‘I don’t really know…’ Cia was staring at a spot behind Patrik’s shoulder, and he noticed that the pupils of her eyes were big. He assumed that she’d been given some sort of sedative that was contributing to her distracted air.
‘I know that we keep asking you the same questions over and over. But we need to find the connection between Magnus’s death and what happened today. It’s even more important now that we’ve determined that Magnus really was murdered. It might be something that you haven’t thought about before, some tiny detail that could help us move forward,’ Paula pleaded with her.
Ludvig came sauntering into the kitchen and sat down next to Cia. Presumably he’d been listening from outside the room.
‘We want to help,’ he said, his voice sombre. The look in his eyes made him seem much older than his thirteen years.
‘How are Sanna and the children?’ asked Cia.
‘They had a bad shock, of course,’ said Patrik.
On their drive to Fjallbacka, Patrik and Paula had discussed whether they should tell Cia about what had happened or not. She didn’t need any more bad news at the moment. At the same time, they really did have to tell her, because she’d hear about it soon enough from friends and acquaintances. And maybe these new events would make her recall something she’d forgotten.
‘Who would do such a thing? And to children…’ she said, her voice sounding both compassionate and hollow. The sedative was blunting her emotions, making things less overwhelming. Less painful.
‘We don’t know,’ Patrik told her. His words seemed to echo in the kitchen.
‘And Kenneth…’ She shook her head.
‘That’s why we have to ask you these questions. Someone has targeted Kenneth and Christian and Erik. And most likely Magnus too,’ said Paula.
‘But Magnus never received any letters. Not like the ones the others got.’
‘We know that. But we still think that his death is linked to the threats against the others,’ said Paula.
‘What do Erik and Kenneth say? Don’t they know what it’s about? Or Christian? One of them ought to have some idea,’ said Ludvig. He had put his arm protectively around his mother’s shoulders.
‘You’d think so, yes,’ said Patrik. ‘But they all say that they haven’t a clue.’
‘Then how could I…’ Cia’s voice faded away.
‘Did anything strange ever happen in all the years you were together? Anything that you reacted to? Anything at all?’ asked Patrik.
‘No, there was never anything unusual. I’ve already told you that.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Magnus, Kenneth and Erik have known each other since they were schoolboys. From the very beginning, it was always the three of them who stuck together. I never thought Magnus had much in common with the others, but they probably stayed friends out of force of habit. There aren’t many new people to make friends with here in Fjallbacka.’
‘What was their relationship like?’ Paula leaned forward.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, all relationships have a certain dynamic, with each person taking on a different role. So what was their friendship like, before Christian came into the picture?’
Cia paused to think, her expression serious. Then she said:
‘Erik was always the leader. The one who decided. Kenneth was… the lapdog. That sounds mean, but he obeys the slightest command from Erik, and I’ve always pictured him as a little dog, wagging his tail and begging for attention from Erik.’
‘What about Magnus?’ said Patrik.
Cia paused again before answering. ‘I know that he thought Erik could be a real bully, and occasionally he’d tell him that he’d gone too far. Unlike Kenneth, Magnus was able to speak up and make Erik listen.’
‘Did they ever quarrel?’ Patrik went on. He had a strong feeling that the answer lay in the past of these four men, and in their relationship to each other. But it seemed to be buried very deep, and it was proving difficult to bring whatever it was out into the light. The whole thing was driving him crazy.
‘Well, I suppose they argued once in a while, the way people do when they’ve known each other a long time. Erik can get a bit hot-tempered. But Magnus was always so calm. I’ve never seen him flare up or even raise his voice. Not once, in all the years we were together. And Ludvig is just like his father.’ She turned to her son and stroked his cheek. He smiled at her, but he seemed to be thinking about something.
‘I once saw Pappa get upset. With Kenneth.’
‘You did? When?’ said Cia in surprise.
‘Don’t you remember the summer when Pappa bought the video camera, and I was running around filming things all the time?’
‘Oh, yes. Dear God, you were a real pest. You even went into the bathroom and started filming Elin sitting on the toilet. Your life was hanging by a thread when you pulled that stunt.’ Her eyes brightened, and a smile brought some colour to her cheeks.
Ludvig stood up so abruptly that his chair almost toppled over backwards.
‘I’ve got an idea. I want to show you something!’ He was already on his way out of the kitchen. ‘Go in the living room. I’ll be right back.’
They heard him running up the stairs. Patrik and Paula got up to do as he’d asked. After a moment Cia followed suit.
‘Here it is.’ Ludvig had come back downstairs, holding a small cassette in one hand and a video camera in the other.
He got out a cord and attached the camera to the TV. Patrik and Paula watched him in silence. Patrik could feel his pulse starting to quicken.
‘What are you going to show us?’ asked Cia, sitting down on the sofa.
‘You’ll see,’ said Ludvig. He put in the videocassette and pressed the ‘Play’ button. Suddenly Magnus’s face filled the screen. They heard Cia gasp, and Ludvig turned around, looking worried.
‘Are you okay, Mamma? Otherwise you could go wait in the kitchen.’
‘It’s okay,’ she said, but her eyes filled with tears as she stared at the TV.
Magnus was clowning around, making faces and talking to the person holding the camera.
‘I filmed the whole Midsummer Eve party,’ said Ludvig quietly, and Patrik saw that his eyes were tearful too. ‘Watch, here come Erik and Louise,’ he said, pointing.
Erik came through the patio door and waved to Magnus. Louise and Cia hugged, and Louise handed a package to her hostess.
‘I need to fast-forward. It’s further along,’ said Ludvig, pressing a button on the video camera so the film began speeding ahead. They watched dusk fall, and then it got darker.
‘You thought that we’d gone to bed,’ said Ludvig to his mother. ‘But we sneaked out and eavesdropped on
