‘Let’s bring him in,’ she’d said, but Alex had disagreed. He preferred to put Ross under surveillance, tap his phone, see if he might lead them to Noah’s brother. If there was a chance that the family was alive, Alex had to find them.

‘He’s killing people to punish them,’ Alex said. ‘Malcolm Benke because he didn’t save his daughter. Lovisa Wahlberg because she let her boyfriend pay the price for their joint drug dealings. I’m assuming he’s taken Dan Johansson because he failed with one of his clients. Noah had to be silenced because he was kicking up too much of a fuss. Fuck knows how long the list will end up. It’s possible that Renata Rashid has another victim on her hands, but we don’t know for sure.’

‘But we still haven’t worked out why,’ Fredrika said. ‘Why is Ross the person who’s punishing them? And why now? Beata Benke’s been dead for ten years – why take revenge now instead of ten years ago?’

Berlin’s face betrayed no emotion.

‘His daughter,’ she said almost inaudibly.

‘His daughter?’

‘She died back in the autumn.’

Alex and Fredrika exchanged a glance.

‘Do we know how she died?’

‘He said it was the result of an illness.’

Fredrika frowned. ‘I didn’t even know Ross had a daughter.’

Nor did Alex, and he certainly hadn’t heard about her death.

‘So how old was she?’

‘I’ve no idea,’ Berlin said.

Fredrika went over to the computer in a corner of the meeting room.

‘I’ll check the register,’ she said as it hummed into life.

Berlin didn’t speak or move. She was in shock, and it suited her even less than her usual truculence.

‘We need to put him under surveillance right away,’ Alex said.

‘I’ll sort it,’ Berlin said, then left the room with her head down.

Two minutes later they had the answer to their question. Ross had two sons, but no daughter. He’d never had a daughter.

*

The surveillance team had eyes on Ross less than an hour after Berlin issued the order. It was essential not to arouse his suspicions, so he remained in charge of the investigation into the murder of Lovisa Wahlberg. It was almost four o’clock; people would soon be going home, but not Alex or Fredrika. They remained closeted in the Lions’ Den; they had a lot to do.

Fredrika gave Spencer a quick call, while Alex made do with a text to Diana:

Going to be late. Will be in touch. Xx

He couldn’t stop thinking about the messages he’d received.

I am doing what you cannot do.

I am putting everything right.