The Library of Shadows

'Let's go,' Katherina said softly, before Jon could object. 'Thanks for everything, Tom. You've given us some important information today, and we'll do our best to make good use of it. Of course, we hope to see you again. If the Shadow Organization really does exist and it's launching some sort of offensive, we'll need everyone's help.'

Tom nodded, though he had a slightly dubious look in his eyes. He watched them carefully as they got into the car. As they drove away, Katherina studied him in the mirror. Nшrreskov stood in the farmyard and watched them for a moment, then he turned round and quickly walked towards the main building.

'A little paranoid, don't you think?' said Jon after they'd come out on the other side of the woods.

'All those years alone in this place would make me a bit odd, too,' said Katherina, hurrying to add: 'Even odder, I mean.'

They drove back to Copenhagen in silence. Katherina sensed that Jon would prefer to think through the new information on his own, and she spent the time looking for cars that might be following them. But they reached Copenhagen without seeing any Land Rovers or other suspicious vehicles, and their mood lifted significantly when they drove in among the tall buildings of the town centre.

Jon turned off the engine in front of Libri di Luca, but he made no move to get out of the car.

'I think I need some time to think about all this,' he said, giving her an apologetic look.

'Of course,' said Katherina. 'Take your time. Let me know if there's anything I can do.' Through the shop windows she could see Pau walking around inside. 'What do we tell the others?' she asked, nodding towards Pau, who had taken up position in the window with his hands on his hips and his eyes fixed on them.

'I've been thinking about the same thing,' said Jon. 'All my father's secrecy certainly didn't do him any good – on the contrary. So maybe we should just lay our cards on the table and tell them everything.' He shrugged. 'Maybe that would make someone give himself away, if there really is a mole in the Bibliophile Society.'

Katherina nodded. 'This evening I'm going over to the hospital to visit Iversen,' she said. 'So I'll tell him what we found out. I think we owe it to him to be the first to know.'

'Good. Then I'll tell Kortmann tomorrow.'

Katherina said goodbye and got out of the car. Jon started up the Mercedes, but she noticed that he didn't drive off until she was safely inside.

'Well?' said Pau even before she had shut the door. 'What happened down there?'

Katherina glanced around the room to make sure no customers were present.

'He's not the one behind it all,' she said. 'I can't tell you anything more right now.'

'Arghh! Come on, Katherina,' exclaimed Pau, disappointed. 'What was he like? Tell me. I dropped everything, you know, to take your shift.'

Katherina sighed. She told Pau about Tom Nшrreskov's solitary life and about the farm, but nothing about the Shadow Organization or his connection with Luca.

'What a weirdo,' muttered Pau when she was done talking, but she refused to be pressured by Pau to say anything more. 'I wonder what he's really doing out there on a farm in the middle of nowhere.'

Katherina escaped commenting because at that moment a customer came in.

For the rest of the day she evaded Pau's questions and then sent him home before closing time so she could be alone. After locking up, she got on her bicycle and rode over to the State University Hospital. On the way she bought a pepperoni pizza, and the aroma made everyone in the hospital turn to look at her with a pleading look in their eyes.

Iversen looked as if he'd fully recovered. The small man was sitting up in bed, and his face lit up with a big smile when she came into his room. He laughed out loud when he saw that she'd brought him a pizza.

'I actually just ate,' he said. 'If you can call it eating, considering the food in this place.' He patted the bedclothes covering his stomach. 'But there's always room for a pepperoni pizza.'

With great joy he bit into a slice of pizza as Katherina told him what she and Jon had been doing. She recounted everything Tom Nшrreskov had told them. Several times Iversen was so surprised by what she said he almost choked on his food. But he let her talk until she was done and he had finished his meal.

'I've always known that Luca was harbouring a few little secrets, but this goes way beyond my wildest imagination.' Pensively he wiped his mouth. 'Is it really true that I can't be trusted?'

'Of course you can,' said Katherina. 'You might say that it's your open heart that gives you away.'

Iversen shook his head. 'If I'd only known, I would have paid closer attention, and maybe I could have helped.'

Katherina took his hand. It was warm and dry.

'You did help him, as a friend and colleague. That was what he needed.'

Iversen shrugged. 'We'll never know now,' he said with a sigh. 'I'm glad you told me. But do you think it was wise? What if I happen to give away the fact that we know about the Shadow Organization?'

Katherina squeezed his hand. 'Everybody in the Society is going to know about it now,' she said solemnly. 'We're going to need the help of every single person if we want to fight back.'

They sat together for a couple of minutes, holding hands and not saying a word.

'How blind I've been,' Iversen then said bitterly. 'So many pieces of the puzzle are suddenly falling into place. Tom's banishment, Luca's reaction to Marianne's suicide, Jon being sent to a foster home. It's incredible how that little man could have kept such big secrets to himself.'

'Luca probably found support with Tom,' Katherina suggested.

'Tom,' said Iversen to himself, shaking his head. 'They sure pulled the wool over our eyes.'

'But they paid a high price,' Katherina pointed out.

'We have to take Tom back,' said Iversen firmly. 'After the way we treated him, we have to make it up to him somehow.' He slapped the bedclothes. 'And we need him. Who better to help us against the Shadow Organization? He's the expert.'

'I don't think you should count on him wanting to leave his farm,' said Katherina. 'All Tom seems to be interested in is looking out for himself. Not that I blame him, after what he's been through.'

'There must be something we can do.'

'It would probably be best to leave him in peace.'

'That'll be difficult if we're going to convince the others. Will Kortmann – or Clara, for that matter – accept this explanation without having Tom here to confirm your story?'

'They'll have to. And they'll listen to Jon. He's the one who has been most affected by what happened. Tom chose his own fate, in a way. While Jon was cheated out of his. But who knows what would have happened if he had stayed with Luca?'

'How did Jon take it?' Iversen asked with concern.

'Considering the circumstances, he was surprisingly calm,' said Katherina. 'It's hard to say what he's feeling. In that sense, he resembles Luca – he's much too good at keeping secrets. I think he's bitter that he was never told the truth.'

'I suppose we all are, to some extent. Whether it was justified or not, it's never fun to be kept in the dark. Maybe this will present an opportunity for reuniting the Bibliophile Society – which was always Luca's dream.'

'There might still be traitors among us,' Katherina pointed out.

'True enough. It could be more true than ever, in fact, but it's time to smoke them out, and for that we'll need everybody's help. Especially Jon's.'

'And Kortmann?'

'Kortmann and Clara are just going to have to bury the hatchet,' exclaimed Iversen furiously. 'Even if I have to force them to pick up the spade to do it.'

Katherina noticed that the ECG, still hooked up to Iversen's body, was making some rapid upswings. She patted his hand.