Slowly the world stopped spinning.

‘We left her there.’ Kenneth couldn’t make himself look at Erica. ‘We just left her there.’

‘Then what happened?’ asked Erica. She still didn’t sound reproachful, which made him feel even worse.

‘I was terrified. In the morning when I woke up, I thought at first that it was all a bad dream, but when I realized that it really did happen, that we really had…’ His voice broke. ‘All day I waited for the police to knock on the door.’

‘But they didn’t?’

‘No. A couple of days later, we heard that the Lissanders had moved away.’

‘What about the three of you? Did you talk about it?’

‘No, never. It wasn’t that we agreed not to talk about it, we just never did. Until that Midsummer party when Magnus had a little too much to drink and he brought up the topic.’

‘That was the first time?’ asked Erica in disbelief.

‘Yes, that was the first time. But I knew that he was suffering. He was the one who had the hardest time living with what we’d done. I somehow managed to suppress it. I focused on Lisbet and my life. Chose to forget. And Erik… well, he didn’t even need to forget. I don’t think it bothered him at all.’

‘And yet the three of you remained friends all these years.’

‘Yes, and I don’t really know why. But we… deserved this.’ He motioned with his bandaged arms. ‘I deserve even worse, but Lisbet didn’t. She was completely innocent. The worst thing is that she must have learned what happened. I think that was the last thing she heard before she died. I wasn’t the person she thought I was. Our life together was a sham.’ He was trying to hold back the tears.

‘What the three of you did was horrible,’ said Erica. ‘There’s no other way to describe it. But the life you had with Lisbet was not a sham, and I think she knew that. No matter what she was told.’

‘I’m going to try to explain it to her,’ he said. ‘I know that it’s my turn next. She’s going to come for me too, and then I’ll have a chance to explain. I have to believe that’s possible, or else…’ He turned his face away.

‘What do you mean? Who’s coming for you?’

‘Alice, of course.’ Hadn’t Erica heard anything he’d said? ‘She’s the one who’s been doing all this.’

At first Erica didn’t reply. She just looked at him with pity.

‘It’s not Alice,’ she said then. ‘It’s not Alice.’

Patrik closed up the book. He didn’t understand everything – it was a little too deep for his taste, and the language was somewhat convoluted in places – but he’d been able to follow the basic story line. And he realized that he should have read the book earlier, because certain things were now becoming clear.

A memory surfaced in his mind. A fleeting image of the bedroom belonging to Cia and Magnus. Something he’d noticed but hadn’t thought important at the time. There was really no reason why it should have caught his attention, but he still couldn’t help reproaching himself.

He tapped in the number on his mobile.

‘Hi, Ludvig. Is your mother home?’ He stayed on the line as he listened to Ludvig’s footsteps and the faint murmur of voices. Then Cia picked up the phone.

‘Hi, it’s Patrik Hedström. I’m sorry to bother you, but I’ve been wondering about one thing. What did Magnus do on the night before he disappeared? No, I don’t mean the whole evening, just after you’d gone to bed. He did? All night? Okay, thanks.’

He ended the conversation. It fit. Everything fit. But he knew he wouldn’t get far on theory alone. He needed concrete proof. And he wasn’t about to tell his colleagues his idea until he had that proof, because otherwise they might not believe him. But there was one person he could talk to, one person who should be able to help. He reached for his phone again.

‘Sweetheart, I know you’re not picking up because you think that I’m mad at you or that I’ll try to persuade you to stop what you’re doing. But I just finished reading The Mermaid, and I think we’re both on the same track. I need your help, so call me back as soon as you can. Hugs and kisses. I love you.’

‘The documents from Göteborg are here,’ said a voice from the doorway, making Patrik jump.

‘Oh, did I scare you?’ asked Annika. ‘I knocked, but I guess you didn’t hear me.’

‘No, I was thinking about something else,’ he said, giving himself a shake.

‘I think you should go over to the clinic for a check-up,’ Annika told him. ‘You’re not looking well.’

‘I’m just a bit tired,’ he murmured. ‘But that’s great news about the documents. I’ve got to go home for a while, so I’ll take them with me.’

‘They’re on my desk in the reception area.’ She was still looking worried.

Ten minutes later Patrik stepped out into the corridor, carrying the papers that Annika had given him.

‘Patrik!’ called Gösta behind him.

‘Yes?’ he said, sounding more annoyed than he had intended. But he was in a hurry to get going.

‘I’ve just talked to Erik Lind’s wife. Louise.’

‘And?’ said Patrik, still without any show of enthusiasm.

‘According to her, Erik is about to leave the country. He emptied all their bank accounts, both their personal accounts and the ones belonging to the company. He’s booked on a plane leaving from Landvetter airport at five o’clock.’

‘Really?’ said Patrik. His interest was now definitely aroused.

‘Yes, I’ve checked it out. What do you want us to do?’

‘Take Martin and leave for Göteborg immediately. I’ll make a call to make the necessary arrangements and ask our colleagues to meet you at the airport.’

‘That’ll be a real pleasure for me!’

Patrik couldn’t help smiling as he headed for his car. Gösta was right. It would be a pleasure to throw a monkey wrench into Erik’s plans. Then Patrik thought about the book he’d just read, and his smile disappeared. He hoped that Erica would be at home when he got there. He needed her help to put an end to this case.

Patrik had come to the same conclusion. Erica understood that as soon as she heard his message on her voicemail. But he didn’t know everything. He hadn’t heard the story that Kenneth had told her.

She’d been forced to make a detour to Hamburgsund to take care of something. But when she was back out on the motorway, she stomped on the accelerator. There really wasn’t any reason to hurry, but she was feeling impatient. It was time for all the secrets to be revealed.

As she turned into the driveway at their house, she saw Patrik’s car parked in front. She had phoned him to say that she was on her way and to ask if she should meet him at the police station. But by that time, he was already at home, waiting for her. And for her piece of the puzzle.

‘Hi, sweetheart.’ Erica went into the kitchen and gave her husband a kiss.

‘I’ve read the book,’ he said.

She nodded. ‘I should have worked it out sooner. But I read an unfinished manuscript. And in stages – not all in one sitting. I still don’t know how I could have missed it.’

‘I should have read the book earlier,’ said Patrik. ‘Magnus read it the night before he disappeared. Which was also most likely the night before he died. Christian had given him the manuscript. I just talked to Cia, and she said that Magnus started reading it in the evening and surprised her by staying up all night to finish it. She asked him about it in the morning, wanting to know whether it was a good book. But he told her that he didn’t want to discuss it until after he’d talked to Christian. The worst part is that if we go back and look through our notes, I’m sure we’ll find that Cia mentioned this before. We just didn’t think it was important and never gave it a second thought.’

‘Magnus must have understood everything after he read the manuscript,’ said Erica quietly. ‘And realized who Christian was.’