by Viveca Sten
“Stolen?” Nora repeated. “Why didn’t you say so right away?”
“I forgot.”
“But now you remember?”
“Yes.”
“So the person who stole your phone called the emergency number?”
“How should I know?”
Nora leaned forward. “Tell us what happened when you lost your phone.”
Herco got up, opened a cupboard, and took out a glass. He filled it from the faucet, drank the water slowly, then placed the glass in the dishwasher. Nora was still waiting for an answer.
“It was in the back pocket of my jeans on the subway. When we reached the terminal, it was gone. Someone must have taken it on the way there without my noticing.”
Herco obviously wasn’t the kind of man who would allow his cell phone to be stolen by a simple pickpocket. Therefore, he was the one who’d made the call. Why didn’t he want to be involved? Was he scared of Andreis Kovač?
If so, he wasn’t the only one.
Nora tried to hide her irritation. There wasn’t much that could be done when a witness simply refused to cooperate.
“Do you know Andreis Kovač?” she asked. “Mina’s husband?”
“I’m afraid I don’t have time for any more questions. I have to go.” Herco made a show of looking at his diver’s watch. Something about the gesture reminded Nora of Kovač, but Herco seemed like a calmer person, nowhere near as aggressive.
He was already heading for the hallway, and Nora got to her feet. There was no point in sitting at the table, waiting for an answer that wasn’t going to come. “Do you know each other?” She tried again anyway.
“We might have met once or twice,” he said over his shoulder. “I’m guessing he’s from Bosnia, too? Sounds like a Bosnian name.”
Leila paused at the front door. “It was lucky someone made that call, even if it wasn’t you,” she said. “Mina Kovač would probably have been killed otherwise.”
Dino Herco opened the door without meeting her gaze.
CHAPTER 29
Nora was on the ferry to Sandhamn. She had found a window seat and was resting her forehead on the cool glass. Fluffy clouds drifted across the blue sky; the weather must have been beautiful out in the archipelago today.
She felt a pang of guilt. She tried to prioritize the kids on the weekends, but she’d been gone for the whole of Saturday. The plan to take Julia to the shore at Trouville to barbecue sausages would have to wait.
A shadow fell over her table.
“Hi there,” Thomas said. “We meet again.”
Nora looked up. “Are you stalking me?” she said with a smile. “I thought you were going into town to pick up Elin?”
“I decided to bring her over to Harö instead. There was no reason to stay in the city.”
Thomas had never been a city person. Elin appeared behind him in a pink coat, clutching a backpack covered in brightly colored Disney characters.
“Hello, sweetheart,” Nora said, opening her arms. “Can I have a hug?”
Nora chatted with the little girl while Thomas went to the cafeteria. He came back with a glass of red for Nora, a beer for himself, and a Fanta for Elin, plus a bag of chips. Elin settled down to watch a film on Thomas’s tablet, which he’d handed over with a slight grimace. Nora had overheard a heated discussion between Thomas and Pernilla late one evening when she and Jonas had been over for dinner. Thomas had accused Pernilla of dumping Elin in front of a film whenever she needed to work after they’d eaten.
Today he clearly couldn’t cope with sticking to his own principles.
“How did it go?” he asked when he’d taken a swig of his beer.
“Pretty well.” Nora raised her glass to him. The ferry wasn’t busy; most people had presumably traveled over during the morning in order to take advantage of the good weather. “We met up with Mina, and we’re going to talk to her again on Monday. I think she’s starting to open up—at least that was the impression I got.”
“Have you been there all day?”
“No, we went to see the witness who called emergency services when Mina was assaulted. His name is Dino Herco.”
“Dino Herco?”
“Yes—he’s from Bosnia, just like Kovač, but he insists that someone else must have made the call on Monday. He claims he was nowhere near Trastvägen.”
Thomas stroked his chin. “I recognize that name.”
“He doesn’t have a record—Leila checked.”
“I’m almost sure he was mentioned when I spoke to someone from Narcotics the other day—when I was checking out Kovač for you.”
Strictly speaking, he’d done that on his own initiative, but there was no need to correct him. “I actually asked Herco if he knew Kovač, but he made it sound as if they were no more than passing acquaintances. Presumably that was another lie,” Nora said.
“Would you like me to see what I can find out?”
“Leila can do that on Monday.” No point in creating competition.
“So where did you find Herco?”
“At home. He lives in Farsta Strand.”
“You went over there instead of bringing him in?” Thomas’s tone left Nora in no doubt about what he thought. “Don’t forget what I said about Kovač.” He lowered his voice so that Elin wouldn’t hear, even though she was completely absorbed in a Disney movie. “You have to be careful with these guys. You have no idea what they’re capable of.”
CHAPTER 30
There was no one around when Dino reached the shore of Lake Magelungen.
It had been a mistake to let those women in, the cop and the prosecutor. He’d realized it as soon as they started asking questions about Mina. Then it had been an even bigger mistake to pretend he didn’t know her. It was an easy enough thing to check, and they’d soon find out that he’d lied.
He couldn’t understand why he’d said it, except that they’d taken him by surprise. He’d thought their visit was about something else—Andreis’s business affairs, the problems with the tax office. The allegations that filled Andreis’s mind at the moment and made him more stressed than ever.
