlos asks.
    “He said … well, I really have to see it myself.”
    “Sounds interesting,” Tommy Kofoed says. “Can I come?”
    “If you want,” Joona answers.
    “I’ll come, too, then,” Pollock says swiftly.
    Carlos tries to remind them about the meeting in progress but sees it is pointless as the three men get up and walk out into the cool hallway.

 
    6
    how death came
    Twenty minutes later, Detective Inspector Joona Linna parks his black Volvo on Strandvägen and gets out to wait for his colleagues from the National Criminal Investigation Department. They pull up moments later in a silver-gray Lincoln Town Car and together they walk around the corner and enter the building at Grevgatan 2.
    While they ride the ancient, rattling elevator to the top, Tommy Kofoed asks what information Joona’s already been given.
    “The National Inspectorate of Strategic Products had put out a bulletin that Palmcrona was missing,” Joona says. “He has no family and none of his colleagues knew him socially, but when he didn’t show up for work, the police were asked to investigate. John Bengtsson went to