Lollo Svensson clasps her hands.
Beads of sweat on her forehead, her top lip.
How can anyone be so angry?
And Malin asks: ‘Why are you so furious, Louise? What happened to you?’
‘None of your fucking business, Inspector.’
‘What about the report your mother made, the one in our archive? Nothing about that? Nothing you want to tell us?’
‘No, Mum made that up.’
A hissing voice, uneven sound levels on the tape recorder, cold white strings around Malin’s heart.
‘And the rabbits on your farm,’ Zeke says. ‘Do you normally pull their claws out?’
‘What a fucking sick question. I keep rabbits because I like them.’
‘Did you and Theresa email each other about where to meet?’ Malin asks. ‘Via her Yahoo! address?’
‘No.’
‘Did you leave messages on her Facebook page?’
‘I don’t know anything about any fucking book of faces.’
Fury in Lollo Svensson’s voice.
‘Lovelygirl? Is that you?’
‘I’ve already answered that question once.’
‘Take it easy now,’ Zeke says. ‘How many times did you and Theresa have sex?’
‘Am I under suspicion for something?’
‘We’ve got proof of corruption of a minor. Nathalie Falck has told us that she had a sexual relationship with you before her fifteenth birthday. And you know that we know you had a sexual relationship with Theresa Eckeved as well.’
‘And?’
‘And what?’
‘What about the others? Have you found any connection between me and the others?’
‘Why don’t you tell us?’ Malin says. ‘Tell us.’
‘How did you meet Sofia?’
‘I’ve never met Sofia Fredén. Never.’
‘And Theresa. Did you use a dildo? A blue one?’
Malin and Zeke are aware of the find in Suliman Hajif’s flat. Sundsten and Ekenberg are with him in the next room. Putting pressure on the little shit. Who knows, maybe the case is solved now? Karin and her Forensics team must be ecstatic about the dildo. Now they probably won’t have to dig out the right dildo from hundreds of possibilities. If it could even have been done. Maybe the truth will emerge on the other side of that black, depressing wall.
Suliman Hajif’s eyes full of fear.
You’re scared now, you little shit, Waldemar Ekenberg thinks.
And you’re right to be.
Because I don’t mean you well.
Interview Room Two is identical to Interview Room One, albeit its mirror image, and in the corridor outside you can switch between the two rooms, looking in on the confessional spaces through glass windows that appear as mirrors inside the rooms.
‘You raped and murdered Theresa Eckeved and Sofia Fredén. Josefin Davidsson managed to escape. We know it was you, we’ve got the dildo, the one which in all probability was used in these crimes.’
Per Sundsten’s voice amiable, factual.
‘It will feel better if you confess. Easier.’
‘And all that fucking porn. You need treatment, Suliman.’
‘I didn’t have anything to do with all that crap. I want my lawyer.’
‘He can come later on,’ Waldemar says. ‘We have the right to conduct a first interview with you on your own.’
‘What were you doing on the night between Wednesday and Thursday?’
‘I’ve already told you, I was at home taking it easy on all the nights you’re interested in. It’s too damn hot to go out.’
‘But no one can prove that, Suliman.’
The muscles in his arms are bulging under his beige custody shirt, at least two sizes too small.
‘And the porn?’
‘Hell, I like porn, and I like pushing dildos into girls. Fuck, I can get it up three times, at least, but they still want more after that.’
‘Where did you buy the dildo?’
‘None of your fucking business.’
‘You ratted on Behzad Karami. Why?’
Even Waldemar’s voice is factual.
‘He did it.’
‘Probably not. And how would you know? Perjury is punishable by two years in prison.’
‘He goes out at night. So it must be him. It could be, anyway.’
‘What’s gone wrong between the two of you?’
‘None of your business, pig.’
Waldemar gets up, takes two steps around the table before he pretends to stumble, and in his fall he manages to drag Suliman Hajif with him, and his nose hits the black tabletop with a loud cracking sound.
‘Damn, this floor’s slippery.’
And Suliman Hajif screams with pain, blood pouring from his nose, and Per expects to see Karim Akbar or Sven Sjöman come rushing into the room to put a stop to this, but no one comes, and instead Suliman is left sitting opposite them as the blood dripping from his nose stains his custody shirt.
‘We’re expecting the Forensics report on the dildo any time now,’ Waldemar says, back on his chair again. ‘And then we’ll know. So you may as well confess.’
‘I’ve got nothing to confess.’
Waldemar gets up again.
Suliman Hajif jerks back, raising his hands in self-defence.
The passageway between the interview rooms is dark and cool and damp, and the recessed halogen bulbs in the ceiling cast a pleasant glow. Karim and Sven are following the interviews with Suliman Hajif and Lollo Svensson at the same time, letting Ekenberg carry on, as long as he doesn’t go too far over the boundary.
‘What do you think?’
Karim’s face is open, wondering. With every case he has become more humble, more open in his attitude to his detectives’ work. As he has gained confidence in Malin, Zeke, Börje Svärd and Johan Jakobsson, he has relaxed, adopting a softer style of leadership than the one he had when he arrived: the omniscient boor.
Maybe he has realised that the work of investigation is in part a game, where curiosity and complete openness are a must if you want to see results? Maybe he has realised they really do have to work together to accomplish the tasks they are charged with? Or else he has understood that they are on their own, that they are on the front line against evil, that they have to look out for each other if they are to survive.
‘I don’t know what to think,’ Sven says. ‘Forensics are checking the dildo right now, and going through his flat. Karin Johannison is on duty, and she’s usually pretty quick. We’re also checking his computer. But that could take longer.’
‘And Louise Svensson?’
‘She’s about as damaged an individual as I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen before what that sort of damage can lead to.’
‘But do you think she did it?’
Sven doesn’t answer, but says: ‘Maybe we should have a word with her mother. Find out a bit about her background.’
Inside Interview Room One, Lollo Svensson suddenly spits in Malin’s face, but Malin keeps her cool and merely wipes the saliva away.
Obliged to continue the line of questioning.
A strong voice in this investigation.
Once she has wiped away the wet slime Malin says: ‘So asking about your dad is a sensitive issue. Sorry, I didn’t know.’
‘What’s he got to do with this?’
Her voice controlled now after her furious outburst at Malin’s last question.
‘The report I mentioned. Something happened when you were a child. Your dad, did he hurt you?’
‘Did he?’
Zeke trying to sound understanding, sympathetic, and he succeeds.
‘I’m not talking about that. I’ve spent my whole life trying to forget about it.’
Lollo Svensson calm now, as if she’s found a new personality somewhere inside.
‘Who can we talk to?’
‘Talk to Mum.’
Viveka Crafoord’s words, her voice: The key to this is in the past.