Part 24 (1/2)

He had to know now. Nyquist clutched the edge of the seat, feeling the car's cheap cloth against his skin, using it to ground himself, like the hospital therapist told him to do when she had him talk about the nightmares. He made himself recall. . . .

The apartment with the single chair and all the high-end entertainment equipment. An apartment of a man who lived alone and didn't expect visitors. A man who used stories and games to help the hours of his life pa.s.s, without doing much good work. Just playing, as if he deserved some kind of vacation.

Nyquist opened his eyes.

His heart was pounding, and his skin was clammy. He couldn't do this.

But there was no record of any of this. He hadn't written it into any file. Gumiela a.s.sured him it wasn't necessary and he hadn't cared. He'd been so badly injured, all he wanted to do was get better. It had been the first time he'd failed to close the doc.u.mentation on a case-even a case that remained open.

He'd let his situation-and the fact that the case revolved around the Wagners-lull him into thinking it was done.

And of course it wasn't.

Nyquist gripped the seat even harder. He'd stood up to two Bixian a.s.sa.s.sins-and survived. The first doc.u.mented case of a human surviving a Bixian a.s.sa.s.sination attempt.

He'd had courage that day.

Yet it seemed that he needed more courage now.

Remembering it was harder than living it.

And, he reminded himself, he didn't have to remember the attack. Just the conversation with Claudius Wagner, before the a.s.sa.s.sins had slithered their way into the apartment.

Isn't it funny? The voice that appeared in Nyquist's head was Claudius Wagner's. The voice that appeared in Nyquist's head was Claudius Wagner's. I would rather have given up my life and risk a hideous death than admit that I had anything to do with those cases. I would rather have given up my life and risk a hideous death than admit that I had anything to do with those cases. Cases. Nyquist didn't remember the cases or the files. He tried to make himself remember, and he couldn't. Cases. Nyquist didn't remember the cases or the files. He tried to make himself remember, and he couldn't.

What had the therapist said? Breathe. Relax. Come as close as you can to sleeping. You'll find the memories. They exist. They're part of you.

But Nyquist had always resisted. He didn't want the memories.

Bowles and I made our deal before I found out about Talia. That was Flint. Flint, who seemed frightened for the first time since Nyquist had known him. Flint, who actually had something to lose now. That was Flint. Flint, who seemed frightened for the first time since Nyquist had known him. Flint, who actually had something to lose now.

I need to know what happened to Bowles because . . .

Nyquist knew Flint had to figure that out. Because he thought he was the next target. And some killers-especially cruel ones, the motivated ones-thought that killing a man was less desirable than slaughtering his family and letting him live.

Nyquist shuddered.

Even if this weren't his first case back, even if he didn't feel an obligation to the dead-Bowles, Whitford, and the bodyguard, the man who had tried to defend Bowles-he had an obligation to solve this.

Flint had helped him. Flint had guaranteed the money so that Nyquist could have lifesaving surgeries. Flint had told him that he would never ask for repayment-and Nyquist believed him. But there were still unforeseen complications. Like this one: I need to know what happened to Bowles because . . . I need to know what happened to Bowles because . . . Because of Talia. Because of Talia.

Because, Flint had been saying, My daughter might die if I don't have that information. And you owe it to me. My daughter might die if I don't have that information. And you owe it to me.

Only Flint was too cla.s.sy to say that Nyquist owed him.

In fact, Flint might not have even thought of it-at least not consciously.

Have you ever seen the footage of the day care incident? Ki Bowles had asked Nyquist that day he interviewed her. Ki Bowles had asked Nyquist that day he interviewed her.

He hadn't known what she meant. Day care incident? Day care incident?

Flint's daughter was killed in a day care by one of the workers. Turns out that worker killed other children- shaking them too hard-but it took a second visible death before anyone saw the pattern.

Bowles had been holding a mug of tea. If he closed his eyes, he could see her, as if she were still sitting across from him.

She swirled the mug because she was clearly nervous. He watched as the liquid would crest near the edge, then vanish again, never spilling, but always threatening.

That incident , she had said, , she had said, that's what started Flint on his journey from computer tech to Retrieval Artist. I think that journey has an ethical base. I think he tried to make things better as a police officer, then realized he couldn't enforce certain laws. So he became independent. I've talked to him. He's really firm about the way people should behave. that's what started Flint on his journey from computer tech to Retrieval Artist. I think that journey has an ethical base. I think he tried to make things better as a police officer, then realized he couldn't enforce certain laws. So he became independent. I've talked to him. He's really firm about the way people should behave.

She had been right. Flint was really firm about how people should behave.

They should protect children.

