Chapter 23
When Daniel and Anton walk into the spacious hallway, the floor is littered with winter shoes in various sizes. Several jackets have been dumped on a bench that is covered with a gray sheepskin.
The five friends have gathered in the living room.
A faint smell of beer and spirits reaches Daniel’s nostrils as he goes over to them. The rug bears traces of chips trampled underfoot, and the coffee table is covered in sticky rings. It seems as if they had quite a party last night.
After ten years as a police officer, Daniel is well aware that anything can happen when people get drunk.
He stands by the coffee table, trying to form an impression of the young students.
The group is made up of four boys and one girl.
She is curled up in the corner of one of the sofas, with her face hidden in her hands.
A boy with dark hair, wearing a gray T-shirt, has his arm around her shoulders.
Daniel can see shock and bewilderment on his face.
It looks as if he is trying to comfort the girl, yet at the same time he can’t take his eyes off the two police officers who are still outside.
They are guarding the body until the CSIs arrive. Daniel glances at his watch; Carina should be here soon.
On the opposite sofa is a blond boy who is slightly shorter.
He is staring at his phone as if he is trying to escape reality.
The other two friends are seated at the dining table, among the remains of what was presumably breakfast. In the middle is a large, sweaty cheese that really needs to go back in the refrigerator.
“So we’re from the police,” Daniel begins. He introduces himself and Anton as officers from the Serious Crimes Unit; then they sit down, and Daniel takes out his notebook.
“If we could start with your names?”
The young woman looks up, her eyes blank.
Her name is Olivia, she is almost nineteen and was best friends with Filippa.
The boy with his arm around her is William, and it is his parents who own the house.
He talks fast and is clearly stressed. His words tumble over one another as he tries to clarify the situation.
The two at the table are Emil and Amir, while the boy on the other sofa is Pontus.
They confirm that they know one another from university in Uppsala, as Anton said. They are all studying economics, except for Filippa. They started together back in the fall, and are now in their second semester.
“We’re going to need to ask each of you some questions about Filippa’s death,” Anton explains. “Is there a room we could use?”
William nods in the direction of the staircase.
“There’s a study down there,” he says unsteadily. “Otherwise there are only bedrooms on that floor, plus a TV room.”
“And there’s a guest cabin,” Emil volunteers. He points through the window to a smaller building a few yards away. He is strikingly tall, around six foot five, Daniel guesses.
Broad-shouldered too.
Strong enough to carry a young woman out into the snow and leave her there in the middle of the night.
“That’s where Filippa and Olivia were staying,” Emil adds.
Olivia lets out a faint whimper.
“Okay, we’ll take a look in there before we leave,” Daniel says. “But we’ll start with a chat.”
“I want to go home,” Olivia bursts out.
“I understand that, but I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a while.”
“Do we have to stay in ?re?”
Anton speaks up. “We’d like you all to stick around for the time being—at least until we’ve had the chance to look more closely into Filippa’s death. We might need to interview you again.”
Daniel looks at the group. They are all noticeably shocked, yet they give an impression of being quite composed. They are neatly dressed, polite, and articulate.
However, the question must be answered: Was this an accident, or is one of the group behind Filippa’s tragic death?