The Demon Of Dakar Part 42

She tried to visualize the two hunted men. Was there an accomplice hiding them? The Norrtalje colleagues had reviewed footage from the prison's security cameras and had, just like the prison staff, drawn the conclusion that Patricio's escape was a spontaneous occurrence. The staff had also confirmed that the Mexican had not had any particular contact with the other three escapees. They were housed in separate quarters and had never worked together.

If it had been an unplanned escape on Alavez's part, then it was not clear that he could reasonably have expected to be taken in by friends outside the prison walls. But no one really knew anything about whatever network he might have. Alavez had remained silent through the entire court process and had not revealed a single detail of his smuggling attempt. He was perhaps not entirely welcome if he unexpectedly turned up at an a.s.sociate's house on the outside, but his loyalty should nonetheless give him bonus points.

Was there actually anything that spoke in favor of the brothers even being in Uppsala? Yes, Lindell decided, because if there was a connection between the fugitive, Slobodan Andersson, and Armas then it would be reasonable for Alavez to find his way to the city. And the connection existed, she was sure of it. The tattoo, and above all its removal, as well as the fact that cocaine had been both Alavez's and Slobodan's "business area," backed this up. Had Patricio Alavez tried to contact Slobodan Andersson?

Sammy Nilsson hurried past Lindell's open door. She called out to him and he stuck his head in.

"We're going to put out an APB on an Opel Zafir," she said and held out a piece of paper. "Can you do it? And another thing: where would you go if you had a tent and a fugitive brother?"

Sammy Nilsson took the information on the rental car and then sat down.

"Did you hear about Berglund?" Sammy asked.

Lindell nodded.

"It's too f.u.c.king depressing," he went on. "There are so many dumb-a.s.ses running around healthy as can be, while someone like Berglund gets. .h.i.t."

"There is no justice," Lindell said. "We already knew that."

She waited a couple of seconds before she picked up the thread about the Alavez brothers again.

"Where would you pitch your tent?"

Sammy stared back at her for a second before he looked down at his notes. Lindell knew he wanted to talk more about their colleague and his brain tumor.

"Not in a camping area, that's for sure," Sammy said. "Is this a guy from the country or the city?"

"No idea," Lindell replied. "What do you mean?"

"If he's from some kind of city gang or drug cartel then he wouldn't camp out. Too rustic. That type would check into a hotel."

"We've checked them all," Lindell said.

"a.s.sumed name?"

"Possible, but if it really was brother Manuel who camped by Lugnet then that would seem to indicate a particular style. The question is just where he went after Lugnet."

"Most likely close to the city," Sammy Nilsson said. He stood up and walked over to the map of Uppland that Lindell had on the wall.

"Okay," he resumed, "if you've killed someone south of the city then you probably don't just set up camp on the opposite side of the river."

"But what about local knowledge?"

"What would you do yourself?" Sammy Nilsson asked.

"Buy a map and try to figure out a good area."

"What is good?"

"Far away from people."

"But still fairly close to a road, wouldn't you say?" Sammy Nilsson said, his back to Lindell, studying the map.

He moved his finger from the southern parts of the city north, tracing the E4 motorway with his index finger.

"Mnkarbo," he said suddenly and turned around, "that's where I would swing up to the northwest."

"Mnkarbo?"

Sammy Nilsson nodded.

"You'll have to do the rest of the orienting on your own," he said with a grin.

Once he had left the room, Lindell went up to the map and located the small hamlet some twenty or thirty kilometers north of Uppsala.

She had a vague memory of Mnkarbo as a small town with a painfully low speed limit, a couple of stores, and a gas station.

She went to Ottosson.

"A cement foundry," he said, "and a mission house in the middle of the village. Why do you ask?"

"Just a guess by Sammy that the Alavez brothers may have gone north, and then he named Mnkarbo of all places."

"The foundry has been closed since G.o.d knows when, but the missionaries are probably still active. Do you think they're camping?"

"Yes, or alternatively, that they are hiding out at some drug a.s.sociate's."

"Do you think the brother was involved in the break out?"

"I do, actually," Lindell said. "The visit in prison was perhaps a last instruction on how the escape was going to be executed. That Patricio Alavez playacted for the cameras has no significance. Maybe he had some last-minute hesitation because the escape was not proceeding as he had been instructed."

"The hostage?"

"According to Norrtalje he was a peaceful sort and he may have objected to the amount of force that the taking of a hostage involves."

"The Norrtalje police say that they spread out. At least two cars were left in the woods where they dumped the van. But why would any of them want to get to Uppsala? If they now-"

The telephone interrupted his train of thought. He lifted the receiver and listened for a minute, hummed in response a couple of times, thanked the speaker for the information and hung up.

"Bjornsson and Brugger were apprehended one hour ago in Stockholm. The idiots tried to rob a post office. How stupid can you be? The Vasterort police are going to get in touch right away if and when they uncover anything of interest."

"Brilliant," Lindell underscored. "Two down."

"And our Mexican friends and the Spaniard remain," Ottosson said cheerfully.

Police questioning of Slobodan Andersson was resumed after lunch. Lindell went down to listen. She recalled their exchange of ideas about the food served in jails and prisons. Now he would get to test it for himself, and the prospect filled her with great joy. was resumed after lunch. Lindell went down to listen. She recalled their exchange of ideas about the food served in jails and prisons. Now he would get to test it for himself, and the prospect filled her with great joy.

