The Snowman ( PDFDrive )

‘Really?’
‘I had the Meteorological Institute check the relevant dates and places. And do you know what?’
Harry knew what. And that he should have known long ago.
‘The first snow,’ he said. ‘He kills them the day the first snow falls.’
‘Exactly.’
Harry smacked the wheel. ‘Christ, we had it spelt out for us. How many missing women are we
talking about?’
‘Eleven. One a year.’
‘And two this year. He’s broken the pattern.’
‘There was a murder and two disappearances when the first snow fell in Bergen in 1992. I think we
should start there.’
‘Why’s that?’
‘Because the victim was a married woman with a child. And the woman who disappeared was her
best friend. Thus we have one body, one crime scene and case files. As well as a suspect who
vanished and has never been seen since.’
‘Who’s that?’
‘A policeman. Gert Rafto.’
Harry glanced over quickly. ‘Oh, that case, yes. Wasn’t he the one who nicked stuff from crime
scenes?’
‘So it was rumoured. Witnesses had seen Rafto going into the flat of one of the women, Onny
Hetland, a few hours before she disappeared. And extensive searches turned up nothing. He
disappeared without trace.’
Harry stared at the road, at the leafless trees along Huk Aveny leading down to the sea and the
museums for what Norwegians regarded as the nation’s greatest achievements: a voyage in a raft
across the Pacific Ocean and a failed attempt to reach the North Pole.
‘And now you think it’s conceivable that he didn’t disappear after all?’ he said. ‘That he might
reappear every year at the first sign of snow?’
Katrine hunched her shoulders. ‘I think it’s worth investing the time to find out what happened
there.’
‘Mm. We’ll have to start by asking Bergen for assistance.’
‘I wouldn’t do that,’ she said quickly.
‘Oh?’