only one of them is left.”
“What’s the subject of the picture that’s still hanging there?”
“A naked man sitting in the water.”
The culprit had taken the backlit picture of the man standing in profile, leaning against a stone wall-the one that had sparked in Irene a faint feeling of recognition. He had left the picture of Marcus. She jumped out of her chair and said, “The mail!”
Without paying attention to her colleagues’ curious looks, she ran to get it. She heard Jonny say, “She’s been knocked totally off-kilter. This investigation has taken its toll. Women can’t see their limitations.”
To her joy, she heard Peter reply, “I don’t see her that way. Strongwilled, but definitely not off balance.”
With shaky fingers she started sorting her mail. There! She recognized the stiff exclusive envelope that was just like the one she had gotten Tom’s message in at the Hotel Alex. Triumphantly, she went back to her office bearing the white envelope and impatiently cut it open.
Two photographs floated down onto the desktop. Without a word, Irene pushed the pictures in front of Peter and Hannu’s surprised eyes. Jonny’s curiosity got the better of him and he drew closer in order to get a glimpse.
“How did you get these?” Peter asked, amazed.
Irene leaned back in her chair and said, “I’ll start from the beginning. But first I want to know if Tom is going to make it.”
Peter smiled widely for the first time since his arrival. “Of course. He’s had several blood transfusions and he’ll recover.”
The smile faded a bit when he continued, “The problem is that he lost so much blood that his brain may have been affected. But the doctors don’t know yet.”
At least Tom wasn’t going to die from his injuries. Irene would have to take comfort from that.
It didn’t take very long to explain her dealings with Tom to Peter. Since Hannu and Jonny had just heard it all, they studied both of the photographs. As Irene was finishing, Hannu looked up from the picture he held in front of him.
“I recognize this guy. But I can’t recall who he is.”
He turned the photo around. It was the backlit picture. Irene nodded.
“That’s exactly what I thought. Do you recognize him, too?” she asked Jonny.
He shook his head without looking at her. Peter took the picture and looked at it for a long time.
“No. I can’t say that I recognize him,” he said finally.
Irene took the picture back and stared intently at it, as if to force the man to turn toward the light. She had to put the photo down finally.
“It’s getting close to movie time,” Jonny said, and grinned.
They rose and went into an empty interrogation room where there was a TV with a VCR.
“We usually use this room for children we believe have been subjected to abuse,” Irene explained.
Peter nodded and put one of the films into the VCR.
The first thing they saw was a naked body lying on a long table. The table was covered with strong, see- through plastic. Scaffolding and miscellaneous junk could be seen under and behind the table. In the background, a sturdy tackle hung from a chain fixed to the ceiling. It appeared to be a large industrial building. Above the table, a bare lightbulb emitted a harsh light.
There was absolutely no doubt that the person on the table was dead. The camera zoomed in on a long incision that ran along the front of the corpse’s abdomen. It was obvious that the internal organs had been removed. At first it was difficult to decide if the body was male or female, since both chest muscles and the genitals had been cut away. But based on the curves of the hips and the thighs, Irene concluded that the body was that of a woman.
Peter hit the pause button and spoke. “We found these two films in a hidden compartment in Emil’s bookcase. These are copies that you can keep. There is no soundtrack on either of the films. This is Carmen Ostergaard’s body. Neither the actual murder nor the rituals performed with the body afterward are shown. As you can see, the pelvic area is severely damaged. What follows now is the dismemberment itself. That’s Emil’s thing.”
Peter started the tape again. Emil Bentsen walked into the frame with a large circular saw in his right hand. He was dressed in a police uniform. When he stared at the camera from under the police cap, he looked absurd, almost comical, if it hadn’t been for his expression. His thin face was completely distorted, and his eyes stared wildly. He grinned and motioned toward the camera.
The camera zoomed in on the body again, this time on the head. Irene had time to see Carmen’s wide-open eyes and swollen tongue, sticking out of her mouth, indicating she had been strangled. Then Emil stepped in front of the camera and the screen became completely dark.
The next scene showed Emil as he sawed off Carmen’s head. He had positioned himself on the far side of her body, so he wouldn’t be in the way of the camera. As the head rolled to the side and fell to the floor, he raised the circular saw in the air in a show of victory. He bent and picked up the head, took a tight grip on the hair, and showed off his trophy proudly. The circular saw, with its red-colored blade, was still spinning. Emil turned it off, placed it on the plastic-covered table, and stepped close to the lens, Carmen’s head dangling from his outstretched hand. Irene saw his lips moving. He seemed to be talking the whole time. His chin and goatee were covered with drool.
“Stop!” Hannu screamed.
The scene ended and the next one started. Emil stood leaning over the body again, in the process of starting the saw. Peter Moller stopped the video.
“Back up,” Hannu instructed.
Without commenting, Peter did so.
“Stop,” Hannu said again.
Again they saw Emil move toward them with the sawed-off head held out in front of him.
“Play it slowly,” said Hannu.
They watched the replay of the horrible scene in slow motion.
“Stop!”
Peter paused the picture instantly.
“Look in the lower left-hand corner,” Hannu said and pointed at an indistinct light curvature. “Can you back up a little?”
Peter did as he was asked. Slowly, the size of the little curvature grew and became longer. It was still barely discernible down in the corner of the picture. Then it disappeared.
Peter rewound the tape and played the sequence again.
“It’s definitely the tip of a finger. The person who’s filming this scene doesn’t want the head near him,” said Hannu.
“You’re absolutely right. We’ve played it with magnification. It’s the index finger of a left hand. The entire nail is visible,” said Peter.
Peter started the tape again.
Now they watched Emil saw off Carmen’s arms and legs. When he was done, he grabbed both of the severed arms and shook them above his head in a second show of victory. His entire face was transfigured with joy.
That’s where the video ended.
“Altogether, it’s thirteen minutes,” Peter informed them.
“Does the next film show the dismemberment of Marcus Tosscander?” Irene asked.
“Yes. And they’re strikingly similar,” Peter answered.
The other video began with the same panning over the body, which was in exactly the same condition as Carmen’s had been before Emil’s appearance. Marcus was lying on a sturdy piece of particleboard that could be glimpsed under the clear plastic, resting on two trestles. Bare cement walls could be seen in the background. But this room was much smaller than the one in the first film. Irene guessed it to be a basement or a garage.
Emil was dressed in a police uniform this time as well, and he held the circular saw in his hand from the start. Now he was used to the camera and didn’t obstruct the cameraman’s view when he sawed off the head. Without changing his position vis-a-vis the camera, he held up the head and roared with laughter. Then he cut off
