‘Simon ran up into the forest behind the quarry. After a while they started to feel guilty, and went looking for him. When they couldn’t find him, they assumed he’d cycled home. According to Alex, they were planning to come here the following day to apologise.’

She pauses again.

‘And then?’ Elisabet says. ‘What happened next?’

‘Alex and Bruno got into their tent to escape the rain. Alex fell asleep right away, and didn’t wake up until the morning, when he heard Marie screaming.’

Elisabet nods calmly and loosens her grip on Klein’s hand.

Klein gets to his feet, fetches a glass of water and stands in silence by the table until Elisabet has taken a couple of sips.

‘Thank you, that’s better. Sit down, Klein. So, where were we, Anna?’

‘Well . . .’ Anna attempts to gather her thoughts. ‘Everything – the letters, Tabor, my involvement – it was all about you wanting one of the other three to reveal what had happened. You needed to find out the truth about Simon’s death, to be sure that Marie wasn’t to blame.’

Elisabet nods slowly. ‘Marie is my closest relative, my only possible heir, and I couldn’t leave Änglaberga to her without first resolving the past. I’m very grateful for your help, Anna.’

Elisabet smiles, but Anna is disinclined to smile back. Anger is pounding behind her eyes, making her clench her jaw so hard that she can feel her teeth grinding. She looks at Klein, meets his gaze. His face is as stiff as always, but she can see something bubbling away just beneath the surface. Something is bothering him.

‘We’re not done yet,’ she says firmly.

‘No?’

‘No. We’re still investigating Joe Rylander’s death.’

‘Oh – have you found anything that rules out suicide?’ The question is unnecessary. Elisabet already knows the answer, and her expression intensifies Anna’s feeling that she has been utterly manipulated.

Chapter 53

53

Autumn 2017

The sun is shining on Saturday morning. Anna and Agnes eat breakfast together, more or less in silence. Their relationship is stranger than ever. They talk to each other in a cautious, unnatural way, testing out every topic of conversation, making sure they’re not going to mention Håkan, the case or the newspaper article before they can proceed. Anna used to think of their relationship as a minefield, but that feels much too inflammatory. These days she compares herself and Agnes to the pond skaters she saw up at the quarry, skirting one another with anxious movements without daring to get too close, afraid of breaking the surface tension and being drawn down into the depths.