Anna-Maria was having a hard time focusing on the road ahead of her. The knowledge that she would soon see him again was dizzying, and this meeting was crucial. They would be laying the groundwork for their collaboration, now that he was an inmate. In some ways, she would become his lifeline out to the real world, and the thought that he would be dependent on her was a little bit intoxicating.
The loops of razor wire were visible from a long way off, and then Skogome Prison itself appeared down in its valley. Nestled cosily in amber-coloured forest, but bleak thanks to its concrete walls. Grey, drab, and ugly. She’d been there before; sex offenders were her speciality. She understood them. Could follow along in their reasoning.
The parking lot was surprisingly empty, even though it was visiting hours. She parked her car, approached the outer gate, and identified herself. The gate unlocked with a dull buzz. When she got to the main guard post, she left her ID and placed her phone in a locked cabinet, exchanging pleasantries with the female guard in the booth. She recognized the woman immediately: her name was Helga McLean. She had worked there for years. Tough as nails.
‘He’s really been waiting for you,’ she said.
‘But I’m here on time.’
‘You know how he is,’ McLean said with a small smile. Callini regarded her and realized with a cold stab in her chest that the woman had lovely eyes. But that sort of thing would never happen here. Although you never knew with Franz; you could never really be sure. She took a deep breath in an attempt to get away from this annoying train of thought.
A male guard met her in the corridor where the visiting rooms were located. He showed her to a room somewhere in the middle. When the guard opened the door, the sight of Oswald took her breath away. He appeared to have shrunk. He was slumped in a low yellow chair and wearing shapeless grey clothing. Franz Oswald in ugly sweatpants – it was unthinkable. The harsh lighting washed out his skin. But then he stood up and quickly regained his authority. She felt awkward; she wanted to embrace him but knew that Franz Oswald was a man who preferred to avoid displays of affection.
‘Can you believe this?’ he said, pointing at the easy chairs. ‘That we have to sit on this goddamn dwarf furniture. But by all means, please have a seat.’
She placed her handbag on a side table and sank down in a chair. He remained standing, watching her with a caustic smile on his lips.
‘So, how is it going, Franz? How are you feeling?’ she tried.
‘What do you think? I told you I would be a model prisoner. I’ve signed up for every single goddamn study group and educational program. I slave away in the heat from the monster of a washing machine they purchased for six million kronor. Oh yes, everything is great. Can we dispense with the pleasantries now and get to the goddamn point?’
She noticed the neat stack of paper on a table that stood between the chairs.
‘This is the plan I was talking about,’ he said. ‘Down to the last detail. You can take it with you. I’ve printed out a copy. We can discuss the details on your next visit. There’s also a list of items I need. The plan is divided up into three separate parts. First, the idiots at ViaTerra who have sunk straight through the mud to their lowest level of intelligence thus far. Someone needs to keep an eye on them. Then there’s the book. You’ll have to take care of all the contacts with the editors and so forth. And then there’s Sofia Bauman, of course. Time to deal with her.’
As always, Anna-Maria took Oswald’s mention of Sofia Bauman like a punch to the gut. Something in his eyes changed; their clarity was broken and replaced by an eerie, dreamy glow. Obviously, she wanted bad things to happen to that bitch. The worse, the better. But first Oswald’s almost manic fixation on her had to be broken. How, she didn’t yet know.
‘That part about Sofia. Is it really necessary? After all, she hasn’t made any trouble since the trial. Why would we even care about someone so pathetic—’
‘Have you begun to study the theses?’ he interrupted.
‘Sorry?’
‘I asked if you’d started studying the theses, as I told you to.’
‘No, I mean… it’s only been a week, and I thought—’
‘That explains your naïve attitude towards Sofia Bauman. You don’t even understand what ViaTerra stands for, do you?’
‘No, I mean, yes I do. I’ll get informed about all of it, I promise. But if you want to, we can sue Bauman.’
‘Sue her? Why on earth would we do that? That wouldn’t be any fun.’
‘For slander, I was thinking.’
He laughed out loud. The peal of laughter bounced around the room, echoing coldly in the small room.
‘Are you really that dumb? People like Sofia Bauman must be dealt with slowly, Annie. Just a hint at first, but enough to raise the hair on the back of her neck. I thought I’d explained all this to you. Start by reading the theses. And reread The Art of War by Sun Tzu. You have read that before, haven’t you?’
Anna-Maria shook her head, baffled.
‘What? You’re a failure of a lawyer, did you know that?’
She nodded eagerly, although she didn’t really understand what this had to do with Sofia Bauman.
‘I just want to clarify a few things before you go,’ he said. ‘No one here is allowed to read, listen to, or otherwise take part in what we discuss, since you are my attorney, correct?’
‘That’s right.’
‘And you must abide by complete confidentiality, and will sign all the necessary papers to that effect.’
‘Naturally.’
‘Okay then, we have a deal.’
He bent down, placed his hands under her forearms, and pulled her to her feet. He was standing so close she could smell the faintly burned odour of the newly washed prison clothes, so different from the fresh aroma of his usual aftershave. She suddenly remembered the little bottle she’d brought and reached for her handbag.
‘I have your aftershave.’
He pulled her arm close and shook his head.
‘Forget it. I can’t use it in here anyway. Maybe when I get furlough, but that could be awhile. And they force you to strip after every visit. But you should already know that sort of thing.’
‘Yes, I’m sorry, I forgot.’
‘Stark naked. The female guards too,’ he added with a grin.
He had both her arms in an iron grip and shuffled her backwards until her back was pressed to the wall; he got so close to her that she almost couldn’t breathe. That familiar excitement made the blood rush to her groin. When he finally pressed his body to hers, she whined with desire. He quickly put one hand over her mouth while the other grasped her throat.
‘It’s too early to break the rules here. You’ll have to hold out for a while longer,’ he whispered in her ear.
‘I like…’ she managed to say.
‘Shh,’ he whispered, squeezing her throat. ‘I know what you like.’