Request for Assistance A-6/01
- Shall we find somewhere else? - Or just go home.
- And do what? - Sleep.
- Sleep? - Yes.
Do you have a smoke?
I hope Emil isn't awake.
Something's happening.
Hotel Nyborg 01.09, Tuesday March 13
Let me pass!
I have to get through!
Damn it, calm down! Our little boy's inside.
Let me inside! Let me in!
I need to get in there! My son's inside! Let me in!
Emil!
Listen!
- He's probably out by now. - Yes.
Watch out!
We couldn't know.
Get the hell away from us!
UNIT ONE
Thanks for the ride.
Episode 20
- I need my receipt. - Here you go!
Unit One Headquarters 05.08, Tuesday March 13
How many died?
When I spoke to Nyborg...
And that's an hour ago.
They said ten.
But there's room for 105.
- Luckily it's winter... - And LaCour? Is he late too?
- He's on his way from Holbæk. - Okay, fine.
Heard from Johnny?
- He's in jail in Poland. - In jail?
It's a misunderstanding. He'll be out soon.
- What's he done? - Ask him.
No, I'm asking you.
Okay. He was just very naive.
He thought he'd been stopped by fake cops.
And he had to give them all his money.
He recognised one of them at the station.
- And he didn't shut up? - What do you think?
- What about the mobile office? - His backup is coming.
Thank God.
- Sorry, I couldn't get a cab. - Neither could we.
Nyborg has requested assistance. A hotel arson.
Someone with a lot of practice. Fires have been common lately.
And now this.
- Any known pyromaniacs there? - No. The fire spread rapidly.
- No fire doors? - Yes, of course there were.
We're facing a disaster of unknown magnitude.
Let's get hold of all press photos.
Maybe he was captured on camera.
Yes.
Thank you.
32... So far.
How long is this going to last?
- What? - My quarantine.
Maybe you've forgotten, but I've been waiting to know
since that ridiculous fight in Esbjerg.
That's a year ago now.
Well?
- Do I get the FBI course, then? - Talk to Ulf about it.
- What have you done about it? - It's his call.
- You need to talk to him. - He avoids the issue.
I'm sure he'd love dinner with you and Mille.
Couldn't you start your car?
Yes, but I had too much red wine yesterday.
And I haven't slept very much. Why?
No reason.
Hi... Gry.
- Early bird. - Someone's upstairs.
- Where are you? - What's up?
He's coming out of your room and downstairs.
- What are you saying? - What am I to do?
Oh... Damn it, Gry.
- It's only Staffan. - Staffan?
- He came by last night. - You could have left a note.
I'm sorry, I had no idea you were coming home.
- Does he expect breakfast? - No, he can do that himself.
I've been inside. 32 are dead. We're working hard.
- What's next? - Unit One is already on it.
I've got nothing more for you right now.
- Why have you called Unit One? - That's all for now. Thank you.
The building will collapse if we try to go higher.
- The fire started here? - Yes.
From here on it's all burnt out.
It burned very fast. They didn't stand a chance.
From the alarm to the fire brigade's arrival...
- That's only seven minutes. - The flue gas exploded.
Yes, but still.
- The fire doors were open. - I beg your pardon?
Tradesmen were changing the carpet, but they'd left.
- And it's not checked by staff? - Apparently not.
The air conditioning carried the smoke
so many died from smoke inhalation.
You might say they were lucky.
And here...
Here... is where the fire started.
A wall-hanging was ignited and then the fire spread.
But it is unusual. I feel something's not right.
- Like what? - No flammable liquids.
He didn't set fire to anything fun.
No garbage, just the wall-hanging.
And the matchbook.
- Looks like an impulsive act. - Or maybe the act of a child.
Nyborg Police Station 07.20, Tuesday March 13
Yes. In about an hour.
No, I haven't... I'm getting it now.
I'll call you back.
Some people need fire-engines to get a hard-on.
Welcome to Nyborg.
But we might be sending you back.
Salesman Henning Jørgensen.
Convicted for arson. Checked in yesterday.
Photographed last night. Got him.
People are calling to know about their relatives.
As we ID them we're contacting the family.
We've got a lot of sad people. I have to go back to the hotel.
