B0031RSBSM EBOK

the kitchen Johan was humming as he put everything away. She should pull herself together and give him a chance. Elin’s cheeks grew rosy as she suckled at her mother’s breast.
For your sake
, thought Emma.
And for mine
.

 
    Due to the new situation, the investigative team was holding a meeting, even though it was Saturday.
    Knutas was looking forward to hearing what conclusions Agneta Larsvik had reached. She had devoted the past two days to defining what she thought were the distinguishing characteristics of the perpetrator.
    Everyone had just sat down when the door opened and Kihlgård came in. He looked happy, his hair was windblown, and he had two big paper sacks in his hands.
    “Hi, everybody,” he greeted them cheerfully. “I’ve been to a fantastic party at the Hamra pub, and when I was about to drive away this morning, they insisted on sending some goodies along with me for our coffee. Is there any fresh coffee?”
    “No, but I’ll put on a pot,” Jacobsson offered.
    “I’ll help you,” said Kihlgård, and they left the room together.
    Knutas and Norrby exchanged glances. Kihlgård always had to be in the spotlight. On the other hand, he created an atmosphere of well-being, which Knutas appreciated since he wasn’t very good at such things himself.
    They waited patiently for the coffee to be ready. In the meantime, Thomas Wittberg came sauntering in with a whole liter of Coca-Cola in his hand. Judging by his expression, it had been a late night with plenty to drink for him as well. They chatted a bit about all the partying that had gone on in the city the night before. It had been unusually rowdy. The number of tourists increased every year, especially among the younger crowds who were attracted to Visby’s pub life, since the island’s summer weather was among the best in the whole country. Unfortunately the young people also brought with them drunkenness, drugs, and fights. Right now everyone gathered around the table had much more serious matters to talk about. As soon as the coffee and Kihlgård’s cinnamon rolls appeared, they started going over the status of the investigation. Knutas began by telling everyone that the hotel project represented a link between Martina Flochten and Gunnar Ambjörnsson, just in case anyone had missed the discussions that had been going on in the hallways.
    Then he turned to Jacobsson and Wittberg. “What have you come up with?”
    “Not much.” Wittberg tugged on his blond locks. “Karin and I spent all of yesterday talking to the demonstrators protesting the project and any politicians we could find. It wasn’t easy. On a Friday in July hardly anyone stays at work past lunchtime. We asked about how the protests have been going, about possible threats, and so on. Of course, without mentioning the horse’s head that was found at Ambjörnsson’s house,” Wittberg emphasized when he noticed the nervous expression on Knutas’s face.
    “In general the opposition seems quite weak and ineffectual,” he went on. “There haven’t been any threats. Of course, there have been a number of protests, and the authorities have received letters and such, but nothing that seems particularly serious. It seems very unlikely that we’re going to find any sort of motive there. Don’t you agree?”
    He looked at Jacobsson, who nodded.
    “Have you gone through the letters of complaint sent to the authorities?”
    “Not yet.”
    “Do that as soon as possible,” Knutas urged them. “Is there anything of archaeological interest out at Högklint?”
    “Doesn’t seem to be. The area has been partially excavated before. There doesn’t seem to be any major find, although we still need to talk to more people.”
    Wittberg took a big gulp of Coke.
    “I had an interesting conversation with Susanna Mellgren,” said Jacobsson. “She called me this morning to tell me that the report about her husband’s infidelities was true.”
    “Is that right?” said Knutas in surprise. “It was only yesterday that she denied the whole thing.”
    “I know, but now she claims that it’s been going on for several years, with different women. On the other hand, she wasn’t sure whether he’d been seeing Martina Flochten or not. She says that she can usually tell whenever he takes up with someone new. She claimed not to mind that he’s unfaithful. To be honest, I had the impression that she stays in the marriage because it’s the most practical thing to do at the moment,