She leaned one elbow against the window, looking at the ring on her finger, the inexpensive ring that Gunnar had bought for her when everything was new, when they had been together for only a month. A smooth gold ring, no stones, no engraving or burnished edges.

But she had worn it all these years.

She had loved it, loved that idiotic ring on her finger.

What have I done? she thought, sighing.

She felt someone watching her and met Henrik’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

“Tired?”

“Yes,” she said softly.

“Did you find anything?”

“Nothing of interest, besides the money. I took a few samples, but I don’t know, there wasn’t anything other than Axel’s own prints, unfortunately.”

“I was thinking more about the holding cell he was in. You just came from there, right?”

“Yes,” she said, looking down, running her finger along the camera case she had next to her. “I...I took a sample from Axel’s...I mean, I took a number of samples. I think he committed suicide, plain and simple. There was a lapse in security...”

“You think?” Mia said skeptically. “You don’t sound completely sure.”

They fell silent, and the sound of the heat flowing from the vents filled the car.

“Well...” Anneli continued. “As you know, homicide detectives like us as well as other police officers who might be present at the scene of a crime must register their fingerprints and DNA.”

“Yes?”

“There was one thing that bothered me, so I did a quick search. But right now it’s still incomplete.”

“How incomplete?” Henrik asked. “It was what he had under his fingernails, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. I found skin cells and fiber fragments under Axel’s fingernails.”

“Who were they from?”

Anneli swallowed again.

“It’s too early to say,” she said.

“Oh, just say it!” Henrik said.

“You can tell us,” Mia said.

Anneli looked down at her lap.

“No,” she said, touching the camera bag again. “There’s a chance it’s not correct. I don’t want you, either of you, to draw any hasty conclusions. I’ve sent the samples to the National Lab.”

“What the hell!” Mia complained, disappointed. “Don’t you trust us?”

“Of course I do, but it’s unnecessary to let something like this come out and then have it turn out to be incorrect.”

“Well, make sure the lab puts a rush on it, then,” Henrik said.

“Yes, of course,” Anneli said, looking out the window again.

She didn’t want to meet Henrik’s eyes again. She knew she’d always been a terrible liar.

* * *

A map. She needed a map.