Hidden in Snow (The ?re Murders, #1)(34)
“If we assume the kidnapper is male . . . why has he taken everything except her underwear?”
“If she’s locked up in an isolated spot in only her bra and panties, she can’t run away,” Anton points out. “She’d freeze to death in less than an hour.”
Daniel nods. He is no longer tired, his mind is sharp and clear. “Could she be held captive in a place that’s accessible only by snowmobile?” he speculates. “If so, we ought to be searching for her on the mountain.”
He glances over at the window. It is still snowing, and the temperature is due to plummet overnight.
If Amanda is in a cabin, they have an enormous task before them. She could be anywhere between ?re and the Norwegian border. Or even farther away. It is a vast area, impossible to search at night.
He tries to picture the scene, reluctantly acknowledges the logic behind keeping a victim in an isolated mountain cabin where no one can find her. Or hear her scream.
The perpetrator is using nature as a prison guard.
Amanda is completely at the mercy of her abductor.
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33
Daniel is at his desk, trying to plan a search for the next morning. The weather is too bad to make a start during the night; they are going to have to wait until it’s light and the wind has hopefully dropped.
It is eight thirty in the evening when his phone rings.
“Lindskog.”
“Hi, Daniel,” says Bosse Lundh, the coordinator of Missing People. “How’s it going?”
“We’re doing our best.”
“It’s a shame we didn’t manage to track down Amanda this morning,” Bosse goes on. “I’d really hoped that we’d at least find some clues to help you out.”
“Mmm.” Daniel doesn’t have time for small talk. The team is due to meet again shortly, as soon as Anton has sourced a detailed map of the mountain, but he doesn’t want to seem rude. Bosse is dedicated, a real powerhouse who does a great deal for the area.
“We had so many volunteers,” Bosse says with warmth in his voice. “Over fifty people, out there searching in the cold. That’s community spirit for you. The fact that everyone wants to help makes me so proud.”
Anton sticks his head around the door and signals that he’s ready.
“Did you want anything in particular?” Daniel does his best not to sound curt.
“Oh yes—I’ve been in touch with our sister organization in Trondheim; that’s why I’m calling. They’d also like to get involved, if they can be of any use.”
Daniel thinks for a moment. It is no more than one hundred miles between ?re and Trondheim. They have decided to focus on Ull?dalen to begin with, but they might well need to extend the search toward the border.
“Good to know. I’ll get back to you on that.”
Bosse sighs. “It’s hard to think about anything but Amanda right now. And her poor parents. Have you made any fresh discoveries?”
Daniel pictures Amanda’s clothes, laid out on the table.
“I can’t go into detail, but we have found certain items of clothing.”
“Really? Surely that must be a good sign? It means she’s still alive!”
“Let’s hope so. I’d appreciate it if you’d keep this to yourself for the time being.”
“Of course. Where did you find them?”
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.”
“I understand. If you need people to search the area where you found the clothes, just let me know.”
Daniel considers the idea. They haven’t finished planning the search yet; there’s no point in Missing People deploying its volunteers prematurely.
“Leave it for now,” he says. “We need to do some work before we can decide where to continue searching. We’ll keep in touch.”
“Lots of people want to help,” Bosse assures him. “Just say the word and we’ll muster the troops!”
“Thank you,” Daniel says sincerely. “We really appreciate your input, but we do need a little time.”
The support is there, but he’s not sure he can risk sending out civilians in bad weather and on difficult terrain.
The last thing they need right now is for more people to disappear in the mountains.
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34
Anton has found a large map showing the snowmobile trails between Duved and ?re. It is pinned on the wall in the conference room, and Daniel is standing in front of it, scrutinizing the area around Ull?dalen.
It is to the west of ?reskutan—around the back of the mountain, so to speak. A popular destination for cross-country skiers, especially in the spring when the weather is milder and the evenings are light.
He pictures the undulating landscape with the now-frozen lake in the middle.
The valley is softly rounded, with low ridges and huge white expanses that sparkle in the sunshine. Here and there are groves of windblown mountain birch trees; higher up, the trees disappear, leaving only black low-growing shrubs that can barely break through the snow’s crust. Snow-covered hunting and fishing lodges are dotted around, painted in colors that have worn away over the decades.
Sometimes only the chimney is sticking up above the deep snow. A snowmobile is essential transportation.