‘We need to open them,’ said Ebba, standing up.
Anna glanced nervously towards the door. ‘Shouldn’t we wait until we find out if we’re going to get out of here?’
‘I need to know.’ Ebba’s eyes flashed.
‘But Tobias…’ said Anna.
Ebba shook her head. ‘He’s never going to let us out of here. I could tell by the look in his eyes. Besides, he probably thinks I’m already dead.’
Her words filled Anna with terror. She knew that Ebba was right. Tobias was not going to open the door. If they couldn’t find a way out, they’d die here. Erica might have got worried and started asking questions, but it wouldn’t do any good if she wasn’t able to find them. This room could be anywhere on the island. And why would anybody discover it now if the police had missed it during their search for the Elvander family?
‘Okay. Let’s give it a try. Maybe there’s something inside that might help us open the door.’
Ebba didn’t reply but she immediately began kicking the lock on the chest to the right of the one they’d just opened. This padlock proved more stubborn.
‘Wait a minute,’ said Anna. ‘Could I borrow your angel pendant? Maybe I could use it to unfasten the screws.’
Ebba took off the necklace and with some reluctance handed it to Anna, who began working at the screws. After removing the mountings from the two other chests, she glanced at Ebba, who gave her a brief nod, and then they each opened one of the chests.
‘They’re here. All of them,’ said Ebba. This time she kept her eyes fixed on the remains of her family, which had been tossed inside like rubbish.
In the meantime Anna counted the skulls inside the three chests. Then she counted them again, just to be sure.
‘There’s one missing,’ she said quietly.
Ebba gave a start. ‘What do you mean?’
The blanket started to slip from Anna’s shoulders, and she pulled it tighter.
‘Five people disappeared, right?’
‘Yes.’
‘But there are only four skulls here. That means four bodies, unless one of them is missing its head,’ said Anna.
Ebba grimaced. She leaned forward to count and then inhaled sharply. ‘You’re right. One is missing.’
‘The question is: who?’
Anna stared at the skeletons. This was how she and Ebba were both going to end up if they didn’t get out of here. She closed her eyes and pictured Dan and her children. Then she opened her eyes again. She refused to let that happen. Somehow they would find a way out of this place.
Next to her Ebba began to sob.
‘Paula!’ Patrik motioned for her to follow him into his office. Gösta and Erica had driven off to Fjällbacka, and Mellberg had shut himself away to handle the media, or so he claimed.
‘What’s the matter?’ Paula awkwardly sank down on to the visitor’s chair.
‘I don’t think we’ll get a chance to talk to John Holm today,’ Patrik said, running his hand through his hair. ‘The Göteborg police are raiding his house at this very moment. That was Kjell Ringholm who called. He and Sven Niklasson from Expressen are apparently on the scene.’
‘Raiding his house? Why? And why weren’t we informed?’ She shook her head.
‘Kjell didn’t tell me any details. He just said it was a matter of national security, and that it was going to be big. You know how Kjell is.’
‘Should we go out there?’ said Paula.
‘No. Especially not you, in your condition. If the Göteborg police have gone in, it’s probably best that we keep out of the way for the time being, but I’m thinking of giving them a call to try to get some more information about what’s going on. At any rate, it doesn’t sound as if Holm will be available for quite some time.’
‘I wonder what it’s all about,’ said Paula, trying to find a more comfortable position on the chair.
‘I’m sure we’ll hear soon enough. If both Kjell and Sven Niklasson are over there, the story will be in the papers any minute.’
‘We could start with the others, in the meantime.’
‘As I said, I’m afraid that will have to wait for a while.’ Patrik stood up. ‘I have to meet Gösta and go to Valö to find out what’s been happening out there.’
‘Leon’s father,’ said Paula pensively. ‘How strange that the money came from him.’
‘We’ll have a talk with Leon as soon as Gösta and I get back,’ replied Patrik. Thoughts were swirling through his mind. ‘Leon and Annelie… Maybe this has something to do with them, after all.’
He held out his hand to Paula, who gratefully accepted his help to get up.
‘I’ll see what I can dig up about Aron,’ she said, and then plodded off down the hall.
Patrik picked up his summer jacket and left the office. He hoped that Gösta had succeeded in dropping Erica at home. He could picture her talking the whole way to Fjällbacka, trying to persuade Gösta to let her go with them to Valö. But Patrik wasn’t about to give in. Though he wasn’t as alarmed as Erica, he still felt that something wasn’t right on the island. And he didn’t want his wife out there if anything happened.
He had no sooner reached the car park than Paula called to him from the doorway. He turned.
‘What is it?’
She was motioning him to come back, and when he saw the serious expression on her face, he hurried to comply.
‘Gunfire. At Leon Kreutz’s place,’ she managed to gasp.
Patrik shook his head. Why did everything have to happen at once?
‘I’ll call Gösta and tell him to meet me there. Could you wake Mellberg? Right now we need all the help we can get.’
Sälvik lay spread out before them, the houses gleaming in the sunlight. From the bathing beach, which was only a few hundred metres away, came the sound of children playing and laughing. It was a popular place for families, and Erica had spent almost every day of the summer holiday out there while Patrik was working.
‘I wonder what Victor is up to,’ she said.
‘Me too,’ said Gösta. He hadn’t been able to get hold of the Coast Guard, so Erica had convinced him to come inside. She invited him to have a cup of coffee with her and Kristina while he waited to hear back from Victor.
‘I’ll try phoning him again,’ he said, tapping in the number for the fourth time.
Erica studied him, trying to think of a way to persuade him to let her come along. Staying at home would drive her mad.
‘No answer. Guess I have time to go to the toilet.’ Gösta got up and left the room.
His mobile was on the table. Gösta had been gone only a minute when it started ringing, and Erica leaned forward to look at the display. It said ‘Hedström’ in big letters. She considered what to do. Kristina was in the living room, chasing after the kids, and Gösta was in the bathroom. She hesitated for a second and then picked up the mobile.
‘Gösta’s phone. This is Erica… He’s in the bathroom. Shall I give him a message?… Gunfire?… Okay, I’ll tell him… Yes, yes… I’ll go get him right now. He’ll be heading out in the next five minutes.’
She ended the call, and then a number of different options appeared in her mind. On the one hand, Patrik needed back-up; on the other hand, they needed to go out to Valö ASAP. She listened for Gösta’s footsteps. He’d be back any minute, and she needed to make a decision before he appeared. She picked up her own mobile, and after a moment she tapped in a number. Martin answered on the second ring. In a low voice Erica explained the situation and what needed to be done, and he didn’t hesitate for an instant. So that part was settled. Now all she had to do was give a performance worthy of an Oscar.
‘Who was that on the phone?’ asked Gösta.
‘Patrik. He got hold of Ebba, and everything is fine out on Valö. She said that Anna was going to some country auctions today, so that’s probably why she hasn’t had time to call me back. But Patrik thought we should go out to the island and have a little talk with Ebba and Tobias.’