Jeanette paused in her account, assessing how to navigate the upcoming rocks. But it didn’t matter, not this time. Kat and Roffi, one of the older men, appeared with a couple of disposable barbecues and a clutch of supermarket shopping bags.

“It’s Lubbi’s birthday!” Kat shouted in her customary manner, making complete strangers standing by the hot dog van in Östertorg turn around and look at them.

“We’re celebrating with a barbecue down at Gustavsvik! Bring your own bottle . . .”

A nice idea. It stung a little that it hadn’t been Jeanette’s. She had completely forgotten about Lubbi’s birthday. She had been completely self-absorbed, as usual, forgetting that there were other people who also had needs and deserved attention.

She smiled in a forced manner while the two companions, guilt and shame, took hold of her.

26

Sandra

ERIK FELL ASLEEP in the middle of his bedtime story, completely exhausted by a day of outdoor play in the beautiful but windy weather. Sandra remained sitting on the edge of his bed for a while, stroking his cheek and smelling his newly washed hair. Sometimes she couldn’t get enough of this small person who played such a big role in her life.

But everything grew so uncontrollably at this time of year, and it was due to rain tomorrow. The grass needed cutting before it got soaked, because by the time it dried out again it would be more meadow than lawn, and she didn’t want that. In other words, it needed doing now because soon the Friends-on-call calls would start coming in on her mobile. She ran her hand through her son’s shock of hair, straightened the duvet one last time and left the room, closing the door behind her.

She put on her boots and stepped outside into the unusually balmy spring evening. Apart from the singing of the birds, the garden was silent—not many cars passed here. It was a shame to break the silence with the sound of the petrol lawn mower, but that was how it had to be. In recompense, she could draw comfort from the smell of freshly cut grass and the satisfaction of working with her body while her thoughts kept turning in her head.

The newly discovered knowledge of who the rapist was brought her no peace. Despite the fact that she didn’t believe in any higher powers, it felt like the information had landed in her lap for a reason. She had been given an opportunity to influence that man’s future—hopefully for the worse—and she truly wanted to take that opportunity.

Gossip was a tried and tested way of destroying a person’s reputation, but the question was whether talking crap about Hallin would have any impact on him, given the type of person he was. Sandra’s network was limited; his was probably enormous. It would likely come back to bite her with double the force and he would be unaffected by any of it.

In terms of the other crimes he had committed, she couldn’t do anything. Sandra didn’t have any photographs and as far as the police were concerned no crime had taken place. It would be impossible to prove there had been any alcohol in his bloodstream, nor that Hallin’s car had been in the accident, since it didn’t bear any trace of it. The photographs were the only thing that existed, and she didn’t have access to those.