“Did he?”
“Not in this case. Susumu’s stomach contains only the remains of her last meal. However, Victim Number Two, Achara Saelim, did succeed in swallowing the banknotes. The first set at least. They were found in her stomach during the autopsy. But in that case, yes, the killer simply repeated the process. Although he didn’t waste more money on her. He used newsprint for the second attempt, again ramming it down her throat until the airway was blocked and she asphyxiated.”
Borje’s warning not to eat before I arrived was good advice. I tap on the bag containing the flattened banknote. “Are those stains blood?”
“Yes. Whatever it was he used to force the notes down, it damaged her oesophagus and trachea.”
“What does damaged mean, in this context?”
Borje pauses, breathes. “He forced t
