Ivan’s cheeks flushed and he looked down. At that moment Alex couldn’t believe he’d ever been so young and unspoilt, the kind of person who took short cuts, who blushed, who wanted so much.

That’s the problem, he thought. I don’t want anything any more. Because I’ve already done everything.

*

Fredrika reported back on the conversation with Sten Aber.

‘We found out far too little,’ she concluded. Then she moved on to other sources, and for the first time Mikael Lundell’s name was brought into the frame. This quickly aroused everyone’s interest.

‘Are we sure he’s in Israel?’ a colleague asked. ‘He couldn’t have been in Sweden at the time of the murder?’

The question made Alex unreasonably angry. Mikael Lundell was the last person he wanted to suspect. Thank God Fredrika stepped in before Alex could explode.

‘I’ve already checked. He and his family have been living in Israel for several years, and Mikael hasn’t visited Sweden in recent months.’

Her statement made Alex feel better; she was much better at being objective than he was. She had made it a priority to exclude Mikael as a suspect.

He swallowed. Of course they couldn’t be absolutely certain. Just because Mikael hadn’t been in Sweden, it didn’t mean he couldn’t be involved. He and Fredrika exchanged a glance of mutual understanding.

They both knew the hell that Eden and Mikael had gone through.

They both hoped with all their hearts that Mikael had nothing to do with the murder of Malcolm Benke.

But they had both seen him in the mysterious photograph taken in London. If Mikael chose to follow the same path as Sten Aber, to keep quiet about a truth that must be revealed at all costs, then they had a problem. A problem that would cast a shadow so dark and vast that it would reach all the way to Israel. That was why they had called and found out when he was available.

They ended the meeting and left the Lions’ Den, which now resembled a fridge.

‘We need to get that fixed,’ Alex said to Fredrika, gesturing towards the air conditioning. ‘Otherwise some tosser will go to the union and demand a change of venue.’

Fredrika smiled, highlighting the network of fine lines around her eyes.

‘It’s true,’ Alex went on. ‘The union—’

His mobile vibrated in his inside pocket. Diana.

‘Hi.’

‘Alex, you have to come home.’

He stopped dead. Diana wasn’t the kind of person to worry unnecessarily. On the contrary, her calmness was one of the qualities he valued most. Something had happened – her voice was tense and shrill. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Torbjorn Ross. Twice in two days, for fuck’s sake. Was it Alex’s imagination, or was Ross deliberately ensuring that they bumped into each other? It was a ridiculous idea, and yet . . .