Farewell to Freedom by Sara Blædel

him back in his glory days,” Kaj said, his thoughts slipping back in time. “They’ll never even measure up to his sock suspenders. Not even if they’re on the morning talk shows every other day.”
    Camilla grinned and gave in. Here she’d been thinking the rest of the day would be full of prostitutes and pickpockets, but instead she gotten a regular rundown on major contemporary French and Danish chefs.
    The bag had run out of beer, and Camilla asked if Kaj would stick around if she went and bought them another round.
    â€œWith the greatest of pleasure,” he called to her as she got up and walked over to a basement grocery store.
    She noticed a Citroën C3 stopped and waiting to turn off Absalonsgade onto Skelbækgade. She recognized the prostitute in the passenger’s seat from before, and when the driver turned his head, she made brief eye contact with Holck, the photo editor at the paper who had laid into her at work earlier. He quickly glanced away and zipped across Sønder Boulevard between a truck and a bus.
    It took Camilla a moment to process what she’d just seen.

    â€œYou’ll never guess,” she said when she returned to the bench with a full bag and reported whom she’d just seen.
    â€œYes, well, everyone comes here. You’re a reporter—it shouldn’t surprise you. We regularly have the pleasure of influential media people. And then there are the politicians. Everyone needs to let off some steam,” Kaj pointed out.
    Holck was not exactly all that influential, but given the situation, she was way too distracted to ask Kaj who else he’d seen.
    â€œWhat the hell?” she snapped. “He has a wife, children, grandchildren, and I don’t even know what all else!”
    Kaj grinned, revealing his darkened teeth.
    Day had faded into evening, but Stig was still on the street talking to the girls as they showed up for work one by one. Camilla didn’t see the other pair of officers who had been there before, but as she scanned the area for them, her eyes settled on a head of long, curly, dark hair that was pulled into a loose ponytail. The person was standing further up toward Halmtorvet with her back to Camilla.
    Camilla had definitely had too many beers to want Louise to run into her here, sitting on a park bench next to an aging alcoholic, who she had to admit was remarkably good company. As a couple of large clouds slid in front of the low evening sun and she felt the first drops start to fall heavily, she got up.
    â€œCome on,” Camilla said. “Let’s go to the pub instead of sitting here and getting cold.”
    At first Kaj tried to get her to sit back down, pointing to the bag, which wasn’t empty yet, but Camilla remained standing.
    â€œYou can take those home,” she suggested, and when he still seemed reluctant, she added that it’d be her treat, of course.
    Stig had vanished by the time they started walking up Skelbækgade. When Kaj pointed at Høker Café, she followed him.
    Camilla went up to the bar to order. Kaj requested a double whisky, but remained in the background until she passed the glass to him. They looked around for an empty table and found a spot by the window, right across from the gate at the entrance into Kødbyen and the Copenhagen Hospitality College.

11
    L OUISE STOPPED . S HE SPOTTED K AJ STANDING UP FROM A BENCH farther down the street and walking away, followed by a blonde woman in loose jeans who was carrying a plastic grocery bag.
    Louise watched them stagger through Kødbyen.
    â€œHey, do you know if Mikkelsen ever talked to Kaj?” Louise asked, walking over to Lars.
    Lars shrugged and said he hadn’t spoken with Mikkelsen since they’d seen him last.
    â€œToft might have talked to Kaj instead. Otherwise, we’ll have to remind Mikkelsen to make sure he follows through on that,” Louise said as they walked back toward their unmarked