The Lost Boy (Patrick Hedstrom and Erica Falck, Book 7) Read online

  ‘Over there on the left. In one long row so people can walk on both sides.’

  Everything had to be arranged properly. The place servings, the food, the spa rooms, the treatments. All the rooms had to look perfect, with flowers and fruit baskets for the guests of honour. And the stage needed to be set up for the band. Nothing could be left to chance.

  Vivianne’s voice was beginning to go as she answered questions coming from all directions. Every once in a while she would notice the sparkling ring on her finger, and she had to fight an urge to tear off that ring and hurl it against the wall. She couldn’t lose control now, not when they were so close to their goal and life was finally about to take a new turn.

  ‘Hi. What can I do to help?’

  Anders looked terrible, as if he hadn’t slept a wink all night. His hair was dishevelled, and he had dark circles under his eyes.

  ‘I’ve been trying to reach you all morning. Where have you been?’ She was filled with dread. The thought that had crept into her mind refused to leave her alone. She didn’t really believe that Anders was capable of such a thing, but she wasn’t a hundred per cent sure. How could anyone truly know what went on inside someone else’s mind?

  ‘I turned off my mobile. I needed to sleep,’ he said, keeping his eyes averted.

  ‘But …’ She stopped herself. It was pointless. After everything they’d shared, Anders had chosen to shut her out. No words could express how hurt she felt.

  ‘You could make sure that there’s enough to drink,’ she said instead. ‘And enough glasses. I’d be grateful if you’d take care of that.’

  ‘Sure. I’ll do anything for you. You know that,’ said Anders. For a moment he was his usual self. Then he turned around and headed for the kitchen.

  I knew it, Vivianne thought. Tears ran down her cheeks. She wiped them off on her sleeve and started walking towards the spa rooms. She couldn’t fall apart. That would have to wait until later. Right now she had to see to it that they had enough massage oil and oyster scrub.

  ‘We’ve had a phone call from our colleagues in the violent crimes division in Stockholm. They’re trying to locate Nathalie.’ Patrik saw the astonishment on his colleagues’ faces. He must have had the same expression when he answered his mobile at home less than half an hour ago and Annika told him the very same thing.

  ‘Why is that?’ asked Gösta.

  ‘Her husband was found murdered, and they’ve been worried that Nathalie and her son might also be dead. Fredrik Wester was apparently one of the big guns in the Swedish narcotics trade.’

  ‘You’re kidding,’ said Martin.

  ‘I had a hard time believing it myself. But apparently the narcotics division has had him under investigation for a long time, and recently he was found dead, shot in his own bed. He seems to have been there for a while, possibly a couple of weeks.’

  ‘But why didn’t anyone find him sooner?’ asked Paula.

  ‘Evidently the family had packed their bags and were due to leave for their house in Italy. They were going to be gone all summer. So everyone assumed that they’d left.’

  ‘What about Nathalie?’ said Gösta.

  ‘As I said, at first they were afraid that Nathalie and Sam would be found in some wooded area with bullets in their foreheads. When I confirmed that they’re both here, the Stockholm police concluded she must have fled with her son, trying to escape from whoever killed her husband. She might even have witnessed the murder, and in that case, it was smart to run away. But they can’t rule out the possibility that she was the one who pulled the trigger.’

  ‘What’s going to happen now?’ Annika looked upset.

  ‘Two of the officers handling the investigation will be arriving here tomorrow. They want to talk to her as soon as possible. We’ll wait until they get here.’

  ‘What if Nathalie and Sam are in danger?’ said Martin.

  ‘Nothing has happened so far, and tomorrow we’ll have reinforcements. I’m hoping that our colleagues will know how to handle the situation.’

  ‘Yes, it’s probably best to allow Stockholm to deal with this,’ Paula agreed. ‘But am I the only one who thinks …’

  ‘That there’s a connection between the murder of Fredrik Wester and the murder of Mats Sverin? Yes, that thought occurred to me, too,’ said Patrik. He had been almost convinced who the perpetrator was, but this new information changed everything.

