Studio Sex aka Studio 69 / Exposed

There has to be a meaning, Annika thought. There has to be a purpose to it all. How can we go on otherwise?

'Hi there! What are you doing here?'

Annika groaned inwardly. 'Hi, Daniella. How are you?'

'I'm fine, just fine,' Daniella Hermansson chirped. 'We've been to the park, but it got a bit too cold. Skruttis is starting day care on Monday. We both feel a bit nervous about it. Don't we, Skruttis?'

The kid just looked up sadly at them.

'Do you want to come up for a cup of coffee? It's time for Skruttis's afternoon nap, so we could talk.'

Annika remembered Daniella's weak coffee. 'Some other day.' Annika smiled. 'I'm on my way home.'

Daniella took a quick look around and stepped closer to Annika. 'Listen, you're in the media,' she said in a stage whisper, 'did they ever catch the guy who did it?'

'Who killed Josefin? No, they didn't. Not for the murder.'

Daniella sighed. 'It's awful that he should be walking free.'

'The police know who he is. They're going to bring him in anyway, for something else. He'll go to jail.'

Daniella breathed a sigh of relief. 'God, that's so good to know. Well, we never thought it was Christer.'

'Not your neighbor either, the lady with the dog?'

Daniella giggled, a nervous and conspiratorial little laugh. 'Now listen, you mustn't tell anybody about this, but Elna had already found the body at five in the morning.'

Annika felt herself stiffen, forcing herself to look friendly. 'Oh, how's that?'

'You know her dog, Jasper? Sweet little thing. Anyway, the dog went off inside the cemetery and chewed the girl a bit, and Auntie Elna was beside herself. She didn't dare call the police, for fear they'd put Jasper in jail. Did you ever hear of such a thing!' Daniella chuckled.

Annika swallowed. 'No, actually, I haven't.'

Skruttis started bawling. He wanted to get moving.

'There, there, darling. We'll go home and eat a banana now. You like that, don't you, little friend?'

The woman moved off down Kronobergsgatan toward her building. Annika looked at her for a long time.

There's an explanation for everything, she thought.

She slowly started walking in the opposite direction, toward the fire station. As she rounded the street corner, she saw the police cars blocking the whole street. She stopped.

They're early, she thought. I hope they find the books.

She took another way home.

Nineteen Years, Eleven Months, and One Day

Roughness against naked skin, the air full of dust, the oxygen used up: my living space shrunk to the size of a coffin. The ceiling presses against my brain, my knees and elbows get scratched.

Deep hole, dark grave, smell of dirt.

Panic.

He says that I've misunderstood it all, that I've got the wrong sense of proportion. It's not my life that's too small, I'm too big.

His love is infinite. He still loves me. No one else could give me what he gives me. There is only the one condition.

He says

he will never

let me go.

Sunday 9 September

Her decision matured during the night. She was determined. She would break up with Sven. There was another life, she had found her way out.

The situation filled her with sadness and a sense of loss. She and Sven had been a couple for so long. She had never made love with another man. She cried a little in the shower.

The rain had stopped and the sun was pale and cold. She made coffee and called the railway station to check the departure times. The next train to Flen was in an hour and ten minutes.

She opened the window in the living room, sat down on the couch, and looked at the slow billowing of the curtains. She was going to stay here. She could live her own life.

Annika had put her jacket on and was getting ready to leave when she heard keys jangling in the front door. She stiffened, but relaxed when she saw it was Patricia. 'Hi. Where have you been?'

Patricia closed the door quietly behind her, her hand staying on the door handle for a moment before she looked up at Annika.

'How could you?' she said in a stifled voice.

Her face was blotchy, her eyes red with weeping. Annika was dismayed at first, then realized what had happened.

'You sold me out. You blew the club sky-high. How could you?' Patricia came toward her, her mouth twisted, her hands like claws.

Annika tried to stay calm. 'I didn't blow the club.'

'It must have been you.'

Patricia lunged forward and gave Annika a shove, throwing the keys on the floor. Annika stumbled backward.

'I did it to help you!' Patricia screamed. 'You needed the money so I fixed you up with a job! How could you do this to me?'

Annika held up her hands and backed into the living room. 'Patricia, please, I didn't want to hurt you, you know that. I wanted to help you, help you get away from that club and the degradation-'

'Don't you see what's going to happen?' Patricia screamed. 'He'll finger me! He's been fucking all the other girls there, they've all been with him! I was Josefin's friend, he's got no loyalty toward me. He's going to drag me down with him! Oh, my God!'

She cried out loud, and Annika grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. 'No, that won't happen. The other girls will tell the truth. Go to the police and tell it like it is, they'll believe you.'

Patricia threw her head back and gave a loud, shrill laugh. 'You're so naive, Annika.' Tears streamed down Patricia's cheeks. 'You think that truth will always prevail. Grow up! It never does.'

She broke away and rushed into her room, threw her things into her bag, and came out again, dragging the mattress behind her. It got jammed in the door. Patricia tore at it and cursed.

'Please, don't leave,' Annika said.

The mattress came loose and Patricia nearly fell over. She was shaking with sobs, pulling at the foam-rubber mattress.

'I'm staying here. I got a job at Kvallspressen. You can stay for as long as you like.'

Patricia had reached the front door and stopped dead. 'What did you say? You got a job?'

Annika smiled nervously. 'I got hold of a lot of information that I ran past the deputy editor, and he hired me again.'

Patricia let go of the mattress, turned around, and walked up to Annika. Her black eyes were on fire. 'Fuck you,' she hissed. 'Fuck anyone who stabs their friend in the back.'

'But it had nothing to do with you, or the club…'