dealtwithburglars,drugdealers,rapists,andonederangedbomber.Hehadbeeninvolvedinninemurderormanslaughtercases.Infiveofthesethemurdererhadcalledthepolicehimselfand,fullofremorse,confessedtohavingkilledhiswifeorbrotherorsomeotherrelative.Twoothersweresolvedwithinafewdays.AnotherrequiredtheassistanceoftheNationalCriminalPoliceandtooktwoyears.
Theninthcasewassolvedtothepolice’ssatisfaction,whichistosaythattheyknewwhothemurdererwas,butbecausetheevidencewassoinsubstantialthepublicprosecutordecidednottoproceedwiththecase.Tothedetectivesuperintendent’sdismay,thestatuteoflimitationseventuallyputanendtothematter.Butallinallhecouldlookbackonanimpressivecareer.
Hewasanythingbutpleased.
Forthedetective,the“CaseofthePressedFlowers”hadbeennaggingathimforyears—hislast,unsolved,andfrustratingcase.Thesituationwasdoublyabsurdbecauseafterspendingliterallythousandsofhoursbrooding,ondutyandoff,hecouldnotsaybeyonddoubtthatacrimehadindeedbeenmitted.
Thetwomenknewthatwhoeverhadmountedtheflowerswouldhaveworngloves,thattherewouldbenofingerprintsontheframeortheglass.Theframecouldhavebeenboughtincamerashopsorstationerystorestheworldover.Therewas,quitesimply,noleadtofollow.MostoftentheparcelwaspostedinStockholm,butthreetimesfromLondon,twicefromParis,twicefromCopenhagen,oncefromMadrid,oncefromBonn,andoncefromPensacola,Florida.Thedetectivesuperintendenthadhadtolookitupinanatlas.
Afterputtingdownthetelephoheeighty-two-year-oldbirthdayboysatforalongtimelookingattheprettybutmeaninglessflowerwhosenamehedidnotyetknow.Thenhelookedupatthewallabovehisdesk.Therehungforty-threepressedflowersintheirframes.Fourrowsoften,andoneatthebottomwithfour.Inthetoprowonewasmissingfromtheninthslot.DesertSnowwouldbenumberforty-four.
Withoutwarninghebegantoweep.Hesurprisedhimselfwiththissuddenburstofemotionafteralmostfortyyears.
PART1
Incentive
DECEMBER20–JANUARY3
EighteenpercentofthewomeninSwedenhaveatoimebeenthreatenedbyaman.
CHAPTER1
Frida