Despite the fact that it was late in the evening, the street outside the Kronoberg remand prison – Bergsgatan – was filled with hundreds of young people. Many of them had home-made streamers and signs. ‘Free Scam’, ‘ACAB’, ‘Scam is innocent’. Given the tangible risk that someone might recognise Sara from the video showing Scam’s arrest, she and Martin entered from Kungsholmsgatan instead.
Martin’s mobile had started to ring while they were in the taxi – it was head office in the USA – but Sara told him to turn it off. Sara’s mobile continued to buzz almost incessantly with calls from reporters, so she set it to refuse all calls except those closest to her – her family and her colleagues.
Anna met them in the mint-green fluorescent-lit corridor and told them that the American embassy had been in touch with the police top brass, that Scam’s mother – the lawyer – was threatening to sue, and that the arrest was big news in the USA and the rest of the world. It had emerged that the arrest related to a conspiracy to murder. How the journalists had found that out when not even Sara or Anna knew what the charges would be was unclear. Fans in many countries were urging the boycott of everything Swedish: Volvo, Spotify and misidentified Swiss cuckoo clocks.
Conny Mårtensson was now Scam’s Swedish attorney and had explained that the rapper denied all accusations. He had never been in Frihamnen, and had definitely not been to any peepshow. Furthermore, he denied having any images or films of illegal acts in his possession. Mårtensson pointed out that it was illegal to search Scam’s mobile without the owner’s consent. Nothing found in such circumstances could be used as evidence against him. On the other hand, the misappropriation would be reported.
Sara asked Martin to go into an interview room and wait, and then she had to tell Anna that Martin had been with Scam at the peepshow and was there to be questioned. Her friend had as much difficulty as Sara had believing it was true. Sara saw the slightly indulgent goodwill that Anna had always felt towards Martin transition into pure disgust.
‘Is there no one who can be trusted?’ said Anna, looking towards the room where Martin was waiting. Then she turned to Sara and her anger was replaced with sympathy. ‘Sweetheart, how do you feel? It must be completely fucking awful.’
‘It is.’
Anna hugged Sara.
‘I feel guilty,’ said Sara. ‘My husband, my fault.’
‘That’s not true.’
‘I don’t know. I really don’t know.’
‘Is there anything I can do for you?’ said Anna.
‘Yes. Don’t terminate this friendship. I need someone on my side in all this.’
‘You’ve got it. Always.’
‘And can you find someone to question him? It probably shouldn’t be done by either of us.’
While Anna went to call for assistance from impartial colleagues, Axel Bielke turned up. For once, he looked almost impressed.
‘This is completely insane,’ he said. ‘I’ve never experienced anything like it. There must be at least a thousand people out there. How are we going to keep them calm if we keep this guy on remand?’
‘Apparently it’s world news,’ said Sara.
‘What do we actually have on him?’
Sara pulled out her mobile and showed her boss the picture from the computer wallpaper and Scam’s own photos and videos of Jenna’s murder. Bielke grimaced.
‘And these videos are from . . . ?’
‘His mobile. Filmed by him.’
‘Surely these aren’t the videos that Mårtensson says we acquired illegally?’
‘Of course he says that.’
‘And how did we acquire them?’
‘We’re allowed to check the phones of suspects.’
‘The phones of people formally in custody. And the decision to hold them in custody has to be based on sufficient evidence. He hasn’t been formally remanded yet, so I hope he handed over the phone of his own volition?’
Bielke’s words sank in for Sara. She knew very well what the rules were, but in her eyes the outcome came ahead of following the letter of the law. It was only people like Conny Mårtensson who liked the rules because they could exploit minor, formal errors or technicalities in order to free criminals.
‘If I hadn’t checked his mobile then we wouldn’t have known he had the videos. That would have meant we had no evidence.’
‘And by checking his mobile, you’ve ensured that we can’t use the videos,’ Bielke said with a deep sigh.
‘What about the photo of the computer screen? You can see he’s in the place, and Jenna is in the background.’
‘You took that photo while on international soil where you had no right to be. Don’t tell anyone you have it, or any photos from his mobile, or we’ll be finished. We’ll end up in prison.’
‘But Martin can testify. He was there. He saw everything!’
Sara pointed to the figure sitting and waiting in the interview room.
‘Martin?’ said Bielke.
‘Yes, my husband.’
‘And he was with Scam at the peepshow?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then surely he’s an accessory? Right?’
‘Yes,’ Sara said, indicating clearly that she wasn’t interested in any further discussion.
Bielke looked at her, thought for a while and then nodded.
‘Then I’d say it all hinges on his testimony.’ He was silent for a moment and then he made a decision. ‘We won’t release Uncle Scam. I’ll request that he’s kept in custody on the grounds of Martin’s witness testimony – not because of any photos or videos. Is he Martin Nowak?’
‘Martin Titus. Anna has called to get someone impartial down here to question him.’
‘Good.’ Bielke paused and looked at Sara. ‘How are things going with that other business? The priest in Småland?’
‘Östergötland.’
‘Have you found Rau?’
Sara was startled.
‘What do you know about Rau?’
‘That he’s some former terrorist, right? With a new identity.’
‘Who told you that?’ But there was only one person. ‘Anna?’
‘It doesn’t matter.’
‘Yes, it does bloody well matter – a lot! Anna!’
Sara turned and went over to her colleague, who was talking on her mobile.
‘Did you tell Bielke about Rau?!’
‘Wait a minute,’ said Anna into the phone before turning to Sara. ‘I can explain. Bielke just wanted me to keep an eye on you . . .’
‘So you did? You spied on me?!’
‘Not spied. I was just keeping an eye so that . . .’
‘Go to hell!’ said Sara, turning on her heel.
‘Sara!’ Bielke shouted after her, but she wasn’t listening. She headed into the street, where she pushed through the crowd of hip-hop fans who were putting on a show of support for their perverted idol. Evidently someone recognised her because they shouted: ‘Fucking pig! Let Scam go!’ but Sara didn’t notice. Not now.
What was going on?
Bielke knew all about Rau.
Her best friend had been spying on her.
On behalf of their boss.
Why the hell had she done that?