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chance and just drove out there.” She leaned forward. “This incident with the horse’s head on the pole is a serious matter. Very serious. I think that Mellgren needs immediate protection.”
    “Why?”
    “I interpret this as meaning that the perpetrator feels quite euphoric that he managed to pull off the first murder. It may be his way of announcing his arrival this time. He’s sending a warning. At the same time, he’s very self-confident, so confident he’s going to get away with the crime that it doesn’t matter if the individual receives a warning. On the contrary, that makes him all the more elated. I’m prepared to go so far as to say that the horse’s head may very well represent a threat of homicide.”
    “But Martina didn’t receive a horse’s head before she was murdered.”
    “No, she didn’t. For two reasons. Partly because he’s gotten tougher. Partly because Martina lived with a lot of other people. It would have been more difficult to send her a personal warning.”
    “In that case, your analysis would mean that Ambjörnsson’s life is also threatened.”
    “Of course. Most likely the only reason that nothing has happened to him yet is because he’s out of the country.”
    “It’s lucky that nothing about the horses’ heads has leaked to the press. At least we’re not going to offer the perpetrator that sort of satisfaction. And no one outside this building knows anything about the horse’s head found on Mellgren’s property.”
    “Good. Keep it that way. It’s important that the news doesn’t get out. That would just make him feel even more exhilarated.”
    “So you seriously think that this man is going to murder more people?”
    “I’m afraid that he will. The question is: How long will it take before he does? There’s a real risk that another murder is going to be committed soon. Now that he’s had a taste of the experience, he’s going to want to do it again.”

 
    When the workday was over, Mellgren drove home. His wife had left a message on his cell phone, saying that she was taking the children over to her parents’ house in Ljugarn. She didn’t want to stay at the farm after the incident with the horse’s head.
    He stopped off at the college to pick up some papers from his office. The green park of Almedalen, which was down by the water, was filled with sunbathers, dogs, baby buggies, and teenagers listening to music. Crowds of youths were on their way to After Beach, near Kallbadhuset, where they had brought in sand from beaches all over Gotland to create a fine-grained sand beach in the middle of town where the shore was otherwise rocky. After Beach was very popular. After listening to a band and drinking a beer, they could move on to the next pub only a stone’s throw away. Mellgren almost felt like going over there himself.
    Inside the college he found the place deserted and the reception area locked. He picked up the papers and was on his way back to the car when a group of teenagers walked past. They were talking and laughing, and he thought that one of the girls, a cute little blonde, gave him an especially big smile. He stopped to watch them as they went into Kallbadhuset. At the same moment he heard the live band inside start playing. That was enough to make him decide. He hurried back to his office, grabbed a towel and a bar of soap from his closet, and went down to the locker room to take a quick shower. Upstairs again, he splashed on a little aftershave and changed into clean clothes. This was not the first time that he had chosen not to go straight home.
    Back out on the street he was in high spirits as he strolled over to Kallbadhuset. It was true that he was over forty, but he looked young for his age. He was tall, slim, and fit. His hair was just as abundant and thick as when he was twenty. Staffan Mellgren was looking forward to the evening.

 
    It was with a growing feeling of uneasiness in his chest that Knutas had listened to the forensic psychologist’s opinion that both Gunnar Ambjörnsson and Staffan Mellgren were in danger. Ambjörnsson was expected back on Gotland in a week. As long as he stayed in Morocco he was probably safe. Mellgren, on the other hand, needed immediate protection. Knutas had made numerous calls to the cell phones of the investigative team, but without getting any response.
    According to Susanna Mellgren, who was staying with her parents in Ljugarn, her husband was working in Fröjel, as usual. He was