’sdemise.Sheconsidered—andrejected—variousmethodsuntilshehadnarroweditdowntoafewrealisticscenariosfromwhichtochoose.Noactingonimpulse.
Onlyoneconditionhadtobefulfilled.Bjurmanhadtodieinsuchawaythatsheherselfcouldneverbelinkedtothecrime.Thefactthatshewouldbeincludedinanyeventualpoliceinvestigationshetookforgranted;soonerorlaterhernamewouldshowupwhenBjurman’sresponsibilitieswereexamined.Butshewasonlyonepersoninawholeuniverseofpresentandformerclients,shehadmethimonlyfourtimes,andtherewouldnotbeanyindicationthathisdeathevenhadaconnectionwithanyofhisclients.Therewereformergirlfriends,relatives,casualacquaintances,colleagues,andothers.Therewasalsowhatwasusuallydefinedas“randomviolence,”whentheperpetratorandvictimdidnotknoweachother.
Ifhernamecameup,shewouldbeahelpless,inpetentgirlwithdocumentsshowinghertobementallydeficient.SoitwouldbeanadvantageifBjurman’sdeathourredinsuchaplicatedmannerthatitwouldbehighlyunlikelythatamentallyhandicappedgirlcouldbetheperpetrator.
Sherejectedtheoptionofusingagun.Acquiringagunwouldbenogreatproblem,butthepolicewereawfullygoodattrackingdownfirearms.
Sheconsideredaknife,whichcouldbepurchasedatanyhardwarestore,butdecidedagainstthattoo.Evenifsheturnedupwithoutwarninganddrovetheknifeintohisback,therewasnoguaranteethathewoulddieinstantlyandwithoutmakingasound,orthathewoulddieatall.Worse,itmightprovokeastruggle,whichcouldattractattention,andbloodcouldstainherclothes,beevidenceagainsther.
Shethoughtaboutusingabombofsomesort,butitwouldbemuchtooplicated.Buildingthebombitselfwouldnotbeaproblem—theInterwasfullofmanualsonhowtomakethedeadliestdevices.Itwouldbedifficult,ontheotherhand,tofindaplacetoputthebombsothatinnocentpassersbywouldnotbehurt.Besides,therewasagainnoguaranteethathewouldactuallydie.
Thetelephonerang.
“Hi,Lisbeth.Dragan.I’vegotajobforyou.”
“Idon’thavetime.”
“Thisisimportant.”
“I’mbusy.”
Sheputdownthereceiver.
Finallyshesettledonpoison.Thechoicesurprisedher