“I started looking into who he was and where he lived. I read articles online about his work, about the cases he was involved in, the sorts of people he defended. At some point, while I was searching his name, I happened to come across an interview in the business newspaper Børsen with his father, the powerful Johannes Mossing. And then …” She spread her hands out and smiled wanly. “Then all the pieces fell into place.”

“What do you mean?”

“It was him,” Anna said. “He was the one who came to my house when I was a kid that night and rang my doorbell. He was the one who selected me. He was the one who bought me from my mother.”

“Johanne Mossing was the one who kissed you in the doorway? When you were eight years old?”

Anna nodded.

“Was he also involved in the Lullaby Club? Was he ever present in the warehouse by the harbor?”

“Present?” She laughed briefly. “He hosted the event. It was his building, his club, his idea. He’s the reason my life ended that night the doorbell rang.”

“Can you prove it?” Heloise was filled with adrenaline.

“It’s all in there.” She pointed to the folder. “There’s pictures, conversations, links to audio files.”

Heloise let the feeling blissfully sink in. This clinched it. She had her story. Before the week was up, she could break the news that Johannes Mossing wasn’t just a criminal but that he had systematically abused young children with members of a secret club he had set up. That his own son had lost his life for the same reason. This was big. Huge!

“Why did you kill Christoffer Mossing?” Heloise asked. “Why didn’t you let the police deal with it?”

“He deserved it.” Anna leaned back in her chair.

“Did he see it coming? Or was he asleep when you attacked him?”

“He was asleep. But I woke him up with the first stab, right here.” She pointed just above her left collarbone. “It wouldn’t have been hardly as satisfying if he hadn’t gotten to see me. If he had died without knowing who stole his life from him.”

“And the security camera in the driveway? What was that about? Why didn’t you just get out of there?”

“I knew Johannes Mossing would end up seeing that surveillance footage. Even if he couldn’t recognize me, someone would be able to identify me, and my name would come out. And then it would hit him, who I was. He would realize what it was all about, and he would understand that his son was dead because of him. Because isn’t that what people always say? That nothing is worse than losing a child?”

“So I hear.” Heloise nodded.

“Yes, so I think it was a fitting punishment, considering what they did to me. It was a good start, at least.”