They drove to the squat in two cars. Tobias and Eddy in one car, Katrine in the second car. Tobias parked at the front. Katrine parked at the back. Tobias and Eddy went to the door in the side alley. Tobias knocked on the door. Nobody came. He hammered on the door. Still no response.
Eddy shouted, “Open up. Police. We have a warrant to search these premises.” He took his gun from his shoulder holster.
“Stand away from the door,” he shouted. “I’m going to shoot out the lock.”
A voice from inside cried, “Stop. I’ll open the door.”
Eddy lowered his gun. The door opened. A girl of about eighteen stood there. She wore blue jeans, a red T-shirt and a red bandana.
“What do you want? Why are you harassing us?”
“We’re looking for Aksel Schmidt,” said Tobias.
“He’s not here,” said the girl. “I’m the only person here.”
Eddy pushed past her into the squat.
“You won’t find anybody,” the girl called out.
“Where is he if he’s not here?” asked Tobias.
The girl shrugged.
“You can tell me down at headquarters, if you prefer,” said Tobias.
“They’ve gone to North Jutland to stop developers cutting down a forest,” said the girl. “I don’t know where exactly.”
Eddy came bounding down stairs behind her. “I’ve had a look around. There’s nobody here.”
Katrine joined them. “Nobody at the back either.”
“I told you so,” said the girl. “They’re in North Jutland. Saving a forest.”
Tobias hoped Agnes wasn’t there. Had she said she was going there at the weekend? He couldn’t remember. They’d had a scratchy conversation the last time they’d spoken. With any luck, Agnes had classes on Friday and wouldn’t get to the camp until the evening, or the following day. He supposed she travelled with Magnus on the back of the motorbike. He never liked to think about that.
“Ok, Eddy. Let’s go,” he said.
It was midday when they turned off the main road and on to the track running through the forest to the protest camp. The trees were cloaked in a light mist. The ground was damp and cut with deep tire tracks. It looked as though at least a couple of lorries had taken the same route earlier.
As they got nearer, Tobias heard what sounded like faint cries. He rolled down the window and heard several loud bangs, like firecrackers.
“Sounds like a bit of riot, Boss,” said Eddy.
Two police officers in riot gear jumped out on to the track in front of the car.
“What the fuck,” said Eddy, braking hard.
“P E T,” shouted one of the officers.
Tobias waved his ID at him.
The officer strode up to the car. “We’re raiding the camp. It’s a pre-empt before a climate change demo next week. Get your car out of the way.” He pointed to a sidetrack into the forest.
“We’ve come to speak to a suspect in a murder case,” said Tobias.
“We’re arresting them all,” said the officer. “You can take your pick. Keep out of the way in the meantime”
Eddy turned into the sidetrack and parked. He and Tobias got out and headed through the forest towards the camp. The air was filled with shouts and clanking, clinking, rattling noises and more firecrackers. Then there was the sound of vehicle doors being slammed shut.
They emerged beside a television crew hurrying towards the noise. Tobias recognized the blonde reporter with the red spectacles. She clearly thought he and Eddy were journalists as well.
“They phoned us an hour ago when the police arrived,” she said. “I think we’ve missed most of the action.”
When they reached the clearing, Tobias saw what looked like planks of wood and power tools – was that an angle grinder? – being loaded into a police van. An officer emerged from the wigwam carrying what looked like fluorescent tubes and a tin of paint. Tobias flashed his ID.
“Peaceful demonstration, my arse,” said the officer. “We found forty riot shields, fifty paint bombs, half a dozen hammers and hundreds of firecrackers in there,” he jerked his head back towards the wigwam.
The PET officer who’d stopped the car came up to Tobias and Eddy. He pointed to a police wagon where a dozen or so activists sat on benches.
“If who you’re looking for is in there, you can have them.”
Tobias and Eddy ran to the arrest vehicle. Tobias felt his stomach tighten. Magnus was sitting, scowling, at the end of a bench. There was no sign of Agnes. Tobias relaxed.
“Which one of you is Aksel Schmidt?” he asked.
