He had reached the university. The head of the Department of Literature was Erland Malm, and he and Spencer had known each other ever since they were both newly employed graduates working towards their doctorates. They had never been close, but nor had they been enemies, or even rivals. Their relationship could be described as good, but nothing more.
‘Sit down, Spencer,’ said Erland.
‘Thanks.’
It was nice to rest his leg and hip after the walk. He leaned his stick against the arm of the chair.
‘I’m afraid I’ve received some rather distressing information,’ Erland went on.
Distressing?
‘Do you remember Tova Eriksson?’
Spencer thought for a moment.
‘I was her supervisor last autumn, along with Malin, the new tutor. I’d just started working part time.’
‘What are your recollections of your work with Tova?’
A sound from the corridor reminded them that Erland’s office door was open; he got up and closed it.
‘I don’t remember there being any problems.’ Spencer spread his hands wide, wishing he’d been offered a cup of coffee.
‘She wasn’t particularly conscientious, and both Malin and I wondered why she’d chosen such a tricky topic for her dissertation. It wasn’t easy to set her on the right track. As far as I recall, her dissertation wasn’t approved at the final seminar.’
‘Did you have many meetings with her?’
‘No, only a couple; Malin took care of the rest. I think that annoyed Tova; she didn’t really want to be supervised by a tutor rather than a professor.’
Spencer’s stick slid to one side, and he propped it against Erland’s desk.
‘What’s this actually about?’
Erland cleared his throat.
‘Tova Eriksson claims that you put obstacles in her way from start to finish. That you said you wouldn’t help her unless she…’
‘Unless she what?’
‘Carried out sexual favours for you.’
‘I’m sorry?’
Spencer laughed out loud before the anger kicked in.
‘I’m sorry, but surely you’re not taking this seriously? I hardly had anything to do with her! Have you spoken to Malin?’
‘We have, and she backs you up. But at the same time she acknowledges that she wasn’t present at your meetings with Tova.’
The last sentence was left dangling in the air.
‘Erland, for God’s sake! The girl must be out of her mind. I’ve never overstepped the mark with my students, you know that.’
Erland looked embarrassed.
‘You had a child with one of your former students. Several members of the department find that rather strange. Not me, of course, you know that, but some people.’
‘Like who?’
‘Now let’s not get upset…’
‘Like who?’
‘Er… Barbro and Manne, for example.’
‘Barbro and Manne! Bloody hell, Manne lives with his own stepdaughter, and…’
Erland slammed his hand down on the desk in sheer frustration.
‘It’s you we’re talking about, Spencer! Manne was a bad example – I take that back.’
He sighed heavily.
‘Another student saw you giving Tova a hug on one occasion.’
Spencer ransacked his overheated brain.
‘She said her father had had a heart attack, and that was why she was finding it difficult to concentrate. She said she was spending a lot of time at the hospital.’
‘Her father is dead, Spencer. He was a town councillor; he died of leukaemia several years ago.’
The stick slid to the floor and Spencer didn’t bother to pick it up.
‘Are you sure that’s why you gave her a hug?’
Spencer looked at him, and Erland tried again.
‘I mean, a hug isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just as long as you know what’s behind it.’
‘She said her father was ill, Erland. That’s what she told me.’
Erland shuffled uncomfortably.
‘I’m afraid this will need to be taken further, Spencer.’
The April sunlight found its way into the room, making the shadows of the flowers in the window dance on the floor. Soon it would be the festival of Valborg, 30 April, and the students were getting ready to party. Picnics in the parks, raft racing on the river Fyris.
‘Spencer, are you listening to me? This is serious. Tova’s best friend has just been elected chair of the student union’s equality committee; it doesn’t look good if we don’t pay attention to what she is saying.’
‘But what about me?’
His heart ached for Fredrika.
‘You’ve had a tough year; take some time off.’
‘If that’s your final word on the matter, there’s a risk that I won’t come back at all.’
Consternation on the other side of the desk.
‘Listen to me, Spencer. This will all be sorted out by the summer. Girls like Tova are always caught out if they’re not telling the truth.’
‘If they’re not telling the truth?’
Spencer snorted and got to his feet.
‘I would have expected more of you, Erland.’
Erland Malm walked silently around the desk and picked up Spencer’s stick.
‘Say hello to Fredrika from me.’
Spencer left the room without bothering to reply. He was furious and anxious at the same time. How the hell was he going to get out of this?
‘Rebecca Trolle,’ said Alex Recht.
‘How do you know?’ asked Torbjörn Ross.
‘Because I was in charge of the investigation when she disappeared almost two years ago.’
‘And you never found her?’
Alex stared at his colleague.
‘Obviously not.’
‘The hands and head are missing and the body is in a very poor condition. Identification will be difficult, but of course it will be possible using DNA if we have something to compare it with.’
‘Which we do. But you can regard the official identification as a formality; I know it’s Rebecca Trolle.’
Alex could feel his colleague’s gaze; he had encountered more looks like that than he could count over the past six months. Curious eyes that pretended to convey sympathy, but in fact held only doubt.
Is he going to make it? they seemed to be wondering. Can he cut it now he’s lost his wife?
Margareta Berlin, head of Human Resources, had been a refreshing exception to the rule.
‘I’m trusting you to give me the signals I need,’ she had said. ‘Don’t hesitate to ask for help. And don’t doubt that I’m behind you, because I am. One hundred per cent.’
It was only then that Alex had lowered his guard and asked for some leave.
‘Do you want me to sign you off on the grounds of ill health? I can sort that out.’
‘No, I just want some leave. I’m going to do some travelling.’
To Baghdad, he could have added, but it sounded far too exotic to say it out loud.
Alex held up the item of jewellery from the navel piercing.
‘Her mother gave her this when she passed her final exams at school. That’s why I know it’s her.’
‘That’s a hell of a present.’
‘She was also given twenty-five thousand kronor to help her with her studies. Rebecca was the first person in the family to go on to higher education, and her mother was incredibly proud of her.’
‘Has anyone contacted her? The mother?’
Alex looked up.
‘Not yet. I thought I’d do it tomorrow.’
‘Not today?’
‘No, I want to see if we find the victim’s head and hands today. There’s no reason to act quickly. Her mother has already waited for such a long time; one more day won’t make any difference.
It was only when he had spoken the words that he realised how painful they were. One day could be a lifetime. He would have given ten years of his life for one more day with Lena. Just one day.
It hurt so much to be without her.
His hand trembling slightly, Alex slipped the piece of jewellery back into the bag.