“You will be able to go home, but first I want to ask for your help,” he said. “Last time I was here, you talked about a girl. Do you remember that?”

She nodded.

“What did she look like?”

“Like me,” she whispered. “But she had a big scar on her forehead.”

Pim pointed at her own forehead, at her hairline.

“Did she go there with you?”

“No, she was already there.”

“She was already there?”

“Yes, on the upper floor.”

“Think really, really carefully now. Do you remember her name?”

Pim scratched her arm, thinking for a moment.

“Her name was Isra.”

“Did you talk to her?”

“Not much,” Pim said. “She cried when he pulled the tape from her mouth and when he went out, I asked her what her name was, but I didn’t dare talk any more with her because if he heard us talking, he would definitely have hurt us.”

“In my hand, I’m holding photographs of two men. I want you to look at them and say if you recognize either of them.”

Henrik took the pictures out of the envelope and placed them in front of Pim.

“Look carefully. Do you recognize either man?”

Pim looked hesitantly at the photos as if she were scared for what she thought she might see. In the next second, her hands flew to her mouth.

“Him!” she screamed, pointing.

Her eyes were filled with fear.

Henrik picked up the picture she had pointed to. He studied the man with the dark hair, brown eyes, chiseled face.

“Was he the one who held you captive?” Henrik asked.

“Yes,” Pim said.

“And you’re completely certain?”

“Yes...”

Henrik looked at the picture again, shuddering as he met the man’s gaze. He picked up the phone and first called Gunnar Öhrn, then the prosecutor in charge of the preliminary investigation, Jana Berzelius.

* * *

Jana Berzelius stepped into the district court in Norrköping soberly dressed in a slim-fitting black jacket and matching slacks. Her blouse was creamy white with a round neckline. She had selected pointy-toed high heels by Yves Saint Laurent.

A female voice came over the speakers calling all parties and agents to Courtroom 2, where the court was conducting a hearing of case B3980-13 regarding an assault at a bar.

She double-checked that her cell phone was silenced and saw that Henrik Levin had called.

She stepped to the side and listened to the voice mail just to be safe. It was a short message, but what he said made the room spin.