Silence.
“I want him,” said Tobias, pointing at Magnus. The PET officer reached into the wagon and hauled out Magnus.
Tobias led him out of earshot. Eddy followed.
“Where’s Aksel?”
Magnus was silent.
Eddy lifted him off his feet by the collar of his jacket and set him down again.
“Tell us where he is or I’ll toss you back into the wagon.”
Tobias said, quietly, “We want to talk to him about a murder. The murder of a young activist.”
Magnus paled. He was clearly shocked. “Aksel saw the police vans coming. He ran into the forest with Agnes.”
Tobias could feel his heart thumping. His imagination raced ahead of him. Stop it. Calm down. Think. He pulled out his mobile phone and called Agnes.
“Dad?” Her voice shook.
“Where are you? Are you all right?”
“We were raided.”
“I know.”
“You know? How do you know? Were you part of it? Did you know about it in advance?”
“I knew nothing about it. Where are you?”
“I’m on the main road near the camp. Walking to Aksel’s motorbike.”
Tobias began running to the car, talking as he ran.
“Stay where you are, Agnes. Wait till I get to you.”
He could hear Agnes speaking to Aksel, hear the note of puzzlement in her voice.
“Don’t go with Aksel,” he shouted into the phone.
Eddy caught up with him as he got to the car. He started the engine. Eddy jumped into the passenger seat. They turned on to the main road and saw Agnes and Aksel, hand in hand, close to the trees, heading for a motorbike parked on the verge. Tobias had his gun in his lap.
Eddy braked beside the motorbike. Tobias jumped out, gun in hand. Aksel halted. He pulled Agnes around in front of him and held her close with one arm.
“Move away from him, Agnes,” said Tobias.
Aksel tightened his grip on her. “Don’t move. They’re over the top. It’s just a demo. They can’t even arrest us. We’re just having a walk in the forest, admiring the trees they want to destroy.”
“Move away, Agnes,” said Tobias quietly. Did Aksel have a gun?
Aksel put his other arm around Agnes and clasped her shoulders. No gun. Relief flooded through Tobias. Eddy came up beside him.
“Put your guns away and we’ll talk,” said Aksel. He was still holding Agnes. She was pale and rigid.
Tobias lowered his gun. Aksel suddenly shoved Agnes, hard, so she almost fell. Tobias instinctively reached out for her. Aksel turned and ran into the forest.
Tobias shouted, “Get into the car, Agnes.”
He followed Eddy in pursuit of Aksel, running, weaving, almost slipping on wet ground, through the trees.
Aksel turned to shout at them, “You’re making a mistake.” He tripped, fell, cried out, “Fuck.”
When they reached him, guns at the ready again, he was lying on his back holding up a badge. Grinning.
“I’m with PET,” he said. “You nearly blew my cover.”
Eddy grabbed the badge. Checked it. Gave it to Tobias.
Aksel groaned and got to his feet.
Tobias gave him back the badge. “What were you doing with Agnes?”
“None of your fucking business.”
“She’s my daughter,” said Tobias.
“I know,” said Aksel. “I’m with PET, remember?”
Eddy put his hand on Tobias’s arm. A signal to take it easy.
“Don’t worry. I wasn’t fucking her. We were on guard duty. Agnes spotted a police vehicle. Aalborg. Fucking amateurs. She shouted a warning but our vehicles were already three quarters way up the track. All we could do was run for it. You should be grateful she hasn’t been arrested.”
He looked so self-satisfied, Tobias wanted to punch him, put him on the ground again.
“We’re taking you in for questioning. About Emily Rasmussen.”
Aksel looked surprised. “Emily Rasmussen? That’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.”
“Are you carrying a firearm?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Aksel.
He looked bored while Eddy patted him down.
“No gun, Boss.”
“OK,” said Tobias. “Take him in.”
Eddy and Aksel travelled back to Aarhus with PET.
Tobias walked back to the road. Agnes was standing beside the car, white-faced, anxious. He thought she was probably still in shock. He held her for a moment before gently pushing her into the car.