Dino had been so prepared to deny everything that the answers came automatically.
He took out his cell phone and stared at it. The spring sun was reflected in its screen. He looked around, just to make sure no one was nearby, then hurled the phone as far as he could. It landed in the water with a splash and disappeared immediately.
He lit a cigarette, cursing his own stupidity. Why had he used his personal phone to call the emergency number on Monday evening? How could he have been so dumb?
Everything had happened so fast.
He’d remained sitting outside the house for a few minutes after he’d dropped Andreis off, smoking with the window down and trying to think about something other than the way Andreis had ranted at him on the way home. It had been a relief when Andreis got out of the car and went indoors. Dino was enjoying the peace and quiet.
He was just about to leave when he’d heard Mina’s screams through the open kitchen window. When he’d looked up, he glimpsed her bloodied face before she was dragged back into the room.
She had no means of escape.
Don’t get involved, he’d thought, putting the car into first gear. It’s nothing to do with you, it’s between husband and wife.
Mina let out an even more heartrending scream, and at the same time the baby had started crying in the background.
Dino had acted instinctively. The only way to save them was to call an ambulance. If he went rushing in, Andreis would never forgive him. He couldn’t allow Dino to meddle in family matters, but Dino knew he couldn’t sit there and do nothing.
He’d grabbed his phone and called emergency services without thinking about the consequences, and now he was in deep shit.
He set off along the narrow path leading back to his apartment. He already had a new burner phone in his pocket. He would never register a phone in his own name again. He’d transferred all the necessary c
ontacts and texted the new number to Andreis before he got rid of the old phone.
He could feel the stress gnawing away at his body.
If that cop kept digging and mentioned her suspicions about Dino’s involvement to Andreis . . .
He lit a fresh cigarette from the old one.
If she told Andreis that the call had come from his number, Andreis would realize exactly what had happened. He would regard it as a serious breach of loyalty or, even worse, a direct betrayal.
And Dino would pay the price.
CHAPTER 31
Mina was sitting in the armchair by the window, with Lukas in her arms. She’d just given him his bottle, and he’d fallen asleep. His little chest was moving up and down, his nostrils fluttering with each breath.
At home she would sit like this for hours, just gazing at her son. Those were the best times in her life—the only good times.
Beautiful little Lukas.
The empty bottle was on the table beside her. She tried to console herself with the thought that there were many children who didn’t breastfeed; Lukas wasn’t suffering because he wasn’t getting breast milk. But she still felt like a bad mother.
She’d had difficulties with breastfeeding right from the start. It just didn’t work, however hard she tried. The little milk she’d had dried up as soon as she got home from the hospital—when she quarreled with Andreis because she refused to have sex with him straight after giving birth.
When he started hitting her again.
Mina caressed her son’s head and blew gently on his fine, downy hair. He was deeply asleep, his long, dark eyelashes resting on his perfect skin.
He ought to have the chance to grow up in a secure environment. Lukas deserved a peaceful home, not a violent father and a terrified mother.
The prosecutor was right—who would take care of Lukas if Andreis killed her? She had to get away. Nora Linde really seemed to care about Mina; she wasn’t just doing her job.
Mina had to make a decision. They were coming back on Monday.
Did she have the courage to tell them about all the money, the bundles of notes she saw on Andreis’s desk at regular intervals? The little notebook in which he wrote everything down, the one he always kept with him . . .
She would never be able to talk about the pictures she’d taken. The very idea made her feel sick. Andreis would be furious if he found out what she’d done, but then he was angry anyway.
Mina pressed her lips to the top of Lukas’s head, feeling his warmth.
Her cell phone buzzed. Slowly she turned so that she could see the screen. Someone had sent her a photograph. She immediately recognized the gray-painted wooden house. It was Körsbärsvägen 23, her parents’ home. The image came from Andreis’s phone, so he must have been there.
Mina couldn’t breathe.
Then another message came through, exactly the same as earlier:
Come home.
CHAPTER 32
Nora was almost the last to disembark when the ferry reached Sandhamn. She’d tried to persuade Thomas to come for dinner, but he’d refused, even though Elin would have liked to play with Julia. Nora had even offered them a bed for the night if there was a problem getting back to Harö.
She reached into her back pocket for her ticket and handed it to the deckhand at the top of the gangway.
The air was cooler now—typical April weather. The days were lovely as long as the sun was high in the sky, but the temperature dropped rapidly when dusk began to fall.
It was good to be back on the island.
Nora took several deep breaths and tried to shake off the negativity of the day. Over by the Royal Swedish Yacht Club marina, a few intrepid boat owners had ventured out into the archipelago. Several yachts were moored at the pontoons, although nowhere near as many as in the summer.
She’d texted Simon and suggested eating at the Sailors Restaurant so that she wouldn’t have to cook dinner. She was so tired, and Simon loved their steak with Béarnaise sauce and piles of golden fries. Plus he’d watched Julia all day—he deserved a treat.
“Hi, darling.”
