‘We never really used those words. But it was my decision to move away. I couldn’t stay here. I needed to get out into the world. See things, do things, meet new people.’ She laughed that same bitter laugh that neither Erica nor Patrik understood.

‘So last Friday, when Mats came out here, how did you react?’ asked Patrik, wanting to continue the questioning even though he wasn’t sure it would lead to anything. Nathalie seemed so fragile. He felt as if he might break her in two if he said the wrong thing. And in the final analysis, this might have nothing at all to do with the case.

‘I was surprised. But Signe had told me that he’d moved back home. So I thought he might turn up.’

‘Were you happily surprised?’ asked Erica, reaching for the thermos to refill her cup.

‘Not at first. Well, I don’t know. I don’t believe in looking back. Matte belonged to the past. At the same time …’ She seemed to get lost in her own thoughts. ‘At the same time, maybe I never really left him. I don’t know. At any rate, I let him come up to the house.’

‘Approximately what time was it when he arrived?’ asked Patrik.

‘Hmm … I think it was around six. I’m not really sure. Time isn’t very important out here.’

‘How long did he stay?’ Patrik shifted position, grimacing a bit. His body didn’t like sitting on such a hard surface for very long. He found himself yearning for another nice, warm seaweed bath.

‘He left sometime later that night.’ The pain was as clearly etched on her face as if she’d screamed it out loud.

Patrik suddenly felt uncomfortable. What right did he have to ask these questions? What right did he have to go snooping around in something that ought to be kept private, something that had taken place between two people who had once upon a time loved each other? But he forced himself to go on. In his mind he pictured the body lying on its stomach in the hall, with a big, gaping hole in the head, a pool of blood on the floor, and blood spattered over the wall. As long as the killer was on the loose, it was the job of the police to snoop. Murder and the right to privacy were two things that didn’t go together.

‘So you’ve no idea what time he left?’ he asked gently.

Nathalie bit her lip. Her eyes were shiny with tears.

‘No, he left while I was asleep. I thought that …’ She swallowed several times, looking as if she were trying to keep her composure, as if she didn’t want to lose control in front of them.

‘Did you try ringing him? Or did you phone Signe and Gunnar to ask them?’ said Patrik.

The sun had slowly moved while they were talking, and the long shadows from the lighthouse were getting closer.

‘No.’ She started trembling again.

‘Did Mats say anything when he was here that might give us a lead? Something that might tell us who would have wanted him dead?’

Nathalie shook her head. ‘No, I can’t believe that anyone would ever want to harm Matte. He was … Well, you know, Erica. He was exactly the same now as he used to be back then. Kind, thoughtful, loving. Exactly the same.’ She looked down, running her hand over the blanket.

‘Yes, we understand that Mats was well-liked, a very nice person,’ said Patrik. ‘At the same time, there are parts of his life that we need to find out more about. For instance, he was the victim of an assault just before he moved back to Fjällbacka. Did he tell you anything about that?’

‘Not much. I saw the scars and asked him about them. He just said that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that it was a bunch of kids who attacked him.’

‘Did he mention his job in Göteborg?’ Patrik had hoped to find out more about the assault that might explain the uneasy feeling he had inside. No such luck. Nothing but dead ends.

‘He said that he’d loved the job, but found it exhausting. Meeting all those battered women who were so damaged …’ Her voice broke, and again she turned away to look towards the house.

‘Did he tell you anything else that we should know about? Was there any particular person that he felt threatened by?’

‘No. He just talked about what the job had meant to him. In the end, though, it left him worn out. He didn’t have the strength to keep doing that type of work. And after being in hospital, he decided to come back here.’

‘Permanently, or only for a while?’

‘I don’t think he knew. He said that he was taking one day at a time. Trying to heal both his body and soul.’

Patrik nodded and then hesitated before asking the next question.

‘Did he tell you whether there was a woman in his life? Or more than one?’

‘No, and I didn’t ask. He didn’t ask me about my husband either. Who we loved now or had loved in the past was of no importance that evening.’

‘I understand,’ said Patrik. ‘By the way, the boat is missing,’ he added, as if in passing.

Nathalie looked confused. ‘What boat?’

‘Signe and Gunnar’s boat. The one Mats used to come over here.’

‘It’s gone? Stolen? Or what do you mean?’

‘We don’t know. It wasn’t tied up at the dock when Gunnar went to look for it.’

‘Matte must have taken it to get home,’ said Nathalie. ‘How else could he have got to the mainland?’

‘So he did come out here in the motorboat. Nobody gave him a ride, or anything like that?’

‘Who would do that?’ asked Nathalie.

‘I don’t know. All we can say for sure is that the boat is missing, and we have no idea where it might have gone.’

‘Well, he used it to come out here, and he must have gone home in it too.’ She ran her hand over the blanket again.

Patrik glanced at Erica, who was unusually quiet as she sat there, listening. ‘I think it’s time for us to go,’ he said, getting up. ‘Thanks for agreeing to meet with us, Nathalie. And please accept our condolences.’

Erica stood up too. ‘It was nice to see you again, Nathalie.’

‘It was nice to see you, too.’ Nathalie gave Erica an awkward hug.

‘Take care of Sam, and give us a call if you need anything, or if we can help in any other way. If his cold gets worse, we can arrange for the district doctor to come out here and have a look at him.’

‘I’ll let you know.’ Nathalie followed them over to the boat.

Patrik started the engine and was about to pull the boat away from the dock when he stopped abruptly.

‘Do you remember whether Mats had his briefcase with him?’

Nathalie frowned as she considered the question. Then her face lit up. ‘A brown briefcase? Made of leather?’

‘Exactly,’ said Patrik. ‘That’s gone missing too.’

‘Wait here.’ Nathalie turned on her heel and sprinted towards the house. A few minutes later she came out, holding something. When she got close to the dock, Patrik saw what it was. The briefcase. His heart skipped a beat.

‘He forgot it. I haven’t touched it. I hope I haven’t caused any trouble.’ She knelt down on the pier so she could hand the briefcase to Patrik.

‘We’re just glad to find it. Thanks!’ he said. He was already thinking about what the briefcase might contain.

After they had backed away from the dock and set off towards Fjällbacka, Patrik and Erica both turned to wave to Nathalie. She waved back. The shadow from the lighthouse was now stretching all the way to the pier. It looked as if it might swallow her whole.

12

‘Can we go out and search for a while?’ Gunnar had a hard time keeping his voice steady as he stood on the wharf.

Peter looked up from what he was doing and seemed on the verge of saying no. Then he gave in.

‘Okay, we can take a short trip around. But it’s Sunday, and I need to get home soon.’

Gunnar stood in silence, gazing straight ahead, his eyes like two dark holes. With a sigh, Peter went into the wheelhouse to start the engine. He helped Gunnar on board, gave him a life jacket, and with an expert hand steered the boat out of the harbour. After they’d gone some distance, he decreased the speed.