Tiny payback. Petty and unfair. But still.

‘What are you grinning about?’ Leo asks. ‘Another round?’

‘No, thanks, I have to—’

She’s interrupted by Leo’s phone dinging. She packs up her laptop while he reads the text.

‘I don’t think you’re going to have to talk to Luna’s parents, or her brother,’ he says.

Then he puts the phone down on the table and pushes it over to her.

‘Read for yourself,’ he says.

And she does.

Sorry guys! Needed a few days of peace and stillness after all the stress. Forget about the song changes. I’ll be in touch once my soul is revived! Could you ask Billy to sort out the stuff I left at the house while I’m gone? All my love, Luna

‘Well, well, what do you know,’ Karen says. ‘So I’ve just wasted two days on this woman instead of doing real police work. Yep, she certainly is virtue personified.’

This time, Leo says nothing.

Chapter 12

12

‘As expected, I suppose. But you’re obviously going to have to verify that it was sent from her phone.’

Jounas Smeed leans back in his office chair, stretching his legs out under his desk and folding his hands behind his head. Karen stares at him incredulously. Is he serious?

‘I already did. Obviously.’

There are many reasons why Smeed insists on treating her like a trainee, despite her experience and results. The fact that his daughter Sigrid has moved in with her in Langevik is just one of them. Karen has some sympathy for that; he’s obviously well aware Sigrid might tell her things she shouldn’t know about her boss. But the way he handles the situation, by alternately lording it over her and overstepping all personal boundaries is hard to accept.

‘And make sure forensics triangulate the position. I won’t be able to sleep at night unless I know where that woman is. I don’t like her running around on these islands.’

‘Well, you can roll over and keep snoozing,’ Karen replies. ‘Tonight, I mean,’ she clarifies mildly. ‘Luna has already left the country; according to Larsen, the text was sent from Harwich. She must have taken the ferry across.’

Smeed untangles his intertwined fingers and lets his arms fall to his sides.

‘Harwich? England?’

‘Yes. As far as I know, there aren’t any ferries from Doggerland to Harwich, United States . . .’

Jounas Smeed lets out something halfway between an annoyed sigh and a snort of derision.

‘I thought you told me you checked the passenger lists.’

‘I did. Every departure from Dunker to Esbjerg and from Ravenby to Harwich, and she wasn’t on any of them. But you know what their passport checks are like. It wouldn’t be the first time someone slipped through under a fake name.’

‘Yes, thank you, I’m aware. Those fucking terminals leak like a sieve.’