Erica stared at the phone in shock. Patrik had called from the station to tell her that he was going to be late. Briefly he had also explained why, and she could hardly believe what she’d heard. To think that someone had gone after Christian’s children. And after Kenneth too. A cord strung across the path – simple but brilliant.
Her brain immediately began working overtime. There must be some way to make the investigation go faster. She could hear how frustrated Patrik had sounded, and she sympathized. The chain of events had begun to escalate, and the police were no closer to a solution.
She weighed the mobile in her hand as she thought things over. Patrik would be furious if she interfered in any way. But she was used to doing research for her books. Of course, what she wrote dealt with crimes that had already been solved, but it shouldn’t be much different to take a closer look at an ongoing investigation. And besides, it was so dreary just to hang around the house. She was itching to do something useful.
She could also rely on her gut instinct. It had helped her so many times in the past. Right now it was telling her that the answer would be found with Christian. After all, he had been the first to receive letters, he was very secretive about his past, and he was clearly nervous. Small but crucial factors. And after their conversation in the boathouse, she’d had the feeling that Christian knew something; there was something he was hiding.
Quickly, so as not to have time to regret her decision, she threw on her winter coat. As she drove, she would ring Anna and ask her if she could pick up Maja from the day-care centre. She’d be home before evening, but not in time to collect her daughter. It took an hour and a half to drive to Goteborg; that was quite a distance to go, just on a whim. But if she didn’t find out anything, she could always drop by to see Goran, her newly discovered half- brother.
The idea that she and Anna had a big brother was still almost incomprehensible. It had been upsetting to find out that during the Second World War their mother had given birth to a son and then given him up for adoption. But the dramatic events that had led to all this coming to light last summer had ended up producing something positive, and she and Anna had developed a close relationship with Goran. Erica knew that she was always welcome to stop by to see him and the woman he had grown up calling his mother.
Anna agreed at once to pick up Maja, who was much beloved by all the children, both Anna’s and Dan’s. Erica had no doubt that her daughter would come home worn out from playing, and stuffed with sweets.
Then Erica turned her attention to the task at hand. The work she had done writing books about real murders – books that had proved a big hit with the public – had provided good training in doing research. She just wished that she knew Christian’s civil registration number; that would have saved her a number of conversations. But she’d have to make do with his name. It suddenly came to her that Sanna had once mentioned that Christian was living in Goteborg when they met. At the library May had mentioned Trollhattan, and that was still nagging at Erica, but she decided that Goteborg had to be the logical place to start. That was where he had lived before coming to Fjallbacka, so she would begin there. She hoped she could then backtrack if necessary. She had absolutely no doubt that the truth lay in Christian’s past.
After speaking to four different people, she finally had something: the address where Christian used to live before he moved to Fjallbacka with Sanna. Erica stopped at a Statoil petrol station just outside of Goteborg and bought a map of the city. She also took time to use the loo and stretch her legs. It was terribly uncomfortable to drive with two babies in between her and the steering wheel. Her back and legs felt stiff and achy.
Just as she had wedged herself back into the driver’s seat, her mobile rang. Balancing her paper coffee cup in one hand, she grabbed the phone with the other and looked at the display. Patrik. She’d better let her voicemail take the call. She’d explain things later. Especially if she came home with something that might help the investigation. Then she could at least avoid some of the reproaches that she sensed were in the offing.
After one last glance at the map, she started up the car and pulled back on to the motorway. It was a little more than seven years since Christian had lived at the address where she was now headed. She suddenly had some doubts. What were the odds that she’d find anything that Christian might have left there? People moved all the time without leaving any trace behind.
Erica sighed. Well, she was already here, and Goran was sure to offer her a cup of coffee before she drove back home. So the drive wouldn’t have been totally in vain.
She heard a beep. Patrik had left a message on her mobile.
‘Where is everybody?’ Mellberg was still feeling groggy as he looked around. He’d dozed off for just a few minutes, and when he awoke the station was deserted. Had the others gone off to the cafe without asking his permission?
He rushed out to the reception area, where he found Annika.
‘What’s going on here? Does everybody think it’s already the weekend? Why isn’t anyone working? If they’re over at the bakery, they’re in for a reprimand when they get back. The municipality expects us to be on the job at all times, and we have an obligation’ – he started waving his finger in the air – ‘to be here when our fellow citizens need us.’ Mellberg loved to hear the sound of his own voice, particularly when he adopted an authoritative tone.
Annika stared at him without saying a word. Mellberg began to fidget. He’d expected her to shower him with excuses and apologies on behalf of her colleagues. Instead, he suddenly had a most unpleasant feeling come over him.
After a moment Annika said calmly:
‘They were called out to Fjallbacka. A lot of things have happened while you were working in your office.’ She said the word ‘working’ without a hint of sarcasm, but something told him that she was fully aware that he’d been taking a little siesta. So it was up to him to salvage the situation.
‘Why didn’t anyone tell me?’
‘Patrik tried. He knocked on your door for a long time. But you had locked the door, and there was no answer. Finally he was forced to leave.’
‘Er… yes, well, sometimes I get so immersed in my work that I don’t hear a thing,’ said Mellberg, swearing to himself. Why did he have to be such a bloody sound sleeper? It was both a gift and a curse.
‘Hmmm…’ replied Annika, turning back to her computer screen.
‘So what’s happened?’ Mellberg demanded, still feeling that he’d been played for a fool.
Annika quickly gave him a summary of what had happened at Christian’s house and to Kenneth on the jogging trail. Mellberg listened, open-mouthed. Things were getting stranger and stranger.
‘They’ll be back soon; at least, Patrik and Paula will. They’ll be able to tell you more of the details. Martin and Gosta drove down to Uddevalla to have a talk with Kenneth, so it might be a while before they get back.’
‘Tell Patrik to come and see me as soon as he gets in,’ said Mellberg. ‘And tell him to knock louder this time.’
‘Okay, I’ll tell him. And I’ll make sure that he does knock louder. In case you’re engrossed in your work again.’
Annika looked at him with a serious expression, but Mellberg still couldn’t shake the feeling that she was mocking him.
‘Can’t you come with us? Why do you have to stay here?’ Sanna tossed a couple of shirts into her suitcase.
Christian didn’t reply, which just made her more upset.
‘Answer me! Why do you have to stay here all alone in the house? It’s so crazy, so…’ Angrily she threw a pair of jeans at the suitcase, but she missed and they landed on the floor at Christian’s feet. She went over to pick them up, but instead cupped his face in her hands. She tried to catch his eye, but he refused to look at her.
‘Christian, sweetheart. I don’t understand. Why won’t you come with us? It’s not safe for you to stay here.’
‘There’s nothing to understand,’ he said, removing her hands. ‘I’m staying here, and that’s all there is to it. I have no intention of running away.’
‘Running away from whom? From what? I hope to God you don’t know who is doing this and you’re just not telling us.’ Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and she could still feel the warmth of Christian’s face on the palms of her hands. He never let her come close, and that stung. In situations like this, they ought to be able to support each other. But he was turning his back on her, refusing to let her in. Humiliation made Sanna’s cheeks
