‘The brakes failed. I went into a big pothole on one of the logging tracks a couple of hours earlier, and I thought there was a funny smell just before we got into the car to drive down to Nedanås. I’m assuming the brake pipe must have been punctured, and the brake fluid had leaked out.’

Jens writes down what she is saying, but she notices that he is frowning.

‘What?’

‘Didn’t a warning light come on?’

‘No, not until the brakes failed, then the whole instrument panel lit up.’

‘OK.’ He makes another note, then sits in silence for a few seconds before moving on to his final question.

‘Can you think of anyone who had a reason to want to harm you?’

*

After Jens has left, she asks if she can have a shower. She stands under the stream of hot water for a long time, trying to digest what he was hinting at.

Their car was parked by the barrier for just over an hour – plenty of time for someone with the right tools and knowledge to sabotage the brakes. In which case, who is in the frame? Lisa told Bruno and Marie where they were going, plus they talked to Alex Morell and Caia Bianca. That means at least four people had both motive and opportunity.

When she emerges from the shower, a nurse has laid out her clothes. They are clean and dry, yet she thinks the smell of the river still lingers. However, they are a significant improvement on the hospital gown, so she gets dressed and goes into Lisa’s room, which is next door.

Lisa is holding the remote control in her uninjured hand and is zapping idly between TV channels. She looks very pleased to see Anna.

‘Hi – I put my head around your door a while ago, but you were asleep. How are you? How’s Agnes?’

Anna tells her what the doctor said, and adds that she’s on her way up to see Agnes now. She wants to be there when they wake her. ‘And how are you?’

‘A broken collarbone and several cracked ribs – otherwise I’m fine.’

They both fall silent. Anna feels she has to say something about what happened in the water.

‘I really wanted to help you, Lisa, but I had my hands full with Agnes. She was unconscious and . . .’

She makes an apologetic gesture, but Lisa waves it away.

‘I understand completely – you had no choice. And you managed to undo my seatbelt in the car. If you hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be sitting here. You have nothing to apologise for, Anna. Go and be with Agnes. If it’s OK with you, I’ll come and see you later.’

‘Of course.’ Anna smiles. She is growing increasingly fond of Lisa.