Hidden in Snow (The ?re Murders, #1)(55)

She stops at the supermarket to buy milk and bread.

The liquor store is right next door. Maybe she should buy a bottle or two to replenish Lydia’s stock of wine?

She decides against it. The final nail in the coffin at work was the day she launched an outburst of rage at her boss. From then on she consoled herself with a few glasses of wine in the evenings for several weeks.

It’s time to cut down.

Lydia calls just as she turns onto the E14. As usual she gets straight to the point.

“I have good news. I’ve spoken to Manfred Lidwall.”

The very mention of his name kills the optimism Hanna felt after this morning’s meeting.

“He wasn’t very accommodating.” In Lydia-speak, that means she had to twist his arm. Then again, that’s her specialty.

“How did it go?”

“Well . . .” She takes her time, but sounds pleased.

“You’re welcome to apply elsewhere within the force. While you’re considering your options, you’re on leave but with full pay, so you don’t need to stress about making a decision.

Above all, you will have excellent references.”

“Thank you!” Hanna exclaims. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

It feels as if someone has removed a heavy burden from her shoulders; in one second she is twenty pounds lighter.

She doesn’t need to worry about money, and her career won’t be jeopardized.

“It wasn’t actually that hard. I simply pointed out one or two basic principles of employment law.” Lydia is almost laughing. “I might have asked how it would look if the press found out that the police would rather get rid of a young female officer than admit their own mistakes—especially when the conflict involves a colleague who has been awarded custody of a small child, despite having been suspected of murdering his wife. I also wondered what the union would think of some of the comments your boss made to you.”

Hanna lets out a low whistle. “You said that? For real?”

She hadn’t expected her big sister to resort to blackmail to get what she wanted. Particularly for Hanna’s sake. A wave of gratitude washes over her.

“I dropped the odd hint,” Lydia replies. “He seemed pretty keen that it shouldn’t come out, above all the way he’d spoken to you.”

“You’re amazing,” Hanna says, her voice thick with tears.

Lydia has saved her, and Anton’s question has given her fresh hope, even though he couldn’t promise anything.

Maybe there’s another workplace that will want her?

Maybe she isn’t finished as a cop, in spite of everything?

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56

When Anton and Daniel walk into the restaurant for lunch, the smell of fried food hangs heavy in the air. Broken serves the best burgers in the village. At the long bar Daniel orders a large Coca-Cola and the biggest meal on the menu. He is starving; breakfast consisted of coffee and a few gingerbread cookies.

They choose a corner table and attack their food with relish.

“What did you think of Hanna?” Anton asks when they’ve finished eating and moved on to coffee.

“Why?”

“I thought she was very sharp. Interesting background.

And I like the fact that she thinks outside the box.”

Daniel wipes his mouth with a napkin.

“And she looks pretty good,” Anton continues. “Or at least she would if she fixed herself up.”

Daniel

refrains

from

commenting

on

Hanna’s

appearance.

“We need someone like Hanna, given all the unfilled posts we have. It would be good if we could borrow her for a while.”

Daniel can’t contradict Anton on that point. Of the ten posts in Serious Crimes in ?stersund, only seven are currently occupied. That’s why Anton and Raffe have been co-opted to the task force investigating Amanda’s murder.

They are both stationed in ?re and are supposed to deal with what is known as volume crime—theft, criminal damage, assault, and so on.

“Plus it would be good to have a woman on board, wouldn’t you say?” Anton winks. “The team is nearly all men.”

Again, he’s right. There are only two females, apart from Birgitta Grip. Hanna Ahlander would definitely be an interesting addition. She might also shake them up, in a good way.

Daniel finishes his coffee as a large group enters the restaurant, bringing with them a blast of cold air that reaches all the way to the corner where he and Anton are sitting.

Anton is determined not to give up. “I think we should check if it’s possible to secure a temporary transfer for her— even if ?stersund has to pay her salary. Hanna’s already here, she could start right away, increase the effectiveness of the task force.”

Daniel looks at him. This seems to be a sales campaign.

“How do you know she could start right away?”

“When I showed her out, I asked her if she’d consider working in ?re. She sounded interested, said she had nothing else going on at the moment.”

Bringing someone in just like that is an unconventional idea. In fact they need more than one person; Amanda’s case is eating up all their resources, and they’re under more pressure because of the interest from the public and the media.