Hidden in Snow (The ?re Murders, #1)(69)

“There are several firms in ?re—I’m sure you can find them online.”

Hanna has no choice but to leave. Something isn’t right, but she doesn’t quite know what to do. She decides to forget it for the time being, speak to Zuhra next time she comes to the house.

She crosses the square and is heading back to her car when she hears a woman’s voice shouting her name.

“Hanna! Hi!”

When she turns around she sees Karro coming down the hill from the train station.

“Thanks for the other night,” she says, giving Hanna a hug. “I’m really glad you came—it must be kind of lonely up there in Sadeln.”

“No, thank you,” Hanna replies. “It was good to get out for a while.”

“What brings you into the village today?”

Hanna can’t tell her the truth; she still feels as if she’s prying.

“I was just going to go for a coffee.” She points to the nearby coffee shop. “Have you got time to join me?”

“Great—I’ve just finished for the day.”

They are in luck—one of the few tables is free. The wonderful aroma of freshly ground coffee beans fills the air.

Hanna orders and pays for them both, as a small thank-you for Karro inviting her to Supper.

It doesn’t take long before the conversation turns to Amanda. Hanna decides not to mention the fact that she spoke to Karro’s brother about Viktor. She also keeps quiet about the possibility of a temporary placement in ?re; she doesn’t want to jinx her chances.

The coffee is as delicious as the aroma promised.

Karro leans across the table, wide eyed.

“I need to tell you something, seeing that you’re a cop.

Guess what I heard yesterday?” Her tone is full of excitement, as if she is sitting on some really good gossip.

“Amanda had an affair with her adviser in school. And he’s twice her age!”

“Sorry?” Hanna isn’t sure she’s heard correctly.

“Can you imagine? I heard it from my neighbor Pia— she’s a teaching assistant at Amanda’s school.”

Hanna doesn’t know what to think.

“How creepy is that?” Karro goes on. “A teacher messing around with young girls! Disgusting. But then maybe it explains a few things . . .” She lowers her voice so that the people at the next table won’t hear. “What if he had something to do with Amanda’s death?” She shudders.

“Have you come across anything like this before, when you were working in Stockholm?”

Hanna shakes her head. “Do you happen to know the name of this adviser?”

“No, but it can’t be that difficult to find out.”

Hanna hesitates. How reliable is this information? As recently as Sunday it seemed likely that Amanda’s boyfriend was behind her disappearance; apparently now the gossip has moved on to a teacher. Karro seems to know everything about everything, but without proof this is nothing more than speculation.

Although if it’s true, it’s an important lead to follow up.

“Have you passed this on to your brother? It might be worth mentioning it.”

“Anton?” Karro spreads her hands and smiles. “He’d never listen to me.”

Hanna thinks for a moment. She would like to discuss this with Anton or Daniel, but she can’t really contact them again until they’ve been in touch about the job—particularly not with a piece of gossip she’s picked up in the village. The last thing she wants is for them to regard her as unprofessional.

At the same time, Karro’s assertion needs to be looked into.

She knows exactly how she would tackle an interview with Amanda’s adviser, if she got the chance.

She reaches into her pocket, runs her finger over the cold metal of her phone, desperately wishing that Daniel would call.

There is nothing she wants more than to be offered the placement in ?re and start working as a police officer again.

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72

There is no sign of Lena when Harald arrives home much later than usual.

Mimi and Kalle are sitting in front of the TV, exactly as they were when he left them. The kitchen bears witness to the fact that they have made sandwiches: a sweaty piece of cheese has been left out on the counter next to a packet of warm butter and a half-empty carton of milk. There are crumbs everywhere.

The twins barely register his presence.

“Where’s Mommy?” he calls out.

“She’s asleep,” Mimi replies without taking her eyes off the screen.

Harald is about to start tidying up the kitchen when the landline rings. At first he doesn’t want to answer—what if it’s a journalist? On the third ring the instinct to pick up is too strong to resist.

“Hello?”

“Hello—my name is Alina Nilsson. I’m a vet in Unders?ker.”

“Yes?”

“I think your wife left a message for me yesterday about your dog.”

Harald tries to think. Lena did say she’d called the veterinary clinic when she found Ludde.

“I’ve gone through the symptoms she mentioned,” the vet continues. “It sounds a lot like severe nicotine poisoning to me.”

“What?”