But then he’d given himself time to try and throw some light on why Ross had done such a thing, and Peder had changed his mind. He didn’t really have a problem with Ross’s actions, even though he would have preferred it if the children hadn’t been involved. He also knew that one day he would probably need someone to blame. Ross was the ideal candidate, and had therefore dictated Peder’s choices to a certain extent, albeit unconsciously. Peder restricted himself to people who had a link to Ross. Little by little he began to protect Ross, make sure no one realised what was going on. It was fairly straightforward; the only person who seemed to think that something had happened to the family was Dan’s brother Noah. No one else contacted the police, anyway. Peder got into the habit of driving past Noah’s funeral business, keeping an eye on things.

The second time he went by, he saw Spencer Lagergren standing there. Peder had been very surprised; why would Spencer be visiting a funeral director? He had to know, so the following night he broke into Noah’s office, causing no damage, leaving no trace behind. His most important discovery was Spencer’s last will and testament, along with an accompanying letter that made Peder furious. Spencer of all people had seriously injured a woman by driving while under the influence. Without incurring any punishment – it had been years since the accident. The time scale didn’t matter as far as Peder was concerned; under no circumstances was he going to let Spencer get away with what he’d done.