‘I wondered the same thing. I don’t think he saw me, he was completely focused on what he was doing.’

‘And what was he doing?’

‘It looked as if he was standing talking to someone. Nothing strange about that – I talk to Rebecka. But – and this sounds really stupid – when he’d gone I went over to the grave. I don’t know why, I suppose I was just curious.’

Alex sat up a little straighter without realising it.

‘Was it his brother? They were very close, and he died in extremely traumatic circumstances.’

‘No, there was a woman’s name on the headstone. Ylva.’

Alex recoiled as if she’d slapped him.

‘But that’s his wife.’

‘You didn’t know she was dead?’

‘I had no idea.’

What the hell?

Alex had spoken to Peder – how come he hadn’t mentioned something so important?

Then he remembered what Fredrika had been told at Solid Security, and his blood turned to ice. Peder had been fired because he wasn’t doing his job properly. Because of something that had happened in his family.

That was the last thing he needed.

‘You look very shocked,’ Diana said.

‘I am. I . . . I don’t know what to say. Did you notice when she died?’

‘Back in the autumn. November, I think.’

‘Back in the autumn . . . There wasn’t anything about how she died?’

‘On the gravestone? Of course not.’

Alex felt stupid, but for reasons he couldn’t put into words he felt it was important to find out.

At that moment his mobile rang: Berlin.

‘I have to take this.’

‘I’ll make us something to eat,’ Diana said, heading into the kitchen.

‘Alex, can you come back in? Right now?’ Berlin sounded stressed.

‘What’s this about?’

‘We’ve got a new lead.’

‘Someone we can link to the crime scenes?’

‘No, but it’s someone we can link to all the victims.’

‘We’ve already got a candidate who fits that category. We found the murder weapon in his garage, if you recall.’

‘We don’t yet have confirmation that the gun in Ross’s garage is the murder weapon, but in any case this is something we have to follow up.’

There was something about Berlin’s voice that bothered him. It was as taut as one of Fredrika’s violin strings.

She’s scared. He felt a sudden pressure in his chest.

‘Who are we talking about?’

‘Peder Rydh.’

Perhaps the answer should have floored him, but it didn’t. Not because he’d expected it, but because he’d just been sitting here thinking about Peder, had sensed that something was wrong. No, not just wrong – disastrously wrong.

I had him within reach all along.

He called me.

And I didn’t understand.

‘You have to come in.’

Alex got to his feet.

I’ll never forgive myself for this.

‘I’ll be there in half an hour.’

*