Page 59 of Hidden in Memories
Call it a police officer’s instinct, but Hedin’s account didn’t ring true.
He looks up at the ceiling while he thinks. A shadow of gray cobwebs adorns one of the fluorescent lights.
Hedin has been a councillor for a long time; he’s used to getting his own way. So was Charlotte Wretlind. Everything they have found out about her so far points to a highly goal-oriented individual, a woman who would stick at nothing to achieve success.
“Both Hedin and Wretlind were powerful people,” Anton says. “They could have gained from each other, at least in the beginning.Charlotte wanted to build her hotel at any price. Maybe they reached some kind of agreement?”
Anton is well aware that this is pure speculation; there is no proof for his new theory. However, Hedin’s insistence on denying his involvement in the canceled press conference makes him suspicious.
“You think we’re looking at bribery and corruption?” Raffe says. “Charlotte paid Hedin for his cooperation, and something went wrong?”
Anton nods. “It’s too early to say for sure, but it’s a possible scenario.”
“Which could mean that Hedin had a motive to murder her,” Raffe says.
47
Just over an hour later Jarmo, the dog handler, appears in the hotel foyer, dressed in a thick black jacket and a knitted hat.
Hanna goes over to greet him. His sand-colored Belgian Malinois is on her leash, which seems unnecessary given how well trained Molly is.
“Thank you for coming so quickly,” Hanna says as Daniel pats the dog on the head.
They go up to the sixth floor and show Jarmo the Silver Suite and the door to the fire exit. Then he and Molly take over.
Hanna is equally thrilled each time she sees an experienced police dog in action. Even though she knows that a dog’s sense of smell is thousands of times more sensitive than hers, with 220 million olfactory receptors compared with a human being’s 5 million, it is still fascinating to see it in practice. Molly has learned to seek out traces of blood and objects based on the scent of victims. She sets off with her ears pricked, totally focused on the task at hand. Daniel and Hanna follow on behind, keeping their distance in order not to disturb her, but they have to break into a jog to stay on track.
Molly reaches the ground floor and marks clearly at the door leading to the parking garage. Hanna’s pulse rate shoots up, and Daniel nods. It seems as if they were right—this was the perpetrator’s escape route after the murder.
They enter the garage, and Molly stops halfway to the exit, then heads for the side door and barks until Jarmo opens it. She then aims for the parking lot, and Hanna wonders what that means. Did the killer return to the hotel after all? But then the dog heads for a different, lower parking lot that stops just before the skiers’ entrance on the basement level.
She is very excited now, Jarmo has his work cut out to stay with her, and her leash is at full stretch. Molly passes all the parked cars until she reaches the hill where the ski lift stops.
Hanna is having difficulty catching her breath. “Where do you think she’s going?” she asks Daniel.
“No idea.”
More frantic barking; then Molly makes for the dense fir trees. She goes around the disembarkation platform for the lift, then carries straight on.
“Daniel, look!”
Hanna can’t help yelling. The dog is on her way to what looks like the tracks of a vehicle that has been parked—a snow scooter. Large footprints can also be seen in the snow. Could this have been the perpetrator? Are the prints size forty-five?
The tracks continue into the forest; it looks as if the scooter drove northwest.
The dog is still going, and once again the leash is pulled taut. It becomes harder to follow her through the deep snow.
They plod on, a hundred yards, two hundred. Farther and farther in among the trees. They are careful not to walk in the tracks, nothing must be contaminated.
All at once they hear a bark with a different tone. It almost sounds triumphant to Hanna’s ears. The leash is slack now, lying on the ground. Molly is standing motionless next to a thick tree trunk. She is marking, even though the scooter tracks continue.
The snow has been disturbed.
“I wonder what she’s found?” Hanna says breathlessly to Daniel.
He drops to his knees and begins to dig with his hands, snow spraying in all directions.
Molly doesn’t move. Jarmo’s gaze is fixed on Daniel.
