Chapter 127
Olivia has just finished packing the suitcase on the double bed in her room when there is a knock on the front door.
She didn’t have much to pack—most of her clothes were damaged by the fire and the smoke.
She listens, hoping one of the boys will answer, but there is another knock, so she goes up the stairs and opens the door.
The two police officers—Hanna and Daniel—are standing there. Olivia immediately feels nervous. She doesn’t trust them anymore. She couldn’t believe it when William came back from the police station—how could they let him go after what had happened?
She tried several times to persuade Amir to contact the police and tell them what he had seen on Saturday, but Amir refused to betray William—as he saw it.
And then William simply showed up, as if everything were normal.
Olivia is counting the minutes until she can get out of here.
“Hi, Olivia,” Hanna says. “Do you have time for a chat?”
Olivia steps back to let them in.
“Could you ask your friends to join us?” Daniel says. “We’d like to update you on where we are in our investigation. Quite a lot has happened over the past twenty-four hours.”
Before long they are all sitting around the dining table: Olivia, Amir, William, and Emil.
Hanna begins by summarizing the events of the last couple of days.
She informs the four friends that they have arrested a perpetrator who has confessed to murdering Filippa, and that it was Pontus who started the fire in the cabin.
Daniel fills in the details and explains how the two crimes took place.
“So who killed Filippa?” Olivia asks.
“Unfortunately we can’t tell you that at this stage,” Daniel replies. “That information remains confidential until the prosecutor agrees that it can be released.”
Olivia has never heard of such a thing. “But we have to know who it is! You can’t do this to us! You can’t tell us you’ve caught the murderer without giving us his name!”
Daniel holds up both hands. “It’s a person who is outside your circle. Nothing to do with any of you, or anyone we think you’ve met.”
“So why did he kill Filippa?”
“I’m afraid we can’t answer that either.”
Olivia feels dizzy. The last few days have been a nightmare. She has accused virtually everyone in the house of being responsible for Filippa’s death. And Amir finally admitted what he thought he’d seen—William kneeling by her lifeless body.
And now it turns out they were both wrong. It was a completely different person, someone whose name they can’t even be told.
She can’t bear it.
“When the person in question is prosecuted, you’ll find out who it is,” Hanna explains. “Until then I’m afraid we can’t reveal their identity.”
William glares at them. He hasn’t forgiven the police for the hours he spent in custody. Olivia knows he has spoken to his father several times since then; apparently herr Lowengren is intending to make a formal complaint about the way the police treated his son.
Although he deserved it, Olivia thinks. He lied about sleeping with Filippa.
She looks at him with distaste; she feels like spitting on him. She doesn’t understand how he could do that to her, or to Filippa, who was presumably so drunk and high that she didn’t know what she was doing.
William ought to be locked up too.
“What’s going to happen to Pontus?” Emil asks.
Hanna’s expression is grave. “He will be charged with arson and assaulting a police officer. He could have seriously injured our colleague, and you and Olivia could have died in the fire. There is also his attack on you.”
Emil’s hand flies up to his throat. He has wound a scarf around his neck, but it doesn’t hide all the livid purple marks.
“What kind of punishment will he get?” Amir wonders. “Will he go to jail?”
This time it is Daniel who answers.
“More than likely. The minimum penalty for arson is two years, and assaulting a police officer can result in a fine or a maximum of two years in jail. Then, as we said, there’s the violence against Emil.
The court will probably take Pontus’s age into account, and the fact that this is his first offense, but it doesn’t look good. ”
Pontus is finished, Olivia thinks. He won’t be able to complete his studies, and his life will never be the same again.
How is he going to move forward after this?
How are any of them going to do that?
Tears spring to her eyes. Emil puts his arm around her shoulders and draws her close, as if he understands what she is thinking. She can feel the warmth of his body through her top; she rests her head on his shoulder and closes her eyes.
Hanna pushes back her chair. “We’ll leave you in peace. We just wanted to bring you up to date.”
“You will all be called as witnesses when the cases come to trial, but it could take a while,” Daniel says. “The law isn’t known for its speed.”
Emil gets to his feet too. “Thank you for coming. It feels better now we know . . .” He looks away and swallows. “Now we know you’ve caught Filippa’s murderer.”
Olivia couldn’t agree more, and she is glad Emil has expressed their gratitude when no one else was able to. He is the one who behaves most like an adult; he has handled the situation better than the rest of them over the past few days.
Right now she just wants the two officers to leave so that she can be in peace with her grief over Filippa.
On the way out Hanna turns around. Her eyes meet Olivia’s, and she jerks her head a fraction, as if she wants Olivia to go with her.
Olivia follows her into the hallway, and Hanna takes her aside.
“You’ve been very brave. I just want you to know that. This must have been a terrible experience. I hope you will find the support you need from your father and your friends—you can get through this.”
“I’m just so sad,” Olivia whispers.
“I know.” Hanna’s expression is full of sympathy. “You should really go and talk to a therapist when you’re back home. Get some professional help.”
She gently strokes Olivia’s hair, almost as if she were her big sister. Hanna sounds calm and reassuring, which provides solace and makes Olivia feel a little better.
“Believe me,” Hanna goes on. “I’ve seen girls in similar situations who have been exposed to dreadful, traumatic things. It’s too much to carry on your own. No one should have to go through what has happened to you this week. You need help to process it all, and that will take time.”
Olivia nods and manages a shaky smile. She tries to put into words the question that has been burning in her mind.
“What’s going to happen to William? Shouldn’t he be charged too? He exploited Filippa when she was drunk.”
Hanna has just put on her jacket. The look she gives Olivia is filled with both frustration and empathy.
“You’re absolutely right, and if it were my call, he would be charged.
But it’s never going to happen. There is no forensic evidence to prove it was an assault, and William insists it was consensual.
” She bends down and pulls on her boots.
“It’s not even one person’s word against another’s, because Filippa can’t dispute William’s version.
From a legal point of view, he’s untouchable. ”
Olivia thought that might be the case, but it still hurts to hear it.
Hanna reaches for the door handle, then turns back and gives Olivia a brief hug.
“You’ve got my phone number. Call me anytime. I mean it.”
Olivia stays where she is after Hanna has gone. The detective’s warmth and thoughtfulness bring tears to her eyes once more. She has tried to keep it together, but she misses Filippa so much. She is too tired to stay awake, but she can’t sleep because of all the bad dreams.
She is also dreading the thought of returning to Uppsala, where Filippa’s room will be empty.
She can’t even bear to look at William.
All she wants is to go home.
To her dad.