His gaze was met with a general head-shaking; no one had any questions.
“Now let’s take a break, and then Arne Pedersen will take over.”
He took a step towards his colleague and added in a low voice, “I hope that’s all right? The Countess did mention to you that it was a possibility, I hope.”
“It’s quite all right. I can easily continue, especially now it’s just us present.”
“I’m tired,” admitted Simonsen, “and the last few weeks have taught me to listen to my body.”
“You don’t need to explain.”
“Did that seem too self-important to you? The part about… about the father and my own role in his death?”
“It seemed very honest, and if you think you’re the only one who was affected by that case you’d better think again. I don’t know if you noticed, but there should be nineteen of us here today and there are only sixteen. Three colleagues who like you were involved in the investigation of the Stevns murder had to go home. They couldn’t take the stress. And Troulsen went out for a walk, he wasn’t feeling too good either.”
“Well, it’s out there and that’s a relief. For now I know a secret couch that I want to visit for an hour or so.”
Pedersen smiled.
“I know where that secret couch is too. I think a lot of people do, so I hope it’s vacant. Shall I come up and wake you?”
“I’ll set my cell phone, but thanks for the offer. I assume you’ll review what DYE-5 looks like now, and then allocate our resources to individual DYE employees based on the list from the Americans.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
“I would like to have an overview when arrangements are in place, and you should make sure that visits to any DYE employee are made by pairs of officers, one of whom must be male. Agreed?”
“Completely.”
“A plan will have to be thought out soon for how we inform the general public. There will be an outcry.”
“There already is. Go up now and rest.”
Pedersen almost pushed his boss towards the door, which suggested goodwill combined with worry for his well-being, but Simonsen knew his colleague too well to believe that. “Tell me, what’s going on here? Why are you suddenly so eager to get rid of me?”
Then he caught sight of a message from Malte Borup, in big letters on the screen: Distinguished visitor en route to the boss.
Pedersen did not give up. “It can wait. Come on, Simon.”
But it was too late. An impeccably dressed man came into the room. Both Simonsen and Pedersen knew him from a previous case. His name was Helmer Hammer and he was employed in the Prime Minister’s office-a charming person, who consistently downplayed his influence, and as a rule got things done the way he wanted them. Both detectives liked him, which did not however prevent Pedersen from receiving him with a bad-tempered torrent of words.
“We weren’t the ones who embarrassed the little worm from the Foreign Ministry, and if you want to speak to Simon, you’ll have to wait a couple of hours until he’s rested.”
As usual Helmer Hammer was one step ahead.
“Well, I don’t mind waiting. It’s no skin off my nose. But I thought you’d like to know that the little worm from the Foreign Ministry is in the process of arranging a videoconference for this evening, and he has asked if Simon has time to participate.”
“Is it Berlin calling?”
It was Pedersen again.
“No, now it’s a ship in the Caribbean… Though naturally it’s wrong of me to come rushing in and then expect you to drop everything else. Even though my errand will only take ten minutes, I apologise… ”
But a bell was already ringing in Simonsen’s head. When he and the Countess had been obliged to cancel their Caribbean trip, she had suggested that his daughter Anna Mia should go instead. Completely free, with a friend if she liked. She did. The agreement was that Anna Mia would phone home occasionally, but so far he had not heard from her. He’d assumed it was due to poor signal.
“Just a moment. What kind of conference is this?” he asked.
“They are calling it a trust-building initiative. The kind they’re really good at in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
“And what do I have to do in return?”
“Nothing, that’s the whole point. Consider it his apology for flying off the handle at you earlier.”
“Sounds like a trick to me.”
“But it’s not, you have my word on that. He made an ass of himself, and now he’s trying to make up for it.”
“Then I’d be happy to agree. Will you tell him for me?
“Yes, no problem. And while I’m here, tell me, is there a place we can talk undisturbed? I meant what I said, it will only take ten minutes.”
Simonsen threw out his arms.
“No one will interrupt us here.”
The two men walked down the corridor together while Helmer Hammer explained.
“I’m here because I want some advice from you, and at the same time I want to ask for a favour. First the advice: some people have become aware that there is a handful of young constables who have passed a number of examinations in legal studies before dropping out of university and attending the police academy instead. Now, the idea is to help them complete their degree in law while they are training as constables. It’s good economics: we gain extremely capable police employees for a relatively modest outlay. I would like to hear what you think about that plan, as a chief inspector.”
Simonsen shook his head in disbelief at such a virtuoso display of manipulation, marvellously downplayed so that it was impossible to be genuinely annoyed by it. Helmer Hammer knew perfectly well that Simonsen’s daughter had skipped two years of legal studies and would soon be finished at the police academy. He also knew that the loosely sketched education project was bait that her father could not refuse.
“You’re simply too much. So how can I help you?”
“I’ll take that as confirmation that you like the concept. With respect to the favour I want to ask for, I’ve run into a problem. The man from the Foreign Ministry who visited your lecture is named Bertil Hampel-Koch, and his title is actually not worm, but general director. God knows he can be a sourpuss sometimes and even a little arrogant. He’s also constantly getting mixed up in every possible territorial pissing contest, which unfortunately he’s not alone in, definitely not. Now and then the central administration at Slotsholmen is a real kindergarten, but Bertil is also a very competent person, who can be a good and faithful supporter if you get to know him. Besides, you can rely on him, he always keeps his agreements.”
“And how do I get to know this gentleman?”
“By sending him a brief email, preferably just a couple of lines, every evening about how the investigation is proceeding. If there’s nothing new, tell him that. If an important development happens, email as soon as you have time.”
“Is that all?”
“No, not quite. You will also get to know him by visiting him every now and then, if he wants that.”
“According to my calendar, not his.”
“I have emphasised that detail.”
“And he went along with it?”
“He is always guided by expediency. Otherwise he wouldn’t be in the exalted position he now occupies.”
“If I receive a written instruction from the police commissioner that I have to… get to know your friend, then we can reach an agreement. That is, not from the national chief of police, it has to be from my direct boss, Gurli-”
“The instruction is waiting on your desk alongside a business card with the telephone number you should call concerning this evening’s arrangements. There is also his email address.”
The agreement was in the bag, and like a couple of old horse traders they shook hands on it. Simonsen had another question, however, now that he had the chance.