the room where your sons were sleeping. The boys weren’t harmed physically, but it must have been a terribly scary experience for them. If you have any idea about who might be behind this, you need to tell me. Don’t you understand that?’
Again a long pause before Christian finally nodded. He cleared his throat as if to speak, but no words came.
Patrik continued: ‘It was only yesterday that we found out that Kenneth and Erik had also received threatening letters from the same person who sent letters to you. And this morning Kenneth was seriously injured while he was out taking a run. Someone set a trap for him.’
Christian glanced up, looking startled, but then lowered his eyes again.
‘We have no information that Magnus received similar threats, but we’re working from the assumption that the same person was involved with his death. And I have a feeling that you know more than you’re telling us. Maybe because it’s something you don’t want to drag out into the light, or it’s something you think is trivial, but you need to let us decide what’s important. Even the slightest lead could be significant.’
Christian was tracing circles on the table with his finger. Then he raised his head and met Patrik’s glance. For a moment it looked as though there was something Christian wanted to say. Then he shut down again.
‘I have no idea,’ he said. ‘I don’t know any more than you do who could be doing this.’
‘Are you aware that both you and your family are in grave danger as long as this person is at large?’
An uncanny calm had settled over Christian’s face. All trace of worry or concern had vanished. Instead, his expression was what Patrik could only describe as determined.
‘I understand. And I’m sure that you’ll do your best to find out who the guilty party is. But I’m afraid that I can’t help you. I just don’t know anything.’
‘I don’t believe you,’ said Patrik bluntly.
Christian shrugged. ‘Well, there’s nothing I can do about that. I’m just telling you how it is. I don’t know anything.’ As if suddenly aware that he was practically naked, he closed up his bathrobe and pulled the belt tight.
Patrik felt like shaking the man, out of sheer frustration. He was convinced that Christian was holding something back. He didn’t know what it was, or even if it was relevant to the case. But there was definitely something he didn’t want to discuss.
‘What time did all of you go to bed last night?’ asked Patrik, deciding to move on to another topic, but only for the moment. He wasn’t going to let Christian off the hook so easily. He’d seen how terrified the children were as they sat in the bathtub. Next time it might not be a question of red paint. He had to make Christian understand how serious the situation was.
‘I went to bed late, just after one o’clock. I have no idea when Sanna went to bed.’
‘Were you home all evening?’
‘No, I went out for a walk. Sanna and I are having a few… problems. I needed to get some air.’
‘Where did you go?’
‘I’m not really sure. No place in particular. I just wandered around a bit, and then I walked through town.’
‘Alone? In the middle of the night?’
‘I didn’t want to be in the house. Where was I supposed to go?’
‘So you came back home around one? And you’re sure about the time?’
‘I’m positive. I looked at the clock over on Ingrid Bergman Square, and it said quarter to one. It takes about ten or fifteen minutes to walk home from there. So it should have been just about one o’clock when I got back.’
‘Was Sanna asleep?’
Christian nodded. ‘Yes, she was asleep. And the boys were too. The house was quiet.’
‘Did you look in on the kids when you came home?’
‘I always do that. Nils had kicked off the covers, as usual, so I tucked him in.’
‘And you didn’t notice anything odd or out of the ordinary?’
‘You mean like big red letters on the wall?’ he said sarcastically.
Patrik could feel himself getting annoyed.
‘I’ll repeat my question: You didn’t see anything unusual, anything you reacted to, when you came home?’
‘No,’ said Christian. ‘I didn’t see anything that I reacted to. If I had, do you think I would have just gone to bed?’
‘No, probably not.’ Patrik was sweating again. Why did everyone have to keep their homes so hot? He tugged at his shirt collar. It felt like he wasn’t getting enough air.
‘Did you lock the door after you got home?’
Christian paused to think. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘I think so. I usually lock the door. But… but I don’t really recall doing it.’ Now all sarcasm was gone from his voice. He was almost whispering when he said, ‘I don’t remember locking the door.’
‘And you didn’t hear anything during the night?’
‘No, nothing. At least I didn’t. I don’t think Sanna did either. We’re both very sound sleepers. I didn’t wake up until Sanna started screaming this morning. I didn’t even hear Nils…’
Patrik decided to try again. ‘And you have no idea why anyone would do this? Or why someone would send you threatening letters for a year and half? No suspicions at all?’
‘Why the hell aren’t you listening to what I’m saying?’
The outburst came out of the blue, and Patrik actually jumped. Christian had shouted so loudly that Paula called from upstairs:
‘Is everything okay?’
‘We’re fine,’ Patrik called in reply, hoping he was right. Christian looked on the verge of collapse. His face was bright red, and he was vigorously scratching the palm of his hand.
‘I don’t know anything,’ Christian repeated, as if he were trying desperately not to shout. He was scratching so hard that he was leaving marks on his skin.
Patrik waited for Christian to relax a bit, and for the colour of his face to return more or less to normal. When he stopped scratching, he looked in surprise at the marks on the palm of his hand, as if he couldn’t understand where they’d come from.
‘Is there anywhere you and your family could stay until we find out more?’ asked Patrik.
‘Sanna and the boys could go to her sister’s house in Hamburgsund and stay there for a while.’
‘What about you?’
‘I’m staying here.’ Christian sounded as if he’d made up his mind.
‘That doesn’t seem like a good idea,’ said Patrik, his voice equally firm. ‘We can’t offer you police protection 24/7. I’d rather you stayed at a different location where you would feel safer.’
‘I’m staying here.’
Christian’s tone of voice indicated there was no room for discussion.
‘All right,’ said Patrik reluctantly. ‘Make sure that your family leaves as soon as possible. We’ll try to keep an eye on the house as best we can, but we don’t have the resources to -’
‘I don’t need police protection,’ Christian interrupted him. ‘I’ll be fine.’
Patrik fixed his eyes on him. ‘A seriously disturbed person is on the loose. This individual has already committed one murder, possibly two, and seems determined to make sure that you and Kenneth, and maybe Erik, end up dead too. This is not a game. You don’t seem to understand that.’ He spoke slowly, clearly enunciating every word to make sure his message got through.
‘I assure you that I fully understand how serious this is. But I’m staying here.’
‘If you change your mind, you know where to find me. And as I said, I don’t believe you for a minute when you say that you know nothing about this. I hope you realize what you’re putting at risk by not speaking up. No matter what it is you’re keeping back, we’ll find out what it is sooner or later. It’s just a matter of whether we find out before or after somebody else gets hurt.’
‘How’s Kenneth?’ muttered Christian, avoiding looking Patrik in the eye.
‘All I know is that he was injured. Nothing more.’
