The Snowman ( PDFDrive )

‘Wait,’ Harry said, lifting the telephone and dialling the first number.
A nasal voice answered with the name of the surgery.
‘Is Borghild there?’ Harry asked.
No Borghild.
At the second number an equally nasal answermachine said that the surgery only received calls
during a restricted two-hour period, and this had passed some time ago.
Finally, at the fourth attempt, a chirpy, almost laughing voice gave him what he had been hoping
for.
‘Yes, that’s me.’
‘Hello, Borghild, this is Inspector Harry Hole, Oslo Police.’
‘Date of birth?’
‘Sometime in spring. I’m calling about a murder case. I assume you’ve read the papers today. What
I want to know is whether you saw Sylvia Ottersen last week?’
There was silence at the other end of the line.
‘One moment,’ she said.
Harry heard her getting up, and waited. Then she was back. ‘I’m sorry, herr Hole. Information
about patients is confidential. And I think the police know that.’
‘We do. But if I’m not mistaken, it’s the daughters who are patients, not Sylvia.’
‘Nevertheless. You’re asking for information which indirectly might reveal the identies of our
patients.’
‘I would remind you that this is a murder investigation.’
‘I would remind you that you can come back to us with a search warrant. We might perhaps be
more guarded with patient information than most, but that’s the nature of our work.’
‘Nature of your work?’
‘Our areas of expertise.’
‘Which are?’
‘Plastic surgery and specialist operations. See our website – www.kirklinikk.no.’
‘Thank you, but I think I’ve learned enough for the time being.’
‘If you say so.’