“No, we have to stop. The helicopter will have to wait,” Gunnar said. “Anneli has something to share.”

“About what?”

“It’s about Anders Wester.”

* * *

First she just heard a sound that quickly disappeared in the wind. But when it came again, she understood fairly quickly that it was the sound of panic, of someone screaming.

Jana Berzelius went around the boathouse. The wind buffeted against her as she went with quick steps out on the pier. She heard splashing from the ice-cold water, filled with chunks of ice. She turned, looking around, but couldn’t see anything. She ran over the slippery planks, saw the threatening water under her, slipped, regained her balance and continued in the stiff wind. She ran farther out on the pier.

Rusty iron chains hung from the poles. Water had frozen on them, and small icicles hung down from the links.

She rubbed the snow from her eyes with the arm of her jacket, leaned carefully forward and looked down into the black water.

Suddenly she saw a face break the surface. It was Isra. She flailed her arms around her, fighting for air.

Jana sank down to her knees, bent forward and reached out her hand.

“Take my hand,” she said.

She felt Isra’s ice-cold fingers through the leather of her gloves. She tried to get ahold of her, but the girl’s fingers were limp and Jana felt how they slipped out of her grasp.

Isra flailed her arms wildly, the water splashing around her.

Then Jana heard steps on the pier and slowly turned around.

She saw him.

He stood with his head down and his eyes dark. His hood was over his head, his fists clenched, his jaw set.

“Hi, Jana,” he said. “I had a feeling you’d show up eventually.”

* * *

Anneli Lindgren fell silent and looked at Henrik, Mia, Ola and Per, who sat around the oval table with their mouths agape. They were again gathered in the conference room. Gunnar stood next to her and nodded.

“So you mean,” Henrik said, “that Anders Wester’s DNA was found on Axel Lundin’s dead body?”

“Yes,” she said, nodding. “His skin cells were under Axel’s nails.”

“So...” Mia began, but then fell silent as if she needed to think the thought through one more time. “If he weren’t the head of National Crime, I would believe what you’re saying, but now...well, I don’t know,” she said. “What is it you think, really?”

“I don’t think anything. I’m just saying the facts. Axel Lundin was visited by Anders Wester right before he died.”

“Did Wester have something to do with Lundin’s death? Is that what you’re thinking?” Mia said. “I don’t get it.”