‘Incredibly.’

Fredrika hesitated, wondering how to formulate the question that had to be asked.

‘Was he violent towards her?’

Karin looked away, unable to meet their gaze.

‘Yes.’

Alex and Fredrika exchanged a glance. Alex ran a hand over the surface of the table, the scars pale pink against skin that had been burned on the day he saved a little girl from searing flames.

‘She died ten years ago,’ he said. ‘If it’s not too painful, could you tell us what happened?’

Karin didn’t speak for a moment, then she looked Alex straight in the eye and said: ‘He murdered her.’

‘Richard?’

‘Yes.’

‘So he’s in jail?’ Fredrika asked.

‘No.’

‘No?’

‘There was no evidence, but we all knew what he’d done, and so did the police.’

‘They didn’t look for another perpetrator?’

‘At first, maybe, before they realised what had gone on.’

Fredrika swallowed hard. Karin’s story was hardly unique. If reasonable doubt exists, there can be no conviction. Many people got away with crimes because society was unable to find the necessary proof. Some regarded this as a weakness in the justice system, others as an indication that the democratic process was working.

‘So how come he got away with it?’ she wanted to know.

Karin shook her head. ‘They couldn’t even prove he was home on the night she died, and they never found the murder weapon.’

Alex cleared his throat. ‘This might sound like a strange question, but we were wondering about Beata’s wedding ring.’

‘Her wedding ring?’

Alex nodded. ‘What happened to it after she died?’

Karin’s eyes filled with tears.

‘I’ve no idea. We did receive a package from the police containing the jewellery she’d been wearing when she . . . when she was found, but I don’t remember what happened to it. I took a pair of gold earrings that Beata had inherited from my mother, but as for the rest . . . I don’t even recall whether or not we discussed it. I was in a kind of fog for a long time. Excuse my language, but I can’t imagine anyone would want that fucking wedding ring.’

‘You used the word “we”,’ Fredrika said. ‘Who received the package?’

‘Me, Malcolm and Beata’s brother, Bernhard.’

‘Not her husband?’

‘Absolutely not. They’d already arrested him by then.’

‘Could Malcolm or Bernhard have kept the ring?’

‘I suppose so, but why are you asking about the ring? Why is it important now?’

‘I’ll happily explain further down the line,’ Alex said, ‘but right now we have more questions than answers.’

Karin seemed satisfied with that. Maybe she just wanted them to leave. It was impossible to tell whether she was mourning her ex-husband; they didn’t know enough about their relationship. Fredrika decided to try to find out why Karin and Malcolm had split up.

She made an effort to sound as warm and pleasant as Alex always did.