Really, Sandra thought to herself. For Jan Hallin, charity work was as typical as the craze for gender equality was for Captain Dress—the county chief of police who had been on the barricades when he was on the clock and had raped little girls when he was off.

“Yes, I’ve understood that he’s very committed to charity work of various kinds,” said Sandra. “Especially when it comes to children in need.”

“That’s right. Do you want me to give him a shout?”

“Yes please,” said Sandra, thinking to herself that it was pretty obvious.

She caught herself letting her contempt for Jan Hallin stain his wife, and there was no justice in that. The woman sounded pleasant, and actually a little bit proud of her husband, a great quality to have in a life partner. And she was after all a victim herself, even if she didn’t know it. Who wanted to be married to a rapist? Or even a womaniser? Because it was surely not the only time he had been unfaithful, even if one hoped and presumed that he didn’t usually compel others into sex through the use of violence.

Now she heard soft voices in the background and a door closing. Before long, she heard Hallin’s hissing voice.

“It’s high time you put a stop to this. I’m not going to have this conversation.”

“I just wanted to give you one final chance to come to your senses,” said Sandra coolly. “You don’t scare me.”

“You’re scaring the living daylights out of me, I have to say.”

“You know how a lioness is with her cub.”

“I’d appreciate it if you avoided bringing my wife into this.”

Hallin spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper, but he sounded quite tired. More resigned than angry.

“All you have to do is pay what you owe,” Sandra said matter-of-factly.

“You don’t just blow six hundred whatever-the-fuck-you-said thousand out of your nose.”

“Just as I said, I’m fine to take it in instalments.”

“You’re a stubborn cow.”

“You’ve already got the account number, and you can double the amount for the first transfer since you missed May, unless I’m mistaken.”

Hallin sighed audibly.

“Okay, I’ll pay,” he said eventually.

“I’ll take that as a confession,” said Sandra, the sweet taste of triumph spreading through her body.

“Never contact me again,” said Hallin.

“Not if you manage your financial obligations properly.”

But Hallin had already hung up. Sandra glanced at the time and noted that the conversation had taken just a minute or so.

A little too quick, perhaps? What if he just wanted to protract the entire thing?