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Knutas after they sat down.
    “You mean during this course? We’re just starting our third week of excavation.”
    “So by now you’ve all gotten to know each other well, is that right?”
    “Of course. We’ve spent an intense amount of time together.”
    “Also in the evenings?”
    “Not always, but there are a number of evening lectures and other activities, and sometimes we eat supper together. My responsibilities as the leader don’t end when the workday is over.” Mellgren smiled.
    “What do you think of Martina?” asked Knutas.
    The excavation leader turned serious again. “She’s very knowledgeable for someone so young. She knows a surprising amount about the Viking Age in particular. Other than that, she’s a lively person with a lot of enthusiasm, which rubs off on the others. So she’s definitely an asset to the group.”
    “What do you think about her disappearing like this?” asked Jacobsson.
    “It’s incomprehensible. I’m sure that she would have called if everything was okay. Now I’m worried that she’s in some kind of trouble. I don’t know how much longer we can keep digging if she doesn’t turn up soon. The fact that she’s missing has created an enormous sense of uneasiness among all of us.”
    “When was the last time you saw her?” Knutas looked at the excavation leader attentively.
    “On Saturday, after we finished digging for the day. She rode home in the bus with the rest of the students, the same as usual.”
    “What time was that?”
    “It was around four, I think. Everybody was going to the concert that evening, and they were in high spirits when they left here.”
    “You didn’t go?”
    “No. I stayed home with my family.”
    “I see.” Knutas wrote something in his notebook. “Could you describe your relationship with Martina?”
    “We get along well. As I said, she’s doing a great job.”
    “And you don’t have a more intimate relationship?”
    “No, we don’t.”
    Jacobsson took the newspaper clipping out of her bag. “We found this under Martina’s pillow on her bed.”
    Mellgren glanced at the article. His face was expressionless. “What am I supposed to say?”
    “Why do you think she had a picture of you under her pillow?” asked Knutas.
    “I have no idea. And by the way, the article is about what we do in the course. It’s not just about me.”
    “Do you think that it’s out of devotion to her archaeological work that she keeps a photo of the excavation under her pillow?” Knutas’s voice was heavy with sarcasm.
    Mellgren shrugged his shoulders. “How would I know? I don’t know my students very well.”
    “So you don’t have a closer relationship with Martina? That would be easy to assume, from looking at this.”
    “Absolutely not. Don’t you understand that? I’m married and have four children. Besides, naturally I could never get mixed up with my students in that way.”
    Jacobsson tried a different tactic. “Could it be that Martina is in love with you?”
    “I really don’t think so.”
    “Has she given you any signs to that effect?”
    “No.”
    “Maybe you’ve encouraged her in her work, and she misinterpreted what you said?”
    “Of course that’s possible, but not as far as I know, at any rate.”
    “Has anything happened between the two of you?”
    “What do you mean by ‘happened’?”
    “Well, is there anything going on between you?”
    “No. And now that’s enough.”
    Mellgren was about to stand up, but Knutas took his arm to stop him.
    “You haven’t had a fight? Some sort of confrontation?”
    “Let’s drop this topic. I have exactly the same relationship with Martina as with all the others. No more, no less.”
    “Then what about someone else?” asked Jacobsson to ease the tension. “Do you know whether she’s with someone else in the group?”
    “I don’t really keep tabs on their relationships with each other.”
    “You haven’t noticed that she’s had a fight with anyone?”
    “No. Martina was as happy as always when I last saw her. I just hope that she turns up soon.”
    Jacobsson could see that they weren’t going to get any further and changed the subject. She had become quite curious about what was going on around them.
    “Could you tell us a little about this site and the excavation work?”
    Mellgren sighed and leaned back in his chair, as if to collect himself after the assault on his integrity. Apparently he saw that Jacobsson’s interest was genuine, because