She looked up at the sound of Jonas’s voice. She’d been so caught up in the events of the day that she’d forgotten he was due home. There he was on the jetty, waiting for her. The gesture warmed her heart.
“Hi, yourself.”
He’d acquired a slight tan from the California sun. His blue cap was pulled down over his dark hair, but his moss-green jacket was open at the neck. He drew her close and hugged her. He smelled good; she’d always liked his aftershave.
“Back home with my beloved wife at last,” he whispered in her ear, then kissed her forehead. “Tough day? Simon said you had to go off to work this morning.”
His tone was full of tender concern, with not a hint of reproach because she’d left the kids on a Saturday. They set off toward the Brand villa, past Westerberg’s grocery store and the Divers Bar, its outside seating area not yet open for the season.
The bare black branches of the old lime trees along the promenade stood out against the darkening sky.
“I’m cooking your favorite meal,” Jonas said. “Seafood pasta—with chocolate mousse and whipped cream to follow.”
Nora smiled—he really had made an effort.
“I brought a bottle of bubbly from the US,” he added. “A really good Californian label recommended by a colleague.”
Nora tucked her arm beneath his and snuggled closer. “Sounds fantastic,” she said. “Welcome home!”
CHAPTER 33
Dino’s mouth was dry as he parked the silver Mercedes outside Andreis’s house. It was almost eight o’clock in the evening, and he hadn’t eaten since breakfast. He’d been sitting on the toilet for half the afternoon; his stomach always acted up when he got stressed. The text message from Andreis asking him to come over hadn’t made him feel any better.
Another car was already in the drive. Dino recognized the dark-blue Audi belonging to Andreis’s half brother, Emir.
That was all he needed.
Andreis was always more intense when Emir was around, as if he had to prove to himself and everyone else that he was the head of the family, the undisputed patriarch taking care of everything.
Emir was an expert when it came to triggering Andreis’s inner demons.
Dino got out of his car and locked it. He glanced at the kitchen window but couldn’t see anything inside.
Had that cop already spoken to Andreis about the phone call? She and the prosecutor had left his apartment at about four o’clock. He’d watched them drive off toward the city. She would hardly have contacted Andreis after that, not least because all questions were supposed to go through his lawyer.
His stomach contracted anyway.
Instinct told him to get the hell out of there, but he walked up to the front door and rang the bell. When no one answered, he tried the handle. It wasn’t locked, surprisingly, so he went in. He could hear voices from the kitchen.
Andreis and Emir were sitting at the table with a half-empty bottle of vodka between them. There were a couple of empty pizza boxes on the counter, and the air was filled with the smell of garlic and melted cheese. Dirty dishes were piled high in the sink.
Emir was just about to refill his glass when Dino appeared. The younger man nodded a greeting, but Andreis barely looked up.
Dino pulled out a chair and sat down. He moved cautiously, trying not to make any irritating noises.
“Have you found her?”
Andreis’s voice was quiet and controlled. It was impossible to read his facial expression; did he know about Dino’s involvement in the events of Monday evening? Dino did his best to sound relaxed. “As I’ve already told you, I went to her parents’ house last night. She wasn’t there, nor was Lukas.”
He glanced at Emir, who hadn’t yet spoken. The brothers were very much alike, even though they had different fathers. Andreis hadn’t offered Dino a drink; he just sat there, idly twirling the glass aro
und in his fingers, the alcohol splashing up the sides.
“So where the fuck is she?” he muttered. “I drove over there this afternoon, but no one was home.”
“I’ve no idea.”
Andreis’s eyes were unfocused, the stubble on his chin darker than usual. He scratched the back of one hand, where a rash that looked like a distorted flower petal had broken out. “Didn’t you speak to her parents?” he said. “They must fucking know where she is.”
“They were asleep.”
Dino had no intention of telling Andreis about the conversation he’d overheard when he was standing at the bedroom door. If he did, Andreis would go straight over there, egged on by his brother, without a thought for the consequences.
Maybe that would be for the best.
“I went into the house. I searched all the rooms. She and Lukas aren’t there.”
“So where the fuck is she?” Andreis said again.
“Maybe the police have put her in a safe house. In which case she could be anywhere.”
Bad idea.
“Is that all you’ve got?” Andreis demanded.
“I’m sure she’ll be back soon,” Dino ventured. “That’s what usually happens.”
Andreis slammed his hand on the table with such force that the vodka bottle jumped and his glass tipped over. The clear liquid ran across the table and trickled onto the floor, but Andreis ignored it. “Don’t fucking come here saying you don’t know where she is when I told you to find out!”
“OK, OK. Take it easy—I’ll work it out.”
Emir watched his brother’s outburst with an expectant smile. Dino hated him for that. Emir was five years younger than Andreis; he’d come to Sweden as a baby. He was smart, but lazy. An overindulged little fucker who rode on his older brother’s coattails.
No one had picked on Emir in the schoolyard while Andreis was around. Or later on. Emir had never hesitated to use his brother’s reputation as a hard man to get what he wanted, and Andreis let him get away with just about anything. Family always came first in his world.
Dino had known Emir almost as long as he’d known Andreis, and he was well aware that Emir couldn’t be trusted. Andreis’s brother was loyal only to himself.
