She takes off her fleece and hangs it on the back of her chair. ‘Between you and me, Tobias’s father and grandfather were both dentists. His grandfather even patented some kind of denture. They were well respected and they were both well known in their field. But Tobias never got the grades. He tried as hard as he could, but he never got into medical school for dentistry. Tried to circumvent it by using his father’s credentials, by applying to medical schools in Eastern Europe. They all rejected him.’

‘But that doesn’t explain…’

‘His parents were disappointed in their only son and they didn’t hide it well, according to Ragnar Falk. Ragnar knew Tobias’s father a little back in the ’80s. And Ragnar has some theory that the Edlunds only made things worse. The way they go on about being qualified doctors all the time, even Eva Edlund, even though she’s never practiced. Ragnar thinks the anger built up over time. Every day, seeing their certificates framed on the wall. And Sven wasn’t exactly a considerate boss to Tobias. Dismissive, Ragnar said.’

‘It’s weird what makes people do extreme things.’

‘It’s been mentioned that Tobias and Julia were in a coercive relationship of some kind, that he was controlling and she was susceptible after a string of bad break-ups. The Chief says her parents weren’t a good example to her. Julia grew up watching, day after day, her mother doing everything for her father, yearning for his approval, his appreciation, and never really getting it. Tobias was clean cut, never really stood out in a crowd; but underneath it all, a nasty piece of work.’

‘Chief Björn told me he’s dead.’

She nods. ‘Tobias was pronounced dead in Falun hospital. He died from the gunshot wound, Tuva, not from the blade injury.’

‘I know. The Chief told me.’

‘You didn’t kill him.’

‘I know.’

She places her hand on top of mine. The warmth of it. The pad of her index finger strokes the nail of my ring finger. Her chair squeaks as she moves it closer and we sit there melting together, our shoulders crumpled into each other.

And then I feel it. The cycle of these things. How good follows bad follows good. We will be happy, Noora and me. We will muddle through in our own way. In our own time and on our own terms.

‘Tobias and Julia had been stealing medical supplies from Edlunds Tandklinik for months,’ she says. ‘Stored some of them in the Hive.’

‘Chief said Emil Eriksson will be okay,’ I say.

‘I don’t know about okay,’ she says. ‘What he went through in that train. Being sedated over and over again in that cold carriage, deep in the pines. But yes, he’s in a stable condition. Physically he should make a full recovery. Mentally, only time will tell.’