“Well, we work to reduce the plant’s flue gas emissions, specifically CO2 and NOX. ARC has a threshold limit value of fifty percent compared to all the other refuse incineration plants in the country, and we emit only fifteen percent of the permissible amount. That’s a savings equivalent to having fifty thousand fewer cars out driving around on the roads. These flue gases are known to cause cancer and acid rain.” He nodded proudly. “We’re one of the cleanest waste incinerators in the world.”

“Impressive.”

“Thank you.”

Jeppe watched him calmly. His red cheeks, the spit accumulating at the corners of his mouth, and the smell of booze. He looked like a man under pressure.

“Did Iben ever talk to Malthe Sæther?”

The sudden change of topic clearly confused him. He wiped his forehead on his sleeve.

“You mean privately? Not that I know of. But Iben doesn’t tell me that much anymore. You have to drag everything out of her. Teenagers, you know.”

“Do you know what happened between her and Victor Dreyer-Hoff at the fall dance?”

“You lost me there.” Kasper got up, supporting himself heavily on the table. His eyes swam, and the sweat was beading up on his forehead.

“Everything okay?” Jeppe reached an arm out to assist him. But before he got that far, Kasper stormed out of the room. A door slammed shut, followed by a distinctive sound. Kasper Skytte was throwing up.

THE STAIRCASE ENDED in a long, narrow hallway. Anette’s flashlight revealed gray walls and an arched ceiling, and a little way ahead the hallway split in two. Anette took the one on the right and proceeded through the echoing concrete until she came to another junction. She turned around. It was dark behind her. Where had Mads gone?

Annoyed, she retraced her steps, went back to the first split, and chose the hallway on the left. After twenty quick steps, a glimpse of light revealed that he was in a room on the right side of the hallway. Anette saw him shining his light on the wall. He looked absorbed, the shine from the flashlight reflecting back on his face and forming deep shadows under his eyes.

She got control of her breathing and went in. The room was elliptical in shape, like a submarine, and its plaster walls were peeling off in flakes onto hundreds of plastic chairs lined up in neat rows.

“What is this? It looks like drawings of buildings, plans for something or other.…” Anette shined her light on a series of posters hanging on the wall. She moved closer, feeling the heat from his body.

“Who knows.” He turned to her. Half his face was lit, the other half in darkness. “Have you had enough?”

Anette checked her phone and saw that there was no signal. She straightened her back.

“No, let’s keep looking.”