Chapter 66
It is almost six thirty when Daniel parks outside the apartment block Ida moved to after the separation. It is in Kl?ppen, between ?re and Tegefj?ll.
He hurries up to the second floor, mentally preparing himself to face Ida’s displeasure. However, when he rings the bell, it is Gustav who answers. His long hair is loose, the golden curls lying on his shoulders.
As usual he looks ridiculously fresh and fit—a poster boy for the open-air life in the mountains.
“Hi there!” Gustav greets Daniel with a broad smile, which Daniel struggles to return. He can’t understand why Gustav thinks they can be best friends. It is childish and undignified to react the way he does, but Daniel can’t help it.
“I’m here to pick up Alice,” he says, tension in every word.
“Come on in,” Gustav says. “Ida is just giving her something to eat.”
Daniel takes a few steps into the hallway. There are shoes and boots strewn all over the place in a way that would never have been permitted when Ida and Daniel lived together.
Because he would have tidied up in the evening before they went to bed.
He takes off his shoes and goes into the kitchen, where Alice is sitting in her highchair opposite Ida. More mess—dishes in the sink, dirty glasses on the counter.
Alice has a plate in front of her; Daniel can see the remains of boiled cod with mashed potatoes. Quite a lot of the food has ended up on the table and the floor.
“Daddy!” she shouts gleefully as soon as she spots Daniel. “I eating by myself!”
“Hi, sweetheart.” Daniel kisses her forehead before turning to Ida. “Sorry I’m late—I got stuck at work. I came as soon as I could.”
Ida is wearing jeans and a turtleneck sweater, with her thick brown braid hanging over one shoulder as usual.
“It’s fine,” she replies with a shrug. “I read online about that girl who was found dead in Sadeln—I assume that’s what you’re working on?”
Daniel isn’t sure if he has grasped the situation correctly. For once Ida doesn’t seem irritated at all—in fact her expression is sympathetic and understanding. She isn’t normally so forgiving when it comes to his job, but today she is clearly in a good mood.
His heart rate slows; it’s nice to avoid the nagging he had been expecting.
“Alice is almost ready,” Ida goes on. “Two more mouthfuls, then it’s all gone! I thought it was best to give her dinner before it got too late—otherwise she can get a little cranky, as you know.”
Daniel gives Ida a grateful smile. “That was kind of you.”
At moments like this their arrangement works really well. And that’s the most important thing, he thinks. They don’t want Alice to suffer because the two of them can’t get along. He might have failed to be a good partner, but he is prepared to do whatever it takes to be a good dad.
Which means having a good relationship with Alice’s mom.
“I’ll try to do better in future,” he says, hoping it’s a promise he can keep.
“Mmm.”
Ida doesn’t seem convinced by his aspirations, but she doesn’t say anything. Alice finishes eating, and Ida wipes her mouth with a piece of kitchen towel.
“Okay,” Daniel says, lifting his daughter out of the chair. “Time to go.”
Ida accompanies them into the hallway, where Daniel helps Alice to put on her all-in-one and her little boots. Ida holds out Alice’s pink gloves and hat so that he won’t forget them. She also hands him a bag containing Alice’s soft toys, including Reindeer, who is an essential bedtime companion.
“Exciting news about Hanna,” she says when Daniel is almost ready to leave.
“What do you mean?”
Ida gives him a curious look. “Haven’t you read the news online? It’s everywhere—far more than that poor girl in Sadeln.”
Daniel still has no idea what Ida is talking about, but he has a sinking feeling in his stomach.
Didn’t Staffan Berg say something about Hanna being in the paper this morning? Daniel had intended to ask her about it after lunch, but it had gone out of his mind when she said she didn’t feel well on the way back to the station.
“Hanna’s seeing that billionaire from Stockholm,” Ida continues. “But I guess you already knew that?”