Perhaps it might make the difference between the longest time-specific sentence that could be handed out and a life sentence—if the murder of Peter Norling and all the other stuff wasn’t worth a life sentence, then a child murder would be. But for Hallin, it probably didn’t make much difference. He didn’t want to be deprived of his liberty, full stop, and he was clearly prepared to do whatever it took to avoid it.

Perhaps even killing a child.

Sandra entertained little hope that the police surveillance on Hallin would lead anywhere. Assuming they had even taken her misgivings seriously. He had killed Peter Norling with a heavy shovel—it couldn’t have taken more than a few seconds. If the intention was for Erik to die, then he was already dead and buried by now.

Sandra tried to keep that incomprehensible thought away from herself. She alternated between padding back and forth by the window with a sob in her throat and working, biting her lip so hard that she tasted blood. She didn’t sleep a wink that night—there was no time.

THREE-YEAR-OLD MISSING AFTER KINDERGARTEN OUTING TO WOODS

During an outing to the Furulundsskogen woods on Friday afternoon, staff realised that the boy was missing. It has not yet been determined how he disappeared, but according to sources the children were bird-watching when the boy ran away.

Shortly after the alarm was raised, police initiated a massive search effort. In addition to multiple police patrols, search-andrescue dogs and helicopters were also deployed. Around one hundred volunteers also joined the search, which has continued throughout the night.

“At present, we do not suspect that any crime has been committed, but we are working without any preconceptions,” said the officer in charge of the search. “We would urge anyone who may have seen or heard anything of interest to contact the police.”

The boy has short blond hair and is around 90 centimetres tall. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing blue jeans, a red sweatshirt, and green boots, according to the police.

GOTLANDS    ALLEHANDA

July 2018

JULY

2018

52. Kerstin

52

Kerstin

JEANETTE WAS BACK to her heavy boozing, and Kerstin was sitting next to her, watching. Taking in the way she curled up like a kitten in Lubbi’s arms and sucked up the attention she generated around her whenever she was in that kind of mood. There she is, Kerstin thought to herself. The woman who left Kerstin’s great love to suffer and die for her own gain. The one who wasn’t interested in the money, but still let him die because her own great love thought it was a good idea.