‘That’s true. We’ve had so much on our plate, we simply haven’t had the time to check if the tyre tracks match any of yours. But you know what? As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter whether they match or not. I actually don’t give a shit, since whatever happens, I’m going to make sure they match! And if not that, then something else. A fingerprint in the wrong place, or maybe one of these?’ She bent down and pulled out a few of the tattooed man’s long hairs and held them up. ‘I’m holding in my hand enough evidence to send you down ten times over! Any further questions on that?’

The sirens and flashing blue lights of the fire department, who had received an alarm from an anonymous caller twenty minutes earlier, were approaching. Lilja turned back to her car, climbed in behind the wheel and drove off down the tree-lined road with adrenaline pumping through her veins. At the same time, the video she’d emailed to every news desk in the country, showing Landertz doing a Nazi salute, was already well on its way to going viral.

84

‘It’s no bother.’ Kim Sleizner beamed as though trying to outshine the rising sun, which had already magicked away the mist over the sound. ‘We’ll just keep him here until one of you people come to pick him up. Deal?’

Fabian nodded. ‘Absolutely. Tuvesson tells me a transport is already on its way.’

‘Well, that’s great, just terrific!’ Sleizner said in his best Swedish. ‘You just take him back to Sweden and help us keep Denmark clean. You’re happy, we’re happy. Terrific!’ Sleizner laughed and held out his hand.

Fabian allowed himself a smile and shook his hand. ‘And once again, thanks for all your help. I honestly don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t turned up.’

‘Don’t mention it.’ Sleizner shrugged and spread his free hand while still pumping Fabian’s with the other. ‘We do what we can to help one another, don’t we?’

Fabian nodded and tried to let go of Sleizner’s hand, but Sleizner held on tight and kept shaking.

‘It would probably work out either way, I reckon. What is it they say? Love and quarrel go hand in hand.’ Sleizner chuckled and shook Fabian’s hand as though he was never going to let go.

‘All right, then, it’s about time for me to be on my way,’ Fabian said in his best Danish. ‘As you say, we want to keep Denmark clean.’

They both laughed stiffly.

‘Hey, now that I think about it, there was one other thing.’

‘Yes?’

‘Dunja Hougaard.’ Sleizner stopped shaking Fabian’s hand but still wouldn’t let him have it back.

‘Yes?’

‘I may be wrong about this, but I had the impression the two of you liked each other?’