Mia was struck with the thought that Stig Ottling had terrible taste when it came to women. She surveyed Jenny up and down—yellow aviator glasses, multiple necklaces around her neck and shiny, dark brown hair. The hair made Mia smile faintly, because that was the only thing that matched the description Stig Ottling had given. “A lovely little thing,” my ass.

“Jenny Bengtsson?” Mia asked.

“Yes...”

Jenny looked skeptically at her, holding her hand on the door handle as if she were ready to close the door in Mia’s face. She peered over Mia’s shoulder to see if she was alone or not.

“I’m a police officer,” Mia said quickly, showing her badge.

“Okay...?” she said questioningly.

“I called you, but you didn’t answer.”

“Oh, was that you? I don’t usually answer calls from blocked ID numbers or ones I don’t recognize.”

Mia stuffed her badge back in her pocket.

“I need to talk to you,” she said. “Is this a good time?”

“Sure, I’m just studying for an exam.”

“I need to talk to you about a storage space.”

“Okay...?”

Jenny’s eyebrows rose behind the frames of her glasses.

“Can I come in?”

“Well, I haven’t cleaned or anything. But sure.”

She stepped aside and Mia came in, closing the door behind her. She decided to conduct the interview in the hall.

“As I said, it’s about a storage space you rented.”

“What about it? Was there a break-in? Ugh, I hate that you can never just have things left in peace. Three weeks ago some idiot pinched my bike. It was new. Even had a basket. It cost me five hundred kronor extra just to insure the thing.”

“No, this isn’t about a break-in.”

“No?”

“I was just wondering if you’ve been there yet.”

“What?”

“Have you had the chance to go to your storage space?”

“Of course I have. What sort of question is that?”

Mia smiled sourly.

“When were you there last?”

Jenny took a breath, thinking.

“Two weeks ago, maybe.”

“What?”

“Yes, two weeks ago. What’s the matter?”

“Wait a minute...”

Mia scratched her head, then took out the rental contract she had gotten from Stig Ottling.

“But you rented the storage space this past weekend, on Saturday.”

“No... I’ve had the storage space the whole time.”

“Is this not your signature?”

Jenny looked at the signature that Mia was holding out and began to laugh.

“No, I don’t write like that.”

“But you have a storage space on Garvaregatan?”

She laughed again.

“No, I don’t.”

* * *

“So you don’t abuse drugs?” Henrik Levin said, looking suspiciously at Axel. It had gotten hotter in the interrogation room.

“No,” Axel said. “Never have.”

“How have you been able to resist?”

“Don’t know. I’ve never tried anything, not even a cigarette. Don’t want to subject my body to that shit.”