Mia was standing on the pavement outside the gray apartment building in West Oslo, wondering if someone was watching her. It wasn’t the first time the thought had crossed her mind. Ever since she’d returned to Oslo, she had this horrible feeling of being followed. She’d dismissed it as paranoia. Quite normal for someone in her situation. It was vital not to give in to it. She was not anxious by nature, so that wasn’t the problem, but even so, she couldn’t shrug it off. She glanced about her, but she didn’t see anyone. The streets around her were completely quiet.
They had moved Miriam and her daughter to a safe apartment in Frogner. Safe in the sense that it wasn’t listed anywhere. Not in official archives. The night before, they’d kept mother and daughter in an apartment farther east, but Munch didn’t feel safe there and decided to move them again. The apartment they were using now was reserved for politicians and other important visitors who needed protection, but Munch had pulled a few strings on the QT so that only a small number of people were involved. He was getting really paranoid now, but she could see his point.
Mia glanced up and down the street. Still no one there. No cars. Not even a newspaper boy. She was all alone, and she was quite sure that no one had seen Miriam and her daughter enter the apartment.
A few minutes later, Munch appeared in the street. He lit a cigarette and raked a hand through his hair.
“Sorry,” Mia said.
“Don’t apologize, it was my fault,” he said. “I just wanted to . . . well, you know.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Mia said.
“Are we alone?”
“I think so. I haven’t seen anyone. Is everything okay up there?”
Munch took a deep drag of his cigarette and glanced up toward the third floor. “Everything is fine. Miriam is pissed off with me, but I understand. I hope she realizes that I’m only trying to help her.”
“Of course she understands,” Mia reassured him. “It’s just a bit too much for her right now. She’ll thank you when it’s all over.”
“I’m not so sure about that. I had to tell her that she can’t get married.”
“You told her to cancel her wedding?”
“Yes, of course.”
“That’s taking it too far,” Mia objected.
“A hundred people in the same church? And everyone with a connection to me? We couldn’t allow that,” Munch said.
It was a game to the killer, nothing more. He or she was playing with them. How do you rob a bank? You blow up the building across the street. The killer knew exactly what he was doing. What she was doing. This was about more than four girls. Than ten girls. Someone had been watching Munch for years. And knew exactly how to hit him where it hurt. How to create maximum confusion. Chaos. Terror. Mia had not slept more than four hours in the last three days, and it was starting to get to her now, she could feel it. She was struggling to think straight.
“Who’s at the office?” Munch asked when they were back in the car.
“Ludvig, Gabriel, Curry, I think,” Mia said.
“Mikkelson will take me off the case,” Munch said, lighting another cigarette without opening the window.
“How do you know?”
“What would you have done?” He looked at her without expression.
“Taken you off the case,” Mia said.
“Of course you would,” he said, and drove toward Mariboesgate.
“What’s your opinion?” Mia asked him.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s a legitimate question. We’re investigating a major incident. The killer is coming after you personally. Will you be able to stay objective? Keep your emotions in check? I don’t think so.”
Munch snorted. “Remind me again whose side you’re on.”
“Your side, obviously,” Mia said. “But someone is bound to ask that question.”
“It’s personal now,” Munch said, narrowing his eyes. “No one goes after my family and gets away with it.”
“My point exactly.”
“What?”
“One comment like that in front of Mikkelson and you’re out.” She ran her finger across her throat to illustrate.
“Ha,” Munch scoffed. “Who else would they put in charge?”
“Wenngård.”
“Yes, all right.”
“Klokkervold.”
“For Christ’s sake, Mia! Whose side are you on?”
“I’m just telling you, Holger. There are others. It is possible for you to step aside.”
Munch mulled it over before he replied. “What would you have done? If it were a member of your family?”
“You already know the answer to that.”
“Exactly. So let’s say no more about it.”
“Don’t you think you ought to get some sleep?”
“Maybe, but it’s not going to happen.” Munch sighed before finally opening his window. “Contact everyone. Office in one hour. Those who don’t show can start looking for another job. We’re going over everything again. We turn over every stone until we find that bloody cockroach, even if it’s the last thing I do.”
Mia took out her phone.