Part 49 (2/2)

Malene is so believable as if she has done nothing wrong. Its too much. Gunnar tries to intervene and calm the two women down.

You keep out of this!

He reaches out to hold her, but Iben backs away quickly and raises her knife.

Watch out! Stay away from me!

Gunnar and Malene stare at her. Suddenly Iben comes to her senses. Oh, no, please. Gunnar, Im sorry, I didnt mean it. You know that Id never Everyone is frozen.

Its all so confusing.

Dont worry. I understand perfectly. Come and lie back down.

Im not at all like this I dont want you to think that I am Iben, believe me, we both understand. Well look after you.

Iben fights her suspicion that they are collaborating with Zigic. She must not be paranoid. She notices the bloodstains on the sofa. Gunnar wont be able to use it anymore. She mumbles, Im sorry, and lies down slowly, after putting Gunnars stone back in its place.

Iben begins to tell Gunnar and Malene the story, but more coherently this time. Several times she interrupts herself to ask Malene what kind of contact she has had with Zigic. Malene insists that she has had nothing to do with Zigic or his files. He must have mistaken her for someone else.

Gunnar goes to the kitchen to find something for Iben to eat. Iben starts cleaning her left arm, but Malene stops her.

Iben, let me do it. Just lie down.

How strange to be looked after by Malene. During the last six years it has always been the other way around.

For the first time Iben picks up the smell of s.e.x that hovers in the air as if Gunnar and Malene have been on a s.e.xual rampage for days, using every available surface. Iben feels so bitter. Everything is falling apart. The pain is starting to get to her.

Malene must have noticed. She produces two strong painkillers from her handbag. Iben lies still, waiting for the pills to take effect, and looks at Malenes hands. While she was being held captive by Zigic, those hands were caressing Gunnar.

Gunnar returns with a bottle of whiskey, a plate of sandwiches, and mugs of hot chocolate for all of them.

Iben repeats how Zigic captured her all over again.

This time Malene says they ought to phone the police.

But what if one of the men who chased me saw which street I ran to but not which door? Maybe theyre still waiting. When the police arrive, their problem will be solved.

So thats why you didnt want me to phone earlier!

Malene starts to mumble. Isnt it just a little But instead, she changes tack. I think I may know how all of this started. Remember the very first time I called Rasmus on my cell phone to tell him about the e-mail threats? He talked about the possibility of writing a spyware program. He kept working on the program whenever he had time. The idea was to forward it to the sender. It would then copy data from the senders computer. Anything like the address book and the calendar and afterward the data would be sent back to us, to help us trap the criminal. But I didnt know he had gotten that far with it.

But how would Zigic know who copied his files?

I suppose he couldnt unless he got his own spyware set up after Rasmuss death. I dont know. But lets say that he found my name from the subscriptions that I paid for online via Rasmuss computer. Then if he Googled me hed have found out that I work at the DCIG and might think that I had something to do with his computer being infected.

Its just so It means that if Rasmuss software did copy everything, there has to be a file somewhere in your computer that could wipe out Zigics entire organization bank accounts, supporters names, details of people he is using or blackmailing.

Malene goes and gets the laptop. She logs on as Rasmus, then experiments briefly with whatever other e-mail ident.i.ties he could use.

They watch her in silence, Iben on the sofa and Gunnar in an armchair. Gunnar is so close that Iben could reach out her arm and touch him.

Suddenly Malene calls out excitedly. Yes! Yes, look! Rasmus sent an e-mail with the program attached to [email protected] It has to be Ljiljana Peric the woman you interviewed about Zigic.

But why send it to her?

I dont know.

Iben has an idea. What if he wanted to see if it would work with the Serbian version of Windows? That would make sense, dont you think?

It would. And it mustve worked all right, because the following day he sent an e-mail to [email protected] And another one to That must be Zigics e-mail address. I wonder how he got hold of that?

What if the spyware program found it in Ljiljanas Contacts list? She and Zigic were cla.s.smates, after all. She probably knows him better than she likes to let on.

Malene talks while she clicks her way through Rasmuss mail. Look. The spyware has returned mail from both addresses. The header shows that Zigics mail goes via a Serbian server. The other mail was sent on from a Danish server.

A wave of nausea flows through Iben, the same sickness that made her sit down on the bin at the bus stop. The inside of her mouth feels as if its coated in thick mucus.

Malene speaks, half to herself. So, it obviously wasnt Zigic who sent the threatening e-mails. It was someone in this country. And the name must be in this file!

Gunnar and Iben lean forward, straining to see. Ibens forehead is covered in drops of sweat. She tries to speak enthusiastically, but her tongue doesnt seem to move. Imagine! Rasmus found out who it is.

Malenes voice is dry. So he did. And then he died.

It happens so suddenly. Something contracts inside Iben and her nose fills with the stench of creosote and rendered pork fat. She can smell evil now.

Iben jumps up from the sofa and manages a few paces toward the bathroom before throwing up everything she ate. She kneels, as if about to dive headfirst. The pool of fluid is brown, darker than the world of evil into which she almost disappeared earlier.

Gunnar and Malene come to help her, one on either side. Malenes hand supports her forehead.

Iben, youve had such a dreadful day. Its understandable, you just cant take anymore.

Ibens head is churning again with the same thoughts she had earlier: What if my memories were real? What if I sent the e-mails and Rasmus found out? I would have known that he could destroy my life. Everything.

Iben whispers, Im not very well.

We can see that. You mustnt worry.

She closes her eyes and tries to think. Her clammy forehead rests on Malenes hand.

What exactly do I remember about the day Rasmus was moving out? He was very serious and said he had to talk to me. He told me about the spyware and how he had designed it. I had expected him to ramble on about Malene and himself, but he started to lecture me about programming and he lost me. Afterward I helped him carry things to the van. What was the subject he approached so hesitantly? Why was it important to talk to me?

Iben, come with me. Lets get you back on the sofa.

Malene stinks like p.i.s.s.

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