So...
Welcome to the barbecue.
Forgive the smell. Human flesh is like pork.
- The result is crackling. - Thanks.
- Have you identified them all? - Far from it.
I haven't got dental records and their prints are burnt away.
Let's get started.
Here's a young couple and their baby.
The mother's sister is outside.
Should I talk to her?
Yes.
They were boiled...
while in the bathtub using water to fight the flames.
She doesn't need to know that.
This eight-year-old's parents are here too.
Carbon monoxide poisoning and third-degree burns.
Okay.
I guess nothing is stopping us from getting started.
- Why release him? - He'd served his sentence.
He's entitled to a new start.
First a shed and then a candle factory.
What good is serving time if it doesn't help?
Henning Jørgensen?
I didn't do it on purpose.
Hi.
- This is... to patch things up. - Thanks.
Herman!
Sorry I got you over to Nyborg. I guess I was too hasty.
Share this with Ulf. I got him out of bed too.
- And it was so easy. - Easy?
Yes.
IP and Fischer are doing a great job with the families.
It's not easy.
- Have you got a moment? - The press is waiting.
You have to listen to this.
- Why hasn't he got a solicitor? - He's not being charged.
Henning, it wasn't you who did it.
It was a terrible day...
Did you hear me?
I'd driven all over Funen... almost.
Okay... Why was it such a terrible day?
I lost a big customer.
Now it will all go down the drain again.
- Have you got a match? - A match? Yes.
Suddenly I felt so tired, I didn't dare drive any further.
- So you checked into the hotel. - I drank a lot from the minibar.
That was completely stupid.
Nobody's ever died before.
I thought I could resist.
I suppressed my feelings.
I've worked like crazy not to relapse
and to occupy my mind.
After the conviction my wife left me
and I lost all my clients.
I don't understand.
What don't you understand?
All the other times I knew it was coming.
This time I just did it.
This time there was only... the fire.
And the incredible... desire.
That's what terrifies me. I thought I was free.
Then I find myself climbing out the window.
I was very happy.
It was the biggest ever.
It's awful.
Yes. Henning...
Can you tell me how you started the fire?
I... I think I...
- I don't remember. - No.
We'll get you a psychologist and then you can go home.
Home?
But I sat there, in the window.
The ladder... it came towards me.
The flames...
- I was there. - Yes, you were there.
But in your room on the second floor.
The fire started on the first floor.
It spread so fast, you couldn't have got back to your room.
The place exploded.
You'd have been turned into a human torch.
You usually stand in the street to watch your fires, right?
- I wanted to see it from above. - No. Henning, you didn't do it.
Gaby...
Notice anything?
Start over again. It wasn't so easy.
At least we didn't tell the papers.
Isn't there something behind that gate?
Come along... it's this way.
This way. Please.
All the witnesses have been named.
- Except for this one. - Why's he standing there?
He'd have got a better shot from the street, right?
Make sure the local paper gets his photo.
We need to find him.
Hi.
- What's this? - A present from Herman.
Good.
Anybody want to go out for dinner?
No, thanks. We've had roast pork all day.
That isn't funny.
No. It sure isn't.
That's what it smelled like. Like bloody Christmas Eve.
It was bad.
How can you gently tell someone
their whole family was boiled?
Or...
The little boy left alone in the room by his parents.
He sadly burned to death...
while struggling like crazy to get out.
Was there a boy alone in a room?
Yes.
- What floor was he on? - First floor.
...down there in Africa.
And all I wanted was a gin and tonic.
What a lousy joke!
Talking of lousy... Mille left me.
She left you?
- That can't be true. - But it is...
She walked out and now she wants a divorce.
- Is that funny? - No, I'm sorry.
Oh God, what a day...
It's going to be hard to suppress.
On the other hand we're never going to forget it.
Listen. What I wanted to say was...
I tried to make a nice life with her and Victor.
But apparently I work too much or I do the wrong thing.
Or I do the wrong thing the wrong way.
It's the same here. All work, no result.
Ever since I was this small...
I've worked to get into that FBI course.
But do they send me? No.
And one thing I don't want is to end up like...
Exactly. A semi-alcoholic,
semi-divorced 60-year-old DCI.
