I’ve just stepped in the door with Elin.’
‘Sure. Do that.’
Emma quickly got Elin undressed, turning her head away when she noticed the stink of her daughter’s nappy. She took Elin into the bathroom to get her changed. She thought about Johan as she tended to Elin. She’d missed him more than usual lately. Not for any practical reason. She was doing fine, and Elin was an easy child to take care of. Sara and Filip had also adapted to their new routine and were beginning to get used to the idea of life after the divorce. Sara was in third grade and Filip in second. There was only a year between them, and sometimes she thought they were almost like twins. Nowadays they enjoyed playing together, and they got along even better than before the divorce. The children had drawn closer together because of their parents’ separation.At the same time it was also rather sad, as if their faith and trust in their parents had diminished. At such a young age they had been forced to realize that nothing lasted for ever and nothing could be taken for granted.
For the sake of the children, Emma was cautious about her new relationship. Of course that was the reason why her marriage had failed, but she wasn’t yet ready to throw herself into a new family arrangement. She had consciously kept Johan at a distance, even though she was more in love with him than ever.
Her life had been turned completely upside-down since they met, and sometimes she wondered if it was all worth it. Yet in her heart she had no doubt. That was why she had decided to carry their child to term, even though the pregnancy was unplanned and Elin had come into the world at a time when her relationship with Johan was on very shaky ground.
The fact that Johan had almost died when Elin was only a month old had shocked Emma more than she’d at first been willing to admit. Since then she had no doubt whatsoever that she wanted to live with him. It was just a matter of doing everything at the right time and in the proper order, for the sake of the children.
She picked up Elin and nuzzled her soft neck. Dinner would have to wait. She sat down on the sofa and punched in the number of Johan’s mobile. He answered at once.
‘Hi, sweetheart. How are things?’
‘Fine. How come you’re here? Has something happened?’
‘A man was found dead in Dalman Gate. He was murdered.’
‘Oh my God. When did it happen?’
‘This morning. Didn’t you hear about it on the radio? They’ve been talking about nothing else all day long.’
‘No, I missed it. Sounds awful. Do you know who it was?’
‘Yes, the art dealer on Stora Torget.’
‘What? Egon Wallin? Is that true?’
‘Do you know him?’
‘No, but everybody knows who he is. Was he robbed? Is that what happened?’
‘I don’t think so. It seems a little much to go about hanging a person in that way, so I suspect there’s something else behind it.’
‘You mean he was hanged from the gate? God, how macabre. It sounds like those horrible murders from last summer. Do you think somebody was incited by them?’
‘You mean a copycat killer? Let’s hope not. Although I don’t know exactly how Wallin was murdered, only that he was found hanging from the gate. The police aren’t saying much. But Pia and I are up to our eyeballs in work. We’re doing stories for Regional News,
Rapport
and
Aktuellt.’
‘So you’re busy tonight?’
Johan’s voice took on a softer tone. ‘I was thinking of asking you whether I could come over later. After I’m done.’
‘Sure, do that. That would be great.’
‘I might not get there until around nine or even later, depending on whether anything happens about the murder.’
‘That’s OK. It doesn’t matter. Come over whenever you can.’
K nutas could hear excited voices coming from the conference room as he arrived for the meeting with the investigative team on Sunday evening. Everyone else was already there, crowded around one of the computers on the
‘Sure. Do that.’
Emma quickly got Elin undressed, turning her head away when she noticed the stink of her daughter’s nappy. She took Elin into the bathroom to get her changed. She thought about Johan as she tended to Elin. She’d missed him more than usual lately. Not for any practical reason. She was doing fine, and Elin was an easy child to take care of. Sara and Filip had also adapted to their new routine and were beginning to get used to the idea of life after the divorce. Sara was in third grade and Filip in second. There was only a year between them, and sometimes she thought they were almost like twins. Nowadays they enjoyed playing together, and they got along even better than before the divorce. The children had drawn closer together because of their parents’ separation.At the same time it was also rather sad, as if their faith and trust in their parents had diminished. At such a young age they had been forced to realize that nothing lasted for ever and nothing could be taken for granted.
For the sake of the children, Emma was cautious about her new relationship. Of course that was the reason why her marriage had failed, but she wasn’t yet ready to throw herself into a new family arrangement. She had consciously kept Johan at a distance, even though she was more in love with him than ever.
Her life had been turned completely upside-down since they met, and sometimes she wondered if it was all worth it. Yet in her heart she had no doubt. That was why she had decided to carry their child to term, even though the pregnancy was unplanned and Elin had come into the world at a time when her relationship with Johan was on very shaky ground.
The fact that Johan had almost died when Elin was only a month old had shocked Emma more than she’d at first been willing to admit. Since then she had no doubt whatsoever that she wanted to live with him. It was just a matter of doing everything at the right time and in the proper order, for the sake of the children.
She picked up Elin and nuzzled her soft neck. Dinner would have to wait. She sat down on the sofa and punched in the number of Johan’s mobile. He answered at once.
‘Hi, sweetheart. How are things?’
‘Fine. How come you’re here? Has something happened?’
‘A man was found dead in Dalman Gate. He was murdered.’
‘Oh my God. When did it happen?’
‘This morning. Didn’t you hear about it on the radio? They’ve been talking about nothing else all day long.’
‘No, I missed it. Sounds awful. Do you know who it was?’
‘Yes, the art dealer on Stora Torget.’
‘What? Egon Wallin? Is that true?’
‘Do you know him?’
‘No, but everybody knows who he is. Was he robbed? Is that what happened?’
‘I don’t think so. It seems a little much to go about hanging a person in that way, so I suspect there’s something else behind it.’
‘You mean he was hanged from the gate? God, how macabre. It sounds like those horrible murders from last summer. Do you think somebody was incited by them?’
‘You mean a copycat killer? Let’s hope not. Although I don’t know exactly how Wallin was murdered, only that he was found hanging from the gate. The police aren’t saying much. But Pia and I are up to our eyeballs in work. We’re doing stories for Regional News,
Rapport
and
Aktuellt.’
‘So you’re busy tonight?’
Johan’s voice took on a softer tone. ‘I was thinking of asking you whether I could come over later. After I’m done.’
‘Sure, do that. That would be great.’
‘I might not get there until around nine or even later, depending on whether anything happens about the murder.’
‘That’s OK. It doesn’t matter. Come over whenever you can.’
K nutas could hear excited voices coming from the conference room as he arrived for the meeting with the investigative team on Sunday evening. Everyone else was already there, crowded around one of the computers on the
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