Karianne Kolstad knew everything about the dead girls; she had read every word about the case in the newspapers. There had been meetings as well, first at school, then with the Girl Guides, then in the village hall, where everyone had turned up – not just people who had daughters about to start school, but practically everyone in the village. They had lit candles for the dead and missing girls and she had helped start a Facebook group to show her respect for them. Starting a Facebook group was easy, all she had to do was sit in front of her laptop; not like now, when she had to talk to real people. She went up to the farmhouse and knocked on the door. It was starting to get dark, but the light was on in the kitchen window. She could hear music, too, so he was probably at home. She knocked again and the door opened. She breathed in and braced herself, trying to put on a smile.
‘Hello?’ Larsen said, looking at her kindly. ‘Are you out selling lottery tickets again?’
Phew, thank God, at least she wouldn’t have to tell him that.
‘Yes,’ she nodded, relieved.
‘You had better come in,’ Larsen said, looking out into the darkness behind her.
‘Are you out this late all on your own?’ he asked when she had stepped inside the kitchen.
‘Yes.’ Karianne nodded, shyly.
‘And what is it this time?’
Tom Lauritz Larsen had already produced his wallet and was holding it in his hand.
‘Our group is going on a camping trip. To Sweden.’
‘Well, I imagine that will be nice.’
‘Yes, I hope so.’ Karianne nodded politely.
‘I’m usually unlucky at gambling,’ Larsen chortled as he took out a hundred-kroner note from his wallet. ‘But you have to support the young, don’t you think?’
‘Thank you,’ Karianne said. ‘The tickets are twenty kroner each and you can win a fruit basket and some coffee, and some things that we have made ourselves.’
‘Oh, I don’t suppose I’ll win anything, but I’ll certainly buy some tickets.’ Larsen smiled and winked at her. ‘Unfortunately, I only have one hundred kroner, that’s all.’
One hundred kroner. Five tickets. It meant she would have to keep going tonight. She had left it to the last minute. Unsold tickets had to be returned to Brown Owl tomorrow, and she had still many tickets left to sell.
‘Well, at least it’s a start,’ Larsen said, and gave her the hundred-kroner note and took the tickets she gave him.
‘Now be careful,’ he said, sounding a little anxious when she was back on the steps outside again.
He stared out into the darkness behind her and wrinkled his nose. It was clear that something had happened to him after the pig’s head incident. He had not seemed so nervous the last time she had called.
Karianne Kolstad walked across the yard and back out through the gate. She continued towards Vik Bridge and was sorely tempted just to go home, forget all about selling tickets, when an unreal scene suddenly unfolded right in front of her.
At first, she couldn’t believe her eyes. It seemed impossible. Here in Tangen. The most boring place on earth, where nothing ever happened. Right across the road, there was a small house. She didn’t think that anyone lived here, she had always believed that it was empty; no one had ever seen anyone come or go. Now, the front door was wide open and a small girl was running out of it. The girl wore a strange dress and was screaming at the top of her voice. Karianne Kolstad recognized her immediately. She had seen her in the newspapers. There were pictures of her on her Facebook page. It was girl number five. It was Marion Munch.
Karianne froze, her mouth wide open. The little girl had jumped down the steps but had tripped and fallen in the gravel. A woman came chasing after her. Marion got back on her feet, glanced over her shoulder, let out a scream and ran on. The woman behind her was much faster, she snatched her, placed her hand over the little girl’s mouth, carried her back inside the house and closed the door.
Then everything fell quiet again.
For a moment Karianne Kolstad was in shock. She had dropped the lottery tickets and the money and her mobile on the ground.
Then she bent down quickly, picked up her mobile and pressed 1-1-2 with trembling fingers.
Chapter 85
Lukas put down the gun on the ground and inserted the key into the padlock. It was chilly outside now; he could feel the cold evening air on his neck. He unlocked the padlock and lifted up the heavy wooden hatch. He shone his torch into the dark space. The light swept down a long ladder and hit the concrete floor some metres further below. He stuck the gun into the lining of his trousers and descended the ladder. The boy and Rakel were standing with a blanket wrapped around them when he came down. He pointed the light at them but lowered it when he saw them shield their eyes against the strong beam.
‘I’m Jesus,’ he said, making his voice as calm as he could. ‘Don’t be scared, I’m not here to hurt you.’
He shone the torch around the room and found what he was looking for. A jerry can in front of a shelf of cardboard boxes. The boy and Rakel crossed the concrete floor and came towards him reluctantly.
‘Can we go now?’ the boy asked tentatively.
‘Yes, you can go now,’ Lukas said. ‘Go with God. The gate is open.’
He caught a glimpse of the boy’s eyes as he passed him in the cold room.
‘Thank you,’ Tobias said, placing his hand gently on his arm.
‘I am Jesus.’ Lukas smiled again and showed them the way to the ladder with the torch.
He waited until they had both crawled out through the hatch before aiming the torch at the shelves again and finding the jerry can. It was heavy, but he managed to carry it up the ladder, dragging it up the steps with his torch tucked under one arm. He closed the hatch and stood watching the stars for a moment. He had rarely seen a more beautiful sight. Hope and joy twinkled across the sky. He smiled fondly to himself as he crossed the yard.
The pastor was standing inside the church, in front of the altar at the end wall, with his back to him. He turned when he heard Lukas enter.
‘How did it go?’ The pastor smiled, walking towards him with open arms.
He stopped, shocked, in the middle of the church when he saw what Lukas had in his hand. Lukas had drawn the gun from the lining of his trousers and was holding it in his outstretched arm with the muzzle pointing straight at the pastor’s chest.
‘Lukas? What are you doing?’
‘I’m saving you,’ Lukas smiled, walking softly towards the man with the white hair.
‘What do you mean, my son?’ the pastor said, gritting his teeth. ‘Come to me, my son. Give me the gun. You don’t know what you’re doing.’
He held out his arms towards the young man with the blond hair.
‘Shhh,’ Lukas said. His eyes were sparkling now. ‘Haven’t you realized it yet?’
‘Wh-at?’ the pastor stammered.
‘That the devil is inside you.’
‘You’re talking nonsense, my son,’ the white-haired man stuttered.
‘No,’ Lukas said gravely. ‘The devil has taken residence in you, but it’s not too late. I was put on this earth to save you. This is my mission.’
‘What the hell, Lukas,’ the pastor stuttered.
‘Don’t you see?’ Lukas nodded. ‘The devil has taken your heart. He’s talking through your mouth. We don’t treat children like that. We don’t treat people like that. We help them, we don’t hurt them. That’s not the will of God. It’s not your fault. You’re innocent, the devil tricked you. He got you to invite him in. Took your soul. Made you want to hurt other people. Everything will be all right now, Father. We can travel right now. We don’t need to wait. Let us go to Heaven together.’