  ‘So how did it go in Göteborg?’ asked Martin, as if he could read Patrik’s mind.

  ‘Good and bad.’ He told them what had happened during the two days that he and Gösta had been away. When he was done, silence settled over everyone in the kitchen, except for Mellberg, who sniggered at whatever scene was playing out in his mind. He smelled suspiciously of whisky.

  ‘After having no leads, we now have two plausible leads,’ Paula concluded.

  ‘Yes, and that’s why it’s extremely important not to get locked into any particular theory. We need to keep working. Tomorrow the officers from Stockholm will be here, and then we can talk to Nathalie. I’m also waiting for Ulf in Göteborg to advise how we can best proceed with IE. And then there’s the technical evidence to consider. Still no match for the bullet?’ asked Patrik.

  Paula shook her head.

  ‘It’ll probably take time. The boat is also being examined, but we haven’t heard back yet.’

  ‘What about the cocaine bag?’

  ‘There are still some fingerprints that haven’t been identified.’

  ‘I was thinking about the boat. We need to consult an expert on the currents out there, someone who can tell us what direction the boat would have drifted, how far, and so on.’ Patrik looked around and finally fixed his gaze on Gösta.

  ‘I’ll take care of it.’ Gösta sounded tired.

  ‘Good.’

  Martin raised his hand.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Paula and I talked to Lennart about the documents that were found in Mats’s briefcase.’

  ‘What did he say?’

  ‘Unfortunately, everything seems to be in order. Although I suppose that’s actually good news, depending on how you look at it.’ Martin blushed.

  ‘Lennart couldn’t find any irregularities,’ Paula clarified. ‘That doesn’t necessarily mean that there aren’t any, but according to the documents in Mats’s possession, everything seems to be above board.’

  ‘Okay. What do we know about the laptop?’

  ‘That’s going to take another week,’ said Paula.

  Patrik sighed. ‘It looks as though we’re going to do a lot of waiting, but we need to continue working on what we have. I’m going to sit down and go over everything that we’ve learned so far. Then I’ll have a feel for where we stand and whether we’ve overlooked anything. Gösta, you deal with the boat. Martin and Paula …’ He paused for a moment. ‘I’d like both of you to start digging up whatever information you can find on the IE’s activities, and also Fredrik Wester. Our colleagues in Göteborg and Stockholm have promised to help. You can get the contact information from me, then you can request all the background material that they’re able to share. The two of you can divide the workload however you see fit.’

  ‘Okay,’ said Paula.

  Martin nodded agreement and then raised his hand again.

  ‘What about the Refuge? Are we going to report them?’

  ‘No,’ said Patrik. ‘We’ve decided not to. As we see it, there’s no reason to do so.’

  Martin looked relieved. ‘By the way, how did you find out about Sverin’s girlfriend?’

  Patrik cast a glance at Gösta, who looked down at the floor.

  ‘Meticulous police work. And a gut feeling.’ Then he clapped his hands. ‘Okay, let’s get to work.’

  FJÄLLBACKA 1875

  Days became weeks, and months became years. Emelie had settled in, adapting to the calm rhythms of Gråskär. She felt as if she were living in harmony with the island. She knew exactly when the hollyhocks would bloom, when
the heat of summer would change to the chill of autumn, when the ice would form, and when it would break up. The island was her world, and in that world Gustav was king. He was a happy child, and every day she was amazed at how much joy he found in the restricted setting that framed his life.

  Karl and Julian hardly spoke to her any more. They lived separate lives, even though they all shared such a confined space. The harsh words had also diminished. It was as if she was no longer a person, and subsequently there was no use harbouring any rancour towards her. Instead, they seemed to regard her as an invisible being. She took care of everything that needed tending, but otherwise she required none of their attention. Even Gustav accepted this strange arrangement. He never tried to approach Karl or Julian. They were less real to him than the dead. And Karl never called his son by name. On those few occasions when he mentioned him, he always referred to him as ‘the boy’.

