The Nightmare Read Online Free PDF

Palmcrona’s apartment and found him hanging. But he’s not sure it’s a suicide.”
    Nathan Pollock’s weather-beaten face frowns in concentration.
    “Why does he suspect something’s wrong?”
    The elevator stops and Joona slides the gate open. Bengtsson is waiting at the door of the apartment.
    “This is Tommy Kofoed and Nathan Pollock from the CID,” Joona says.
    They shake hands quietly.
    “So the door was unlocked when I arrived,” John tells them. “I heard music and found Palmcrona hanging in one of the large rooms. Over the years, I’ve cut down a number of people, but this time … I mean … perhaps it is suicide, but given Palmcrona’s position in society, I thought I’d better check it all out.”
    “You did the right thing to call,” Joona agrees.
    “Checked out the body?” Tommy asks in his sullen fashion.
    “I didn’t even enter the room,” John replies.
    “Good,” Kofoed mumbles, and he begins to lay protective mats on the floor.
    Minutes later, Joona and Nathan Pollock are able to walk into the hallway. John Bengtsson is waiting for them next to a blue sofa. He points toward the double doors that are ajar and reveal a well-lit room. Joona continues walking across the protective mats and pushes the doors wide open.
    Warm sunshine pours into the room through high windows. Carl Palmcrona is hanging in the center of the spacious room. Flies creep over his white face and into his eye sockets and open mouth to lay their small, yellowish eggs. They buzz around the pool of urine as well as the sleek black briefcase on the floor. The narrow laundry line has cut into Palmcrona’s throat, forming a deep red furrow. Blood has flowed out and down his shirtfront.
    “Executed,” Tommy Kofoed declares as he pulls on protective gloves.
    Every trace of sullenness has vanished, and he smiles as he goes down on his knees to begin photographing the hanging body.
    “We’ll probably find injuries to the cervical vertebra,” Pollock says pointing.
    Joona glances up at the ceiling and back to the floor.
    “Obviously it’s a statement,” Kofoed says triumphantly and keeps the flashing camera focused on the corpse. “I mean, the killer didn’t bother to hide the body but wants to say something instead.”
    “That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Bengtsson exclaims just as eagerly. “The room is empty and there are no chairs or ladders to climb on.”
    “So the question is, what does the killer want to say?” Tommy Kofoed says as he lowers the camera to peer at the body. “Hanging is connected to treason and betrayal. Think of Judas Iscariot who—”
    “Just a second,” Joona says mildly.
    They see him point at the floor.
    “What is it?” asks Pollock.
    “We’re looking at a suicide,” Joona replies.
    “What a typical suicide!” Tommy Kofoed laughs. “He flaps his wings and flies—”
    “The briefcase,” Joona says. “If he set it upright, he’d reach the noose.”
    “But he couldn’t have reached the ceiling,” Pollock points out.
    “He could have fastened the noose beforehand.”
    “I think you’re wrong.”
    Joona shrugs and says, “Keep in mind the music and the knots…”
    “Let’s take a look at the briefcase,” Pollock says.
    “Let me just secure the area first,” says Kofoed.
    They watch Kofoed, his bent, short body, as he creeps forward and rolls out over the floor a sheet of black plastic film with a bottom layer of thin gelatin. Then he carefully presses on the film with a rubber roller.
    “Can you get me a couple of bio-packs and a large container?” he requests as he points to his collection bag.
    “Wellpapp?” asks Pollock.
    “Yes, thanks,” Tommy says as he catches the packs that Pollock throws in a high arch to him.
    He secures any biological traces on the floor and then waves Pollock into the room.
    “You’ll find the marks of his shoes on the outer edge of the briefcase,” Joona says. “It has fallen over backward and the body has swung