Not likely. That person would have called emergency services, or at least the widow, and wouldn’t have left the body there like an icicle for four days.

Someone else must have been on the road without Jan noticing. That was entirely possible, given that he was fully occupied by his own problems and those of the victim. He hadn’t checked his rearview mirror. If the witness had approached on foot, Jan would also not have heard anything.

“Dinner in a minute!” Gunilla shouted to him as he got up and left the kitchen.

“Be right back,” he said, taking the photographs into the study.

He spread them out in front of him on the desk, switched on the desk lamp, and pulled the magnifying glass out of one of the drawers. He couldn’t stop himself from glancing at the deceased first—and it wasn’t a pretty sight. It really wasn’t, even though the picture was unfocused. A shudder passed through his body; he felt sick and he had to take several deep gulps.

He moved the lens to his own car and noted that he was not personally visible in the photo, but unfortunately his rear registration plate was perfectly clear. There was no mistaking that it was Jan’s car. But from what angle had the picture actually been taken? Not directly from behind, which would have been the case if the photographer had approached from the same bend in the road as he had. No, slightly diagonally to the right, as if the witness was peering out of the woods on the ravine side.