Disgrace Read Online Free Page A

suppressed a yawn. ‘The locksmith at the central train station has seen Kimmie a few times. She goes around dragging a suitcase, and last time he saw her she was wearing a tartan skirt. The same outfit she wore when the woman near Tivoli spotted her. But as far as I’m aware, Kimmie isn’t a regular at the train station. In fact, there’s nothing about her that’s regular. I’ve asked everyone in the station. Security, police, homeless people, shopkeepers. A few of them know of her, but they don’t know where she lives or even who she is.’
    ‘You’ll have to set up a team to observe the station day and night until she turns up again.’ Ulrik rose from his seat. He was a large man but seemed smaller when they were discussing Kimmie. Maybe he was the only one among them who’d seriously been in love with her. Perhaps it still pained Ulrik that he’d been the only one who’d never had her, thought Ditlev for the thousandth time, and laughed to himself.
    ‘Round-the-clock surveillance? That will cost you an arm and a leg,’ Aalbæk said. He was about to pluck a pocket calculator from his ridiculous little shoulder bag, but he didn’t get that far.
    ‘Stop that,’ Ditlev barked. He considered throwing something at him, then leaned back in his chair. ‘Don’tdiscuss money as though it’s something you know anything about, you got that? What are we talking about here, Aalbæk? A few hundred thousand kroner? How much do you think Ulrik, Torsten and I have made while we’ve been sitting here discussing your pathetic hourly wages?’ Then he picked up his fountain pen anyway and threw it at him. He aimed for the man’s eyes, but missed.
    After Aalbæk’s thin corpus had closed the door behind him, Ulrik picked up the Mont Blanc and put it in his pocket.
    ‘Finders keepers,’ he said, laughing.
    Ditlev said nothing. Ulrik had better think twice before doing that again.
    ‘Have you heard from Torsten today?’ he asked.
    At this, the energy drained from Ulrik’s face. ‘Yes, he went up to his country estate in Gribskov this morning.’
    ‘Doesn’t he care at all about what’s going on here?’
    Ulrik shrugged his shoulders, which were beefier than ever. That’s what happened when you hired a chef specializing in foie gras.
    ‘He’s not at his best right now, Ditlev.’
    ‘I see. We’ll have to take care of it ourselves then, won’t we?’ Ditlev clenched his teeth. They’d have to expect that Torsten would have a complete breakdown someday. And then he would be as big a threat as Kimmie.
    Ditlev felt Ulrik scrutinizing him.
    ‘You won’t do anything to Torsten, will you, Ditlev?’
    ‘Of course not, old boy. Not Torsten.’
    For a moment they watched each other like beasts of prey, with lowered heads and measured glances. In the sport of stubbornness, Ditlev knew he would neveroutlast Ulrik Dybbøl Jensen. His father had founded the family’s stock market research firm, but Ulrik had expanded its influence. When he doggedly pursued something, he would invariably get his way. Even if that meant forcing it through by any means necessary.
    ‘Well, Ulrik,’ Ditlev said, breaking the silence. ‘We’ll let Aalbæk do his job, and we’ll see what happens.’
    Ulrik’s expression changed. ‘Is the pheasant hunt set?’ he asked, eager as a child.
    ‘Yes. Bent Krum has gathered the entire team. Thursday morning at six we meet at Tranekær Inn. We have to invite the local wallies, but that’ll be the last time.’
    Ulrik laughed. ‘You have a plan for the hunt, I imagine.’
    Ditlev nodded. ‘Yes, the surprise is ready.’
    Ulrik worked his jaw muscles. The thought clearly excited him. Excitable and impatient, that was his true nature.
    ‘What do you say, Ulrik, do you want to come with me and see how it’s going with our Philippine wenches down in the laundry?’
    Ulrik raised his head. His eyes narrowed. Sometimes it meant yes, other times no – it was impossible to tell. The man had too