“But seriously, Henrik. Do you really think that stuck-up priss-pants Jana is some sort of hit woman? I think it’s time for you to go on paternity leave now.”

She examined him.

“Besides, it’s serious to withhold information about a case.”

“Of course. I know that.”

“I wouldn’t have thought you’d do this,” she said, grinning again. “You could be reported for this.”

“Exactly. So don’t say anything.”

Mia looked out through the window.

“Seriously, Henrik, what do you gain by not saying anything? This could be seen as harboring a fugitive.”

“Wait a second, now,” Henrik said. “You’ve been grinning this whole time. Obviously you don’t believe it, either. She might not have been anywhere near Robin’s apartment.”

Mia nodded, thinking.

“But now that you say it, she’s always been so fucking...bizarre in some way.”

“No, she hasn’t.”

“No?”

“No. I don’t think so, at least.”

“Oh, now I get it,” Mia said.

“What?”

“You like her.”

“Yes, I like her as a prosecutor. Nothing else.”

“There must be more to it, because you’re trying to protect her.”

“Knock it off. I’m not trying to protect her. I just haven’t had the chance to talk to her.”

“Oh, really?”

“What’s much more bizarre to me is that you seem so happy to be able to accuse her.”

“The strangest part is that you aren’t keeping the rest of us informed of what you’re thinking during the investigation. It’s not really like you, Henrik.”

“Listen. According to Ida, a woman was in the area when she left Robin’s apartment. The description could very well fit Jana, but there is also a very, very, very strong possibility that it was some other woman Ida saw. Not Jana Berzelius. There must be other pretty women who drive dark BMWs, don’t you think?”

“Pretty? You think she’s pretty, and that’s why you’re protecting her?” Mia exclaimed.

“Now you’re just being a pain.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t reason with you. Do you think, in complete seriousness, that Jana could have murdered Robin Stenberg?”

“No, but...”

“No. Exactly. It’s precisely that reason that I don’t want to disclose my every thought to you. You are only interested in the simplest solution. That’s dangerous, Mia. You know that loose assumptions have no place in serious investigations.”

“Neither do emotions,” she said.

“Can’t you just go now?”

“I am. I’m actually not going to work any more today. We’ve worked all weekend, so I thought I’d take off.”

Lovely, he thought about saying, but she was already gone. He sat alone in the room with the feeling that he shouldn’t have said anything to Mia about Jana Berzelius.

He shouldn’t have said anything at all.

Chapter Twenty-Five

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE