The Double Silence (Andas Knutas 7)

I live on Mellangatan, but I thought it’d be nice to take a walk after work.’
    ‘I came out here with Baloo, to let him swim and run around for a while. He’s been keeping me company all day while I worked, and that wasn’t much fun for him. Is it OK if I walk with you for a bit?’
    ‘Sure.’
    They started walking in the direction of the hospital. The sea was glittering and still in the evening sun. A few ducks were soundlesslygliding around on the mirror-like surface. The puppy leaped around at the water’s edge, jumping and splashing about.
    ‘How’s the investigation going? Have you got any suspects?’
    Jacobsson smiled.
    ‘If we did, I wouldn’t be able to discuss it.’
    ‘Of course. Sorry. I’m just interested. Since I’m a neighbour and everything. What a senseless thing to happen; it’s hard to believe it’s all true. That it really did happen, right in our midst.’
    ‘How do you think the other neighbours are reacting?’
    ‘They’re shocked and puzzled, of course. Something like this creates a lot of uneasiness. Some people won’t let their children go outdoors to play on their own in the evenings. People are being more careful about locking their doors. And no one sleeps with the windows open any more. Everyone has become more cautious. There isn’t the same relaxed atmosphere we used to have.’ He shook his head, and then tossed a ball for the dog. ‘I really hope it gets resolved soon, so that things will go back to normal.’
    They walked in silence for a while.
    ‘How did you happen to join the police force, by the way? I mean, don’t take this wrong, but you seem too soft somehow for that type of work.’
    Jacobsson smiled, feeling suddenly embarrassed.
    ‘I don’t know. I suppose I wanted to do something useful. Something real, if you know what I mean.’
    He laughed, kicking aside a stone on the ground.
    ‘Not like me. I just take pictures of people. And food. Lately I’ve been mostly photographing food. You know, because everyone’s talking about “culinary Gotland”. It’s so trendy at the moment. All those chefs and cookbooks and newly opened restaurants and cafés. Speaking of food, are you hungry?’
    They had reached Tott’s newly opened restaurant down on Norderstrand. Both a luxury hotel and a block of condominiums were being built nearby. The restaurant had outdoor seating right on the water, and they could smell the fragrant aroma of grilled meat.
    ‘As a matter of fact, I am.’
    ‘Baloo is getting tired, so he won’t want to walk much further. Shall we sit down for a while?’
    They chose a table that had a splendid view of the water. Then they ordered grilled steaks and salad, along with a bottle of wine. Karin thought it all seemed totally unreal. Here she sat with a man in a restaurant for the first time in ages, and she’d forgotten how to act. But Janne turned out to be a charming companion. They chatted about all sorts of topics. Baloo fell asleep under the table after having a piece of meat and some water.
    ‘What’s it like being a police officer, anyway? How do you cope with all the misery you have to see?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ replied Karin. ‘You get used to it, to a certain extent. And when you’re working, you focus on the professional side of the job, so that’s a way of protecting yourself. I suppose I shut out my emotions a lot in order to concentrate on the work.’
    ‘What about when you get home?’
    ‘That’s when the feelings can surface,’ she admitted. ‘That’s when you return to being yourself, in a way. Although I try not to let in too many emotions. You have to learn to separate the work from your personal life. Otherwise it would be intolerable in the long run.’
    ‘I think it’s so admirable that you’re able to do that. I don’t know if I could handle it. I’m too sensitive.’
    ‘You are? In what way?’
    ‘I always cry at sad movies, for instance. It can be a problem. If I go to the cinema with my friends, they think I’m really embarrassing. I think so too, but I can’t help it. It just comes over me.’
    Karin laughed. She took a sip of her wine, aware how happy she felt in Janne’s company. She gazed out at the sea and thought that, in spite of everything, life was good.
    They left the restaurant around midnight. Janne carried the sleeping puppy in his arms as he walked Karin to her door.
    ‘How will you get home?’ she asked.
    ‘No problem. I’ll get a cab.’
    ‘OK,’ she