  Emelie knew precisely when the hatred in their eyes had become indifference. It was just after Gustav turned two. Karl had come back from a trip to Fjällbacka with an expression on his face that she had a hard time deciphering. He was completely sober. For once he and Julian hadn’t gone to Abela’s – and that in itself was unusual. Several hours passed with not a word out of Karl, and Emelie had tried to guess what was going on. Finally he placed a letter on the kitchen table.

  ‘My father died,’ he said. And it was as if in that moment Karl was finally free. Emelie wished that Dagmar had told her more about Karl and his father, but now it was too late. There was nothing to be done about it, and she was grateful that Karl at least left her and Gustav in peace.

  As each year passed, it became clearer to her that God was present in everything on Gråskär. She was filled with gratitude that she and Gustav were allowed to live in this place where they could feel God’s spirit in the movement of the water and hear His voice in the rushing of the wind. Each day on the island was a gift, and Gustav was such a lively boy. She knew that it bordered on sinful pride to hold such a high opinion of her son, who was made in her own image. But according to the Bible, he was also made in God’s image, so she hoped that she might be forgiven this sin. Gustav was so lovely, with his fair, curly hair, his blue eyes, and those long lashes that rested on his cheeks when he slept beside her at night. He talked all the time, both with her and with the dead. Sometimes she would eavesdrop on him, a smile on her face. He said so many wise things, and they were so patient with him.

  ‘Can I go outside, Mamma?’

  He tugged at her dress and peered up at her.

  ‘Yes, all right. You go ahead.’ She leaned down and kissed his cheek. ‘But be careful not to fall into the water.’

  Emelie watched as he raced out the door. She wasn’t really worried. She knew that he wasn’t alone. Both the dead and God were keeping watch over him.

  21

  Saturday arrived with the most beautiful weather imaginable. Radiant sunshine, a clear blue sky, and only a slight breeze. All of Fjällbacka bubbled with anticipation. Those who were fortunate enough to have received an invitation to the evening’s dedication festivities had spent a large part of the week agonizing over their attire and hair. Everyone who was anyone in the local community was going to be there, and rumour had it that several celebrities would be coming from Göteborg.

  But Erica had other things on her mind. That very morning she had decided that it would be better if someone told Nathalie about Gunnar in person rather than over the phone. And she’d already been thinking of going out to see Nathalie to give her the information that she’d unearthed about Gråskär’s history, as a little surprise. Now that she had a babysitter, she decided to make the trip out to the island.

  ‘Are you sure that you can manage for such a long time?’ she asked her mother-in-law.

  Kristina snorted.

  ‘With these little angels? No problem.’ She was holding Maja in her arms, and the twins were asleep in their carrycots.

  ‘I’ll be gone for quite a while. First I’m going to see Anna, and then I’m going out to Gråskär.’

  ‘You’ll be careful, won’t you? I’m not sure I like the idea of you going out there in the boat alone.’ Maja was starting to squirm, so Kristina set her down. Maja gave her baby brothers a couple of wet kisses and then ran off to play.

  ‘You don’t need to worry. I know how to handle a boat,’ laughed Erica. ‘As opposed to your son.’

  ‘You have a point there,’ said Kristina, but she was still looking concerned. ‘By the way, are you sure that Anna is strong enough for this?’

  The same thought had occurred to Erica when Anna phoned and asked her to accompany her out to the grave. But she realized that she needed to let her sister make her own decisions.

  ‘Yes, I think so,’ she said, sounding more confident than she felt.

  ‘I really think it’s a bit too soon,’ said Kristina, picking up Noel, who had started whimpering. ‘But I hope you’re right.’

  I do too, thought Erica as she went out to the car to drive to the cemetery. But no matter what reservations she might have, she’d promised to go with Anna, and she couldn’t very well back out now.

  Anna was waiting at the big iron gate near the fire station. She looked so small. Her cropped hair made her seem even more fragile, and Erica had to stop herself from taking her sister in her arms and rocking her like a baby.

  ‘Are you sure you’re ready for this?’ she asked gently. ‘We can go out there some other day if you like.’

  Anna shook her head. ‘No, I’m fine. And I want to go. I was so out of it at the time that I can hardly even remember the funeral. I need to see where his grave is.’

