university here in Goteborg. I think it lasted for three months and that’s an absolute record for Marcus.”
“Was that a long time ago?”
“Four years. I remember because they were at our engagement party.”
“Hans isn’t bothered by the fact that you and Marcus were together?” Anders Gunnarsson gave Hannu an appreciative look and smiled. “When you have entered into a partnership, as Hans and I have, naturally you have to discuss how you both feel about infidelity. Fidelity is important to Hans and to me. Hans has never been jealous of Marcus since our relationship ended before Hans and I got together.”
Irene asked, “Who was Marcus’s partner before he moved to Copenhagen?”
She got a shrug of the shoulders in response.
“No idea. We last met at the Glogg party that he held on the Eve of St. Lucia, before he moved. That was the last time we saw each other. I don’t know if he was ‘with’ anyone.”
“You didn’t think any of the people present might have been his partner?”
“No. It could have been anyone or no one. When it comes to Marcus, nothing is obvious. And he has actually gotten into trouble before.”
“What do you mean? How so?”
Gunnarson searched for the right words. “He is drawn to the. . dangerous ones. And puts himself in danger. That Hassan was an example. A pretty nasty type who definitely leaned in the direction of sadism. Marcus came over to my place one time wearing a turtleneck sweater when it was twenty degrees* outside! He is always so fashion savvy that I asked why he was walking around in a turtleneck. In response, he pulled down the collar and showed deep marks from a rope on his throat. Somehow he. . managed to joke about it.”
“Is Hassan still in Sweden?”
“No. He’s dead. He was killed by a lunatic at a gay club in San Francisco two years ago. Nine people died and Hassan happened to be one of them.”
“I remember that. The killer was a prostitute. He had been subjected to things at the club that made him crazy for revenge,” said Irene.
Gunnarsson arched his eyebrows and nodded. “That’s right. That’s the kind of club Hassan hung out at and that says everything about him.”
“And about Marcus,” Hannu added.
“He didn’t frequent those types of clubs but he was drawn to that type of man. I think that describes it as exactly as possible.”
In her mind, Irene saw the contours of a colossal sumo wrestler. Odd, maybe dangerous.
The dentist took a deep breath and stared at Irene. “Now you have to tell me what has happened to Marcus!”
Irene nodded. “Yes. But first I need to ask one last question. Do you have Marcus’s address in Copenhagen?”
“No. He said that he would call when he had decided on where he was going to live.”
“But he never called and gave you his new address?”
“No.”
“It seems strange that you didn’t wonder why he hadn’t been in touch. And why didn’t you miss Marcus before now if he’d left for Thailand at the beginning of March? That’s two and a half months ago.”
“As I said, we started wondering a few weeks ago. But that’s the way it is with Marcus. Long periods of time can go by without hearing anything from him. Especially when he is working intensely or has a new relationship going on. It’s happened several times. He’s disappeared with some new love and then appeared later as though nothing has happened.”
“How long have these episodes lasted?”
“Anywhere from two days to two weeks.”
“But never as long as over two months.”
“No. But when he called at the beginning of March he said that he didn’t know how long they would be gone.”
“They? Who did he go with?”
“He didn’t want to say. He just laughed when I asked and said I would never be able to guess.”
“Never be able to guess. . That would mean that you know this per son.”
“Maybe. But I have no idea.”
“Exactly what did Marcus say when he called at the beginning of March?”
“We started by talking about the renovation and about how it had progressed. I invited him for dinner the next night but he declined. He was going to go to Thailand with a friend, but he didn’t say who the friend was. Then he asked about borrowing a camera. Then he said that he had to end the phone call and pack the things he needed for the trip.”
“Did he say where they were traveling from?”
“No. But I assumed that it had to be Landvetter since he was here in Goteborg. But maybe he was only here because he had to pack his summer clothes.”
“Could he have been traveling with a woman?”
“When he was younger he went about with girls. . to keep up appearances for his parents. He told me about that. And personally I’ve seen how women are drawn to him. But he stopped that in the last few years. He doesn’t need women as his alibi any longer.”
“Did he have sex with women?”
Gunnarsson shook his head. “No. Never. He is gay through and through. Those are his own words.”
Irene decided that it was time to tell Anders Gunnarsson the truth. She started by asking, “Did Marcus talk about a tattoo he had done in Copenhagen?”
“No.”
The dentist shook his head but then stopped suddenly. “Actually. . maybe. I asked how things were going for him in Copenhagen. Then he said he had something that would show what an indelible impression the city had left on him. Then he laughed mysteriously. Indelible could refer to a tattoo.”
“We happen to know that Marcus had a unique tattoo done in Copenhagen. .” Irene explained about the dragon tattoo and the murder-mutilation victim in Killevik. Anders Gunnarsson burst into tears. His sorrow seemed deep and real. Neither Irene nor Hannu knew how to comfort him, so they let him finish crying. His sobs began to diminish after a while. He got up and went to get a Kleenex and dried his eyes. With bent head and closed eyes he took deep breaths. When he had calmed himself, Irene said, “I understand that this must be a terrible shock for you.”
Gunnarsson nodded. His eyes, shiny with tears, reflected sincere grief and pain.
“When is Hans getting back from France?”
“On Thursday, the twenty-seventh.”
“Is he in Paris?”
“Yes.”
“Could you be so kind as to inform him that he should come to the station on Friday? He can call and ask for an appointment with me or Hannu Rauhala.”
They rose and thanked him for the coffee and the information. Gunnarsson followed them to the outer door. When he shook hands Irene felt his hand trembling faintly, which hadn’t been the case when they had greeted each other. Impulsively, she took his hand in both of hers and said, “Will you be OK? Do you want us to call someone or drive you somewhere?”
Gunnarsson shook his head. “No, thank you. It’s very kind. . no, thank you.”
Irene pulled a calling card from her pocket. “Call my home number if you come up with anything else that could be important. I’ll be there all weekend.”
Gunnarsson took the card and stuffed it into his shirt pocket without looking at it.
* Twenty degrees Celsius is equivalent to sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit.
On their way back to the station, Hannu asked Irene, “Could it be a sex game that got out of control?”
“It’s not impossible. But why dismember and clean him out? And take away certain muscles? It seems very. . well planned.”
“Well planned?”
