Page 14 of Hidden in Memories
She longs to escape from the darkness and the cold, the suffocating atmosphere at home with all the rules and regulations that govern her parents’ lives, and therefore hers.
She will soon be eighteen, it is time to start living for real.
Dreams can come true,she thinks, smiling happily as she makes for the staff entrance.
12
The unexpected turn of events forces Daniel to readjust. The therapy session with Jovanka has taken its toll, and he had been hoping for a quiet morning concentrating on paperwork.
Things have changed dramatically.
As soon as Daniel and Hanna walk in through the automatic glass doors, a man in his fifties hurries toward them. He has a ponytail and is wearing jeans and a black jacket.
“Are you from the police?” he asks with a Norwegian accent. “My name is Espen Lund and I’m the hotel manager. I was the one who called when we discovered what had happened.”
Daniel shows his ID. He can see the panic in Espen’s eyes. A crime of this magnitude would frighten most people. For the manager, who is responsible for the whole place, it is a disaster. He is constantly looking around, presumably worried in case a guest overhears what he is saying, even though the huge foyer is comparatively empty. However, since all the rooms open onto walkways surrounding the expansive atrium, it’s not that difficult to work out what is happening on the ground floor.
Another man is standing at the reception desk, watching them with a tense expression. When he realizes that Daniel has noticed him, he leans toward his computer screen as if to indicate that he is busy and is definitely not eavesdropping.
“It’s terrible,” Espen Lund says. “Incomprehensible.”
Behind him there is a copper wall almost a hundred feet high, toning perfectly with the wood paneling on the other walls. An enormous open fire is crackling away.
Daniel’s gaze is drawn to a bright-red lamp, or maybe it’s a work of art, right in the middle of the foyer. On another occasion he would probably have found it beautiful, but right now the color makes him think of bloodshed. They will soon see the scene around the deceased for themselves, but his own body has already begun to steel itself. His shoulders are tense, his stomach feels heavier than usual.
No one can be unaffected by this type of homicide.
“Shall we take a look?” Hanna says before turning to the manager. “Could you show us the room where the body was discovered?”
Espen leads the way to a black stone staircase on the left of the fireplace. At close quarters Daniel realizes how enormous it actually is, with various shelves and a tall chimney, also covered in copper.
They reach the sixth floor and follow the corridor right to the end, where the Silver Suite is located. Uniformed officers are already on the scene, and the characteristic blue-and-white tape is in place.
Hanna is a few steps ahead. Espen looks anxiously at Daniel.
“Does that tape have to be so visible? It’s going to frighten the guests.”
“Where can we find you when we’re done here?” Daniel says without answering the question. It will be a long time before the tape can be removed.
“If you come down to reception, they’ll call me.” Espen makes his way back toward the stairs.
“No damage to the door,” Hanna comments when he is out of earshot. “It doesn’t look as if anyone broke in.”
Daniel nods. This is an important observation that could mean a number of things. The victim might have known the killer and let himor her in voluntarily. Another possibility is that the perpetrator works at the hotel, and therefore has access to a key card.
“I wish the CSIs were here,” Hanna says. “We’ll have to wait for them.”
The rules regarding a crime scene are very clear. No one goes in until the technicians have done their job, unless it is a matter of life and death. All too often biological traces have been contaminated by careless officers or emergency personnel who have destroyed the chances of a thorough crime scene investigation.
Daniel cranes his neck. The hallway leads into what looks like a living room, with a sofa, armchair, and glass walls, but he can’t see anything more. The deceased was found in the bedroom, which is out of sight.
He’d hoped to get a glimpse of what it looks like in there, but Hanna is right. They have to wait until the CSIs arrive.
“Have you seen that?” he says, pointing to the hallway.
Dark-red patches are spread across the floor in an irregular pattern, with a possible shoe print just inside the door.
When he bends down to take a closer look, the smell of blood hits him.
