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Back Motive X Save as PDF
Chapters (99)
  1. MOTIVE X
  2. The Fabian Risk Thrillers
  3. MOTIVE X
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Contents
  6. Prologue
  7. PART I
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. PART II
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. 58
  67. 59
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. 69
  78. 70
  79. 71
  80. 72
  81. 73
  82. 74
  83. 75
  84. 76
  85. 77
  86. 78
  87. 79
  88. 80
  89. 81
  90. 82
  91. 83
  92. 84
  93. 85
  94. 86
  95. 87
  96. 88
  97. About the author and translator
  98. Acknowledgements
  99. An Invitation from the Publisher

He must have been walking in circles. How typical. Now he was back in the square with that damn wheel that didn’t even spin. But there, on the other side, there was a shop window full of mobile phones. They would be able to help him. And if not, he’d give them the knife.

He hurried over and walked past the salesperson, who smelled too strongly of perfume.

‘Welcome to Telenor,’ she said, sounding like an answering machine. ‘Are you looking to buy a new phone?’

‘No, just charging.’ He pulled out one of the cords and plugged it into his own phone.

‘I’m afraid we can’t help you with that. But we sell chargers, both original and—’

‘I told you, just charging!’

‘All right, okay, sorry.’ The salesperson backed away in fear as the phone came to life in his hand.

He didn’t like her. She smelled too strongly and looked at him with eyes that weren’t friendly. Not friendly at all, actually. ‘You’re stinky,’ he said, pulling out his knife and starting towards her.

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.’ The salesperson held her hands up in front of her. ‘Feel free to charge as much as you’d like.’

He stopped and hesitated for a few moments before deciding he was going to give her the knife anyway, but at that moment his phone rang.

‘Hello? Who is it? Are you my brother? I want to talk to my brother.’

‘Assar, it’s me,’ a voice said.

‘Is that you, Igor? I tried to call you several times, but the phone was stupid and wouldn’t let me. I hate this phone. Hate, hate, hate!’

‘Assar, calm down and tell me where you are instead.’

‘But why doesn’t it say it’s you? Why does it say unknown number?’

‘Because I’m not calling from my usual phone.’

‘Why not? Why aren’t you calling from your usual phone? Why can’t everything be normal?’

‘Assar, listen to me. Things aren’t normal any more. You’re wanted by the police; they’re coming for you.’

‘I know. They’re really mean.’

‘They are, and that’s why I can’t call you from my usual phone. Now tell me where you are so I can come and pick you up before the police do.’

‘You know the shop with lots of mobile phones by the square with that wheel that used to spin when we were little?’

44

Fabian couldn’t for the life of him understand how he could have been so stupid. Not only had he voluntarily handed his phone over to Molander, he had let him click around for far too long before pulling his finger out and asking for it back. Molander had, of course, continued to swipe around while mockingly asking what kind of secrets he had on it.