‘It smells like something’s burning in here,’ said Martin as he came in.

‘Some idiot took the last drop of coffee and then forgot to turn off the machine. Wait a few minutes and I’ll make a fresh pot.’

‘I wouldn’t mind a cup myself,’ said Annika behind them. She went over to the kitchen table and sat down.

‘How’s it going?’ asked Martin as he sat down next to Annika and put his arm around her.

‘I assume you haven’t heard the news?’

‘What news?’ Paula was scooping coffee into the filter.

‘There was quite a commotion here this morning.’

Paula turned around to give her an enquiring look.

‘What happened?’

‘Mellberg held a press conference.’

Martin and Paula exchanged glances, as if to see if they’d really heard the same thing.

‘A press conference?’ said Martin, leaning back in his chair. ‘You’re kidding!’

‘No. Apparently he got this brilliant idea last night and rang the newspapers and the radio stations. And they all took the bait. We had a full house here. Even GT and Aftonbladet turned up.’

Paula set down the holder for the coffee filter with a bang.

‘Is he out of his mind? What the hell was he thinking?’ She could feel her pulse quicken and forced herself to take a deep breath. ‘Does Patrik know about this?’

‘Oh yes, he certainly does. They were locked in Mellberg’s office for some time. I couldn’t hear much, but the language they were using wasn’t exactly child-friendly.’

‘I’m not surprised,’ said Martin. ‘Why on earth would Mellberg do a thing like that? I assume he talked about the cocaine angle, right?’

Annika nodded.

‘It’s really premature to do that. We don’t know anything yet,’ said Paula, sounding discouraged.

‘I’m sure that’s what Patrik tried to point out,’ said Annika.

‘How did the press conference go?’ Paula finally pressed the button on the coffeemaker and sat down as the coffee began dripping into the pot.

‘Well, it was the usual Mellberg circus. I wouldn’t be surprised if the newspapers put the story on the front page tomorrow.’

‘Bloody hell,’ said Martin.

For a few moments none of them spoke.

‘So how’d it go for you?’ asked Annika, deciding to change the subject. She’d had more than enough of Bertil Mellberg for one day.

‘Nothing much to report.’ Paula got up and poured coffee into three mugs. ‘We talked to some of the usual suspects who are involved with drug dealing around here, but we didn’t find any links to Mats.’

‘I can’t really picture him hanging out with the likes of Rolle and his pals.’ Martin gratefully took the mug of steaming black coffee that Paula handed him.

‘I have a hard time picturing that myself,’ she said. ‘Still, it was worth a try. Not that there’s much cocaine being bought and sold around here. It’s mostly heroin and amphetamines.’

‘Have you heard from Lennart?’ asked Martin.

Annika shook her head.

‘No. I’ll tell you as soon as he gets back to me. I know that he spent a couple of hours going through the documents last night, so at least he’s making progress. And he said he’d have something for you by Wednesday.’

‘Good,’ said Paula, sipping her coffee.

‘When will Patrik and Gösta be back?’ asked Martin.

‘No idea,’ said Annika. ‘They were heading for the council offices first. After that, they wanted to see Mats’s parents in Fjällbacka. So it might take a while.’

‘I hope they talk to the parents before the newspapers start phoning them,’ said Paula.

‘I wouldn’t count on it,’ said Martin, looking gloomy.

‘Damn Mellberg,’ said Annika.

‘Yes, damn Mellberg,’ muttered Paula.

The three of them sat there in silence, staring down at the table.

After a couple of hours spent reading and looking up things on the Internet, Erica could tell that she had been sitting too long. Still, her research had turned out to be quite productive. She’d found out a lot about Gråskär, its history, and the people who had lived there. And those who, according to legend, had never left the island. It made no difference that she didn’t believe in ghosts. The tales fascinated her, and part of her really did want to believe.

‘We need some fresh air, don’t you think?’ she said to the twins, who were lying close together on the blanket on the floor.

It was always quite a job to get the two babies and herself dressed to go out, but it was starting to get easier now that they could make do with lighter coats. Sometimes there was a cold wind blowing, so she decided it was better to be safe than sorry and put a warm cap on each boy. A short time later they were off. She was looking forward to the day when she could get rid of the ungainly pram. It was heavy and hard to manoeuvre, even though it did provide her with plenty of much-needed exercise. Though she knew it was ridiculous to worry about the extra pounds she’d put on during her pregnancy, she’d never learned to be satisfied with her own body. She hated the fact that she was so shallow, so predictably like a girl, but that little voice inside her head kept whispering that she wasn’t good enough. And it seemed harder to get rid of that negative self-image than anything else.

She picked up the pace and felt herself starting to sweat. Not many people were out, but she nodded at everyone she met, exchanging a few words here and there. Many asked after Anna, but Erica gave only brief replies. It seemed too personal to talk about how her sister was doing – or not doing. She didn’t yet want to share the warm feeling that she carried in her heart. It still felt much too fragile.

After passing the row of boathouses, looking like a string of red beads, she paused to look up towards Badis. She wanted to have a brief talk with Vivianne, to thank her for the advice she’d offered regarding Anna, but climbing the steep flight of stairs seemed an insurmountable task. After a moment’s thought she realized that she could take the alternative path. It would be an easier climb than taking the stairs. Having made up her mind, she turned the heavy pram around and steered it towards the next street. When she finally reached the top of the steep hill, she was panting so hard that she thought her lungs would explode. But at least she’d made it, and now she could take the upper road to Badis.

‘Hello?’ She took a couple of steps inside. The twins were still in the pram, which she had parked just outside the front entrance. She wasn’t about to go to the trouble of lifting them out until she knew whether Vivianne was there.

‘Hi!’ Vivianne came around the corner, and her face lit up when she saw Erica. ‘Were you passing through the neighbourhood?’

‘I’m not disturbing you, am I? If I am, please say so. We’re just out for a walk, me and the boys.’

‘You’re not disturbing me in the least. Come on in. Would you like something to drink? Where are the twins?’ Vivianne glanced around, and Erica pointed towards the pram.

‘I left them in the pram because I wasn’t sure that you’d be here.’

‘It feels like I’m here twenty-four-seven lately,’ said Vivianne, laughing. ‘Can you manage on your own to bring the babies inside while I go get us some refreshments?’

‘Of course I can manage. I don’t have much choice,’ said Erica with a smile as she went outside to get her sons. There was something about Vivianne that made other people feel good in her presence. Erica wasn’t sure what it was, but she seemed to feel stronger around Vivianne.

She set the carrycots on the table and sat down.

‘I didn’t think that you’d be interested in green tea, so I brewed some more of that special rot-gut that you like.’

Vivianne winked and put a cup in front of Erica, who gratefully accepted the pitch-black coffee. She cast a suspicious glance at the pale contents of Vivianne’s cup.

‘You get used to it, believe me,’ said Vivianne, taking a sip. ‘Green tea has tons of anti-oxidants. They help the body prevent cancer. Among other things.’