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Back The Double Save as PDF
Chapters (63)
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  63. Acknowledgements

‘It occurred to me,’ Vidor said, slowly, as if trying to give extra weight to his words, ‘that the sight of that man entering the hall in Copenhagen might have triggered my long-buried childhood memory. When I attacked that poor man – wholly unaware, of course – perhaps I was avenging my younger self against a similar man who’d terrorised me as a boy.’

Gessen suppressed a smile. Vidor’s ‘surprise epiphany’ was straight out of Psychology 101. ‘It’s an interesting theory,’ he said, with a note of gravity in his voice, ‘and something I’d like to pursue in greater depth at our next session, when we’ll attempt to get at the heart of what that man represents in your psyche. Age regression analysis might be just the thing for teasing out the details of that particular memory.’

His palms were damp with sweat. Still no word about Ismail. He checked his phone to be sure it was switched on.

Vidor sat upright and beamed.

How easy it was for Gessen to read his thoughts: That Dr Lindstrom sure is a genius. A brilliant idea to tell Dr Gessen exactly what he wants to hear. All done and dusted. In a week’s time I’ll be back in Cambridge.

It was time to burst his bubble.

‘I hadn’t wanted to show you before,’ Gessen said, scraping back his chair. ‘But I believe you’re ready to see for yourself what happened in Copenhagen. With your childhood memories beginning to surface, the face of the man you attacked might remind you of someone from your past.’

Vidor’s chin jerked up. No wonder he felt skittish, Gessen thought, as he eyed him closely. With unusual skill, he’d managed to sidestep any acknowledgment of the violent assault that had landed him in Gessen’s clinic. Seeing that video would certainly come as a shock. It might even release the storm of pent up emotions sure to be lurking under the surface of Vidor’s cool and courtly façade. And who could say where that might lead? He would have to tread with care.

Gessen beckoned Vidor to follow him into his office. ‘I’ve got the video of the ceremony on my computer. Why don’t we have a look at it now?’

29

The shriek of the telephone jolted him awake. As the news filtered through Gessen’s brain, a darkness, terrifying as the shadow of a manticore, threatened to choke him, and the bitter taste of bile rose in his throat.

Ismail was dead.