I’m going to talk to Smeed the minute this investigation is over, Karl thinks to himself and slowly tears his eyes away from the screen. He’s going to have to deal with me not being here for a while. Karen is back now and he’s going to have to find a permanent replacement for Johannisen as well; the man’s well past sixty.

But what’s really eating at him, what has Karl Björken genuinely worried, is what Ingrid didn’t say. Why hadn’t she pointed out the obvious? That Karl has been complaining about all the idiots he has to work with for years. He has griped about Viggo Haugen’s spineless sycophancy vis-à-vis the political leadership, about Jounas Smeed’s obvious lack of leadership skills, about Karen’s mood swings and lack of social grace, about Johannisen’s insufferable bitterness, which brings the whole team down. If anyone has been complaining about their job, it’s him.

But Ingrid had said nothing. Hadn’t wrenched the weapon out of his hand, even though it would have been so easy. Worry ties knots in his stomach.

Has she given up?

His dark thoughts are interrupted when something about what Karen and Cornelis Loots are discussing catches his ear.

‘Toxins, sure, I know what they are. But what exactly have they got to do with anything?’

‘Well, he might have figured out some flaw in the production process up at Groth’s. That would certainly be a threat to both their current business and the expansion.’

‘It would have to be mould toxins,’ Karen says. ‘Because that’s what his research was about, different kinds of mould. At least that’s what that woman from the university told me.’

‘They say mould can be bloody serious.’

‘Maybe in houses and food. Fredrik Stuub was quoted in the newspapers a few years ago, talking about aflatoxins in rice. But I’ve never heard of mould in spirits. Besides, all the documents related to Fredrik’s research are several years old.’

Karen sounds sceptical and Karl has already pushed aside his thoughts about Ingrid’s ominous silence. He has read the documents on Fredrik Stuub’s laptop, too.

‘And what’s the connection with Gabriel Stuub?’ he puts in. ‘Mould in his protein powder?’

Cornelis shrugs sullenly.

‘I still think we should let someone who knows about these things have a look. Maybe a doctor.’

‘OK,’ Karen replies. ‘You’re right. I’ll ask Brodal. It’s possible Fredrik was onto something, but how it could be connected to Groth’s is beyond me. And as Karl just pointed out, how does Gabriel come into it? He and his grandfather hardly had the kind of relationship where they discussed old research results. But it’s past eight. Let’s pack it up for today.’

‘What are your holiday plans? Are you going home for Twelfth Night?’ Karl asks, trying to sound casual.