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handshake was damp and his expression tense as he sat down on the visitor’s chair in Knutas’s office.
    “Martina’s brother and I are, of course, beside ourselves with worry. I’d like you to tell me everything that led up to my daughter’s disappearance,” he said in perfect English. “
Everything!
”
    Knutas, whose command of English was far from sufficient for conducting an interview, had already anticipated this problem. That was why he had asked Jacobsson to join them. She began by describing what the police knew so far about Martina’s disappearance. Jacobsson kept wondering why there was something familiar about the man sitting across from her. Maybe it was just that he and his daughter looked alike, judging by the photos that she’d seen of Martina.
    “I’m familiar with Warfsholm. I’ve gone out to the hotel with the children for dinner several times when we’ve been here on Gotland. How could Martina disappear from there without a single person seeing her? There are cottages and people everywhere. Besides, the nights are so bright here; it never gets really dark.”
    “It was late at night when Martina left the others. The hotel guests were in bed asleep. She went to the bathroom around one o’clock, and by then almost everyone who had been to the concert had gone home. The few who were still awake were sitting in the bar.”
    “Didn’t anyone see anything?”
    “Apparently not, unfortunately. A full-blown search is under way, of course. We’re using dogs and helicopters. A search party is also being organized today. The search area is gradually being expanded.”
    Jacobsson deliberately neglected to mention the divers. It sounded too horrible, as if they’d already given up hope of finding Martina alive.
    “Could she have gone to the mainland?”
    “There’s no indication that she has left the island. We’ve checked the passenger lists with the company that operates the ferry service, as well as the airlines. In any event, she didn’t travel under her own name. The front desk at the hotel holds on to the students’ valuables for safekeeping, and nothing was missing—not her passport or her Visa card or the cash that she had stowed away.”
    Patrick Flochten gave both officers a look of despair. “It sounds as if you’re assuming that she’s been involved in some sort of crime.”
    Knutas and Jacobsson exchanged glances.
    “Let’s not rush ahead and assume the worst,” Jacobsson urged him. “We have no idea what may have happened. Sometimes people disappear under the most peculiar circumstances, only to show up later without any sort of drama. That may well be the case here. We shouldn’t forget that Martina has only been missing for a few days. Who knows? Maybe she fell head over heels in love, or something like that. Right now we need to take one thing at a time. First and foremost, we need to concentrate on finding her as quickly as possible. Has Martina ever disappeared before without letting anyone know?”
    Patrick Flochten thought about that for a moment.
    “Well, yes … She was sometimes pretty wild as a teenager. And yes, a few times she didn’t come home at night, but not for several days in a row like this. And she’s calmed down over the years.”
    “Does she use drugs?”
    “Not that I’ve noticed. She may have tried them—that goes without saying—but she has never used drugs in the sense that I think you’re implying.”
    “No other addiction problems or illnesses?”
    “No.”
    “What’s her relationship like with her boyfriend?”
    “Good, as far as I know. They’ve been together for over a year, and it seems to be very stable. He’s quite a bit older.”
    “Has she told you about some new man that she’s met?”
    “No, why would she do that?”
    “Several circumstances indicate that she has a new relationship. A witness has also suggested that she may be in love with someone.”
    “Really? That’s odd. She’s usually so open about things like that. We have no secrets from each other.” Patrick Flochten’s expression grew wary.
    “We know that you regularly come here on vacation and that you usually stay at the Wisby hotel—is that right?”
    “Yes. I’ve known the owner for a long time. Jacob Dahlén. We’re business acquaintances, and we’ve also been friends for many years.”
    Tears welled up in Patrick Flochten’s eyes, as if he suddenly remembered that his daughter was missing.
    No one said anything for a