Headhunters Read online

  Contents

  Cover

  About the Book

  About the Author

  Also by Jo Nesbo

  Title Page

  Prologue

  Part One: First Interview

  1. Candidate

  2. Service Industry

  3. Private View

  4. Expropriation

  5. Confession

  Part Two: Closing In

  6. Rubens

  7. Pregnant

  8. G11Sus4

  Part Three: Second Interview

  9. Second Interview

  10. Heart Condition

  11. Curacit

  12. Natasha

  13. Methane

  14. Massey Ferguson

  15. Visiting Time

  16. Patrol Car Zero One

  17. Sigdal Kitchens

  Part Four: The Selection

  18. White Queen

  19. Premeditated Murder

  20. Resurrection

  21. Invitation

  22. Silent Film

  Part Five: Last Interview One Month Later

  23. News Tonight

  Epilogue

  Copyright

  About the Book

  Roger Brown has it all: Norway’s most successful headhunter, he is married to a beautiful gallery owner and owns a magnificent house. But he’s also a highly accomplished art thief.

  At a gallery opening, his wife introduces him to Clas Greve. Not only is Greve the perfect candidate for a position that Brown is recruiting for; he is also in possession of ‘The Calydonian Boar Hunt’ by Rubens, one of the most sought-after paintings in modern art history.

  Roger sees his chance to become financially independent, and starts planning his biggest theft ever. But soon, he runs into trouble – and this time it’s not his financial problems that are threatening to crush him...

  About the Author

  Jo Nesbo is a musician, songwriter, economist and author. His first crime novel was published in Norway in 1997 and was an instant hit, winning the Glass Key Award for best Nordic crime novel (an accolade shared with Peter Høeg, Henning Mankell and Stieg Larsson). His bestselling Harry Hole novels are a global phenomenon.

  www.jonesbo.co.uk

  ALSO BY JO NESBO

  The Redbreast

  Nemesis

  The Devil’s Star

  The Redeemer

  The Snowman

  The Leopard

  Jo Nesbo

  Headhunters

  TRANSLATED

  FROM THE NORWEGIAN

  BY

  Don Bartlett

  PROLOGUE

  A COLLISION BETWEEN two vehicles is basic physics. It all comes down to chance, but chance phenomena can be explained by the equation Energy x Time = Mass x difference in Velocity. Add values to the chance variables and you have a story that is simple, true and remorseless. It tells you, for example, what happens when a fully loaded juggernaut weighing 25 tonnes and travelling at a speed of 80 kph hits a saloon car weighing 1,800 kilos and moving at the same speed. Based on chance with respect to point of impact, construction of bodywork and the angle of the two bodies relative to one another, a multitude of variants to this story are possible, but they share two common features: they are tragedies. And it is the saloon car which is in trouble.

  It is strangely quiet; I can hear the wind rushing through the trees and the river shifting its water. My arm is numb and I am hanging upside down, trapped between flesh and steel. Above me, blood and petrol drip from the floor. Beneath me, on the chessboard ceiling, I can see a pair of nail scissors, a severed arm, two dead men and an open overnight bag. The white queen is broken, I am a killer and no one is breathing inside the car. Not even me. That is why I will die soon. Close my eyes and give up. Giving up is wonderful. I don’t want to wait any longer now. Hence the hurry to tell this story, this variant, this story about the angle of the bodies relative to one another.

  PART ONE

  First Interview

  1

  CANDIDATE

  THE CANDIDATE WAS terrified.

  He was kitted out in Gunnar Øye attire: grey Ermenegildo Zegna suit, hand-sewn Borelli shirt and burgundy tie with sperm-cell pattern, I guessed Cerrutti 1881. However, I was certain about the shoes: hand-sewn Ferragamo. I once had a pair myself.

  The papers in front of me revealed that the candidate came armed with excellent credentials from NHH – the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, in Bergen – a spell in Stortinget for the Conservative Party and a four-year success story as the MD of a medium-sized manufacturing company.

  Nevertheless, Jeremias Lander was terrified. His upper lip glistened with sweat.

  He raised the glass of water my secretary had placed on the low table between us.

  ‘I’d like …’ I said with a smile. Not the open, unconditional smile that invites a complete stranger to come in from the cold, not the frivolous one. But the courteous, semi-warm smile that, according to the literature, signals the interviewer’s professionalism, objectivity and analytical approach. Indeed, it is this lack of emotional commitment that causes the candidate to trust his interviewer’s integrity. And as a result the candidate will in turn – according to the aforementioned literature – provide more sober, objective information, as he has been made to feel that any pretence would be seen through, any exaggeration exposed and ploys punished. I don’t put on this smile because of the literature, though. I don’t give a damn about the literature; it is chock-a-block with various degrees of authoritative bullshit, and the only thing I need is Inbau, Reid and Buckley’s nine-step interrogation model. No, I put on this smile because I really am professional, objective and analytical. I am a headhunter. It is not that difficult, but I am king of the heap.

  ‘I’d like,’ I repeated, ‘I’d like you to tell me a little about your life, outside of work, that is.’