“What’s happening, Dad? Why are you here? Why were you chasing Aksel?”
“He’s wanted for questioning,” said Tobias.
He started the engine. For the first twenty kilometers neither he nor Agnes spoke. When they reached the motorway, she began to say something.
“I don’t want to discuss your foolishness, Agnes,” said Tobias. “You’re an adult. You make your own choices. I trusted you to make sensible choices. Instead you involve yourself with idiots. That bloody wigwam was full of paint bombs, and power drills, and planks and riot shields and wire cages on wheels.”
“They’re for building a three dimensional map. To put on wheels for the demonstration. To show what global warming is doing. Denmark will disappear when the ice melts, Dad. And we’ll be responsible if we don’t do something to stop it.”
“And firecrackers?”
“They won’t harm anyone. They just make a noise.”
“Tell that to the judge,” said Tobias. He overtook the police wagon. Magnus was in it. Good.
“I haven’t been arrested,” said Agnes. “They’ll see I’m in the car with you. Now they’ll all think I’m a police spy. I’d rather be arrested.”
“And get a criminal record? And have that on your CV? Grow up, Agnes.”
Silence fell again. Tobias felt tired. He’d not had much sleep. He switched on the radio and found P2Klassik. The sound of a symphony orchestra flooded into the car.
“I thought you only listened to police radio in the car,” said Agnes.
“Don’t be smart with me, Agnes.”
They were forty kilometers from Aarhus when she spoke again.
“What has Aksel done? What’s so important you had to drive all that way?”
Tobias considered saying he thought Aksel might be a murderer. He was tempted to say Aksel was a member of PET. Instead he said, “I can’t tell you. Not yet. Where do you want to go? To the train station? To your Mum’s house? To the apartment?”
His phone rang. Tobias glanced at the screen and saw it was Karren. He punched the loudspeaker.
“Tobias, have you seen the news? That camp in the forest has been raided. They’ve found weapons. Paint, power drills, all kinds of stuff.”
“Police propaganda,” muttered Agnes.
“Has Agnes been arrested? Hans Frederik is beside himself. You have to do something.”
Tobias pulled the phone from its holder on the dashboard and gave it to Agnes.
“You speak to her.”
“I haven’t been arrested,” said Agnes. “I’m fine, Mum. I’m with Dad. Bye for now.” She put the phone back in its holder. “Take me to the station, Dad. I’m going to Copenhagen. I have an essay to finish.”
46.
Larsen and Renata Molsing were with Eddy and Katrine in the Investigations Room when Tobias got back to headquarters.
“You’ve arrested someone from PET,” said Larsen, “Inspector Erik Bak, working undercover as Aksel Schmidt, a freelance IT consultant. He has had this alias for some time. I have Inspector Bak’s service record.” He waved two printed pages. “Why have you arrested him?”
“We haven’t arrested him,” said Tobias. “He’s come in voluntarily for questioning.”
“He’s in the interview room,” said Eddy. “Drinking coffee.”
“What have you got on him?” asked Renata.
“He knew Emily Rasmussen,” said Tobias. “He was part of the Skovlynd protest against the golf club. He has moved about from protest to protest since then.”
“That’s his job,” said Larsen.
“We know the hotmail account of Emily Rasmussen was either set up by whoever killed her, or taken over by that person. The emails came from places where there were protests and demonstrations going on at the time,” said Katrine.
“Harry found traces of polyester in the jaw and skull of the skeleton in the lake at Skovlynd,” said Tobias. “Girlie was gagged with her panties. The same perpetrator told a Thai girl he beat up that he was a police officer working undercover.” Tobias paused. “And if you give me a moment to make a phone call, I might have more.”
“I hope so,” said Renata. “Because what you’ve got is all circumstantial. It doesn’t justify keeping him in custody.”
“Make your call,” said Larsen.
Tobias picked up the phone to called Pernille Madsen as soon as he reached his desk.
She was in the lab with Magda Johanssen when the switchboard put the call through.
“You mentioned a case to me,” said Tobias. “The perpetrator had gagged the victim with her panties. You have DNA.”