The Hypnotist

“Hang on,” she says.

She’s spotted one of the boys who threatened the girl. He’s standing by the barrier in the station, and he seems to be waiting for something. She can feel Benjamin trying to pull her away.

“What’s the matter?” she asks.

“Come on, let’s go, you said we were going to take a taxi.”

“I just need to have a word with him.”

“Mum, just leave it,” begs Benjamin.

His face is pale and anxious and he remains where he is as she resolutely goes over to the boy.

She sticks her hand out and turns the boy to face her. He is only about thirteen years old, but instead of being afraid or surprised, he smiles scornfully at her, as if she’s just fallen into his trap.

“You’re coming with me to the security guard,” she says firmly.

“What did you say, you old cow?”

“I saw you—”

“Shut it!” the boy hisses. “Unless you shut your mouth, we’ll fuck you as a punishment.”

Simone is so stunned she doesn’t know what to say. The boy spits on the ground in front of her, jumps over the barrier, and disappears down the passageway.

Simone is shaken; she goes back outside to Benjamin.

“What did he say?” he asks.

“Nothing,” she says.

They walk to the taxi stand and settle down in the back seat of a cab. As they pull away from the shopping centre, Simone tells him about the call from his school.

“Aida wanted me to be with her when she got her tattoo altered,” says Benjamin quietly.

“That was kind of you.”

They travel in silence.

“Did you call Nicky an idiot?” asks Benjamin.

“I said the wrong thing. I’m the one who’s an idiot.”

“But how could you?”

“I do the wrong thing sometimes, Benjamin,” she says, subdued.

From the Tranberg bridge, Simone looks down at Stora Essingen. The ice has not formed, but the water looks slow and pale.

“It looks as if Dad and I are going to separate,” she says.

“What? But why?”

“It’s not because of you.”

“I asked you why.”

“There’s no real answer,” she begins. “Your dad … it’s hard to explain. Even when you really love someone—and I really love your father—it can all just come to an end.” Her voice falters. “You don’t think that when you first meet, when you have a child … But after a while, if the lies pile up … I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be talking about this.”

“I don’t want to get involved.”

“Sorry I—”

“Just leave it!” he snaps.

21

tuesday, december 8: afternoon

Although he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep in the car, Erik has made an attempt. But he remains wide awake as they drive toward the cottage where they hope to find Evelyn Ek, despite the fact that Detective Joona Linna has driven very smoothly toward Värmdö.

Now, though, off the main road, loose gravel begins to rattle against the bottom of the chassis as they pass an old sawmill.

Erik peers out the windscreen, waiting while Joona speaks quietly over the police radio with his colleagues, who are also on their way to Värmdö.

“I was thinking,” says Erik, after Joona has replaced the transmitter.

“Yes?”

“I said Josef Ek couldn’t run away from the hospital, but if he could inflict all those knife wounds on himself, maybe we can’t be too sure.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Joona replies, “so I’ve got somebody outside the room.”

“It’s probably completely unnecessary,” says Erik.

“Yes.”

They pull to the side of the road where three cars have stopped next to a telephone pole, one behind the other. Joona momentarily joins four police officers who stand talking in the white light, putting on their bullet-proof vests and pointing at a map. The sunlight flashes on the glass of an old greenhouse nearby.

Joona gets back in the car, carrying the cold air on his clothes. He drums the fingers of one hand pensively on the steering wheel as he waits for the others to return to their cars.

Suddenly a rapid sequence of notes comes from the police radio, then a loud crackling that stops abruptly. Joona switches to another channel and checks that everyone in the team is in contact, exchanging a few words with each one before turning the key in the ignition.

The cars continue alongside a ploughed field, past a grove of birch trees and a large, rusty silo.

“Stay in the car when we get there,” says Joona quietly.

“Fine,” says Erik.