The Treacherous Net by Helene Tursten Read Free Book Online Page A

homicides would stretch the department’s resources even more, Irene thought. Fredrik Stridh was supposed to be working with a special team that was concentrating on the biker gangs, but in reality all his time was taken up by the two ongoing murder investigations linked to the gang war. They knew from experience that there was a significant risk of escalating violence over the summer; the gangs wanted to mark their territory before the fall. This was about power and big money. Neither of the gangs would back down.
    Efva Thylqvist was in a difficult position, caught between the pressure to save money and the increased workload. It would be interesting to see if she had the skill to sort things out. Irene smiled to herself. She knew it was unkind, but she wanted to see her self-assured chief sweat a little, look slightly less competent in the eyes of her subordinates. Particularly as some of them didn’t appear to realize how manipulative she could be. Was Irene really the only one who could see what she was like?

“The forensic pathologist is going to look at the mummy today; we’ll have a preliminary report sometime after three o’clock at the earliest. The body was lying on a rug, which forensics is analyzing now. At the moment I don’t know if it has anything to do with his death,” Efva Thylqvist announced as she opened morning prayer. Everyone nodded as they tried to fortify themselves with the contents of their coffee cups. It was going to be a hard day.
    The teams reported back on the events of the previous day and how they were intending to proceed with their respective investigations. Just when they all thought the meeting was over and began to get to their feet, Hannu raised his hand.
    “I took another look at the underclothes the girls were wearing. They belong together. The bra and the panties.”
    As soon as Hannu spoke, Irene knew he was right. That lacy bra had bothered her right from the start; the suspicion that it probably hadn’t belonged to Alexandra had seemed important, even though she couldn’t quite work out why. It had remained there at the back of her mind, chafing away.
    “Are you sure?” the superintendent asked.
    “The fabric and the pattern on the lace are exactly the same. And the same brand.” He looked down at his notebook: “Sexy Thing.”
    “Have you tried to trace the manufacturer?”
    The look Hannu gave his boss was answer enough, but he replied politely, “Yes. It’s a common brand sold through mail order and in sex shops. Europe’s largest wholesaler is based in Hamburg. The clothes are made in Southeast Asia.”
    The room fell silent as everyone thought about this new information.
    “So you think we could be looking at the same killer,” Efva Thylqvist said eventually.
    “Perhaps.”
    The superintendent pressed the palms of her hands against the surface of the table and gazed down at her bare fingers. She played a brief drum solo with her nails, then looked up.
    “This puts things in a completely different light. We could be dealing with a serial killer targeting young teenage girls. In spite of the fact that the killings took place in different parts of the city, we can perhaps assume they were carried out by the same person. The crux of the matter is that we can’t be sure we have a serial killer on our hands, which means we must continue to pursue the two investigations separately, without bias. However, from now on we will coordinate the two teams and ensure that there is an ongoing exchange of information. We also need to inform forensics of our suspicions and ask them to look out for details that could link the two murders.”
    She fell silent, and her gaze swept the room.
    “And not a word to the media. We need to find out how he made contact with the girls, and we need to find him fast! Because if our suspicions are correct, he will kill again. If he hasn’t done so already.”
    “The Internet,” Fredrik Stridh said.
    Several people nodded. The