Like the other adults, Sandra showed only a passing interest in the children’s bouquets. She barely looked at them, wrapped up as she was in a conversation with one of her cousins and his wife. It was only a few minutes later when they began to prepare to leave and packed up their picnic baskets that she actually saw Erik’s bouquet. Among the thistles, chicory, and dandelions with long roots, there were also a white lily and a black calla lily hiding.

She quickly got up and scanned the thinning crowd, looking towards the woods. Nowhere was there anyone who might be Hallin, and in among the trees there wasn’t a soul to be seen. She swept her gaze across the meadow and its surroundings once more, but if he was there he was staying well concealed. He had presumably slunk away as soon as he had completed his task.

But what sort of nonsense was this—a grown man behaving like some kind of bloody psychopath in a horror movie? It must have been by chance—a lucky coincidence—that Erik had ended up being drawn to one side, and while picking flowers at that. But if it hadn’t happened today then it would probably have happened some other day, by some other means.

Sandra wasn’t afraid; she was angry. But she kept her calm, firmly determined to keep her parents and everyone else out of this. Seemingly unaffected, she crouched in front of Erik and spoke to him in a kind voice.

“Aren’t these lovely flowers that you’ve picked, sweetheart? Where did you find them?”

“In the woods over there,” Erik said, pointing.

“Including these ones?” Sandra asked, prodding the clearly shop-bought flowers in the bouquet.

“Yep!”

Erik’s face lit up like the sun.

“Were they really growing in the ground like the other flowers?” Sandra coaxed him.

“Yes, they were. But not as hard!”

“No, because you can see that someone had cut the stalk here, and you’ve not got a knife, have you?”

“No, I haven’t.”

Erik looked troubled and seemed to feel that he wasn’t being believed.

“You weren’t given them by anyone then?”

“No, I picked them all by myself.”

“You did a really good job, Erik. They’re beautiful. Did you meet anyone in the woods, or was it just you and Fredrika and Sebastian there?”

“There were other people, but we didn’t talk to anyone.”

“No one that you particularly remember?”

“No, we didn’t talk to anyone.”

“Okay,” said Sandra, ruffling his hair. “You’re going to have sweet dreams tonight!”

Erik laughed and scooted away to the other kids.