‘Ulla’s showing a film this evening,’ Diana said. ‘The one she made about the indigenous population of Canada. It starts at nine thirty, in half an hour. We can make it if we hurry.’

Alex took a sip of his wine. Another thing to be experienced. Another thing he had to say he didn’t want to do.

‘You don’t have to come if you don’t feel like it.’

Hurrah.

‘Thanks – good to know,’ he said.

Diana tilted her head on one side. ‘So what are you going to do while I’m out? Lie on a beach and read a book?’

He blushed and she burst out laughing. ‘Seriously – you don’t mind if I go, do you?’

That smile – it was still amazing.

‘Not at all.’

There was no reason for Diana to ditch the aspects of her life that didn’t interest Alex.

‘Top-up?’ he said, reaching for the wine bottle.

‘No thanks.’ She paused, then asked: ‘Did you find out why you got that letter?’ She was unable to hide her anxiety.

‘No. Well, maybe. I think we’re getting closer to some kind of explanation.’

‘That’s a relief.’

‘I can’t tell you much more at the moment. In fact I can’t tell you anything.’

‘I understand.’

‘Okay.’

It was a sad little exchange, but it was difficult to bring any humour to that particular topic.

Alex got up and started to clear the table. He thought about Berlin’s decision to ask for permission to open all the wills, about Fredrika’s search for Ross’s daughter. He thought about the fact that they had no idea where Ross had gone, or where Noah’s brother and his family could possibly be. Then his phone rang and the brief lull was over.

*

‘Torbjörn Ross is still missing,’ Ivan informed him.

This wasn’t what Alex had been expecting; they should have located Ross by now.

‘That’s not good news,’ he said.

We want to know what he’s up to during the hours of darkness.

‘I presume you still don’t want us to put out a call for him?’

‘No – it’s still too soon.’

Too soon?

When more people might die?

Alex ended the call with the feeling that he was standing in the middle of a storm that had no intention of abating. It was a deeply unpleasant experience.

Chapter 21

Torbjörn Ross was driving fast. Keep going, keep going, don’t look back. He blinked several times; he was more tired than he was prepared to admit, more stressed than he’d thought. Every so often he glanced in the rear-view mirror to confirm what he already knew: he’d managed to lose the surveillance vehicle.

He was free to do whatever he wanted.

As always.