"It's too early to determine. The next twenty-four hours are crucial. We'll keep him under close observation."
"But he can live on without a spleen, right?" Officer Jansson asked.
"Yes. You can live perfectly well without your spleen. But because the spleen plays a crucial role in the body's ability to fight off bacteria, living without the organ makes you more likely to develop infections, especially dangerous ones like those that cause pneumonia, meningitis, and other serious infections. His own doctor will make sure the patient is given vaccinations to cover these bacteria."
I sat on a chair once the doctor was gone. I hid my face in my hands. "I can't believe this is happening. I can't believe it."
Officer Jansson sat next to me. He put his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure he'll be alright."
"He has a son," I said. "I need to tell Tobias. He's back in Karrebaeksminde with his nanny."
Officer Jansson nodded. "Let me take care of that. I'll get the local police to contact them and have him transported here. Don't worry about that part."
Officer Jansson left the room talking on the phone. I took mine out and looked at it. Then I called Jens-Ole and told him. I hung up crying, then called Peter and told him not to say anything to Julie until I knew if Sune was going to live or not. Peter was very quiet and said nothing but yes and no.
Probably feeling guilty, I thought when I hung up.
The wait was terrible. My emotions ran amok. At one point I was crying for Sune and for the baby that might not get to know his father, then I was overwhelmed with guilt. If only I had been there. Maybe the organ thieves would have left him alone? Maybe I could have stopped them? Then I became angry. Angry at the thieves, at this cruel way to treat other people.
Officer Jansson soon returned. "Tobias is on his way in a police car. They told him his father was in the hospital, no details so far."
"I'll take care of him when he arrives," I said.
"Good." Officer Jansson sighed. "I'm afraid I have more bad news. There was another case last night."
"Two cases at the same time? What's going on here?" I asked.
He exhaled and touched his forehead. "I have no idea. This is crazy."
"What happened this time? Organ theft again? You think it was the same person?"
"That's the strange part. It was a woman this time. All the others have been men," Officer Jansson said.
"Maybe it doesn't matter to them if it is a man or woman. An organ is an organ, right? On the black market, it probably doesn't matter. Or do you think they might be responding to orders? That someone places an order for a spleen from a woman to make sure it fits?" The thought was repulsive and made my stomach turn.
"I have thought about it. But the worst part about this one is that it was performed in her own home."
"What?" I asked.
"She lived in an apartment in Silkeborg, where she was found this morning by a friend she was supposed to go to Aarhus with today. The door wasn't locked, so the girlfriend walked right in when the woman didn't answer the door. She found her on the floor, blood everywhere."
"What organ had been stolen?"
"That's the even stranger part. She had been cut open using one of her own kitchen knives and several organs had been cut loose, but none were missing. When the forensic team put her together it was all there. Some were on the floor and blood had spurted everywhere, like the person doing the cutting had gone berserk, but nothing was missing."
"That doesn't sound much like the other cases?"
"No not at all. In the three previous cases, the organ thieves have been very professional and even left the victims in ice with a note to tell them to call 112 when they woke up, if they woke up."
I felt sick picturing Sune sitting in the bathtub filled with ice-cubes. Who in their right mind could be this cruel?
"Maybe there are many of them out there? Maybe this one wasn't as controlled and professional as the others?"
"I don't know. It makes sense that there should be more of them since they struck at almost the same time last night in two places in the same town."
"Kind of makes you want to lock your door with extra locks, right?"
"And sleep with one eye open," Officer Jansson said. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep again before this case is solved."
42
AUGUST 2012
SUNE WOKE UP LATE in the afternoon and the doctor told me we could see him. Tobias had arrived and I had been reading to him for a long time to make sure he wasn't too scared.
"Daddy's going to be fine," I kept reassuring him.
Sune was very pale and could hardly look at us when we walked in. Tobias pulled free from my hand and stormed to him. He threw himself on top of him.