- I'm not 60. - But I don't want that.
Please deal with this one.
Nice one... very good.
- From the Polish police. - They want to keep Johnny?
- She doesn't deserve this. - Let me see, what is it?
Let's see.
What do they write?
That he's been with a hooker in his truck.
- I mean, really... - Yes, what a jerk!
- She doesn't need to know this. - No.
- She needs cheering up. - Yes, we all do.
Do we have a wastepaper bin?
Somewhere in the forest 07.23, Wednesday March 14
Adam...
Let's go home to Mummy.
Daddy, isn't she going home?
Someone will pick her up soon.
- She looks like she's dead. - She's just drunk.
What time?
I can't wait to see you. Hurry up. Bye.
- He's been released? - He'll be back tonight.
Okay!
Morning.
Rise and shine!
- What time is it? - It's 8 o'clock.
I do believe your tie is crooked.
Good morning.
You know what... Don't come back before 10.
Hopefully you'll have showered by then.
I can't stop thinking about the boy Emil... eight years old.
I spoke to the receptionist.
She said that the boy came and asked for matches.
Matches?
- But he didn't get any? - Yes.
She didn't know he was alone.
The fire starts at 01.00. He's eight and awake that late?
At 23.30 he came downstairs again.
He couldn't sleep and wanted his mum.
The fire started outside his room.
What parents leave a boy alone till that late at night?
- Gaby, we need to talk to them. - Yes.
Was he asleep when you left?
- What time did you leave? - Around 9.
Was he conscious?
Was he?
When he caught fire?
No.
Thank God for that.
It's my fault...
- I talked you into going. - And I agreed, okay?
He was asleep.
So I thought it was all right. And then the time passed.
Several times I thought we should be getting back.
But we were gone for over four hours.
Katrine...
I have to ask you something.
Emil...
How did he feel about matches?
What do you mean?
When my son was that age he loved matches.
Where did the fire start?
It started outside your room.
Emil, my little darling.
- Hi, Gaby. - Social services just called.
It's a client of theirs, Otto Lykke Larsen,
who we got on today's front page.
- Have you got an address? - Yes, 29E Dynamo St.
- Where will you meet LaCour? - Down by his car.
Okay... Bye for now.
Suspect's abode 09.46, Wednesday March 14
He might be somewhere else, you said?
Yes, that's right.
LaCour, what are you doing?
Paragraph 795-b.
Are you coming?
What's he watching?
Herman can get a warrant.
And get someone to pick up all videotapes from the flat.
Remember to tell them to take the tape that's in the VCR. Bye.
Where else could he be?
With an Inge Mikkelsen. Just across the road.
- I fancy you, Mikkel. - Not now, I'm hoovering.
- I want to, Mikkel. - Not now, I said.
- Just a little bit... - I said stop it!
Do up your pants.
Ingrid Dahl, Unit One...
- Otto Lykke Larsen, is he here? - Yes, he's in here.
Thank you.
Hello, Otto.
My name is Ingrid Dahl, this is LaCour.
I'd like to talk to you.
You've heard about the fire?
Otto!
Did you go and watch it yesterday?
No, I was here with Mikkel. Right, Mikkel?
Don't you remember that we were here, Mikkel?
We watched a video.
Agent 007...
GoldenEye.
Not spelt the Danish way, but with a Y.
Like...
E-Y-E.
Otto, tell the lady where you were last night.
First... we watched a video.
And then I watched a fire.
Otto, I'd like you to come to the station.
The station?
Maybe you can tell me about it.
Perhaps you saw something exciting.
I'd really like that!
Mikkel, help me with my pants. I don't know how.
Bye, Mikkel.
From Otto's files I see you're his foster-mother.
Yes, I used to be. From when he was a baby.
He's a good boy, but he has the mind of a six-year-old.
Don't pay too much attention to what he says.
He doesn't know the difference between what he has seen
and what he'd like to see.
Your dress.
We've finally arrived.
No, don't go there.
Mummy...
Mummy, look!
Then he filmed a fire on Factory Rd.
Fast-forward it a little.
There. Look.
That's one of the last times.
Aren't you done yet?