Sammy Nilsson and Barbro Liljendahl handled the continued sessions. Lindell entered the room while Simone Motander-Banks was launching into a lecture on the violation of rights by law enforcement. Everyone, including the apprehended man, was staring at her with dull eyes. Slobodan did not indicate with any change of expression that he had registered Lindell's arrival.

Once the lawyer was finished, Sammy Nilsson nodded kindly. He did not comment on the criticism but instead turned on the tape recorder with a sardonic grin and recorded the particulars of the session.

This time they were focused on Slobodan's circle of acquaintances. They started with Konrad Rosenberg, where the answers given were the same as earlier in the day: they had no a.s.sociation, he only knew Rosenberg as a customer and he had no idea why or how he had died.

Barbro Liljendahl dropped this topic and Sammy took over. He again tried to review Slobodan's Mexican adventures but even here nothing new emerged. When Sammy Nilsson broached the topic of Lorenzo Wader, Slobodan straightened his back. For Lindell it was obvious that the predictable answers from his side concealed an increasing concern and perhaps also astonishment. It was as if Slobodan Andersson was gradually starting to realize that the police were in possession of unexpected information, and that he himself was only a p.a.w.n in a game that he had believed he controlled.

"Wader and I have chatted two or three times. He is in the habit of coming to the restaurant, having a beer and a bite to eat. Why do you ask about him? I know nothing."

"We have information indicating that he a.s.sociated with Konrad Rosenberg," Sammy Nilsson said.

The restauranteur stared at him.

"I know nothing about that," he said, tension causing his voice to crack.

"What about Olaf Gonzalez then?"

"What about him?"

"He works at-" Nilsson began.

"Not anymore!"

"Not only that, he has disappeared. Would you happen to know where he has gone?"

Slobodan shook his head.

"Is that a no?"

"No!"

"Your former waiter has also been in contact with Lorenzo Wader," Sammy went on. "They have been seen together both at the hotel Linne and at Pub 19. It's remarkable how observant waitstaff can be."

"The swine," Slobodan Andersson let slip.

"Why did he get fired?" Sammy asked.

"It was some tiff with Armas. I don't know. I can't keep my eye on everything," Slobodan said grimly.

"No, that is very apparent," Sammy Nilsson said.

At one point in the session, Slobodan Andersson lifted his heavy head and gave Lindell a hateful look. She smiled back.

Slobodan Andersson made a swift and almost imperceptible gesture with his finger over his throat.

"Can you tell me more about the man who gave you the bag," Sammy Nilsson said.

Slobodan Andersson shook his head.

"I don't believe my client has anything to add on this topic," the lawyer said.

The session was brought to an end, but before Slobodan was led back to his cell, Ann Lindell asked him what he thought of the food.

Sammy stared at her. Lindell gave her sunniest smile. Slobodan muttered something and lumbered after the jail guard.

Sixty.

Oskar Hammer from Alhambra, Donald from Dakar, and Svante Winbladh from Ehrlings accounting firm concluded their hastily arranged meeting with the decision to keep the restaurants going-starting up again the day after tomorrow-even though their owner was being held in custody. from Dakar, and Svante Winbladh from Ehrlings accounting firm concluded their hastily arranged meeting with the decision to keep the restaurants going-starting up again the day after tomorrow-even though their owner was being held in custody.

The news that cocaine was involved had dropped like a bomb. None of the three would have guessed that their boss and taskmaster had devoted himself to the smuggling and selling of narcotics. Svante Winbladh was the one who was the most distraught.

"It is completely inexcusable that we should have to be pulled into something like this," he exclaimed. "It is bad for our reputation as serious-"

"Calm down," Oskar Hammer interrupted. "You're clean, aren't you?"

The accountant gave him an antagonistic look.

"I don't think you fully understand the impact," he said and got to his feet.

"Yes, I do," Oskar Hammer said. "This is about our jobs. Donald, can you call around to all the Dakar staff?"

Donald nodded. He had not said much during the meeting, had only aired his exasperation with the fact that there would probably be new rounds of questioning with all the employees.

His immediate thought had been to quit, but he had decided to stay and see how the whole thing played out. He knew that Hammer was planning to take over Alhambra, and he himself had toyed with the idea of buying out Dakar and running the restaurant on his own.

Hammer and Donald left the accounting firm and returned to their respective restaurants. They had been promised the reservation books so that they could call the customers who had booked tables for that evening.

The forensic investigation continued at Dakar. Donald exchanged a few words with a criminal investigator he knew from before and found out that the cocaine that had been seized at Alhambra had been worth around three million kronor on the street. Dakar. Donald exchanged a few words with a criminal investigator he knew from before and found out that the cocaine that had been seized at Alhambra had been worth around three million kronor on the street.

"But what do you hope to find here?"

"Something," the officer said. "We don't know what."

"But no drugs here, or what?"

Donald would have taken it as a personal insult if they had found cocaine on "his" premises.

"I can't comment on that."

Donald left the restaurant and walked the short way home in order to start his calls. This was a job he most of all wanted to avoid.

He started with Feo, who in turn promised to call Eva. Thereafter he dialed Johnny's number.

Eva Willman's first emotion was anger, followed by shame. She was working for a man who sold drugs. Incredible. How would she be able to tell Helen? Her friend was spending a great deal of her spare time right now trying to convince the neighbors to attend the meeting about drugs in the area. Eva would not be able to go. It would be too shameful. anger, followed by shame. She was working for a man who sold drugs. Incredible. How would she be able to tell Helen? Her friend was spending a great deal of her spare time right now trying to convince the neighbors to attend the meeting about drugs in the area. Eva would not be able to go. It would be too shameful.