"Tobias! Be careful," I yelled.
Sune tried to smile, but was in too much pain.
"Hi buddy," he said hoarsely and put his arm around Tobias' back.
"Daddy. Daddy. I missed you so much. They say you were sick, what happened to you?"
Sune cleared his throat. "Well, I'll tell you all about it another day. When I'm feeling better, okay buddy?"
"Okay Daddy."
Sune closed his eyes for a few seconds. I hated to see him in pain like this. "How do you feel?" I asked.
"Like crap," he said. His eyes met mine, then he tried to smile. I walked closer and grabbed his hand.
"I'm so sorry," I said. "I'm so, so sorry."
"Well, you didn't do this to me, so I don't see why you should be sorry?" he said, trying hard to smile.
I felt so confused. Maybe it was just my hormones, but my emotions were going berserk. I was wondering if I should tell him, just blurt it out, but stopped myself. What if the child wasn't his? What if it was Peter's? That would only make things worse between us, it would kill him to know I was going to have a child with someone else.
"I'll be fine," Sune said.
I leaned over and kissed his forehead while a tear escaped the corner of my eye. "I was so scared I'd lose you," I whispered.
"Nah. You won't get rid of me that easily. Huh buddy?" He said, addressed to Tobias. "I'm like the weed in the yard."
I chuckled and studied his pale face. There were so many things I wanted to say to him and so many things I wanted to ask him, but I could tell he was exhausted.
"You need your rest," I said and kissed his forehead again. "I'll take Tobias down to the cafeteria and get him something to eat. What do you say, buddy? Maybe they'll have some ice cream for dessert?"
Tobias jumped down from the bed. As we were about to walk out of the room, he stopped and looked at his dad. "Will you be alright while we're gone, Daddy?"
Sune forced a smile, but he was already halfway asleep.
"He'll be fine," I said and grabbed Tobias' hand in mine.
Tobias didn't eat much of the food I bought for us and neither did I. Even the ice cream didn't taste right. Tobias kept turning his spoon in it.
"Better eat it before it melts," I said.
"He will be alright, won't he?" He suddenly asked.
"Yes, sweetie. He will. I know he will. These doctors are really skilled. They know how to take good care of your daddy. Don't you worry about that. I was thinking you might want to go with me back to the island tonight and maybe sleep in Julie's room with her?"
Tobias' eyes grew big and wide. "Really? We could do that?"
"We most certainly could and we will," I said and finished my soda. "Julie is going to be so excited to see you again. She has missed you a lot."
"And I've missed her. But what about dad? Will he be alright all alone?" Tobias asked.
"He is going to be just fine. He needs a lot of sleep and tomorrow he'll be feeling much better. Just you wait and see."
43
AUGUST 2012
HENRIK FENGER ASKED FOR another beer. The bartender took his glass and poured him one.
"And a whiskey," he said.
The bartender nodded, then gave him his drinks. Henrik look
ed at the foam on the beer and felt a pinch of sadness in his heart. He had no idea where to go. He couldn't go home to Roskilde since he was certain his wife wouldn't have anything to do with him and, frankly, he didn't want to go back anymore. Everything had changed the last couple of days. He had changed and there was no turning back anymore. Killing the two girls had left him excited, but not quite as satisfied as he wanted. He didn't understand what it was that was missing. He had gotten his revenge like he wanted, but still it left him unfulfilled somehow.
What was it that was missing? He wondered while gulping down the third whiskey since he entered the bar on the corner of the building where he had killed Barbara Rasmussen only a few hours earlier.
It dawned on him when he put the glass down and moved on to the beer. He wanted to keep the buzz going all day. That was his plan so far. But he realized that he didn't feel as satisfied as he wanted to because he didn't feel like he had gotten the real bad guys. Killing the girls was fine, since they were both accomplices, but he knew now that there was no way they could have been alone on this. They had to have someone helping them, arranging it, maybe even planning it for them. Henrik sensed there had to be some kind of brains behind this, a leader somewhere behind all these attacks on innocent men. Some big fat woman who hated men and all they stood for.
