Unspoken

but I’ve come straight from work,” said Kingsley, as if he had read their minds.
    “That’s okay,” lied Knutas. “When we met you at the stable the other day, you described your relationship with Fanny as superficial. You said that you don’t know each other very well. Do you stick by what you said?”
    Kingsley hesitated.
    “Yes . . . you might say that.”
    “But you don’t seem quite so certain anymore.”
    “That depends on what you mean.”
    Knutas felt a growing irritation. He found people who lied to his face tremendously annoying.
    “In what way?”
    “What does it mean to know someone well? I’m not sure.”
    “You said that you usually just chat a little.”
    “That’s right.”
    “So you don’t have any sort of closer relationship?”
    “Not really.”
    “We’ve been given information that indicates otherwise. We’ve been told that you’ve been seeing each other. That you have a romantic relationship.”
    Tom Kingsley’s expression darkened.
    “Who the hell has been spreading lies like that?”
    “We can’t tell you that. But is it true?”
    “Who the hell would say such a thing? They’re out of their minds!”
    “Just answer the question. Do you or do you not have a relationship with Fanny Jansson?”
    “That’s sick.” Kingsley shook his head. “She’s just a child, for God’s sake.”
    Knutas was about to lose his patience.
    “Yes, that’s exactly what we want to know, and we have our reasons,” he snapped. “Answer the question.”
    “Of course I don’t. Fanny and I are just good friends. Nothing more. Nobody should be spreading lies that we’re seeing each other.”
    “Why didn’t you say anything about this before, when we talked to you the first time? Why didn’t you say that you’re in the habit of hugging each other?”
    “We’re not in the habit of hugging each other, damn it.”
    “But have you ever hugged?”
    “I may have given her a little hug, but it was just a way of comforting her. She needs support. The girl has a terrible home life. Her mother drinks, and she doesn’t have a father or any brothers or sisters. She has no friends. She’s all alone. Can you understand that? She’s all alone!”
    Tom Kingsley had grown very angry.
    “So you deny having a relationship with Fanny. Is that correct?” asked Knutas.
    Kingsley merely shook his head in reply.
    “How do you explain that people think the two of you have been seeing each other?”
    “It must be their sick imaginations. Can’t a guy even show a girl a little kindness and concern? This is crazy, damn it! Is Agneta the one who told you this? Agneta Stenberg?”
    Knutas and Jacobsson looked at each other in surprise.
    “Why would you think that?” they said in unison.
    “Because she’s jealous, of course. She’s been following me around for months, but I told her that I wasn’t interested. We had a party for the stable employees a while back, and that’s when she really put the moves on me. I finally had to tell her to get lost.”
    Knutas was amazed at Kingsley’s verbal prowess. He spoke perfect colloquial Swedish. If it weren’t for a slight accent, anyone would take him for a native speaker.
    When the interview was over, Knutas felt disappointed. He had been counting on catching Kingsley off guard so that he would be at a loss to come up with an answer. But that hadn’t happened.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3
    There was no new trip to Gotland for Johan. It’s just as well , he thought grimly. He hadn’t heard a word from Emma all weekend. And yet they had just had such a cozy time together. He couldn’t figure her out. If only she hadn’t started to waver again.
    At the moment Gotland seemed far away, also in terms of his work. Just as Grenfors finally seemed to be paying attention to the Gotland murder case, the police had reached an impasse. And besides, an act of madness had occurred at Stockholm’s Medborgarplatsen in Södermalm at the very same time. Late on Monday afternoon, the newsroom learned that a madman had gone berserk with a crowbar, killing at least one person. Five others were injured, including an infant. Regional News was tipped off about the event practically as it was happening. Johan immediately took off with a camerawoman. In the car on the way there, he sat with his cell phone pressed to his ear, alternating between talking to the duty officer, emergency services, and the newsroom.
    The camerawoman drove swiftly and expertly through the