Read Online The Dangerous Game by Mari Jungstedt - Free Book Online Page B

something major had happened. Lights were on throughout the building, and several police vehicles were parked nearby.
    They went into the lobby and were met by a uniformed policeman, who stopped them from going any further.
    ‘No journalists in here. The hotel is off limits.’
    ‘Can you tell us what’s going on?’ asked Johan.
    ‘No. I need to refer you to our spokesperson, Lars Norrby.’
    ‘Is he here?’
    The cop gave him a weary look.
    ‘I don’t believe so.’
    ‘Is there anyone on site that I could interview?’ Johan was trying to quell his irritation.
    ‘No, not at the moment. Right now, the investigative team needs to do its work in peace and quiet. We’re dealing with a serious crime here, and we need to catch the perpetrator.’
    ‘So you haven’t arrested anyone?’
    The cop pressed his lips together. Then he said, ‘I can’t comment on the state of the investigation. I need to refer you to Lars Norrby, our spokesperson.’
    Johan cast a glance around the hotel lobby, which was deserted. They went back outside.
    ‘What a sodding sourpuss,’ sniffed Pia. ‘Julia’s mother, Birgitta, has worked here as a cleaner and breakfast waitress for several years. She sleeps at the hotel at night. She said we should wait for her here.’
    They sat down at a table that was made of concrete so as to withstand the elements year round. Johan looked about.
    ‘Damn, what a creepy place.’
    He surveyed the dimly lit gravel forecourt and the stone crusher on top of the hill. A feeling of doom hovered over the place.
    Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching across the gravel. A blonde woman in her fifties appeared.
    Pia jumped up to give her a hug.
    ‘Hi, Birgitta. How’s it going?’
    ‘Oi. What a horrid thing to happen. Especially out here, where it’s so quiet. The most peaceful place you could imagine. We’re all really upset.’
    Birgitta shook hands with Johan.
    ‘It’s probably best if we get started right away,’ said Pia. ‘Could we go somewhere else to do the interview? Otherwise, there’s a risk that Mr Police Officer in there will try to stop us.’
    ‘Sure. Come with me.’
    They walked around to the side of the building, and Birgitta opened a door to an empty room. There were no corridors inside the hotel; all the rooms were entered from the outside. It was a lovely room, sparsely furnished. A generous-sized bed with fluffy pillows dominated the space. The whitewashed walls were bare. Several sheepskin rugs were spread out on the stone floor.
    ‘Okay. This is fine,’ said Pia. ‘Let’s get going.’
    The camera began to roll.
    ‘What were your thoughts when you heard about what happened?’ Johan began the interview.
    ‘I was shocked. Couldn’t believe it was true. I never would have imagined that something like that would happen here on little Furillen. It’s terrifying.’
    Brigitta looked around, as if afraid that the perpetrator might be hiding in the bushes in the dark outside the window.
    ‘What’s the mood like inside the hotel?’
    ‘Everybody thinks what happened is really awful, of course. So it’s not exactly cheerful here at the moment. Nobody can believe it. This is the calmest and most peaceful place you could imagine. At the same time, it’s lucky that we don’t have other guests at the hotel at the moment. But, as I said, the mere thought that an assailant has been sneaking around in the bushes … We’re really shaken up. All of us.’
    ‘What can you tell us about the victim?’
    A slight blush appeared on the woman’s cheeks, and she fidgeted a bit.
    ‘I know Markus Sandberg because of … well, because of that TV programme he once had. I know it wasn’t very good, but I still couldn’t help watching it, because everyone was talking about the show. Plus, he’s been out here several times for work.’
    Johan let her talk, even though he wasn’t sure that they would reveal the victim’s identity when the report was broadcast. It might be too soon