  ‘Is there any?’ His laughter was a tone and a half higher than it should have been. On top of that, when you deliver a so-called ‘dry’ joke at a job interview it is unwise both to laugh at it yourself and to watch your interlocutor to see whether it has hit home.

  ‘I would certainly hope so,’ I said, and his laughter morphed into a clearing of the throat. ‘I believe the management of this enterprise attaches great importance to their new chief executive leading a balanced life. They’re seeking someone who will stay with them for a number of years, a long-distance-runner type who knows how to pace himself. Not someone who is burnt out after four years.’

  Jeremias Lander nodded while swallowing another mouthful of water.

  He was approximately fourteen centimetres taller than me and three years older. Thirty-eight then. A bit young for the job. And he knew; that was why he had dyed the hair around his temples an almost imperceptible grey. I had seen this before. I had seen everything before. I had seen applicants afflicted with sweaty palms arrive with chalk in their right-hand jacket pocket so as to give me the driest and whitest handshake imaginable. Lander’s throat issued an involuntary clucking sound. I noted down on the interview feedback sheet: Motivated. Solution-orientated.

  ‘I see you live in Oslo,’ I said.

  He nodded. ‘Skøyen.’

  ‘And married to …’ I flicked through his papers, assuming the irritated expression that makes candidates think I am expecting them to take the initiative.

  ‘Camilla. We’ve been married for ten years. Two children. School age.’

  ‘And how would you characterise your marriage?’ I asked without looking up. I gave him two drawn-out seconds and continued before he had collected himself enough to answer. ‘Do you think you will still be married in six years’ time after spending two-thirds of your waking life at work?’

  I peered up. The con
fusion on his face was as expected. I had been inconsistent. Balanced life. Need for Commitment. That didn’t add up. Four seconds passed before he answered. Which is at least one too many. ‘I would certainly hope so,’ he said.

  Secure, practised smile. But not practised enough. Not for me. He had used my own words against me, and I would have registered that as a plus if there had been some intentional irony. In this case, unfortunately, it had merely been the unconscious aping of words used by someone considered superior in status. Poor self-image, I jotted down. And he ‘hoped’, he didn’t know, didn’t give voice to anything visionary, was not a crystal-ball reader, didn’t show that he was up to speed with the minimum requirement of every manager: that they must appear to be clairvoyant. Not an improviser. Not a chaos-pilot.

  ‘Does she work?’

  ‘Yes. In a solicitor’s office in the city centre.’

  ‘Nine to four every day?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And who stays at home if either of the children is ill?’

  ‘She does. But fortunately it’s very rare for Niclas and Anders to—’

  ‘So you don’t have a home help or anyone at home during the day?’

  He hesitated in the way that candidates do when they are unsure which answer puts them in the best light. All the same, they lie disappointingly seldom. Jeremias Lander shook his head.

  ‘You look like you keep yourself fit, Lander.’

  ‘Yes, I train regularly.’

  No hesitation this time. Everyone knows that businesses want top executives who won’t fall victim to a heart attack at the first hurdle.

  ‘Running and cross-country skiing perhaps?’

  ‘Right. The whole family loves the outdoor life. And we have a mountain cabin on Norefjell.’

  ‘Uh-huh. Dog, too?’

  He shook his head.

  ‘No? Allergic to them?’

  Energetic shaking of the head. I wrote: Lacks sense of humour?

  Then I leaned back in the chair and steepled my fingertips. An exaggerated, arrogant gesture, of course. What can I say? That’s the way I am. ‘How much would you say your reputation was worth, Lander? And how have you insured it?’

  He furrowed his already sweaty brow as he struggled to give the matter some thought. Two seconds later, resigned, he said: ‘What do you mean?’

  I sighed as if it ought to be obvious. Cast my eyes around the room as if searching for a pedagogical allegory I had not used before. And, as always, found it on the wall.

  ‘Are you interested in art, Lander?’

  ‘A bit. My wife is, at any rate.’

  ‘Mine, too. Can you see the picture I have over there?’ I pointed to Sara Gets Undressed, painted in vinyl, over two metres in height, a woman in a green skirt with her arms crossed, about to pull a red sweater over her head. ‘A present from my wife. The artist’s name is Julian Opie and the picture’s worth a quarter of a million kroner. Do you possess any art in that price range?’

  ‘As a matter of fact I do.’

  ‘Congratulations. Can you see how much it’s worth?’

  ‘When you know, you can.’

  ‘Yes, when you know, you can. The picture hanging there consists of a few lines, the woman’s head is a circle, a zero without a face, and the colouring is plain and lacks texture. In addition, it was done on a computer and millions of copies can be printed out at the mere press of a key.’

  ‘Goodness me.’

  ‘The only – and I do mean the only – thing that makes this picture worth a quarter of a million is the artist’s reputation. The buzz that he is good, the market’s faith in the fact that he is a genius. It’s difficult to put your finger on what constitutes genius, impossible to know for sure. It’s like that with top directors, too, Lander.’

  ‘I understand. Reputation. It’s about the confidence the director exudes.’

