The Fire Witness

There’s blood around the window catch. Clear handprints show how someone climbed up onto the windowsill, took hold of the window frame, and then presumably jumped out onto the lawn below.

He goes over to the bed. An icy shiver runs down his neck when he pulls the covers back. The sheet is covered with dried blood. But whoever was lying in the bed hadn’t been injured.

The blood has been wiped off onto the sheet, smeared across it.

Someone covered in blood has slept in these sheets.

Joona stands still for a while, trying to read the movements.

She really did sleep, he thinks.

When he tries to pick up the pillow he discovers that it’s stuck to the bottom sheet and mattress. Joona pulls it free, to find a bloodstained hammer with congealed brown matter and strands of hair stuck to it. Most of the blood has been absorbed by the sheet, but it’s still glinting wetly around the head of the hammer.

20 (#ulink_ba5f1bf3-c6ec-5e83-adb0-4de6eb200807)

The Birgitta Home is bathed in soft, beautiful light, and Himmelsjön is glinting magically between the tall old trees. But just a few hours ago Nina Mollander got up to go to the toilet and found Miranda dead on her bed. She woke the others, panic broke out, and they called counsellor Daniel Grim, who immediately alerted the police.

Nina Molander was so shocked that she’d had to be taken by ambulance to the regional hospital in Sundsvall.

Gunnarsson is standing in the yard with the counsellor, Daniel Grim, and Sonja Rask. Gunnarsson has opened the boot of his white Mercedes and has laid out the forensics officers’ sketches of the crime scene in the back.

The dog is still barking excitedly, tugging at its leash.

When Joona stops behind the car and runs his hand through his tousled hair the other three have already turned to face him.

‘The girl’s escaped through her window,’ he says.

‘Escaped?’ Daniel says in astonishment. ‘Vicky’s escaped? Why would—’

‘There’s blood on the window frame, there’s blood in her bed, and—’

‘Surely that doesn’t necessarily mean—’

‘There’s a bloody hammer under her pillow,’ Joona concludes.

‘This doesn’t make sense,’ Gunnarsson says irritably. ‘It’s can’t be right, because the level of violence was so damn extreme.’

Joona turns back to the counsellor, Daniel Grim. His face looks fragile and naked in the sunlight.

‘What do you say?’ Joona asks him.

‘What? About the idea that Vicky might … It’s insane,’ Daniel replies.

‘Why?’

‘Just now,’ the counsellor says, and smiles involuntarily, ‘just now you were convinced this was the work of a grown man – Vicky’s small, weighs less than fifty kilos, and her wrists are as thin as—’

‘Is she violent?’ Joona asks.

‘Vicky didn’t do this,’ Daniel replies calmly. ‘I’ve spent two months working with her, and I can tell you that she isn’t.’

‘Was she violent before she came here?’

‘I have to obey the oath of confidentiality,’ Daniel replies.

‘And surely you can see that your bloody oath of confidentiality is costing us time,’ Gunnarsson says.

‘What I can say is that I coach some residents to adopt alternatives to aggressive responses … so that they don’t react angrily when they feel disappointed or frightened, for instance,’ Daniel says mildly.

‘But not Vicky?’ Joona says.

‘No.’

‘So why isn’t she here?’ Sonja asks.

‘I can’t discuss individual residents.’

‘But you don’t consider her violent?’

‘She’s a sweet girl,’ he replies simply.

‘So what do you think happened? Why is there a bloody hammer under her pillow?’

‘I don’t know, it doesn’t make sense. Maybe she was helping someone? Hid the weapon?’

‘Which of the girls are violent?’ Gunnarsson asks angrily.

‘I can’t identify them individually – you must understand that.’

‘We do,’ Joona replies.

Daniel looks at him gratefully and tries to breathe more calmly.

‘Try talking to them,’ Daniel says. ‘You’ll soon see which girls I mean.’

‘Thanks,’ Joona says, and starts to walk off.

‘Bear in mind that they’ve lost a friend,’ Daniel says quickly.

Joona stops and walks back towards the counsellor.

‘Do you know which room Miranda was found in?’

‘No, but I assumed …’

Daniel falls silent and shakes his head.

‘Because I’m having trouble thinking it’s her room,’ Joona says. ‘It’s almost bare, on the right, just past the toilets.’