Hidden in Snow (The ?re Murders, #1)(26)

“The world championship?”

Hanna feels stupid—she doesn’t know what Karro is talking about. Well, of course she knows the world championship in downhill skiing recently took place in ?re, but that’s about it.

“The calculations were completely wrong,” Karro explains. “A lot of people lost big money. There was going to be a huge festival, the hotels would be full, everyone would have the opportunity to make plenty of money from the different events. But all the fuss surrounding the world championship frightened away the ordinary tourists, and most businesses lost revenue instead. And the weather was crap.”

Karro sounds upset, but she seems to want to share her feelings rather than badmouth individuals. Hanna can’t think of a good answer, so she keeps quiet as they set off again, pushing their poles into the deep snow.

“I also heard the boyfriend might be involved,” Karro suddenly says.

Hanna turns to look at her. “Who’s that?”

“His name is Viktor Landahl. He goes to the same school as Amanda, in a parallel class. The family lives in Bj?rn?nge.”

“And why would he be behind her disappearance?”

Hanna hears the sharpness in her tone, but Karro doesn’t seem to notice. She lowers her voice, a conspiratorial look in her eyes. “My friend’s kid brother knows him. Apparently, Viktor’s a bit of a . . . bad boy, if you understand my meaning.” Her cheeks are pink with the cold. “He beat up his ex-girlfriend. The family is from Ume?, so not many people around here know about it. They moved here after it happened—he was only fifteen at the time.

Believe it or not, he wasn’t even fined or referred to youth services. He just got some kind of warning.”

“A caution,” Hanna says. It just slips out. A caution is used for young offenders who haven’t committed a crime in the past and who are deemed to be able to get the help and support they need from their own family. If the individual reoffends within six months, then the caution is withdrawn and the case goes to court. Otherwise, the crime is struck from the records.

“If I was a cop, I’d arrest him right away,” Karro says.

Hanna doesn’t comment. Karro means well—she’s just making small talk.

Karro pushes down her pole with some force. “They say that once doesn’t count . . .”

“Do the police know about the boyfriend and his background?” Hanna asks. “Have you mentioned him to your brother?”

Karro laughs out loud. “To Anton? There’s no point.”

“Why not?”

“I’m a preschool teacher. I don’t know anything about police work.”

“What you said sounds important to me.”

Karro looks embarrassed. “It’s probably just gossip.”

They have reached a flat area of virgin snow, and the team spreads out. Hanna sinks up to her knees with each step. They are no more than five minutes by car from the central square in ?re, yet this place feels desolate and deserted.

So there’s a boyfriend with a history of abuse. Could he be involved? Hanna wouldn’t be surprised if there were a crime behind Amanda’s disappearance.

In ninety percent of cases of violence against women, the perpetrator is someone close to the victim.

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27

When the police car pulls up outside the Halvorssens’

house, Lena’s body reacts with sheer panic. A buzzing sound fills her ears, as if a swarm of bees has taken up residence inside her head. She is shivering, her skin clammy with cold sweat.

It’s the same two officers as the previous day.

The one with the beard looks up at the house and shakes his head, the other says something and locks the car. Then they begin to walk toward the front door, their expressions grave.

They have come to tell Lena that Amanda is dead. She knows it—a mother’s instinct is never wrong.

Dear God, what has she done to be punished like this?

The doorbell rings, but she doesn’t move. Then she hears Daniel Lindskog’s deep voice from the hallway.

“Hello? Anyone home?”

Lena wants to yell Go away! but she knows her voice will break.

“Can we come in?”

The paralysis eases, and she manages to croak, “Of course.”

Lena isn’t able to stand up when Daniel and his colleague Anton enter the kitchen. She grips the edge of the table to stop herself from fainting, forces out her question through lips that barely move: “Is she dead?”

Daniel’s look of surprise gives her the answer.

“No. Or to be more accurate, we don’t know. We’ve circulated her description, and we’re still searching.”

The relief is so great that Lena sways on her chair.

Daniel quickly puts an arm around her shoulders to support her. The physical contact brings her back to reality. She buries her face in both hands and begins to cry.

“Can I get you some water?” Daniel asks. Without waiting for her to reply, he finds a glass and fills it. Lena takes tiny sips as she struggles to regain control.

Daniel sits down opposite her, gives her a minute.

“The search is ongoing,” he assures her. “We’ve brought in additional officers from ?stersund, and Missing People is looking too—I saw that your husband had joined them. We just need to talk to you, if that’s okay?”