'Unfortunately he can't spare you. You have to keep working on some car-theft mess. But he apparently has no problem getting along without Ernst.'
'You're kidding,' Martin said in a low voice, since Patrik hadn't closed the door behind him. 'You and Lundgren are going to work together?'
Patrik nodded gloomily. 'Looks that way. If we knew who the killer was we could send him a telegram and congratulate him. This investigation is going to be hopelessly sunk if I can't keep him out of it as much as possible.'
'Well, shit!' said Martin, and Patrik could do nothing but agree. Alter a moment's silence he slapped his hands on his thighs and mood up, trying to muster a little enthusiasm.
'I suppose there's nothing for it but to get to work.'
'Where did you intend to start?'
'Well, the first thing will be to inform the girl's parents about the recent developments and cautiously try to ask a few questions.'
'Are you taking Ernst along?' Martin asked sceptically.
'No, I think I'll try to slip off by myself. Hopefully I can wait to inform him about his change of assignment until a little later.'
But when he came out in the corridor he realized that Mellberg had foiled his plans.
'Hedstrom!' Ernst's voice, whiny and loud, grated on his ears.
For an instant Patrik considered running back into Martin's office to hide, but he resisted this childish impulse. At least one person on this newly formed police team would have to behave like a grownup.
'Over here!' He waved to Lundgren, who came steaming towards him. Tall and thin, and with a perpetually grumpy expression on his face, Ernst was not a pretty sight. What he was best at was kissing up and kicking down. He had neither the temperament nor the ability for regular police work. And after the incident of the past summer, Patrik considered his colleague downright dangerous because of his foolhardiness and desire to show off. And now he was forced to be partners with Lundgren. With a deep sigh he went to meet him.
'I just talked to Mellberg. He said the little girl was murdered and that we're going to lead the investigation together.'
Patrik looked nervous. He sincerely hoped that Mellberg hadn't decided to subvert his authority behind his back.
'What I think Mellberg said was that I'm going to lead the investigation and you're going to work with me. Isn't that right?' said Patrik in a voice soft as velvet.
Lundgren looked down, but not fast enough for Patrik to miss a quick glimpse of loathing in his eyes. He had taken a gamble, but apparently it had worked. 'Yes, I suppose that's right,' Ernst said crossly. 'Well, where do we start – boss?' He said the last word with deep contempt, and Patrik clenched his fists in frustration. After five minutes of this partnership he already wanted to throttle the fellow.
'Come on, let's go into my office.' He led the way and sat down behind the desk. Ernst sat down in the visitor's chair with his long legs stuck out in front of him.
Ten minutes later Ernst had been brought up to speed on all the information, and they grabbed their jackets to drive over to the house where Sara's parents lived.
The drive to Fjallbacka took place in total silence. Neither of them had anything to say to the other. When they turned up the hill and into the family's driveway Patrik recognized the pram standing outside. His first thought was: oh shit! But he quickly revised his reaction. It might be good for the family if Erica was I here. At least for Charlotte. She was the one he was most worried about; he had no idea how she was going to take the news they were bringing. People responded so differently. He had actually met relatives who thought it was better that their loved one had been murdered than that the death was accidental. It gave them someone to blame, and they were able to centre their grief on something specific. But he didn't know if that was how Sara's parents would react.
With Ernst at his heels Patrik went up to the front door and knocked cautiously. Charlotte's mother opened it, and he could see that she was upset. Her face was flushed, and her eyes had a glint of steel that made Patrik hope he never had to cross her.
When she recognized Patrik she made a visible effort to control herself and instead put on an inquiring expression.
'The police?' she said, stepping aside to let them in.
Patrik was just about to introduce his colleague when Ernst said: 'We've met.' He nodded to Lilian, who nodded back.
Well, well, Patrik thought. Of course with the number of police reports flying back and forth between Lilian and the next-door neighbour, most people at the station should have met her by now. But today they were here on a more serious errand than a petty dispute between neighbours.
'May we come in for a moment?' Patrik asked. Lilian nodded and led them into the kitchen, where Niclas was sitting at the table. He too had the flush of anger on his cheeks. Patrik looked around for Charlotte and Erica. Niclas noticed and said, 'Erica is helping Charlotte take a shower.'
'How is Charlotte doing?' Patrik asked as Lilian poured coffee for him and Ernst and placed the cups in front of them on the kitchen table.
'She's been completely out of it. But it worked wonders for Erica to come over. It's the first time Charlotte's been able to get up and take a shower and change her clothes since…' he hesitated, 'it happened.'
Patrik was wrestling with himself. Should he speak to Niclas and Lilian in private and ask Erica to break the news to Charlotte, or was she strong enough to join them? He decided on the latter option. If she was on her feet now, and also had the support of the family, then it ought to go all right. And Niclas was a doctor, after all.
'Why exactly are you here?' said Niclas in confusion, giving first Ernst and then Patrik a puzzled look.
'I think we should wait until Charlotte can join us.'
Both Lilian and Niclas seemed content to wait but they exchanged a hasty, inscrutable glance. Five minutes passed in silence. Small talk would have felt out of place under the circumstances.
Patrik looked around the kitchen. It was pleasant enough but obviously the domain of a world-class obsessive-compulsive. Everything was sparkling clean and arranged in straight lines. A bit different than his and Erica's kitchen, he mused, where there was most often total chaos in the sink while the dustbin overflowed with packaging from frozen meals that could be heated in the microwave. Then he heard a door open, and there stood Erica holding Maja asleep in one arm. Beside her stood Charlotte, fresh from the shower. The astonished look on Erica's face quickly changed to concern, and she slipped her other hand under Charlotte's elbow to guide her friend to a kitchen chair. Patrik didn't know how Charlotte had looked before, but now she had a little colour in her face and her eyes were clear and alert.
'What are you doing here?' Charlotte asked in a voice that was still hoarse from several days spent alternating between shrieks and silence. She looked at Niclas, who shrugged his shoulders to indicate that he didn't know either.
'We wanted to wait for you before we…' Patrik's words failed him as he searched for a good way to present what he had to say. Thankfully Ernst kept his mouth shut and let Patrik handle the situation.
'We've received some new information about Sara's death.'
'You've found out something else about the accident? What is it?' said Lilian excitedly.
'It looks as though it wasn't an accident.'
'What do you mean? Why wouldn't it look like an accident?' said Niclas in obvious frustration.
