The man moved slightly, opened his eyes, then quickly closed them again.

“I’ll… Just give me a second.” With his coworkers’ help, Kasper began to slowly sit up.

Jeppe and Anette stepped a few paces away from the sofa.

“What the fuck?!” she hissed under her breath.

“Keep your voice down!”

“Iben’s father works here, where Oscar’s body was dumped? Can we just agree that that’s—”

“Kasper, are you okay?” Jeppe turned back to the sofa and squatted down in front of it.

Kasper Skytte eyed him waveringly. His face was the same color as beaten egg whites.

“It’s just the shock,” he mumbled.

“Do you think you can handle a few questions?”

Kasper nodded and swallowed hard.

“We’re a little surprised to see you here. How long have you been working at the plant?”

Kasper closed his eyes.

“He started last summer.” One of the coworkers answered for him. “So, a little under a year.”

“Kasper, take a deep breath,” the coworker said. She sat down next to the engineer and put an arm around him.

Kasper opened his eyes and looked at Jeppe, groggy as a boxer in round ten.

“Is it Oscar?”

“We don’t know yet,” Jeppe said after a moment’s hesitation.

Kasper’s head fell. His coworker worriedly pulled a trash can in front of him.

Jeppe’s phone rang, and he got up and walked away from the sofa to answer it.

“Kørner speaking.”

“Nyboe here. We’re back at the department and have just started washing the dust off our dead friend here so we can see what we’re doing. I haven’t begun my exam yet, but I thought I should let you know my first impression right away.…”

Nyboe paused for dramatic effect, long enough for Jeppe’s stomach to have time to turn.

“I think we have what you would probably call a bingo. The body from the claw is male. Light skin, dark hair, and very young.”

CHAPTER 13

One, two, three slow steps and then a small pause, masked as a glance toward the horizon and some fumbling around in his jacket pocket for a lozenge. Esther was shocked at how impaired Gregers’s walking was. He usually took several walks a day. How could he be this out of shape? Or was the snail’s pace rather a sign of reluctance to face the upcoming appointment?

“Are you nervous about seeing her?”

She gazed up at the nondescript medical building on Østerbrogade while she waited for him to put a tissue pack back in his trouser pocket. On the third floor his doctor’s office waited for them. Esther had had to be very persuasive to get an appointment right away, and now they were running late for it.

“Maybe it’s just the flu.” His voice sounded almost hopeful. “As a matter of fact I do feel a little hot.”