‘He took my daughter away from me. I lost her for the second time. He destroyed her life, it’s his fault that her husband shot her. I don’t know what else you need to hear.’

Torbjörn Ross had become a very small person – so small that Fredrika was afraid he would simply vanish if she blinked.

One second he was there, and then he wasn’t. Very strange.

She and Berlin were questioning Ross. Alex had removed himself from the equation as soon as they got back to HQ, answering evasively when she asked where he was going, what was so urgent.

‘Alex can’t be part of this interview,’ Berlin had said firmly. ‘Obviously – because of the messages he’s received.’

Fredrika agreed, but that didn’t explain what was happening now. She couldn’t shake off the feeling that Berlin was pleased to have her there – not because she valued what Fredrika could bring to the table, but because she wanted her exactly where she was, away from the rest of the department.

‘Did she know she was your daughter?’ Berlin asked Ross.

His expression grew blank.

‘No. Her mother didn’t want me to tell her, and that was the end of that. I couldn’t go against her wishes.’

‘But you were always close by,’ Fredrika said.

‘Always.’ Ross’s voice was thick with emotion. ‘I often sent money when she was growing up. Her mother is useless when it comes to finances. She can’t do anything right. Money disappears in no time – it just runs through her fingers.’

‘So what did you do? Once you’d rented The Sanctuary, how did you get the Johansson family out there with you?’

Ross narrowed his eyes.

‘Difficult for you to work out if you’ve never been armed. Do you know how people react when you draw a gun on them? They’re terrified. I took the Johanssons the day before they were due to leave for Australia. If they hadn’t been planning that trip, I’d have taken them earlier in the year, but it was worth waiting, so much easier knowing that no one was going to miss them. They did exactly as I said. The two adults were very helpful; they didn’t hesitate to tell their children how to behave. “Come along, let’s do what the man says.” I tied them up with cable ties and put them in the back of a van with no side windows. I’d borrowed it from a friend. They couldn’t see where we were. I drove around for something like five hours before I let them out at the house.’

‘And the rest?’ Berlin said. ‘Apparently you’ve dealt with their emails and a phone call.’