Anna raises her eyebrows. ‘Does anyone really pay thirty thousand in cash?’

The plug of snus makes another appearance.

‘Are you asking in your professional capacity, officer?’

She smiles. ‘I’ll be paying by card.’

*

On the way home they stop off at the supermarket, passing the obligatory beggar by the door, who makes Anna feel uncomfortable. She has spotted Call-me-Lasse’s Passat in the car park, and they bump into the solicitor by the milk. He is with a boy only a year or so older than Agnes.

‘Hi, Anna, good to see you again,’ Call-me says; he both looks and sounds as if he means it. ‘This is my son, Erik.’

Erik seems nice; he has inherited his father’s aura and self-confidence. He holds out his hand and greets them politely.

‘Hi, Erik – I’m Anna, and this is Agnes.’

Agnes glares at her, making it clear that she is soooo embarrassing, but Anna doesn’t care.

‘How are you settling in up at Tabor?’ Call-me asks, a little too cheerfully.

‘Very well, thank you.’ She is about to draw Agnes into the conversation, but notices the way that her daughter and Erik are eyeing each other up, and decides against it.

‘And you’re finding your way around the village?’

‘We are. We’ve just been to buy a Vespa for Agnes.’

‘Oh, so you’ve met Göran.’

She must look a little confused, because Call-me adds: ‘That’s the owner’s name.’

‘Right.’ The topic is exhausted; there is an awkward silence. ‘Anyway, we’d better—’ Anna begins, but she is interrupted by Erik.

‘Are you coming to the party?’

‘What party?’

‘The homecoming party in the park on Saturday.’ The question was addressed to both of them, but Erik’s attention is fixed on Agnes.

‘We hadn’t actually planned to . . .’ Anna replies.

‘Of course you must come.’ Call-me’s face lights up. ‘There’ll be people from all over the place, food, drink, dancing – at least for those who don’t have two left feet, like me.’ He smiles, and just as on the last occasion when they met, there’s something about him that means Anna can’t help smiling back.

‘You’re welcome to come with us,’ Erik says. Anna glances at Agnes. She knows her daughter is already less than happy about being dragged along to the Morells’ tomorrow, and she is just about to decline politely when Agnes surprises her.

‘Great – what time shall we meet, and where?’

*

They actually talk to each other in the car on the way home. They even enjoy speculating on the dress code for a homecoming party in a park in Skåne. Agnes goes for a shirt and jeans, while Anna suggests a fleecy top, which makes her daughter burst out laughing. Anna’s heart skips a beat.