Page 21 of The Sleepwalker

‘Take a deep breath, Bernard,’ she says softly. ‘You’ll give yourself a panic attack.’

He turns around and stares at her in despair.

‘I’m not allowed to see him,’ he says, eyes welling up.

‘Surely you have a right to see your own son?’

‘Not while he’s under full restrictions. No visitors, no phone calls. The only person he’s allowed to see is the solicitor.’

‘I might not get it, but I hear what you’re saying.’

‘It’s madness,’ Bernard groans, clapping a hand to his mouth.

Agneta swallows hard and forces back the tears. She doesn’t feel she has the right to start crying.

‘Come on, let’s sit down,’ she whispers after a moment.

‘What?’ he mumbles, too lost in thought to process what she just said.

‘Come with me.’

‘Sorry, it’s just so .?.?.’

He follows her over to the kitchen table, where she pulls out two chairs. They sit down.

‘I really did think they would straighten this all out right away,’ she says. ‘That it was all just a big misunderstanding.’

‘I know, but clearly it isn’t. The prosecutor genuinely seems to believe that he’s a murderer,’ says Bernard.

‘And what do you think?’ Agneta puts her hand on his.

‘About what?’

‘The caravan.’

‘Do you think Hugo killed someone?’ he replies, trying to keep his agitation in check.

‘That’s not what I’m saying, but—’

‘They showed us photographs from the crime scene during the remand hearing .?.?. What happened there, it was completely horrific .?.?.’

‘Bernard, you know that murders happen. That even murderers have parents.’

‘Sorry, of course,’ he says, rubbing his forehead. ‘But I have to believe Hugo. He says he woke up in the caravan when the police arrived .?.?. He had no idea what was happening, initially thought he was still here.’

‘We believe him, of course we do. That’s our role in all of this. But we can’t be naive either.’

‘But when it comes to Hugo I probablyamnaive,’ says Bernard. ‘I don’t know where he sleeps, who his friends are .?.?. Sometimes he’s black and blue when he comes home, sometimes he has a new tattoo. Sometimes he’s clearly high as a kite.’

‘Seventeen is a difficult age .?.?.’

They both sit quietly for a moment. Bernard’s hands are trembling in his lap. Agneta has just opened her mouth to ask what the prosecutor seems to think happened when he starts talking again.

‘I had a quick chat with Lars,’ he says, looking down at his phone. ‘He was in a meeting, but he said he’d call me back.’

‘You’re going to tell him what happened?’

Yes, because .?.?. As you said, this really could go to trial, and if that happens then we’ll need Lars on our side .?.?. He’s a respected figure, and he knows more about Hugo’s problems than anyone.’