Probably a dyke. A big fat ugly lesbo whom no man would ever touch.
Henrik turned the tall, slim beer glass between his fingers, wondering how he should get to the bottom of this, how he should find this fat leader who was pulling the strings on these girls and making them attack men, poisoning beautiful women into hating men.
Henrik lifted the glass and drank when he felt like he was being watched. He turned his head slowly and looked to his right side where a man was sitting in one of the booths. The man was grinning from ear to ear and very obviously staring at Henrik.
Henrik turned his head away and ordered another round of beer and whiskey, not paying any more attention to the strange man. These kinds of places often attracted some weirdos, especially at this hour of day. Henrik figured he was probably like a stray dog. If you ignore it, it'll go away.
The bartender gave Henrik a new round and he was about to drink the whiskey when a voice interrupted him. He turned his head with an annoyed sigh and saw the man from the booth was now sitting next to him at the bar.
"How was it?" The man asked.
Henrik shook his head. The man seemed even weirder up close. Couldn't he see Henrik wanted to be alone? "How was what?"
The man grinned again, then leaned closer. Henrik didn't want him this close and tried to lean in the other direction.
"The kill," the man whispered.
Henrik stared at the man. Who the hell does he think he is, talking to me like that?
"What are you talking about old man? I'm trying to enjoy a drink here. I'm really not looking for company."
As if he hadn't heard what Henrik said, the man leaned even closer. Then he sniffed Henrik. "I can still smell the scent of adrenalin on your skin. It's still fresh. How long has it been? A couple of hours since you killed her?"
"You're insane, do you know that?" Henrik said and drank from his whiskey, trying to ignore the strange man next to him.
"In that case, that makes two of us, then. We have a lot in common you and I. Who was she?"
"Who was who?" Henrik was getting really annoyed with this man and wondered if he should just get up and leave.
"The girl you killed."
Henrik almost choked on his whiskey. He looked at the man who was still grinning widely. "How do you know it was a girl?"
The man shrugged. "Just a lucky guess. Most men start out killing girls because they're an easier prey. I still kill only girls, but that's because I get a kick out of the power I posses over them. It never gets old."
Henrik looked in the direction of the bartender to make sure he couldn't hear what they were talking about, then lowered his voice even further. "How did you know?"
"I can smell it from far away. I can always spot a killer in a crowd. Especially one who is new to it and has just killed. It's written all over your face. Takes one to know one."
"So you … you're?"
"You got it. I spotted you from far away once you walked in here. I could see it in the look in your eyes, the way you moved, your hands were still shaking from the thrill."
"Well this girl had it coming. I was doing it for someone else, someone who couldn't defend himself, since the girl had killed him."
"Ah a hero, are we?" The man's voice became shrill.
"I don't know what I am," Henrik said.
"But I know," the man said. His voice whistled when he spoke. "You're a killer. Just like me."
"I'm nothing like you. I seek revenge. It's different."
"Oh the motive might be different, but you enjoyed it, didn't you? You liked to see the fear in their eyes, didn't you? That makes you no different than me. Besides you want to kill again. I can tell."
Henrik growled. Who was this strange man?
"You're new to it, I get it," the man continued. "You still tell yourself that you do it for a noble cause. But, take it from someone who has been in this for many years, you are not going to stop here. You're hooked. I see it in your eyes. You will be looking for that same feeling you felt when you did your first kill for the rest of your life. You will be longing for it at night. You'll wander the streets at night seeking for it, lusting to feel it again. Believe me. I know about these things. If you stick with me I might teach you a thing or two."
Henrik looked at the man again now with a new set of eyes. Not because he suddenly liked the guy or because he really felt a kinship with him. No, but because he suddenly realized the man was right. Henrik had enjoyed killing the two girls and he did want to kill more. He wanted to kill all the women who were a part of this feminist group taking men's internal organs. He wanted to find the leader, the freaking dyke behind it all. And now he realized this strange man might be able to help him.
