Chapter 38
As soon as Hanna walks into the station, she sees Anton and Daniel in the conference room where they usually meet for briefings via video link with ?stersund.
Raffe Herrera, who is based locally and is often brought in for major investigations, is right behind her. He drove into the parking lot just as she walked down from Solbringen.
Hanna sends up a silent prayer that none of her colleagues has visited Expressen’s website yet. Going to work usually puts her in a good mood, but it was a shock to see herself exposed in the media like that. She is definitely not ready to discuss her love life with her coworkers yet.
And how will Daniel react when he finds out what is going on between her and Henry? Will he see it as a personal betrayal?
She can hardly explain away her silence concerning a relationship that has gone on for almost nine months by saying that she was trying to get over her strong and altogether inappropriate feelings for Daniel himself.
She should have stayed in Niehku instead of getting stressed out and coming back. Then she wouldn’t have been here when the news broke.
Raffe bends down to put his lunchbox in the refrigerator in the kitchenette.
“I believe love is in the air,” he says with a smile as he straightens up. “It seems as if you’ve had a good weekend.”
Hanna closes her eyes. A dull headache begins to pound at her temples.
That was quick.
“It’s . . . it’s all pretty new,” she mumbles.
In order to avoid saying any more, she concentrates on the coffee machine. Presses the button for a mug for both herself and Raffe, without even asking if he wants one.
Then again, Raffe doesn’t usually need asking. He likes to boast about how much coffee he can drink, a talent he ascribes to his Chilean parents, who fled to Sweden after the military coup in the 1970s.
The machine rattles as it grinds the beans. Hanna stares at it as she tries to gather her thoughts. If Raffe knows the story, it’s only a matter of time before everyone else does.
She just hopes her mother won’t hear about her relationship with Henry. The very thought makes Hanna feel sick.
To be honest, she has no idea how the press got a hold of the story. Presumably someone must have recognized him at the airport in Kiruna, and secretly taken the pictures.
What is wrong with people these days? Why can’t a person’s private life stay private?
And how the hell did they find out her name and profession? She isn’t a celebrity; she doesn’t pop up in the media on a regular basis. She isn’t on Instagram, and she has only a deliberately vague profile on Facebook.
She must call Henry after the briefing. She probably ought to speak to Lydia too.
Although the first thing she needs is a painkiller.
A new sound from the machine indicates that the coffee is ready. With a growing knot in her stomach and a well-filled mug in each hand, she heads for the conference room.
“Morning,” she says, trying to sound nonchalant as she passes a mug to Raffe.
“What are you doing here?” Anton asks. “I thought you were supposed to be on leave today?” He doesn’t seem particularly cheerful; there are dark shadows beneath his eyes. Strange—Anton is nearly always in a good mood.
Maybe it’s the seriousness of what has happened.
“Duty calls, as they say,” she replies, taking a sip of her coffee.
“Where have you been, by the way?” Daniel asks. He is busy setting up the video link. “You never said.” He sounds exactly the same as always. Or maybe he’s just pretending.
“North,” she says tersely.
Raffe opens his mouth as if he is about to make another comment about Hanna’s love life, but she gives him a warning look. Fortunately she is saved by the screen as it flickers into life.
Grip appears, along with two colleagues from ?stersund, and Carina Grankvist.
“Hi, Hanna, good to have you back,” Grip says with a small smile. “Okay, let’s make a start.”
Half an hour later Anton and Daniel have gone through the various interviews and background checks on Filippa’s five friends. They have also mentioned Emil’s conviction for assault, and Anton has taken on the task of checking out the matter with the officer who dealt with the case.
“Ume? have given us priority,” Grip reports. “They’ve promised to carry out the autopsy as soon as possible—I’m hoping it’s already underway.”
This is critical, Hanna thinks. Everything stands or falls by the forensic examination. If the pathologist concludes that Filippa died of natural causes, then no crime has been committed. However, if it transpires that she was killed, the situation is totally different.
In the meantime she has no intention of sitting around and waiting. She doesn’t believe for one moment that it was an accident. Grip seems to feel the same, as she has already decided to launch a preliminary investigation.
“Where are we with Filippa’s clothes?” she asks. “Are they still missing?”
“Yes,” Carina replies. “We’ve searched all around the property and in the neighborhood, but nothing has been found. Her friends told us that neither her coat nor boots were in the house—they’ve been looking for them too.”
“How about the house search?” Daniel wants to know.
“I’m hoping we can get started this morning.”
The sooner the better, Hanna thinks. She doesn’t like the fact that both Filippa’s clothes and her boots are missing. As far as Hanna is concerned, this is further evidence that a crime is behind the girl’s death.
Why else would they be missing?
“We ought to speak to the neighbors as well,” she says. “Check if any of them have seen or heard anything.”
“We can do that as soon as we’re done here,” Daniel suggests. “And have a conversation with Emil about the assault conviction, even if the house search is ongoing.” He smiles at Hanna. “You’re always good at talking to young people.”
Hanna smiles back, grateful for the compliment. That means Daniel can’t have seen the article yet—otherwise it would show on his face.
She hopes, completely illogically, that he will never see it.