  I jot down: Not an idiot.

  ‘Exactly,’ I continued. ‘Everything is about reputation. Not just the director’s salary, but also the company’s value on the stock exchange. What is, in fact, the work of art you own and how much is it valued at?’

  ‘It’s a lithograph by Edvard Munch. The Brooch. I don’t know what it’s worth, but …’

  With a flourish of my hand I impatiently urged him on.

  ‘The last time it was up for auction the price bid was about 350,000 kroner,’ he said.

  ‘And what have you done to insure this valuable item against theft?’

  ‘The house has a good alarm system,’ he said. ‘Tripolis. Everyone in the neighbourhood uses them.’

  ‘Tripolis systems are good, though expensive. I use them myself,’ I said. ‘About eight grand a year. How much have you invested to protect your personal reputation?’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Twenty thousand? Ten thousand? Less?’

  He shrugged.

  ‘Not a cent,’ I said. ‘You have a CV and a career here which are worth ten times the lithograph you mentioned. A year. Nevertheless, you have no one to guard it, no custodian. Because you think it’s unnecessary. You think your success with the company you head up speaks for itself. Right?’

  Lander didn’t answer.

  ‘Well,’ I said, leaning forward and lowering my voice as though about to impart a secret, ‘that’s not the way it works. Success is like Opie’s pictures, a few lines plus a few zeros, no face. Pictures are nothing, reputation is everything. And that is what we can offer.’

  ‘Reputation?’

  ‘You’re sitting in front of me as one of six good applicants for a director’s job. I don’t think you’ll get it. Because you lack the reputation for this kind of post.’

  His mouth dropped as if in protest. The protest never materialised. I thrust myself against the high back of the chair, which gave a screech.

  ‘My God, man, you applied for this job! What you should have done was to set up a straw man to tip us off and then pretend you knew nothing about it when we contacted you. A top man has to be headhunted, not arrive ready-killed and all carved up.’

  I saw that had the desired effect. He was rattled. This was not the usual interview format, this was not Cuté, Disc or any of the other stupid, useless questionnaires hatched up by a motley collection of, to varying extents, tone-deaf psychologists and human resource experts who themselves had nothing to offer. I lowered my voice again.

  ‘I hope your wife won’t be too disappointed when you tell her the news this afternoon. That you missed out on the dream job. That, career-wise, you’ll be on standby once again this year. Just like last year …’

  He jerked back in his chair. Bullseye. Naturally. For this was Roger Brown in action, the most radiant star in the recruitment sky right now.

  ‘Last … last year?’

  ‘Yes, isn’t that right? You applied for the top job at Denja’s. Mayonnaise and liver paste, is that you?’

  ‘I understood that sort of thing was confidential,’ Jeremias Lander said meekly.

  ‘So it is. But my job is to map out resources. And that’s what I do. Using all the methods at my disposal. It’s stupid to apply for jobs you won’t get, especially in your position, Lander.’

  ‘My position?’

  ‘Your qualifications, your track record, the tests and my personal impression all tell me you have what it takes. All you’re missing is reputation. And the fundamental pillar in constructing a reputation is exclusivity. Applying for jobs at random undermines exclusivity. You’re an executive who does not seek challenges but the challenge. The one job. And that’s what you will be offered. On a silver platter.’

  ‘Will I?’ he said with another attempt at the intrepid, wry smile. It no longer worked.

  ‘I would like you in our stable. You must not apply for any more jobs. If other recruitment agencies contact you with tempting offers you must not take them. Stick with us. Be exclusive. Let us build up your reputation. And look after it. Let us be for your reputation what Tripolis is for your ho
use. Within two years you’ll be going home to your wife with news of a better job than the one we’re talking about now. And that’s a promise.’

  Jeremias Lander stroked his carefully shaven chin with his thumb and forefinger. ‘Hmm. This interview has moved in a different direction from the one I had anticipated.’

  The defeat had made him calmer. I leaned forward. Opened my arms. Held up my palms. Sought his eyes. Research has proved that seventy-eight per cent of first impressions at interviews are based on body language and a mere eight per cent on what you actually say. The rest is about clothes, odours from armpits and mouth, what you have hanging on the walls. My body language was fantastic. And right now it was expressing openness and trust. Finally, I invited him in from the cold.

  ‘Listen, Lander. The chairman of the board of directors and the finance director are coming here tomorrow to meet one of the candidates. I’d like them to meet you, too. Would twelve o’clock be convenient?’

  ‘Fine.’ He had answered without checking any form of calendar. I liked him better already.

  ‘I want you to listen to what they have to say and thereafter you can politely account for why you are no longer interested, explain that this is not the challenge you were seeking and wish them well.’

  Jeremias Lander tilted his head. ‘Backing out like that, won’t it be seen as frivolous?’

  ‘It will be seen as ambitious,’ I said. ‘You will be regarded as someone who knows his own worth. A person whose services are exclusive. And that’s the starting point for the story we refer to as …’ I gave a flourish of the hand.

  He smiled. ‘Reputation?’

  ‘Reputation. Do we have an agreement?’