Summary

Chapter 6 opens with Truls getting his usual buzz cut from his Pakistani barber. While his barber trims his hair, Truls glances at the front page of the newspaper he had already read at home. The cover story asks the persistent question: what was the so-called cop killer's motive? Truls had laughed when he read Mikael's statement to the press that at this time he had no information regarding the murders, because Truls recognized that Mikael had taken this generic statement verbatim from their Police College textbook. The news story tells Truls that Mikael needs his help. Truls leaves his hairdresser's with what he calls a “terrorist's cut”, a “suicide bomber's cut” (50). When he looks at his reflection, he confirms that “he finally looked like what he was” (50).

The scene changes to a confrontation between Bellman and Gunnar Hagen. Mikael orders Gunnar to make...