Agnes is sitting up in bed with an excited Milo in her arms. He is busy licking every tiny bit of skin he can reach. Mats is standing by the wall looking very happy to be there. On the table beside him there is a bouquet of flowers that must have cost a fortune. It is not until she sees the other two people in the room that the picture makes sense. Elisabet Vidje is sitting in the visitor’s chair, with Bror Klein standing next to her.

‘Hi, Mum!’ Agnes says in a cheerful voice that Anna hasn’t heard for years. It immediately disperses all those gloomy thoughts about the commissioner, her job, and other irrelevant details. ‘Look at the lovely flowers Aunt Elisabet and Klein brought me!’

Agnes seems to be enjoying being the centre of attention, and Anna doesn’t begrudge her a second of it.

‘Beautiful, darling.’ She bends down to kiss her daughter, expecting Milo to growl as he always does in similar situations, but the dog simply looks up at her with his head on one side. He even wags his tail.

Anna turns to Klein and is about to thank him when Lisa Savic arrives. Her left arm is still in a sling, but she looks much brighter.

‘Hi, Lisa!’ Agnes says, clearly delighted to have even more visitors.

‘Hi! Gosh, so many people!’ Lisa says, smiling and nodding at Elisabet. Her expression grows serious when she looks at Klein. ‘You were the one who rescued me from the river.’

Klein gives the faintest of nods. Lisa comes into the room, wraps her uninjured arm around his neck and hugs him tightly. Klein’s stony face barely moves, but it is possible to detect a slight twitch at one corner of his mouth, and a brief flash of something in his eyes. It is over in a second, and he has rearranged his features long before Lisa lets go of him.

‘Me too,’ Anna says. ‘If it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t be sitting here now.’

Klein gives a brief nod, then purses his lips in almost exactly the same way as Elisabet does.

‘I was on my way down from the village,’ he says. ‘I saw the skid marks on the road and the cloud of dust among the trees – I knew something had happened. Anyone would have done the same.’

‘You’re far too modest,’ Elisabet says, patting his arm. ‘Enjoy the praise – you’ve earned it!’

Klein looks uncomfortable, and a faint flush colours his cheeks. Anna wonders whether it’s down to the gesture or the situation in general. Are Klein and Elisabet really involved in a secret relationship? She’s becoming more and more convinced that this could be the case.

‘You must be his wife.’ Lisa holds out her hand to Elisabet.