Hostage Read Free Page A

However, since the terrorist attack in Stockholm, Eden felt that a great deal had changed. Expectations were higher. If
they hadn’t won the latest case in the crown court, their everyday working lives would have been much more challenging.
    There was a knock on Eden’s door, and Sebastian, the unit’s head of analysis, walked in. Eden pushed the papers on her desk across to him.
    ‘What do you think?’
    ‘Exactly what I’ve been saying for the last few weeks. We’re not going to come up with anything else on these guys. Let it go.’
    Eden nodded thoughtfully. ‘And what about the money we know they’re sending to terrorist organisations in South America?’
    Sebastian shrugged. ‘We can’t win ’em all.’
    Eden tossed the papers into the cupboard and slammed the door shut. The case was history as soon as it disappeared from view. She would focus on Zakaria Khelifi instead – the man who had
been freed by the court, while his friends were sent down.
    ‘When are we due at the Justice Department?’
    ‘In half an hour. I thought we could walk.’
    That sounded like a good idea. Eden could have a cigarette on the way and think about what she could say to make the Minister for Justice realise that the government must expel the Algerian
Zakaria Khelifi from the country.
    Given all the information they had, and the fact that the Immigration Court of Appeal had gone along with their view, it shouldn’t be particularly difficult. And once Khelifi had left the
country, they could finally draw a line under Operation Paradise.
    The meeting was held in one of the department’s more discreet rooms. The Minister for Justice was present, along with the Secretary of State, a political expert and a
handful of civil servants who were involved. Fredrika Bergman was part of this latter group. Säpo had come to Rosenbad to put forward what they referred to as a security issue. They wanted a
foreign citizen’s residence permit revoked, on the grounds that the man could become a serious threat to national security. The case had gone from the Immigration Board to the Immigration
Court of Appeal, and now it had ended up with the government.
    Fredrika couldn’t help reflecting on the way they were seated at the table: the Justice Department on one side, Säpo on the other. All the representatives from Säpo had
introduced themselves with some kind of title underlining their authority: head of department, head of analysis, and Eden Lundell, head of the counter-terrorism unit. She smelled of cigarette
smoke; she must be around six feet tall, and her hair was a shade of honey blonde that Fredrika refused to believe was her natural colour. The smell of smoke was surprising; Eden looked too fresh
to be a smoker.
    ‘Let’s make a start,’ the Minister said. ‘We’ve got half an hour.’
    The head of analysis placed a laptop on the table and started it up. Eden reached over and attached the computer to a cable.
    ‘Could you switch on the projector?’ she said to Fredrika.
    Her voice was husky, and she spoke with an accent that Fredrika couldn’t quite place. She had long, slender fingers with short, unvarnished nails. If she had let them grow and painted them
red, she could have picked up any man she wanted in a bar. Fredrika noticed a ring on Eden’s left hand. She was either married or engaged. That was just as much of a surprise as the cigarette
smoke.
    ‘Of course,’ Fredrika said, starting up the projector on the ceiling with two clicks.
    The head of analysis began his presentation. The first image appeared on the screen. Blue background, Säpo’s logo on the right. Small white dots in different formations. The heading
was straightforward: T HE C ASE OF Z AKARIA K HELIFI .
    Next image. B ACKGROUND .
    Eden took over.
    ‘As you all know, Zakaria Khelifi was the subject of a case in which the court ruled last week. The prosecutor was aiming for a conviction on the grounds of preparing to commit an act of