Cover

JOAKIM ZANDER was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Growing up, he lived in Syria and Israel. He has worked for the European Parliament and the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, before coming back to Sweden, where he now lives. His first novel, The Swimmer, was sold to 30 countries around the world. His second, The Brother, was shortlisted for Sweden’s Crime Novel of the Year award.

ELIZABETH CLARK WESSEL is a poet, translator and small press editor based in Stockholm, Sweden.

Also by Joakim Zander

The Swimmer

The Brother

THE FRIEND

Joakim Zander

TRANSLATED FROM THE SWEDISH BY ELIZABETH CLARK WESSEL

Copyright

First published as Vännen in Sweden in 2018 by Wahlström & Widstrand

First published in the UK in 2019 by Head of Zeus Ltd. Published by agreement with the Ahlander Agency

Copyright © Joakim Zander, 2018 Translation copyright © Elizabeth Clark Wessel, 2019

The moral right of Joakim Zander to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

9 7 5 3 1 2 4 6 8

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN (HB): 9781788547055

ISBN (XTPB): 9781788547062

ISBN (E): 9781788546850

Typeset by Divaddict Publishing Solutions Ltd.

Images: Shutterstock

Printed and bound in Great Britain by

CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon CR0 4YY

Head of Zeus Ltd

First Floor East

5–8 Hardwick Street

London EC1R 4RG

Contents

Also by Joakim Zander

Welcome Page

Copyright

Dedication

Epigraph

Part: 1

5 August: Beirut

21 November: Sankt Anna

5 August: Beirut

21 November: Sankt Anna

5 August: Beirut

21 November: Sankt Anna

12 August: Beirut

21 November: Sankt Anna

14 August: Beirut

21 November: Sankt Anna

17–22 August: Beirut

22 November: Stockholm

24 August: Beirut

22 November: Stockholm

7 September–16 October: Beirut

22 November: Stockholm

16 October: Beirut

22 November: Stockholm

20 October: Beirut

22 November: Stockholm

20 October–13 November: Beirut

22 November: Stockholm

13–14 November: Beirut

22 November: Stockholm

14 November: Beirut

22 November: Stockholm

14 November: Beirut

23 November: Stockholm

14 November: Beirut

Part: 2

23 November: Brussels

14 November: Beirut

23 November: Brussels

14–15 November: Beirut

23 November: Brussels

15 November: Beirut

23–24 November: Brussels

15 November: Beirut

24 November: Brussels

15–21 November: Beirut

24 November: Brussels

21 November: Beirut/Brussels

24 November: Brussels

23 November: Brussels

24 November: Brussels

23 November: Brussels

24 November: Brussels

24 November: Brussels

24 November: Brussels

24 November: Brussels

24 November: Brussels

Part: 3

24 November: Belgium/Germany

24 November: Duisburg

24 November: Duisburg

24 November: Duisburg

25 November: Malmö

25 November: Malmö

25 November: Malmö

25 November: Bergort

25 November: Malmö

25 November: Bergort

25 November: Malmö

25 November: Bergort

25 November: Malmö

25 November: Bergort

25 November: Bergort

25 November: Bergort

25 November: Bromma Airport

25 November: Bromma Airport

25 November: Bromma Airport

25 November: Bromma Airport

26 November: Stockholm

26 November: Stockholm

26–28 November: Stockholm/Eskilstuna

Acknowledgements

An Invitation from the Publisher

Dedication

To Lukas and Milla, always

Epigraph

do

not ever

be afraid to tell me

who you are.

i am going to find

out