The Double Silence (Andas Knutas 7)

didn’t bother her in the slightest that Mamma was screaming andcarrying on. Horrified, I watched the scene unfold before me. Mamma was angrily trying to make my sister open her mouth, forcing her lips apart with her fingers. Emilia offered no resistance; she seemed almost apathetic, just staring into space, her eyes glassy. Nothing seemed to reach her. Mamma then started to cry, pleading with her daughter. She fell to her knees next to the bed, took Emilia’s hand in her own, and begged her to say something. But Mamma’s efforts were in vain. Not one word crossed Emilia’s lips.
    That was when I understood how serious the situation was.
    And that I would never again hear my sister speak.

KNUTAS HAD TRIED to contact Jacobsson all afternoon without success. He was in the kitchen making himself an omelette for dinner when she rang.
    ‘Finally you called me back,’ he said, taking the frying pan off the burner. He slid the omelette on to a plate while he clamped the phone between his ear and shoulder.
    ‘I’m sorry. It’s been crazy all day. There have been a few developments in the case at last.’
    ‘Really?’ said Knutas with interest. ‘What are they, if I might ask?’
    ‘It turns out that this nice little group of friends used to sleep around. With each other.’
    Jacobsson then told him what they’d found out, and about the couple, Sten and Monica.
    ‘Well, I’ll be damned,’ exclaimed Knutas. ‘And nobody breathed a word about this?’
    ‘Actually, that’s not so hard to understand,’ said Jacobsson. ‘It’s not exactly something that you’d want to make public.’
    ‘This Sten sounds like a real scumbag. Have you got hold of him yet?’
    ‘We’re working on it. Was there anything special that you wanted to tell me?’
    ‘Yes, as a matter of fact, there is. Don’t be cross with me, but I was feeling so bored here at home that I decided to do a little research. Do you know about Andrea Dahlberg’s tragic background?’
    ‘No. What do you mean?’
    ‘Do you know that her father was convicted of sexually assaulting her older sister when Andrea was only thirteen?’
    Knutas paused for effect. He could hear Jacobsson gasp.
    ‘No. How do you know that?’
    ‘I’ve been checking up on everyone in the group, looking into their past and going further back in time than we’ve done previously. I’ve basically gone through everything since they were born. The person who turned out to have the most secrets was Andrea Dahlberg.’
    ‘Tell me what you found out.’
    ‘When she was twelve her sister committed suicide. Andrea was the one who found her at home in bed, unconscious after swallowing a lot of pills. They couldn’t save her. A short time after her sister’s death, it came out that her father had been raping her sister for years. He was sentenced to five years in prison. Andrea’s mother filed for divorce, and they moved to Stockholm. As far as I know, she’s never had any contact with her father since then.’
    ‘What a tragic story. But what does this have to do with the murders?’
    ‘Maybe nothing. I just thought you should know about it. We’ve questioned everyone involved so thoroughly, but Andrea has never mentioned any of this.’
    ‘Maybe it would be too difficult for her to talk about it.’
    ‘Of course. But I think we need to interview her again.’
    ‘Definitely. There’s just one hitch. Andrea Dahlberg has disappeared.’

JACOBSSON WALKED HOME on Tuesday evening. It had been an eventful day, and it was nice to get outside, breathe in some fresh air and clear her head. She took a detour, heading towards town and through the Botanical Gardens, and then continued along the shoreline promenade. She had just stepped on to the path when a little spotted dog came dashing towards her. Right behind him was somebody she recognized at once. Those shoulders, that hair, that posture. It was impossible to ignore the tremor that passed through her body like hot lightning. It was him, Janne Widén, the photographer who lived in Terra Nova. He saw her and gave a cheerful wave as he came running after his dog.
    ‘Hi again! I’m sorry, but he’s hopeless. He refuses to listen to me the minute he sees something interesting.’
    ‘It’s all right,’ said Jacobsson with a smile. She patted the dog, whose joy at seeing her again seemed to know no bounds.
    ‘Do you live nearby?’ he asked with interest.
    She noticed that his eyes were greyish-green.
    ‘No, not really.