Maybe she was supposed to feel sad, but Tina Antonsson felt only terror. She’d waited so long, hoping and believing that someone else would get there first. But the days passed, and the headlines didn’t appear.

Missing Family – Has Anyone Seen Them?

Tina hadn’t been able to shake off the sense that something was wrong after the last time she and Malin had spoken on the phone. Malin hadn’t called back as she’d promised; that just wasn’t like her. Tina had both texted and emailed, waited for a response. Nothing.

It just didn’t fit.

Tina hadn’t known what to do. She’d called the police, then hung up. She wasn’t the family’s next of kin; someone else must be doing something. The problem was that she and Malin didn’t have many mutual friends, so Tina had quickly realised that she was on her own when it came to making a decision. Eventually she’d gone to see Noah, even though she’d only met him a few times. It had been both wonderful and terrible. Wonderful because he shared her concern, terrible for the same reason. There was no going back. Malin and Dan were in danger, and only two people in the whole world had realised that: Tina and Noah.

And now there was only Tina left. She’d heard the news about Noah’s murder the previous evening, and had been left paralysed with fear. The papers didn’t give Noah’s name, but she knew it was him.

The police.

She had to call the police.

Noah had mentioned someone, said there was an officer who might be able to help them. Alex Recht. It was an unusual name, which was why Tina had remembered it.

Alex Recht would listen when she told him what she thought had happened.

Noah was trying to find his brother. Now he’s dead. And I’m wondering how long I’ll survive.

She sat down on her sofa and called the main switchboard. The apartment door was double-locked, and all the windows were closed. She’d taken some annual leave; she had no intention of returning to work until life got back to normal.

If it ever did.

A young woman took her call.

‘I’d like to speak to Alex Recht,’ Tina began, unsure of how to pronounce the surname.

‘And you are?’

‘Tina Antonsson. Tell him it’s about the murder of Noah Johansson, and it’s urgent.’

After a lengthy wait she was informed that Alex Recht was unavailable.

‘I can put you through to another officer. He—’

Tina interrupted. ‘I’d rather speak to Alex Recht.’

‘And we’d really like to know what you can bring to the investigation,’ the woman said. ‘Will you have a word with his colleague?’