That her husband and her children are dead.
That there is no one left.
She will stand in silence on the threshold of the room where they are lying, observe the frantic activity going on around them in an attempt to save whatever can be saved, in spite of the fact that it is too late. That is how all those present will remember the scene.
They will remember her standing in silence in the doorway, with snow on her coat, and a violin case in her hand.
EARLIER
Efraim Kiel had arrived with two tasks to accomplish. The first was to identify and recruit a new head of security for one of the Jewish associations in Stockholm, the Solomon Community. The second task he preferred not to think about too much. Once both had been fulfilled, he would return home to Israel. Or move on elsewhere. He rarely knew how long his journeys would take.
It shouldn’t have been so difficult. It wasn’t usually all that difficult. How many times had he been sent off on a similar mission? Countless times. And how often had he come up against problems like this? Not once.
The Solomon Community in Stockholm had made the decision to approach contacts in Jerusalem. A series of worrying incidents had occurred over the past year; the community had been the target of a sabotage campaign. In several cases this had involved direct attacks, and the community’s school had also been targeted. No one knew why the situation had changed in Stockholm in particular, and that was largely irrelevant. The important thing was to assess their current position and to see how security could be improved.
It had been decided that one part of the solution was to employ a head of security who was better qualified, and Efraim’s task was to find such a person.
He knew what he wanted.
A good leader.
In order for a team to work well, it was essential to have a clear, energetic leader, someone with integrity and the ability to prioritise, to make strategic decisions. But above all they must have someone who would command respect. No qualities in the world could compensate for character traits that evoked contempt in those he or she was supposed to guide and co-ordinate.
So far they had found it hard to track down a person who possessed the necessary skills and attributes. There was always something missing, usually integrity and sufficient operational experience. One applicant after another was discounted, and now time was running out for Efraim Kiel.
‘But we’ve got the perfect candidate – why can’t we employ him?’ The query came from the general secretary of the Solomon Community, who was sitting opposite Efraim.
‘Because he can’t take up the post until summer, which is too late. You can’t be without a head of security for six months. That’s out of the question.’
Efraim looked over at the window and saw the snow falling from the dark clouds, covering the ground with white powder. Stockholm in January was very different from Tel Aviv, where he had been sitting outside drinking wine just a few days ago. The Swedes had their own customs and rituals, of course. Efraim had realised that they sometimes sat outdoors in the snow, grilling sausages and sipping hot chocolate. Even allowing for the fact that he didn’t eat pork, and that it would never have occurred to him to mix milk and meat, he still thought it was a bizarre tradition.
‘We need to find someone else,’ he said, making an effort to maintain a diplomatic tone of voice. ‘Someone with a broad range of experience who can start right away.’
The general secretary shuffled through the pile of applications on the desk in front of him. There weren’t very many, but from a purely numerical point of view there should have been enough to find someone. Efraim knew that the general secretary had had a lot to deal with over the past few months. Both the Solomon Community and the school had moved to new premises in buildings directly opposite one another on Nybrogatan. They hadn’t moved far from their previous home on Artillerigatan, but it had still taken time and energy. Everyone needed a period of peace and quiet.
If only their preferred candidate could take up the post earlier.
Efraim was open to a solution that involved a temporary appointment to fill the gap until the summer, but they still needed a solid incumbent. A community without a head of security was naked and vulnerable.
He couldn’t explain why, but Efraim had the distinct feeling that this particular community wouldn’t be able to cope for very long. He reached for the pile of applications, in spite of the fact that he knew them off by heart by now.
‘Actually, we had another application today,’ the general secretary said hesitantly. ‘Several, in fact. From a consultancy firm that specialises in strategic security work.’
Efraim raised his eyebrows.
‘And?’
‘I’d say that only one of the candidates is worth looking at, but then again the application arrived too late, and I’m not really sure if the person in question is suitable for the post.’
Efraim didn’t care whether the application was late or not, but the issue of suitability was more interesting.
‘Why is he unsuitable? Or she?’
‘He. And he’s not one of us.’
‘You mean he’s a gentile?’
‘Yes.’
A non-Jewish candidate for the post of head of security within a Jewish community.
‘Why are you mentioning his application if you think he’s no good?’
The general secretary didn’t answer; instead he got up and left the room. He returned with a sheaf of papers in his hand.
‘Because he has certain qualities and a level of experience that made me curious, especially in view of the fact that we may need to make a temporary appointment. I checked out his background and found several important elements.’
He passed the documents to Efraim, and reeled off a brief summary.
‘An ex-cop, almost forty years old. Wife and two young kids. Lives in Spånga; they moved out of the city when he lost his job. Did his military service with the Marine Commandos, and seems to have flirted with the idea of becoming an officer, as he stayed on for a while. Got into the Police Training Academy and made rapid progress in the police service. Promoted to the rank of Detective Inspector at a very young age, and spent only a few years in the sticks before he was handpicked to join a special investigation unit in Stockholm. Led by a DCI by the name of Alex Recht.’
Efraim looked up.
‘Alex Recht. Why do I recognise that name?’
‘Because he was in the papers back in the autumn when that plane was hijacked. His son was the co-pilot.’
‘That’s it.’
Efraim nodded to himself. The hijacking had also featured in the Israeli press. He focused on the documents in his hand once more. The information the general secretary had just given matched what the man himself had said in his application. However, there was one piece of information missing.
‘You said he lost his job.’
‘Yes.’
‘And you’re still considering taking him on? Don’t you realise how much you have to fuck things up to lose your badge in a country like Sweden?’
Yes, the general secretary did realise.
‘However, I would say there are definitely extenuating circumstances in this case.’
‘Go on.’
The general secretary paused for effect.
‘They kicked him out after he shot the man who murdered his brother. And it happened in the line of duty.’
Efraim stared at the man opposite for a long time, then looked down at the application once more.
Peder Rydh. Could he be the person they needed?
The meeting was interrupted by the general secretary’s PA, who knocked on the door and walked straight in.
‘You have to come,’ she said. ‘Something terrible has happened. I’ve just had a call from the Solomon school to say that one of the pre-school teachers has been shot.’