Page 94 of The Sleepwalker
Joona is planning to drive straight over the roundabout to get to the hotel when he spots Rikard on the grass in the middle.
His colleague’s face is bloody.
Joona lifts his foot from the accelerator and stamps on the right-hand pedal. He feels the brakes shudder through the car.
Somewhere nearby, a gun goes off.
The sharp crack reverberates between the buildings.
Rikard is hit in the abdomen, and he grabs a branch, tearing off the dead leaves as he staggers back before managing to regain his balance.
A blonde woman wearing a black coat over a pink dress is standing a few metres away from him with a Glock 45 in her hand.
She is breathing heavily.
The magazine is clearly empty, but she pulls the trigger repeatedly before tossing the gun to the ground.
Joona’s car shakes as it mounts the kerb at the side of the road and comes to a halt on the yellowed grass. He opens the door and pulls his own weapon from his shoulder holster as he runs towards the roundabout.
The woman takes a utility knife from her coat pocket, drops the black sheath and starts walking towards Rikard.
Joona pauses when he reaches the cobbles by the edge of the roundabout and takes aim at the woman.
‘Police! Stop and drop your weapon!’
She half-turns to look at him, gripping the red handle tight.
‘Police!’ Joona repeats as he moves closer. ‘Throw the knife towards me!’
The woman looks distraught, mascara running down both cheeks. She turns away from Joona and looks down at the knife in her hand.
‘I just want to talk to you,’ Joona says calmly. ‘But first I need you to drop the knife.’
He can hear the tactical unit’s sirens approaching through the industrial estate.
The woman shakes her head and turns away from him, hunching over to slash at her wrist. She groans in pain.
Joona starts running.
‘Get down on the ground!’
She sways unsteadily on her high heels.
Joona takes aim at her again, and has just held out a hand to help her when she lashes out unexpectedly.
A lightning-fast jab of the knife, like a snakebite.
The blade slams into his protective vest.
The woman yanks the knife back and swings it up towards his throat.
Joona blocks her arm, locking it and jerking it upwards, breaking her shoulder. She screams, and the knife drops to the grass.
He kicks out her feet from beneath her, and she lands heavily on her back. Her pearl necklace hits her in the face.
As Joona uses his foot to knock the knife away from her, he notices that there is no blood on her wrist.
She only pretended to cut herself.