Henrik reached out his hand. "Henrik Fenger," he said.
The man shook his head. "No, No. Rule number one. You never give anyone your real name. Especially not someone like me. You come up with a name. Like me, I'm Karl Persson, how do you do?" He said and shook Henrik's hand.
"Make up a name, huh? Like what?" Henrik asked.
"My name belongs to a famous artist, a painter who is known worldwide for painting some very gruesome and vulgar pictures … some of them even have strong cannibalistic motives. I chose him because I see myself as an artist. Even if my art is never for anyone else to see or understand."
"I see," Henrik said. "So I could be like Dali or da Vinci?"
"Yeah, sure. Whatever you like."
Henrik nodded and finished his whiskey. "So tell me, are there more of your kind out there?"
44
JUNE 2011
IT STARTED JUST AS summer hit the country. At first it was nothing but a small insignificant cough, but then Valdemar lost his appetite.
In the beginning, Anna wasn't too worried since the boy never had eaten much and he didn't seem to grow much either. He was a handsome boy even if he was short and skinny, but suddenly, he started losing weight and that worried his mother.
One day he came down the stairs for breakfast as usual and his pants just slid right off him while he was walking. Anna almost dropped the pan with the scrambled eggs.
"What's going on with you lately?" she asked and helped pull up his pants before she served his breakfast.
Valdemar shrugged. He put his fork into the egg but only to push it around on the plate. Anna looked at him with worried eyes. Even his face had gotten skinnier.
"I think we should go and see doctor Kristensen," Anna said, as she ate her food.
"Do we have to?" Valdemar said.
"I think we need to. You're not eating and you're coughing a lot. Maybe you have a light pneumonia or something. You don't seem to have a fever, but still, there is
something going on. What do I know? You'll have to stay home from school today."
Valdemar smiled from ear to ear. Anna shook her head. "That doesn't mean you're not doing the work they did today. When we get back you'll call someone from your class and make sure you get all the work done that you missed today."
"Still a day off to me," Valdemar said. "It takes me ten minutes to do a day's school work. You know that."
Anna chuckled. "That's true."
"Plus, I'll have time to work on my game," Valdemar said.
"Game? What kind of game?"
"I’ve started developing a new computer game. It's pretty neat, if I say so myself. It's this world of blocks where you build your own house, or castle if you like and animals and stuff."
Anna smiled again. He always had something going on, the boy. He is not sick. He seems fine. Maybe he just needs a day off.
"I call it Mindskill," he said, smiling even wider than before.
"Sounds really great, honey," Anna said without really listening. Her head was filled with worried thoughts. "I'll call the doctor right away and schedule an appointment."
A week later, Anna was called into the doctor's office again. Doctor Kristensen was sitting behind his desk looking like he was the one who needed a vacation, Anna thought.
"Valdemar is not well, Mrs. Kragh," he said.
"What do you mean, he's not well? He is doing much better now. The cough is getting better and yesterday he ate almost an entire burger. I think he is definitely improving."
"He might be, but not for long," the doctor said. "He'll soon start to go downhill fast."
Anna's heart stopped. "What do you mean go downhill?"
"Your son has Cystic Fibrosis. I don't know why we haven't caught this earlier, but he hasn't shown any symptoms up until now. I mean we both knew he wasn't growing much, but I figured it would kick in eventually."
"Cystic Fibrosis? What is that exactly?" Anna asked with a shivering voice.
"It's a lung disease. Actually a disease of the mucus and sweat glands. It affects mostly your lungs, pancreas, liver, intestines, sinuses and sex organs. It causes your mucus to be thick and sticky. The mucus clogs the lungs, causing breathing problems and making it easy for bacteria to grow. This can lead to problems such as repeated lung infections and lung damage."