Flint couldn't protect his daughter because of his past. Flint had had no idea that his second child, the one that his wife had kept hidden from him, existed, and now he found himself in the middle of a mess, so he had come to Nyquist.

Nyquist, whose brain was refusing to remember its conversation with Claudius Wagner. Although it seemed to have no trouble picking up memories of Ki Bowles.

I can't talk to you, Detective. I swore an oath. Claudius Wagner this time. Had he said that? Or was Nyquist's brain coming up with an excuse not to remember? Claudius Wagner this time. Had he said that? Or was Nyquist's brain coming up with an excuse not to remember?

”What kind of oath?” Nyquist whispered. Client confidentiality. I will tell you that we had the same client. Client confidentiality. I will tell you that we had the same client. We. Nyquist frowned, almost opened his eyes. We. Claudius and-who? We. Nyquist frowned, almost opened his eyes. We. Claudius and-who? I took over the account when she had to leave-and believe me, I was surprised at what I found. I took over the account when she had to leave-and believe me, I was surprised at what I found.

Paloma. Or as Claudius probably called her until the day of his death, Lucianna. They'd hidden in plain sight because the Bixians didn't know Armstrong laws. They didn't understand that humans could legally change their ident.i.ties and stay in the same area.

Nyquist almost opened his eyes as that information came back to him, then realized that he would break this, this slow trickle of memory.

A half-remembered conversation. He leaned back, tried to relax even more. He wanted to picture Claudius Wagner, but all he got was that stupid entertainment system-a system he'd shattered with a shot from his laser rifle not an hour later. The explosion- The explosion had startled the second a.s.sa.s.sin and Nyquist had managed to move away from it. Somehow. Backing into the chair on his way to the kitchen.

The kitchen and a knife of his own. He wouldn't be able to shoot when the thing latched on to him. He wouldn't be able to shoot, just slash and hope he killed it-hope he had enough time to survive.

Then a few things happened, Claudius Wagner had said, and Nyquist found himself feeling grateful. A different memory, one without the pain.

Some information leaked , Claudius Wagner had was saying. , Claudius Wagner had was saying. Old cases resurfaced, old angers did as well, and suddenly I found myself subjected to the same treatment as Lucianna. We figured the name changes and the habit changes would be enough. And you know, they were, until yesterday. Old cases resurfaced, old angers did as well, and suddenly I found myself subjected to the same treatment as Lucianna. We figured the name changes and the habit changes would be enough. And you know, they were, until yesterday.

The man had been surprisingly honest. Nyquist hadn't expected honesty. He remembered that now. He had expected the same kind of creepy personality that Justinian Wagner had, the same kind of oily personality, the kind that s.h.i.+fted and moved with its moods-and tried to get you to do the same.

What do you think changed? Nyquist had asked. Nyquist had asked.

I think someone offered my son the same deal I got offered. Claudius had spoken with great bitterness. Claudius had spoken with great bitterness.

Nyquist didn't remember a deal. He needed to remember a deal. ”What deal?” he whispered because asking questions aloud had worked before. I can't go into detail. I can't go into detail.

Be vague. He remembered now. He had promised himself he would try to find this information when he left Claudius's apartment. He would use the vague details to put together a real case. Somehow. He'd done things like that before. He remembered now. He had promised himself he would try to find this information when he left Claudius's apartment. He would use the vague details to put together a real case. Somehow. He'd done things like that before.

This client , Claudius had said, , Claudius had said, is a long-term client, and this case is one of many. Lucianna kept most of her records and she didn't let me see the files, although she told me what was in them when I asked that year before I moved here. is a long-term client, and this case is one of many. Lucianna kept most of her records and she didn't let me see the files, although she told me what was in them when I asked that year before I moved here.

Here was the thing about the files. Nyquist knew there had been something. The entire case had been about files.

And Flint said he had given them back. After making a copy? This stuff Bowles was using This stuff Bowles was using, Nyquist had asked Flint, this information, is there any way I can see it? If she has copies, this information, is there any way I can see it? If she has copies, Flint had said. Flint had said. And where would she have gotten copies? And where would she have gotten copies? Nyquist should have asked, but he hadn't. He hadn't. Nyquist should have asked, but he hadn't. He hadn't.

The client , Claudius was saying, , Claudius was saying, took some of Lucianna's advice, but not all of it. The circ.u.mstances happened again, in a different environment, but with the same results, and the client acted in the same way. Only the new case brought the old one up again, and stirred up anger . . . took some of Lucianna's advice, but not all of it. The circ.u.mstances happened again, in a different environment, but with the same results, and the client acted in the same way. Only the new case brought the old one up again, and stirred up anger . . . He paused. He paused. This can't be making sense to you. This can't be making sense to you.