Anna searches for the button that will bring her phone to life.

‘Joe was an idiot,’ Marie says, unexpectedly. ‘Now and twenty-seven years ago. He was the kind of man who wound people up just for the sake of it. Made things difficult both for himself and others, just because he could. But to answer your question – he actually killed himself. Anna is right about most things. I came across Joe when I was out walking the dogs early Sunday morning. He was lying in a hollow over in Vargadalen, whimpering like an injured animal. I helped him out of the trap, brought him to one of our outbuildings and bandaged his leg. When he started to feel better he got mouthy, started talking about Lisa, demanded money to keep quiet. So, I locked him in to give me time to think – but he managed to escape.’

She shrugs.

‘It was pouring with rain, and he didn’t know his way around up here. Plus, he was hurt. The dogs soon picked up his scent, and as we approached the viewpoint, I sent them after him. Joe ran for his life, in spite of his leg. I don’t think he even saw the edge in the rain and the darkness. And so . . .’ Marie lets out a descending whistle, ‘bye bye, Joe!’

She smiles again, straightens her shoulders. She seems very happy to share her story. Anna has been holding her thumb on the start button for long enough to wake up her phone, or at least she hopes so. All she has to do now is suss out how to make a call without looking at the screen.

‘Ideally we would have liked to get rid of the body,’ Marie goes on. ‘I shouldn’t think anyone would have missed him if he’d simply disappeared, but as he had the poor taste to land inside the perimeter fence at Glarea, several metres off the ground in a tree, we couldn’t get to him. So, we tracked down his car and moved it closer to the viewpoint to make his death look like suicide. We’d already taken care of his phone – which reminds me!’

She waves the gun, and her voice hardens.

‘Take out your phones – nice and slowly.’

‘I haven’t got one,’ Lisa says. ‘It was damaged in the car accident.’

Marie turns to Anna, and sees that her hand is in her pocket.

‘Could the ex-chief of police kindly take out her phone and throw it into that corner?’

Anna reluctantly does as she’s told. Her phone skitters across the floor and lands next to the wastepaper basket.

‘The car accident,’ Lisa says. ‘Was that down to you too?’

Marie stares at her, then nods.