The Double Silence (Andas Knutas 7)

in the area and, as I mentioned, the technicians are now on site.’
    Jacobsson paused and looked out at the crowd of reporters. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on her, and for a moment she lost her train of thought. Then she collected herself and went on.
    ‘At this time the police have no suspects, and we’re working on a broad front. You’re now welcome to ask questions. I need to request that you raise your hand, otherwise it’s going to be impossible to keep order.’
    Hands began eagerly waving in the air. Jacobsson wanted to answer as many questions as she could. She had the help of two officers who each had a microphone to take questions from reporters in the back of the room.
    ‘Exactly where was she found?’
    ‘I can’t discuss that at the moment.’
    ‘How was the body found?’
    ‘Police dogs located the remains.’
    ‘How did you happen to know where to search?’
    ‘Due to the on-going investigation, I’m afraid that I can’t answer that question.’
    ‘She was found very close to Ingmar Bergman’s property. Is there any reason to think that someone from Bergman’s family was involved?’
    ‘There are no indications that any of Bergman’s relatives or friends have anything to do with the murder.’
    ‘Is there any connection between Stina Ek and the owner of the property where she was found? Or between her and Ingmar Bergman?’
    ‘Not that we know of.’
    ‘What if you go further back in time? For instance, could she be an unknown daughter of his?’
    ‘I think we can rule out that possibility. Stina Ek was adopted from Vietnam.’
    ‘Why do you think she was killed at that particular site?’
    ‘If we knew that, we’d be making good progress in the case.’
    ‘Did the murdered woman have a particular interest in Bergman?’
    ‘Not as far as we know.’
    ‘Apparently Stina Ek was a member of an Internet club called Friends of Bergman. Do you know anything about that?’
    Jacobsson fixed her eyes on Johan Berg from Regional News. Was he back on the job? It was so typical that he’d come up with something like that. She was completely unprepared for the question. She hadn’t heard anything about it before. For several seconds she was at a total loss for words, but then she recovered her composure.
    ‘In the early stages of an investigation, it’s a matter of collecting a lot of facts from all possible directions. We look at everything and carefully weigh the significance of all the information. That’s the phase we’re in at present. Stina Ek’s body was found yesterday afternoon, less than twenty-four hours ago. We’re going to be following all possible leads.’
    ‘But you haven’t answered my question,’ Johan persisted.
    ‘Precisely,’ Jacobsson curtly replied and then turned to another reporter.
    ‘What can you tell us about how the murder was committed?’
    ‘Only that the perpetrator used a blunt instrument to deliver a blow to the victim’s head.’
    ‘Did the body have other injuries?’
    ‘Not that we know about at the moment. We’ll need to wait for the post-mortem report.’
    ‘Are you positive that she was killed where her body was found? Or could she have been taken there from some other place?’
    ‘We’re quite certain about that. The murder was committed at the scene. Traces of blood and other evidence clearly indicate this.’
    ‘What does the property owner have to say?’
    Jacobsson’s face changed colour. She was prepared for the question, but the investigative team had decided not to reveal anything about the fact that Valter Olsson had been found murdered in Latvia. They needed to take one thing at a time.
    ‘Due to the on-going investigation, I won’t discuss that at the moment.’
    An increased tension was clearly evident in the room. The reporters took Jacobsson’s response to mean that Olsson was a suspect.
    ‘Who owns the property where she was found?’
    ‘He’s an elderly man, seventy-five years old, who lives there alone and spends most of his time fishing. I have nothing else to say.’
    ‘Were he and Bergman good friends?’
    ‘I’m not going to discuss their relationship.’
    ‘Is the property owner a suspect?’
    ‘I can’t comment any further on the subject. Let’s move on to something else.’
    ‘Do you have information from any witnesses?’
    ‘At the moment we’re collecting statements, but we’ve just begun that part of the work.’
    ‘What are the police doing now?’
    ‘We’re undertaking a