Gessen pressed a button by the door. ‘Mathilde, would you bring us three coffees?’

While they waited, Schulz attempted some small talk. ‘Nice set-up you’ve got here. Sehr schön. I grew up in the next valley over.’ He gestured at the window.

Officer Müller pursed her lips and retrieved a notepad from an inside pocket of her jacket. Gessen tried to read her expression. They would have received the coroner’s report by now. Did it mention this might be a suspicious death? He prayed not. An extended inquiry could go on for weeks. As far as he was concerned, Ismail’s death was an accident. Suicide was the other possibility, though it seemed unlikely. Why would Ismail end his own life, when he was so desperate to be reunited with his beloved?

The only one at fault was Gessen himself. Any lapse in security rested squarely on his shoulders. After the investigation was over, he would reconsider his stance on securing the property with a high fence, though he hated the idea. This was a medical clinic, not a prison, and the patients’ stays were voluntary. What would it do to their well-being if they had the impression they were locked in?

Even before he learned of his own family history, Gessen had a horror of closed spaces and locked doors, so he could only imagine what effect they might have on his patients. Far from home. Disoriented and vulnerable to whatever ailment had brought them here. What they needed most – and one of the selling points of the clinic – was the healing energy of the mountains and the illusion of wide-open space. No spirit can properly soar behind high fences, razor wire, and locked doors.

Officer Müller pointedly clicked her pen. ‘Until additional information comes in,’ she said, ‘we’re treating Mr Mahmoud’s death as an accident. Suicide is also a possibility, of course, so it would be helpful to know something about Mr Mahmoud’s state of mind in the days leading up to his death.’

Gessen had come prepared to the meeting, and he flipped open his diary to consult the relevant dates. ‘The day before he went missing, Mr Mahmoud had a private therapy session with Dr Lindstrom at three in the afternoon.’ He passed the diary to Officer Müller. ‘I was away on other business and heading back to the clinic by train when Dr Lindstrom called to say that Mr Mahmoud was missing.’

Officer Müller glanced at the diary and made a note. ‘Did Dr Lindstrom notice anything out of the ordinary? Perhaps he was agitated or upset.’

‘I don’t believe so. No more upset than usual.’

She raised her eyebrows. ‘Can you be more specific?’