It looked like a proper programme at least, and from what he could see it was already scanning for external memory units. Unless it was in fact encrypting his entire computer so it could threaten to erase it all unless he transferred a lot of money to some Russian bank account.

Found 8GB Sandisk memory card in slot J.

Do you want to recover deleted and broken files?

He pressed YES, which started the process; whatever it was the programme was doing, it apparently wasn’t going to be quick. The percentage counter remained stubbornly stuck on three per cent for several minutes before switching to four. It was only when he heard the ding signalling an incoming email that he realized he must have nodded off.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Subject: Theodor

I assume you realize your son is one of them.

/D

The link redirected him to an article in the Danish daily Politiken. It was about the impending trial of four Swedish teenagers who, wearing yellow smiley masks, had killed three homeless people in Helsingør in the most elaborate and brutal ways conceivable. And they had filmed each deadly assault and posted them online.

Fabian was very familiar with the case. For obvious reasons, it had made a splash on the Swedish side of the sound, too, and people had argued for holding the trial in Sweden on the grounds that two of the defendants were minors. But since the crimes had been committed in Denmark, that was apparently where the trial was going to take place. Specifically, in Helsingør.

He did a search on the Smiley Gang and read several articles written about the spectacular case. But nowhere was there any mention of there being a fifth member. All the sources mentioned three boys and one girl, all of whom were currently in detention in Denmark.

What did any of that have to do with Theodor? He hadn’t been to Denmark, and he definitely wasn’t detained and awaiting trial. Right now, he was at the cinema watching The Avengers and soon he should be on his way home. Could this be a mistake?

The message was written in Danish and signed D.

It could have been sent by just about anyone, but if he had to guess, he would have said it was Dunja Hougaard. A Danish colleague of his, who two years earlier had sacrificed her entire career by going against her boss, Kim Sleizner, to help him with an investigation. Dunja had even ended up saving Theodor’s life when he had been kidnapped by a terrifying serial killer who wanted to punish Fabian for the crimes of his past. Since then, they’d only been in touch sporadically, if at all.