The same day. And at least the ninth time.
No wonder she's knackered.
Then there's Anemone Rd.
A road named after a flower in that area!
Johnny was born in Anemone Rd in Vanløse.
- Did you grab that fax? - What? Shit!
Well, she's really into it.
Then one on Great Belt Rd.
There it is. Look!
I want to do it again!
- She says no and he hits her. - And then he starts a new fire.
Can I show you this?
He knows it's about to burn.
He's filming before the fire begins.
So either he was tipped off or he did it himself.
Fischer, you question him.
Put the other one back on.
Who is she?
Interrogation of suspect 11.24, Wednesday March 14
- You have a nice girlfriend. - When she's not pissed off.
- Is she often pissed off? - She's hiding.
She's hiding?
What's her name?
Britt.
Britt Hjort Jespersen. With an H.
Hjort with an H, not Jespersen. You can't spell that with an H.
Is she your first girlfriend?
No.
Have you had many girlfriends?
My first girlfriend was called Katja.
She was nice too.
- Mine was Mikkel. - Okay.
Isn't Mikkel your foster-mum?
- Yes. - She was your girlfriend too?
Say it aloud, because that thing can't see you nod.
Okay.
So Mikkel was your girlfriend?
Yes, she was my girlfriend. When she was in the mood.
Was she often in the mood?
Otto, you told us you went to see the fire?
Yes.
Was it spectacular?
Look at this. You're in the newspaper.
Look, there you are. With your video camera.
Why did you take your video camera?
You wanted to film the fire?
- Yes. - Why?
- Do you like watching them? - Yes.
Mikkel says I'm not allowed to.
- She says it's disgusting. - Disgusting? What's disgusting?
- What I'm filming. - That's not for her to say.
If I promise not to tell Mikkel, can you then tell me...
if you know how the fire started?
I know how it started. It was me.
It was you?
Yes, I just happened to do it.
You just happened to set fire to a hotel?
Yes. It was me. I set fire to the hotel.
That's good, Otto. I'm glad you told me.
Tell me this...
Have you happened to set fire to anything else?
Yes?
Nyvang... Factory Rd...
Nordmarks Rd...
Anemone Rd...
Great Belt Rd.
And Great Belt Rd.
I saw those people.
She was crying. She was calling for Emil.
Emil was her little boy.
He didn't survive the fire, Otto.
Why not?
How did you set fire to the hotel?
There was... a three-course meal on the menu.
- That's what it said. - Where?
- On the matches. - What matches?
I got them from reception.
There was this big bowl of matches...
The woman didn't want to give me a room.
So I took one of the matchbooks.
- What did you want them for? - I liked that menu...
What did you want the room for?
Because Britt had gone. And I thought she was cross.
And I wanted to rent a room so we could do it there.
- Do what? - You know...
- Then what? - The woman said no.
But I went up anyway.
I think it was... the first floor.
Then I saw a wall-hanging in the corridor.
And then...
- You couldn't help yourself. - No.
- Then I did it, I set fire... - Speak into this thing. Aloud.
Menu isn't spelt with a Y.
- What? - It was on the box.
Menu. Spelt with a Y.
He may have the mind of a child
but his memory's fine.
- Let's check the matches. - Yes.
- Has he confessed? - Yes, to all the fires.
Including the hotel.
I'll be damned.
- What the hell is that? - Otto's girlfriend.
She was found an hour ago outside Nyborg. Killed.
What?
Are you thirsty?
Yes, thanks.
- You said Britt was missing? - Yes.
How long has she been gone?
Since yesterday.
I couldn't find her.
Do you know what it means to be dead?
"Cross your heart and hope to die..."
Yes, I know what it means.
You're sort of just gone, right?
I've just been told that Britt is dead.
Is it something you did to her?
I think... that I would like to go home now.
The time is 14.32. Interview terminated.
Two birds with one stone. Fischer's good.
You're not going home. You're going to a cell.
Do you understand what that means?
Yes.
Let's go down.
Come on.
She's cute. Come on.
That's fine. Thanks.
It was true about the misspelling on the matchbooks.
- Okay. - Hi, Johnny.
- Welcome back. - Thanks. Is Gaby around?
