The Double Silence (Andas Knutas 7)

working.’
    ‘Same with me,’ said Håkan. ‘I haven’t been able to contact Stina. She hasn’t texted me or answered her mobile since we got here. The kids haven’t either,’ he muttered.
    ‘The chief ranger said that the coverage is erratic on the island. So while we’re here we apparently can’t count on getting in touch with the outside world. That’s what he told us as soon as we came ashore,’ said John. ‘It’s no use even trying our mobiles. And I think that’s just as well, by the way. It feels damn great to be free of those wretched things for a while.’
    ‘I agree in principle, but I have to admit that it would have been nice if they were working at the moment. It seems strange that Sam has been gone so long. And in this horrible weather. Did he take anything with him to eat? He must be hungry by now.’
    ‘Maybe he met somebody with a big lunch box,’ Beata joked, rolling her eyes and poking Andrea in the side. ‘Maybe he’s having his fill right now, of one thing and another.’
    ‘Very funny.’ Andrea gave her an annoyed look. ‘As soon as the rain stops, I’m going out to look for him. It’s not a big island, after all.’
    ‘I’ll go with you,’ said Beata amiably. ‘The rain is already letting up. While we’re waiting, we can get changed.’
    At decisive moments, Beata always came through. Andrea smiled gratefully, reminded why they were such good friends, in spite of everything.
    They went over to their respective cabins and changed into outdoor gear and wellingtons. As if on command, the rain stopped and the clouds dispersed so they were able to set off. The path around the island was hilly, and the ground was uneven. The rocks were slippery, and it was muddy after the day’s downpour.
    ‘How long do you think it takes to get round the whole island?’ asked Andrea as they walked towards the restaurant and café.
    ‘I read in the brochure that it’s six kilometres in circumference, but I’m sure it’s much shorter if we stick to the walking path. It’ll probably take us an hour, tops. He must have taken shelter from the rain somewhere. There are tons of caves on the island. He’s probably sitting inside of one of them, moping. I think we should search along the shore. But we can’t actually go out on the beaches, because they’re all closed to tourists.’
    ‘There’s no real reason to think that he’d be down near the water,’ Andrea objected. ‘He could just as well have gone to a valley in the centre of the island.’
    ‘In any case, Sam is fully capable of taking care of himself. And besides, he’s only been missing since this morning.’
    ‘You’re right.’ Andrea laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed. ‘I know it’s probably ridiculous to get so worried. But I’m thinking about his diabetes. He’s not good about eating regular meals, and sometimes he forgets to take his insulin with him. I’m afraid that he might have passed out. But I’m the nervous type, as you well know. Sam is always teasing me for acting like such a mother hen with the children. And whenever he doesn’t come home at the time he promised, I can’t help imagining the worst.’
    They went into the restaurant and asked around, but no one had seen Sam since the previous evening. As they came back outside, the sun broke through the clouds. After that, the temperature quickly rose. They checked the pirate cave, which the guide had shown them during the sightseeing tour they’d taken the day before. Then they continued along the walking path, calling Sam’s name and searching the bushes and thickets. They looked for him among the boulders along the sea, at the bird mountain, and in the valleys. They even went all the way out to the lighthouse. Sam was nowhere to be found. And not one of the people they asked had seen him. In the meantime, the afternoon ferry had left the island. Many of those who had spent the past day on Stora Karlsö had now gone back to Gotland, while new tourists had arrived to take their place.
    They sat down on the lighthouse steps.
    ‘What should we do? I’m really starting to get worried now,’ said Andrea. Her voice quavered a bit.
    Beata looked concerned. She took a big gulp of water from the bottle that they’d brought along and glanced at her watch.
    ‘Three fifty. Where could he be?’ She took out her mobile. ‘I’m going to ring John and find out if Sam has turned up there.’
    ‘But do you think it will really—’
    That was all