‘Did anyone see anything?’ Patrik was talking to Martin on the phone. ‘No? Okay, I wasn’t really expecting it. But keep knocking on doors. You never know.’

He ended the conversation and bit into his Big Mac. They had stopped at McDonald’s to eat lunch and to discuss how they should proceed.

‘Nothing?’ asked Paula, who had been listening to Patrik while she poked at her chips.

‘Nothing so far. There aren’t many people living in the area now that it’s winter. So it’s not surprising that they haven’t had much luck.’

‘How’s it going at Badholmen?’

‘They’ve taken the body away,’ said Patrik as he took another bite. ‘That means Torbjörn and his men will probably be done soon. He promised to call if they found anything.’

‘So what should we do now?’

Before getting their food, they had glanced through the copies of the documents that they’d been given at the social welfare office. Everything seemed to match with what Sanna had told Erica.

‘We keep moving forward. We know that Christian was placed with a couple named Lissander shortly afterwards. Here in Trollhättan.’

‘I wonder if they still live here,’ said Paula.

Patrik carefully wiped off his hands before looking through the file to find the right page. Then he memorized the information and phoned directory assistance.

‘Hi, I wonder if you have a listing for Ragnar and Iréne Lissander in Trollhättan. Okay, thanks.’ His face lit up, and he nodded to Paula that he was in luck. ‘Could you text me the address?’

‘They still live here?’ Paula stuffed a few more chips into her mouth.

‘It seems so. What do you say we go over there and have a little chat with them?’ Patrik stood up, looking at Paula impatiently.

‘Shouldn’t we phone them first?’

‘No, I want to see what happens if we turn up un announced. There must be some reason why Christian changed his last name back to the name of his biological mother, and never mentioned their existence to anyone, not even his wife.’

‘Maybe he didn’t live with them for very long.’

‘That’s possible, but I don’t think so.’ Patrik tried to formulate why he had such a strong feeling that this was a lead worth following. ‘Because he didn’t change his name until he turned eighteen. Why wait? Why keep the name at all if he didn’t live with them for very long?’

‘I suppose you’re right about that,’ said Paula, though she still didn’t sound convinced.

But they would soon find out. In a very short time one of the missing puzzle pieces about Christian Thydell would fall into place. Or rather, Christian Lissander.

Erica hesitated, her hand on the phone. Should she or shouldn’t she? Finally she decided that it would soon be public knowledge anyway. Gaby might as well hear the news from her.

‘Hi, it’s Erica.’

She closed her eyes as Gaby showered her with the usual effusive greetings. But she cut off the publishing director in the middle of the torrent of words.

‘Christian is dead, Gaby.’

There was silence on the phone. Then she heard Gaby take a deep breath.

‘What? How?’ she stammered. ‘Is it the same person who…?’

‘I don’t know.’ Erica closed her eyes again. The words sounded so terrible and final when she said them out loud: ‘He was found hanged this morning. The police aren’t saying anything more at the moment. We don’t know whether it was suicide or whether…’ She couldn’t finish the sentence.

‘Hanged?’ Gaby gasped. ‘That can’t be true!’

Erica didn’t reply at once. She knew that the news had to sink in slowly before it became real. She’d been through the same experience herself when Patrik told her.

‘I’ll let you know if I hear anything else,’ said Erica. ‘But I’d appreciate it if the media could be kept as much out of this as possible. It’s hard enough for his family right now.’

‘Of course, of course,’ said Gaby, sounding as if she actually meant it. ‘But keep me posted about what happens, okay?’

‘I will,’ said Erica, putting down the phone. She knew that even if Gaby could resist ringing the press, it wouldn’t take long before Christian’s death would be on all the front pages. He had become an overnight star, and the papers had quickly realized that he was newsworthy material. His mysterious death would undoubtedly dominate the news placards in the days ahead. Poor Sanna, and those poor boys.

Erica had hardly been able to look at the boys when she was supposed to be taking care of them at Agneta’s house. They were sitting on the floor, playing with a big pile of Lego blocks. Carefree and happy, just squabbling a bit now and then, as siblings do. The terrifying experience with the red paint from the day before seemed to have rolled right off them. But maybe they were just keeping it all in. Maybe they were hurting inside, even though it didn’t show on the outside. And now their father was gone. How was that going to affect their lives?

She had sat on the sofa without saying a word until she finally forced herself to look at them. With their heads close together, the two little boys were discussing where to put the siren on the toy ambulance. They looked so much like both Christian and Sanna. And now they were the only thing left of him. Aside from his book, of course. The Mermaid.

Erica suddenly had a strong urge to read the story again. Read it as a form of memorial for Christian. First she looked in on Maja, who was sleeping soundly in her cot. Maja had been allowed to stay home from the day-care centre today, since the morning had been filled with so much commotion. Gently Erica stroked Maja’s blonde head lying on the pillow. Then she went to get the book, settled herself comfortably, and opened the novel to the first page.

They were going to bury Magnus in two days. In two days he would be put in the ground. Into a hole in the ground.

Cia hadn’t left the house since receiving the news that they’d found him. She couldn’t stand the thought of people staring at her, couldn’t bear to see their eyes filled with sympathy as they wondered what Magnus could have done to deserve such a death. Everyone was probably speculating about what he might have done to bring this misfortune down on himself.

She knew that people were talking; over the years she’d participated in the gossiping too. Not contributing much, she was glad to say, but all the same she had listened without offering any protests.

‘There’s no smoke without fire.’

‘I wonder how they could afford a trip to Thailand. He must be getting paid under the table.’

‘You wouldn’t believe the plunging necklines she’s suddenly taken to wearing. I wonder who she’s trying to impress.’

Scattered rumours taken out of context and then patiently piled up to form a mixture of fact and fiction. Until finally it became the truth.

She could just imagine what stories were circulating through town. But as long as she could stay at home, it didn’t matter. She could hardly bear to think about the video that Ludvig had shown the police yesterday. She hadn’t lied when she said that she didn’t know about it. At the same time, it had got her thinking. She had occasionally sensed that there was something Magnus wasn’t telling her. Or had she just made that up after the fact, now that her whole life had been turned upside down in such a bewildering way? But she thought she could recall sometimes wondering what was behind the strange melancholy that occasionally came over her husband, who was otherwise such a happy person. It would fall over him like a shadow, a solar eclipse. A few times she had actually asked him about it. Yes, now she remembered. She had patted his cheek and asked him what he was thinking about. And it was always as if he switched on the light again, chasing away the shadow before she could see any more of it.