She's out there.
- Did you have a nice trip? - What do you mean?
Well...
Hi, baby.
How about a kiss?
- Have you done this before? - Yes, of course I have.
- Should I fear for my health? - I only did it fucking once.
And you're the first she's slept with? You idiot!
- How do you think I feel? - Or me, rather.
Yes, that's just it, isn't it?
Gaby is very sad... Gaby has lost her child...
Gaby is allowed to flip out.
I've been sad too. I lost that baby too, you know.
But you've shut me out. Because Gaby's been sad.
Why not just talk to me? Why do I have to guess it all?
Guess?
All you have to do is look at me.
I think you should see a doctor and get a test.
He's like a puppy. Out of control.
Where we must accept rejection, he gets really violent. Look!
There's more of the same. Same pattern.
- He's taped lots of this. - I see what you mean.
I have many young people asking about the FBI courses.
- Do you have anybody in mind? - Where the hell is Ingrid?
- Was it nice to see Johnny? - Yeah...
- Does everybody know? - Know what?
Never mind.
How frustrating that it's him.
What?
Otto. You can't get angry. He doesn't know what he's done.
I agree with Herman and Fischer. Otto is sexually maniacal.
She provokes him, and he loses it.
I don't think he killed her. He couldn't have set it up.
- Making her look drunk. - He's seen Mikkel drunk.
The idea's too abstract for him.
You said arsonists can't get it up without fire-engines.
- How's that relevant? - You were wrong. He can.
All the time. So much so, the girl's sick of it.
He killed her.
Then tell me how he got her into the forest.
Okay.
Sorry.
- He can't even ride a bike. - Watch this.
Hello.
We saw it on the news. So I thought we...
Adam saw who left the woman on the bench.
Tell me.
He put a newspaper over the woman's face.
- Would you recognise him? - Yes.
- Thomas... - Yes?
- Get some photos for Adam. - Yes.
It was good you came. Just wait here.
Here you go.
You asked how they got to the forest.
They walked... Through the forest.
No, it wasn't him.
Do you recognise him here?
- Is it hard to decide? - It's not him. He wore glasses.
Are you tired?
You can sleep with us when we get home.
Come on. Take a good look at it.
It wasn't him.
- Do you like the woods? - Yes.
Do you like to be with your girlfriend in the woods?
- You know... like... - Yes.
- A lot... - Were you there yesterday?
I... I don't think so.
- Are you sure? - No.
- Otto? - Yes?
- Are you sure? - Yes.
I think... I think we were there.
Remember what you did there?
- Otto, did you hit her? - Yes.
- Did you kill her? - Yes.
Where did you kill her?
In the woods...
Right?
- We must call a solicitor now. - Yes, we will.
The time is 02.19.
On March 15.
Present are the accused Otto Lykke Larsen
and his solicitor Helge Saxgreen.
And DI Fischer...
and Assistant Commissioner Ulf Thomsen.
Otto.
You're charged with arson, resulting in 32 deaths.
And with the murder of Britt Jespersen.
You're not obliged to speak. Do you understand?
Yes.
Did you set fire to Hotel Nyborg on Tuesday the 13th?
Yes.
And did you kill your girlfriend Britt Jespersen?
- Otto? - Yes, it was me.
Thank you.
Interrogation terminated. The time is 02.21.
Thanks for coming.
Are you happy now?
Well then, Otto... Can I do anything for you?
Can I go home now?
Ingrid.
I have no doubt he set fire to the hotel.
- Me neither. - But...
What if he didn't kill her?
Fischer. You did that brilliantly.
- Did I? - We'll take care of him.
Free board and lodging in a secure ward indefinitely.
Yes...
Did he put words into his mouth?
That's for the court to decide.
But Herman's right. Fischer is damn good.
There's an FBI course next month.
Maybe we should... kick him upstairs.
Can't you wait a bit?
I've no idea who could take his place.
That's why you haven't been pushing it.
Look at that sunrise. It will be a beautiful day.
Otto Lykke Larsen was found guilty of arson and the manslaughter of 32 people.
He was sentenced to life in a psychiatric ward.
Before that, the murder of Britt Hjort Jespersen took a whole new turn...