“Thursday afternoon, just a quick little joyride on my own. It was chilly, and none of the others wanted to join me.” He raised his hand toward Langelinie Pier. “That’s how we go from the dock here, around and under the bridge and out into the harbor proper. Going right you pass the Little Mermaid and on toward Christianshavns Canal. If you turn left you head out toward Trekroner and the open sea. But the boat isn’t intended to cross the shipping lane. It only goes up to five knots, so we mostly stay in the harbor.”

Jeppe followed his finger as he pointed out their usual routes.

“How often do you take the boat out?”

“During boating season, I try to get out two or three times a week. Even just a quick jaunt in the afternoon energizes me for days. But I can’t always get the kids to come along. They have so much other stuff going on.”

“And what do you usually do? Are there any outings you take regularly?”

“Well, it depends on the wind, and whether we want to fish or swim. Sometimes we head out to Flakfortet or over to Trekroner.…” Henrik lowered his chin and held his breath for a moment before continuing. “Oscar loves going there to explore. He brings his sketch pad and draws. We’ve gotten to know the fortress caretaker. He often takes the time to show Oscar around.”

A note sounded in the back of Jeppe’s mind.

“The fortress caretaker? What’s his name?”

“You know, I can’t remember,” Henrik said, his brow wrinkled in concentration. “We’ve met him only a handful of times. But he’s friendly and very knowledgeable about the fort’s history. And about birds.”

The note grew in intensity and started chiming in Jeppe’s ears.

“How do you operate the boat? Is it hard? I mean… I’m sorry if I’m asking a stupid question, but I’ve never tried it myself.”

“It’s not a sailboat. You just turn on the motor with a key, like in a car, and put the boat in gear,” Henrik explained. “You cast off the mooring lines and push away from the dock. The hard part is bringing the boat in again without damaging it. Steering it is easy. You just use the tiller in the back of the boat.”

“Do you think Oscar could do it?”

“That… I don’t actually know. Victor’s a good sailor, but Oscar has never been so keen. Why, do you think he sailed off on his own?”

“We’re keeping all options open for now.” Jeppe resisted an impulse to soothe the father at all costs. There was no point in giving him false hope. “Can you think of anyone in your own circle of acquaintances who would want to harm Oscar? Or you?”

“For money, you mean? A ransom?” Henrik eyed him quizzically.

“Well, yes, money. Or revenge?”