‘Caia was in one of the very first reality TV shows in the early ’90s. Personal appearances, magazine shoots, the usual. Then she married a financier and used the money she inherited when he died to build her own makeup brand. These days she’s married to the biggest car dealer in southern Sweden, and often pops up in the gossip columns.’ He raises his eyebrows quizzically.

‘Nedanås’s very own celebrity,’ she says, silently thanking Agnes for the information.

‘Exactly. She hardly ever agrees to come to this kind of thing anymore, so it was quite a surprise when she said yes.’

Anna murmurs something vague in response, and takes a closer look at the woman on the stage. After a while she re-evaluates Caia Bianca. Admittedly, she still looks like a pub singer who’s seen better days, but in spite of the nature of the event, she carries herself with confidence and pride. She is the one who takes the microphone and announces three young girls as the winners of the talent show, then conducts a very professional interview without in any way stealing their thunder. It takes a minute or so for Anna to work out that one of the girls is Alex Morell’s younger daughter. She steers Call-me a little closer to the stage, and eventually spots Alex right at the front, filming the whole thing on his phone. Bruno Sordi is standing next to him. She catches a glimpse of Alex’s expression: pride, of course, but there is a hint of something that reminds her of the way he looked in the photo collage.

‘I’m assuming Caia Bianca is a stage name,’ she says, turning to Call-me. ‘What’s her real name?’

‘Carina – Carina Pedersen.’

The final piece of the puzzle falls into place. Caia Bianca is Carina Pedersen, who used to be Alex Morell’s girlfriend, his date at the graduation ball. The last person in the group photo. Anna repeats the names to herself, working from right to left in the group photo as she looks at those same faces now, almost thirty years older. Marie Andersson, now Sordi, on the stage next to her father. Bruno Sordi, her husband, waiting down below. Carina Pedersen, alias Caia Bianca, waving to the audience and acknowledging the applause. And almost directly in front of her Alex Morell, who can’t take his eyes off her. All the old friends gathered together. Except for Simon Vidje.

Chapter 24

24

28 August 1990

Simon and Tanya slowly made their way back to the campsite hand in hand. Halfway up the path they heard angry voices.

‘You pig!’ Marie shouted. Simon increased his speed, pulling Tanya along with him.