‘Why would Tobias send a threatening message to his own wife?’ asked Paula. ‘Does that mean that he’s behind the murder attempts?’
Patrik shook his head. ‘Right now we don’t know. That’s why we need to review everything we’ve found out so far and see if there are any gaps we can fill in. Gösta, could you tell everyone what you’ve discovered about the boys’ testimony?’
‘Sure,’ said Gösta. He briefed his colleagues on how the mention of mackerel revealed the boys’ statements to be false.
‘It proves that they were lying,’ said Patrik. ‘And if they lied about that, they probably lied about everything else. Why else would they devise a story to tell us? I think we can assume that they were involved in the family’s disappearance, and now we have further proof, which means that we can put pressure on them.’
‘But what does this have to do with Tobias?’ said Mellberg. ‘He wasn’t there back then, yet according to Torbjörn, the same gun was used in 1974 and in the shooting the other day.’
‘I don’t know, Bertil,’ said Patrik. ‘Let’s take one thing at a time.’
‘And then there’s the matter of the missing passport,’ Gösta continued, sitting up straighter in his chair. ‘Annelie’s passport is missing. This could mean that she was somehow mixed up in what happened and then fled abroad afterwards.’
Patrik cast a glance at Erica, who was looking very pale. He knew that she couldn’t stop thinking about Anna.
‘Annelie? The sixteen-year-old daughter?’ said Paula, just as her mobile began ringing. She took the call, listening with surprise. When she ended the conversation, she turned to her colleagues.
‘Ebba’s adoptive father told Patrik and me that an anonymous donor had deposited money in the bank for Ebba every month until she turned eighteen. They never managed to find out where the money came from, but naturally we thought it might be connected to what happened out on Valö. So I’ve been trying to find out…’ She paused to catch her breath, and Patrik was reminded that Erica too had been short of breath during her pregnancies.
‘Get to the point!’ Gösta sat up straighter. ‘Ebba had no relatives who were interested in taking care of her, so it’s unlikely that any of them would have sent the money. The only person I can picture giving money to the lass would be someone with a guilty conscience.’
‘I have no idea what the motive was,’ said Paula, who was obviously revelling in delivering information that no one else knew. ‘But the money came from Aron Kreutz.’
There was a stunned silence. Gösta was the first to speak.
‘Leon’s father sent money to Ebba? But why?’
‘That’s what we need to find out,’ said Patrik. His mobile buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and checked the display: Kjell Ringholm from Bohusläningen. No doubt he wanted to ask some follow-up questions from the press conference. That could wait. Patrik put away his phone and once again turned his attention to his colleagues.
‘Gösta, you and I will go out to Valö. Before we interview the boys, we need to make sure that Anna and Ebba are okay, and put a few questions to Tobias. Paula, keep trying to find out more about Leon’s father.’ He paused when he came to Mellberg. Where would he do the least damage? In reality, Mellberg preferred to do as little work as possible, but it was important that he didn’t feel left out. ‘Bertil, as usual, you’re the best qualified to handle the media. Would you mind staying here at the station so you’re available for any enquiries?’
Mellberg’s face lit up. ‘Of course I’ll do that. I have years of experience dealing with the press. Nobody else comes close.’
Patrik sighed to himself. He had to pay a high price in order to keep things running smoothly.
‘Could I go out to Valö with you?’ asked Erica. She still had a tight grip on her phone.
Patrik shook his head. ‘Not on your life.’
‘But I really should go along. What if something has happened…’
‘End of discussion,’ said Patrik, hearing that his tone of voice was unnecessarily sharp. ‘I’m sorry, but it’s best if we handle this,’ he added, giving his wife a hug.
Erica nodded reluctantly, and left the room to drive home. He watched her go, then got out his mobile and phoned Victor. After eight rings, he got the voicemail.
‘No answer from the Coast Guard, as usual. And our boat is docked out at Valö.’
Just then he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.
‘I’m afraid I’m not going anywhere at the moment. The car won’t start,’ said Erica from the doorway.
Patrik gave his wife a sceptical look. ‘That’s odd. Gösta, could you drop Erica off at home, while I finish up a few things here at the station? We have to wait for a boat anyway.’
‘All right,’ said Gösta, avoiding Erica’s eye.
‘Good. I’ll see you down at the harbour. Could you keep trying to reach Victor?’
‘Sure,’ said Gösta.
Patrik’s mobile was buzzing again, and he automatically glanced at the display. Kjell Ringholm. He might as well take the call.
‘Okay, everybody, get started on your assignments,’ he said and pressed the ‘answer’ button as the others left the room. ‘Yes, this is Hedström,’ he said with a sigh. He liked Kjell, but right now he really didn’t have time for journalists.
VALÖ 1972
Annelie hated Inez from the very beginning. So did Claes. In their eyes she was worthless compared to their mother, who seemed to have been a saint. At least that was what it sounded like when Rune and the children talked about her.
Inez had learned a lot about life. The most important lesson was that her mother was not always right. Her marriage to Rune was the biggest mistake of her life, but she could see no way out of it. Not now, when she was pregnant with his child.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead and then continued to scrub the kitchen floor. Rune had high standards, and everything had to be polished and gleaming when the school opened. Nothing was to be left to chance. ‘This is about my reputation,’ he said, issuing new orders to her. She toiled from morning to night while her stomach grew, and by now she was so tired that she could hardly stay on her feet.
Suddenly Claes was standing in the doorway. His shadow fell over her, and she jumped.
‘Oh, I’m sorry, did I scare you?’ he said in that voice of his that always sent shivers down her back.
She could feel the hatred emanating from him, and as usual her whole body tensed, making it hard for her to breathe. There was no proof, nothing she could mention to Rune, and besides, her husband would never believe her. It would be her word against his son’s, and she had no illusions about Rune taking her side.
‘You missed a spot,’ said Claes, pointing behind her. Inez clenched her jaw but turned to wipe the spot he was pointing at. She heard a clang and felt water dousing her legs.
‘Sorry, I accidentally ran into the bucket,’ said Claes, but his apologetic tone did not match the malevolent gleam in his eyes.
Inez merely stared at him. Her fury grew with every day, every abuse, every ugly prank.
‘Let me help you.’
That was Johan, Rune’s younger son. Only seven years old, but he had warm, intelligent eyes. He had clung to her right from the start. The very first time they met, he had slipped his hand into hers.
With an anxious glance at his big brother, Johan knelt down next to Inez. He took the rag from her hand and began wiping up the water that had spilled across the floor.
‘Now you’re going to get wet too,’ she said, touched by the sight of his bowed head and the lock of hair falling into his eyes.