Twenty-six days, eight hours and twelve minutes.

Tuvesson scratched underneath her watch strap and waited for Lilja, Klippan and Molander to take their seats around the conference table. ‘All right, let’s get cracking,’ she said, even though the coffee thermos was only just being passed around. ‘Since we all have our hands full and are one man short to boot, I figured we’d try to keep it to thirty minutes. So let’s keep it brief. Okay?’

Lilja and Molander both nodded and shot Klippan a glance.

‘Why is everybody looking at me?’ Klippan exclaimed. ‘And speaking of one man short, shouldn’t we call Mr Risk and ask him to come in? After all, he’s been home for over a month now.’

‘I would really prefer not to.’

‘And given what he and his family have been through, he surely needs his time off more than ever,’ Lilja said, shaking her head.

‘So when’s he supposed to be coming back?’ Klippan sipped his coffee.

‘Sometime after the summer, end of August,’ Tuvesson said. ‘We’re just going to have to get by without him. And since we’re on the subject, I’d like to remind you that I’m checking into Tolvmannagården to start my twelve-step programme this afternoon. I’ll be gone for five weeks.’

‘Five weeks?’ Molander exchanged looks with the others.

‘I know, it’s an awfully long time, but what choice do I have?’

‘And if we need to get in touch with you?’

‘I’m sorry, you can’t.’

‘Hold on just one minute,’ Lilja said. ‘What do you mean, we can’t? We’re in the middle of a—’

‘Look!’ Tuvesson held up her hands defensively. ‘I know the timing couldn’t be much worse. Believe me, I want nothing more than to stay here and work with you. But I have to take this seriously and put my health first. I hope you can understand that.’

‘Of course,’ Lilja said, nodding along with the others.

‘Good. Then I think we should get going with—’

‘Just one more thing,’ Lilja broke in. ‘Who’s in charge of the investigation while you’re gone?’

‘Me, of course,’ Klippan said. ‘Who else?’

‘I don’t know.’ Lilja shrugged. ‘Maybe someone who’s a bit more—’

‘Klippan’s right,’ Tuvesson cut in. ‘He’s going to lead the investigation, and I assume you will all make sure there is as little friction as possible.’

‘A bit more what?’ Klippan turned to Lilja.

‘Nothing. Forget it. It’s going to be great.’

‘All right, let’s start with the missing Volvo. Any sign of it?’

‘Nothing yet, unfortunately,’ Lilja said.

‘My money’s on it being dumped somewhere outside Bjuv,’ Klippan said. ‘If he’d been driving around in it, we’d have nabbed him already.’

‘And the CCTV footage? Have you started going through it?’