Chapter 112
Daniel is seething with anger as he returns to his office after the morning briefing with Grip and their colleagues in ?stersund.
The prosecutor, a new guy that Daniel hasn’t met before, refused to let them hold William any longer.
His view was that they couldn’t arrest him, because there was insufficient evidence.
The fact that William had sex with Filippa and then lied about it wasn’t enough for the arrogant little shit.
It’s not illegal to sleep with someone, as he put it.
When Daniel tried to put forward his standpoint, he was told that it was the police’s task to obtain sufficient evidence.
“Don’t blame me if you’re not happy,” the prosecutor said. “It’s your job to prove that your suspicions are well founded.”
Just as Daniel was about to launch into another argument, Grip had given him a warning look. Enough, it said. Go and do your job.
It’s easy to sit in your ivory tower at the prosecutors’ office and spend your time on legal niceties. Welcome to reality, Daniel wanted to yell.
Instead he didn’t speak for the rest of the meeting.
Back in his office he slams the door so hard that the frame shakes. He knows he’s overreacting, but he can’t help it.
The thought of Hanna and her new boyfriend has haunted him all night, and Ida’s whining text this morning was the last thing he needed. He already feels guilty enough because he had to prioritize work over Alice yesterday.
And now they have to deal with that idiot prosecutor who has probably never won a single case.
If he were alone in the station, he would open the door and slam it again, but instead he has to content himself with sinking down in front of the computer and gritting his teeth.
There is a knock. A very tentative knock. Then Hanna opens the door a fraction and peers through the gap.
“Is it safe to come in, or do I need protective clothing? Your poor door will probably never be the same again . . .”
“Sorry. I was just so fucking furious with that prosecutor splitting hairs.”
Hanna takes the chair opposite him. “To be fair, he’s right. We don’t have enough to hold William. There’s nothing substantial, not a shred of forensic evidence linking him to either the murder or the fire.”
Daniel tugs at his hair. “I know!”
Then he stops himself. He shouldn’t be taking his bad temper out on Hanna. It’s not her fault that the prosecutor is useless.
Or that Ida’s text message ruined his morning.
He can’t even blame her for her relationship with Henry Sylvester, and he has promised himself that he will treat that particular matter with the utmost professionalism. He has to; otherwise they won’t be able to work together any longer.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get so angry. It’s just been a really shitty day, even though it’s barely started.”
In Hanna’s eyes he sees sympathy and understanding. She has already forgiven him. She is fantastic in so many ways, and he can’t even tell her that.
“Well, I might have some good news,” she says, waving her phone at him. “I’ve just spoken to a guy at the security company. He called while we were in the meeting. They’ve tracked down the footage that’s saved on their server from Nedre Svedjev?gen 7.”
Daniel’s irritation is gone in a second. Could this be the breakthrough they’ve been waiting for?
“Footage from the nights in question?”
“Exactly. They’re sending it over right away.”
Hanna glances down the corridor.
“How about interviewing Pontus again in the meantime? I’d really like to push him on the fire. I mean, it has to be him—who else could it be?”