It didn’t take her long to check out Solid Security: a Swedish-owned company that had started up in Stockholm almost fifteen years earlier. They operated nationwide, and as far as she could see, their customers were very satisfied. As she read she felt the darkness descend once more, because the more she found out, the more convinced she became that she’d heard about this firm before.

Spencer had mentioned it.

Spencer.

Again.

We ought to get a burglar alarm. Everyone else in inner-city Stockholm has one.

She could see him in her mind’s eye, tall and straight-backed, absolutely certain that the best he could do for his family was to install an alarm system. He had waved a brochure at her, said that Solid Security had an excellent reputation.

It was only a brochure, what the hell is wrong with me?

Pure coincidence. Anything else was unimaginable, so once again Fredrika ignored the sense that something was wrong with the Torbjörn Ross line of inquiry, ignored the knot of fear in her stomach. She called Solid Security’s customer-service department and asked to speak to the boss.

‘What’s it about and where are you calling from?’ asked the woman who answered.

‘I’m calling from the police, and I think two of your clients have come to serious harm.’

*

The outcome was entirely predictable. The boss wasn’t prepared to say anything over the phone, and requested a meeting instead. Fredrika decided to head over to the office in the Freeport; she could go straight home from there.

Home to Spencer.

Who regardless of anything to do with the murders was not the person she’d thought he was.

How could you run over a young woman, then simply drive away?

She popped in to see Alex on her way out.

‘Anything new?’ she asked.

‘You first.’

His voice was rough, his face set.

Fredrika summarised what she’d done and explained where she was going. On her own, for once – there wasn’t time to bring in a colleague.

‘Then I’ll go home, if that’s okay?’

‘Fine. We’ll carry on looking for Ross’s daughter tomorrow.’

‘So you believe she existed?’ Fredrika couldn’t hide the doubt in her voice.

‘I’m sure of it.’

Fredrika backed out of Alex’s office; she really didn’t want to talk about this now.

‘See you tomorrow.’

She hurried down to the car park and sped away towards the Freeport.

Solid Security had a visitors’ parking area. She slammed the car door and almost ran into the building. A man of her own age came to meet her and introduced himself as Jussi. They shook hands, and he led her into a windowless room. White walls, grey fitted carpet. Someone with a serious lack of interest in interior design must have been given the job of choosing colours and materials.