Part 9 (1/2)

And its even more infuriating when it comes from someone weve all struggled to keep happy.

The door to the corridor opens. Anne-Lise announces that she is going home. She has a headache. Malene is so annoyed with her that she cant even make herself look up. No one speaks.

Then Malene decides to say something. Get better soon.

From the landing they hear the faint whining noise as the elevator goes down. Iben begins to pick her words slowly.

Now we know why she always comes across as devious. And why all of us have found it difficult to get along with her. Its because, in her warped view, were nothing but a band of bullies who want to bring her down.

Its unbelievable. How long do you think she has hated us beneath all those smiles, always pretending everythings fine?

Camilla looks up at the others. How did she keep it up lying to us every single day? I cant imagine being that insincere month in and month out.

Suddenly Iben sounds more collected and serious. But maybe thats exactly what she didnt do.

What do you mean?

Maybe she couldnt stand lying to us forever. Maybe she has been burning up inside and felt she had to find an outlet.

The other two are silent.

An outlet, for instance, of sending us e-mails? Iben suggests.

The others see her point at once.

If Anne-Lise sent the e-mails last night, she might have felt guilty today. To deal with that, one obvious strategy would be to prove to herself that were all nasty worse than her. Which could explain why she lost control just now at lunch.

Camilla adds a thought. She didnt seem the slightest bit nervous this morning when she heard about the e-mails for the first time.

The idea makes sense to Malene too. Its obvious that she hates Iben and me the most. It would also explain why Paul hasnt had one.

Of course, its only hypothetical. Still, it doesnt have to be Mirko Zigic or some other ma.s.s murderer who sent the e-mails.

Malene realizes that she isnt furious with Anne-Lise, although she ought to be. The others feel the same way she can see it in their faces. More than anything, they are relieved. Iben doesnt have to crash at Griths apartment again tonight. Malene wont find it as difficult to fall asleep as she did the night before. A confrontation with trained killers now that would be a life-or-death matter. But an office conflict, that can be sorted out.

The front door opens. The doorway frames a man with a muscular neck, wearing a safari jacket. The women freeze. But then they realize hes not threatening them.

Malene smiles. h.e.l.lo! How did you get past the police downstairs?

Police? What police?

Didnt two guards stop you in the downstairs lobby?

No one stopped me. I came here because your Web site shows that youve got Ben Kiernans book about Cambodia, The Pol Pot Regime. Id like to borrow it, if possible. And Id be grateful if you could recommend more reading about the Cambodian genocide.

They look at each other.

He explains: I need it for senior-year teaching.

Another moment of silence.

So, if you have any introductory teaching material, Id like to have a look at that as well.

The Centers users mustnt be worried by internal problems. Malene walks toward the visitor.

Please come in. Lets see what we can find. We have a great deal on your subject. You know about the book by Marcher and Frederiksen, dont you?

Yes. Do you have it?

Of course. And we have quite a few files of unpublished teaching material. Ive read it all and its very good. Lets go to the library and have a look around.

Malene is ready to lead the way.

Iben gets up. I think Id better go downstairs and find out whats happened.

The teacher is curious and well read. Malene speaks about Cambodia, trying to sound relaxed. She tells him about the lectures that DCIG staff offer free of charge. She could come to his school.

While they talk, her mind strays. She tries to understand Anne-Lise, but cant recall ever having been hard on her. On the contrary, she has always been friendly and professional. Right? They have always told Anne-Lise when they are taking a break, even though she can be such a wet blanket. Everyone has tried to be pleasant to her, but, after all, other people should have a good time too. And theres work to be done.

She goes on to speak about a recent DCIG seminar on Cambodia with Chandra Lor as the lead speaker. Lor, a genocide survivor, was the first head of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh. His story is miraculous. In the 1970s, government troops and guerrilla forces killed almost 3.3 million of the countrys 7.1 million population. The Pol Pot regime exterminated practically everybody who had either a family relations.h.i.+p with the previous government or simply an education. Chandra Lor was the son of a deposed senator and a university student. The video of the seminar shows Lor speaking about his daily fight to escape death. The teacher could show it to his pupils.

Malene hears Iben return and excuses herself for a moment.

Iben confirms that there are no policemen at the door. She intends to call the number the two officers gave them and ask whats going on.

Malene goes back to the teacher. They start chatting about Western European communism. In the 1950s, Pol Pot and some of the top men in his government were students in Paris, and their views were strongly influenced by the French Communist Party. Should the French Communists accept a share of the guilt for the Cambodian tragedy? She pulls out a book of photographs from the Tuol Sleng Museum collection. The building was once a notorious prison. The photos show the primitive instruments of torture and the prison cells. Many of the cells were windowless and so small that the prisoners could neither lie down nor stand.

Iben interrupts them, apologizing to the teacher. Ive spoken to the woman whos in charge of the investigation, and her att.i.tude is totally different. She said that the evidence pointing to Zigic is absurdly vague and, as it is, the police have spent far too much time over two e-mails. She is in charge of the case now, but she wont allocate any more time to it.

What did you say?

Well, of course I tried to argue that our safety should be paramount and because of our work were a special case, but I got nowhere. She wouldnt even listen.

Maybe Iben wasnt all that persuasive. How can you convince someone that you are in mortal danger if you actually feel enormously relieved because youre pretty certain that a timid librarian sent the e-mails?

The idea that the e-mails might be harmless is not disputed by the phone calls they receive from helpful colleagues abroad during the afternoon. The war criminals they suggest only add to their already unmanageably long list.

After the tense, anxious morning, not even a call from Lotta in Sweden about Zigic seems important. There are rumors that Zigic has gone underground somewhere inside the Scandinavian Customs Union, possibly in Sweden.

chapter 11.

if Anne-Lise sent the e-mails she obviously must be emotionally disturbed, perhaps even borderline psychotic. If so, she has so far been able to hide her state of mind from her colleagues.

That is why Iben thought Malene should come along with her to see her friend Grith, the clinical psychologist. Malene is mildly skeptical, but she has only met Grith a few times and hasnt a clue what insight she might provide. Besides, Malene does agree that its sensible to get a professional evaluation of Anne-Lises behavior.

Grith is a tall, thin woman with large, slightly droopy b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She has the kind of body thats supposed to drive men wild. Watching her, Malene thinks that Griths erotic pull must be limited to when she sits down or stands still. When her long limbs are moving she looks like an awkward fourteen-year-old. The suspicion that she is likely to fall over any minute makes Malene, for one, feel rather nervous.

Grith practices her clinical skills at the Copenhagen National Hospital. They sit on the large square cus.h.i.+ons of Griths gray sofa.