Today she bitterly regretted that she hadn’t immediately reported the rape. If only she had brought herself to pick up the phone, everything would have been different. An investigation of the crime scene would have proven that Hallin had been there, that he had drunk whisky from one of her mugs and that his car had been parked on the gravel outside the house. A medical examination of Sandra’s body would have uncovered signs of violence, traces of nonconsensual sexual intercourse. They would also have been able to prove that Hallin was the father of the child born nine months later, and forced him to take financial responsibility.

And even if Sandra, in her self-determined isolation following the rape, hadn’t had a clue that a serious car accident had happened just a few hundred metres away, the police would almost certainly have made the connection. They might not have been able to prove his involvement, but Hallin would have compromised himself. They would have tracked his movements that day and probably found out when and what he had drunk before driving to the DIY store. Perhaps that would have been enough to put him behind bars for drunk driving, and there was always the possibility that he would have eaten humble pie and confessed to everything.

Those were Sandra’s thoughts as the sun sank below the treetops in the west, while the cut grass spread its sweet scent. Once the job was done, she put the mower in the shed, checked the pot plants and the other plants farther from the house. She decided nature would have to deal with watering them the next day and went inside to take off her boots. She quickly checked on Erik and then padded outside barefoot to the terrace and put her feet up on the table. She continued to blame herself for what had happened as she waited for the first call of the evening.

If only she had shown a little drive when it had been called for, life might have taken a different path. Sandra cursed her weakness at that moment. Not only for her own sake but also Kerstin’s. They had to struggle on with their burdens while that swine—who against all odds now had a name—carried on as if nothing had happened. All things considered, it might have been better not to find out who he was.

Sandra was dwelling on that thought when Kerstin called—the first caller of the evening.

“Something occurred to me after our last call,” said Kerstin. “You said you were sure that Hallin was alone in the car.”

Sandra waited.

“Didn’t you?” said Kerstin. “Do you stand by that?”

“I do,” said Sandra, without any further comment.

“Okay,” said Kerstin with a smile in her voice. “I know you’re trying to squeeze me, but that’s just silly.”

“I don’t think you would think so if you knew the reason why,” said Sandra seriously. “But I maintain that he didn’t have any passengers in the car.”