Contents
Chapter 29 - Saturday. Drowning.
Overview
Harry deciphers the severed thumb’s upward clue and searches the loft above room 406. Despite doubts about cadaver dogs, he posits airtight sealing via vulcanisation. In Marius Veland’s storage unit, a falling suit bag reveals Marius’s hidden body, proving the killer’s method for evading detection.
Summary
Harry surveys the freshly cleaned crime scene, noting black, melted-looking lumps on the lino and an embalmed thumb pointing upward. Forensics arrives, and Bjørn Holm suggests the lumps could be melted rubber; a colleague mentions uses like vulcanisation to make things airtight.
Interpreting the thumb as a clue to look above room 406, Harry leads Falkeid and two Special Forces officers to the sweltering loft storage. Falkeid insists cadaver dogs would have found any body in such heat, but Harry counters that airtight sealing could block odor.
Using a skull-key, Harry opens Marius Veland’s storage unit. He searches a wardrobe of old suits, a taxidermied marten, and a rolled carpet, finding nothing at first. Frustrated, he kicks the wardrobe; a door swings open and a suit bag slides off, knocking him down.
Pinned beneath the heavy plastic, Harry fights for breath, then sees glazed eyes through the membrane. The airtight suit bag has concealed Marius Veland’s body, confirming the killer used vulcanisation to defeat scent detection and that the thumb’s upward “rebus” led to the hidden corpse.
Who Appears
- Harry HoleDetective; interprets the thumb’s upward clue, argues vulcanisation blocked odor, and discovers Marius’s body in the loft.
- FalkeidOfficer accompanying Harry; doubts dogs could miss a body, assists during the loft search.
- Bjørn HolmForensics officer; examines black lumps and suggests melted rubber as a clue.
- Marius VelandMurder victim; body found sealed inside a suit bag in his loft storage unit.