Page 194 of The Sleepwalker

He repeats the same search process as he returns to the entrance hall and makes his way through to the living area.

Joona gives command a quick status update and then runs up the stairs to the first floor, coming out onto a large kitchen. He sees a video camera, plus several studio lights on tripods.

Outside the house, two patrol cars pull onto the driveway. The wind blows the snow across the spacious roof terrace.

Joona goes through to the living room, where four white sofasare positioned around a grey marble coffee table and a large projection screen on one wall.

The air is heavy with the sour stench of vomit.

Behind the sofa closest to the far wall, Nina Silverstedt is huddled with her knees pulled into her chest, rocking slowly back and forth. Keeping his voice low, Joona explains that she is safe, and soft sobs begin to escape from her lips.

* * *

Joona wrapped a blanket around Nina’s shoulders and held her until the trembling started to ease, then led her out to one of the ambulances.

They came so close to catching the killer this time.

He is now in his car, driving back to Kungsholmen as he talks to regional command. Thus far, their efforts to trace the Widow’s Opel have proved fruitless. The Northern Link motorway is just too big and sprawling. Some twenty police cars are currently involved in the search, three helicopters are still in the air, and a team is busy scouring the CCTV footage.

Agneta rings, and he takes the call over the car’s Bluetooth system, giving her a quick update on the latest murder and the pattern of incomplete arrows on the victims’ bodies.

‘It feels like things are moving faster and faster,’ she says.

‘Serial killers can be a bit like a wildfire after the wind takes hold of it .?.?. too big for their own good, uncontrollable.’

‘Well, I’ve spoken to Hugo,’ she says. ‘He says he’s willing to give the hypnosis one last try .?.?. Bernard has agreed, too, but he wants me to be there.’

‘Thank you for your understanding.’

‘You have to promise not to put too much pressure on him, though .?.?. He’s already traumatised, and we can’t make things any worse.’

‘I agree. I’ll let Erik Maria Bark know,’ Joona tells her.

67

The sky outside is still dark when Erik and Moa sit down at the kitchen table to eat breakfast. They have lit the third Advent candle, and the flames tilt in the draught from the window. It is much windier today, with sudden gusts shaking the trees and picking up old leaves from the ground.

Yesterday evening, Erik cooked Beef Rydberg, with fried pieces of fillet, cubes of potato baked in the oven, fried onions, Dijon mustard and egg yolks.

Moa was wearing a pair of glossy black trousers and a black sequin vest top when she arrived, and Erik realised that she made him nervous – in a good way, he told himself. He had showered and shaved in anticipation of her coming over, but unfortunately, because he had also trimmed his nasal hair, he kept sneezing. He put on a blue shirt, a pair of casual chinos and black socks – leaving his slippers in the wardrobe yet again.

During dinner, Moa told him that she didn’t think her ex was even trying to find a place of his own. Erik just had time to unfold his napkin and turn away before sneezing, his eyes watering.

‘Bless you.’

‘Sorry. I don’t have a cold, just so you know,’ he had reassured her before immediately sneezing again.

Moa coated her last piece of beef in sauce, popped it inher mouth, chewed with her eyes closed and then lowered her cutlery.

‘I don’t know. Maybe it’s not the end of the world,’ she said, fiddling with the gold heart she was wearing around her neck. ‘I know Bruno, and he sticks to the guesthouse, playing those games men like .?.?. Matilda goes down there for help with her homework sometimes, too. But it can’t go on like this forever.’

‘Not if you don’t want it to.’

‘No. Ireallydon’t want him there,’ she said, stifling a yawn.

Erik had just got up from the table to open another bottle of wine when a movement out of the corner of his eye made him turn to the window. He attempted to look past his own reflection, towards the fence and the compost heap, and thought he could see a slim figure standing by the apple tree. He told Moa he was going to take the rubbish out, then lifted the bag from the pail beneath the sink, went out into the hall, pushed his feet into his boots and headed outside.

Light snowflakes danced in the gusty wind.