  ‘Okay.’ Erica took Anna’s arm and they walked along the gravel path.

  They couldn’t have chosen a more beautiful day. A muted rushing sound came from the traffic moving past, but otherwise everything was calm and peaceful. The sun shone on the headstones, and many of the graves were well tended with fresh flowers that family members had left. Anna suddenly paused, and Erica nodded in the direction of the grave.

  ‘He’s next to Jens.’ Erica pointed to a round boulder made of granite, with the name Jens Läckberg etched into the surface. Jens had been their father’s good friend, and they remembered him from their childhood as a man with an impressive paunch who had always been cheerful, sociable, and witty.

  ‘How lovely it is,’ said Anna. Her voice was devoid of emotion, but grief was evident in her expression. They had chosen a similar headstone, a naturally rounded piece of granite. And the etching had been done in the same manner. It said ‘Little One’ and the year. Just one year.

  Erica felt her throat close up, but she forced herself to hold back the tears. For Anna’s sake she needed to be strong. Her sister swayed a bit as she stared at the stone, which was all that she had left of the child she had wanted so badly. She grabbed Erica’s hand and squeezed it hard. Tears ran down her face. Then she turned to face her sister.

  ‘What’s going to happen? How is it all going to work out?’

  Without a word, Erica wrapped her arms around her and held her tight.

  ‘Rita and I have a suggestion.’ Mellberg put his arm around Rita and pulled her closer.

  Paula and Johanna looked at them, wondering what this was all about.

  ‘Well, we don’t really know what your plans are,’ said Rita, looking a bit more hesitant than Mellberg. ‘You said that you need a place of your own … And, well, the question is, how far away you’d like to move.’

  ‘What are you two talking about?’ asked Paula, staring at her mother.

  ‘What we’re wondering is whether it would be enough if you moved to the floor below.’ Mellberg looked at them expectantly.

  ‘But there aren’t any vacant flats in the building,’ said Paula.

  ‘There is one. At least, there will be next month. The three-room flat below could be yours as soon as the ink dries on the lease agreement.’

  Rita studied the girls carefully
to see whether she could work out what they were thinking. She had been overjoyed when Bertil told her about the flat, but she wasn’t sure how much distance the girls felt they needed.

  ‘Of course we wouldn’t be running in and out of your place all the time,’ she assured them.

  Mellberg looked at Rita in surprise. Wouldn’t they be allowed to come and go as they pleased? But he decided not to comment. The most important thing was for the girls to accept the offer.

  Paula and Johanna looked at each other. Then they both smiled and began talking at once.

  ‘That three-room flat is great. It’s filled with light, and there are windows facing in two directions. And the kitchen was recently remodelled. And that little room that Bente uses as a dressing room could be Leo’s room, and …’ They suddenly stopped talking.

  ‘But where is Bente going to live?’ asked Paula. ‘I didn’t know that she was planning to move.’

  Mellberg shrugged. ‘I have no idea. I assume that she’s found another place. Alvar didn’t mention it when I talked to him. But he did say that you’ll have to paint it and make any other changes yourselves.’

  ‘No problem,’ said Johanna. ‘That’ll be fun. We’ll fix it up really nice, won’t we, sweetheart?’ Her eyes were sparkling, and Paula leaned forward to kiss her on the lips.

  ‘And we can still help out with Leo,’ Rita interjected. ‘As much as you want us to, that is. We don’t want to intrude.’

  ‘We’re going to need plenty of help,’ said Paula, wanting to reassure her. ‘And we think it’s wonderful that Leo will have you and Grandpa Bertil so close. As long as we have our own flat, everything will work out fine.’

  Paula turned to Mellberg, who had lifted Leo on to his lap.

  ‘Thank you, Bertil,’ she said.

  To his surprise, Mellberg felt a bit embarrassed.

  ‘Oh, it was nothing.’ He pressed his face against the back of Leo’s neck, which always made the boy giggle. Then he looked up and glanced around the kitchen table. Once again Bertil Mellberg felt deeply grateful for this new family of his.