Hidden in Snow (The ?re Murders, #1)(71)

The Landahls are a big family. Viktor has two younger siblings and an older sister who still lives at home. They moved here when Viktor started high school, presumably to avoid the gossip and questioning looks from other parents and neighbors who might know about the alleged assault that led to Viktor being issued a caution.

“Are you home alone?”

“Yes.”

That’s what Daniel had been hoping for, and it’s the main reason why he drove over rather than calling Viktor into the station. A situation like this is much easier without the presence of the parents. Not that he is doing anything wrong; Viktor is eighteen and can be questioned alone.

The other reason is that he didn’t want to give Viktor the opportunity to prepare himself.

“Shall we go into the kitchen?” Daniel suggests.

“Okay.”

They sit down at an oval table in front of a large window with a view of the lake. A small amount of snow has settled on the mullions, and the ceiling light is reflected in the glass.

The draining board is littered with dirty cups and plates, a packet of bacon, and a greasy frying pan.

“Late lunch?” Daniel says.

Viktor shrugs. “I’ll clean up before Mom gets home.” He starts chewing the cuticle of his thumb; the skin looks red and sore.

“You know your girlfriend was murdered?”

There is no point in sugarcoating the truth. This time Viktor doesn’t object to the word girlfriend.

“Mmm.”

“How do you feel about that?”

Viktor peers at him from under his bangs. His face is slightly angular, with strong eyebrows. His medium-length hair hangs forward, giving him an air of nonchalance. No doubt he is a cool guy among his peers.

“It’s . . . hard.”

He rocks back and forth on his chair; he can’t keep still.

One knee jiggles up and down as his foot drums on the floor.

“The most common scenario in cases like this is that the perpetrator is someone the victim knew well,” Daniel explains. “Someone who was in her immediate circle. It’s extremely rare for a young girl to be murdered by a stranger.” He lets the words sink in, hoping for a reaction.

He waits until Viktor looks up. “You’ve been violent toward young girls in the past. You were guilty of assault.”

Technically this is an exaggeration, but it has precisely the effect Daniel wants.

Viktor inhales sharply. “How do you know that?”

“Did you really think we wouldn’t find out that you assaulted a girl in Ume??”

“It was a misunderstanding! I never meant to hurt her.”

“Seriously? She was only fifteen. You beat her up so badly that she ended up in the hospital with a fractured jaw.

She had to live on liquids and drink through a straw for weeks.”

“That’s not what happened!” Viktor shouts.

“According to the case notes, you were so angry that you completely lost control.”

Viktor tries to protest, but Daniel refuses to let him interrupt. He has studied every detail of the investigation, and he clearly remembers the description of an outing that went very wrong on a beautiful late-summer’s evening. The result: a serious injury and a young man who would have been punished far more severely if it hadn’t been for his age —and a good lawyer.

Daniel is surprised that he got away with a caution. He holds up a hand to silence Viktor.

“You lost your temper, you yelled and swore at everyone who was there. Your girlfriend was terrified. Your friends tried to calm you down, but you took no notice of them when you started hitting her.”

“Listen to me!” Viktor stands up, slams his fist down on the table. “I was fucking drunk, I admit that—but I never meant to hurt Frida. I hit her in the face by accident when I threw away a full bottle of beer because I was so mad. She got in the way—it wasn’t deliberate.”

His face is bright red, he is breathing with his mouth half-open, and a blob of saliva is caught at the corner of his mouth.

Daniel meets Viktor’s furious gaze. Is this his true personality? The lethargic boy he met on Saturday is gone.

If so, then the explanation for Amanda’s disappearance is right here in front of him.

“I hit Frida by mistake,” Viktor hisses grimly. “I don’t know how many times I’ve apologized for that.”

Daniel stands up so that they are face-to-face. “Did you do the same to Amanda?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Did you lose your temper and attack her, just like you did with Frida? Except that your girlfriend died this time . . .”

“Don’t say that.”

Daniel leans closer. “Let me tell you what I believe happened on Thursday night. You followed Amanda when she left Ebba’s party. I think you got into a fight, which ended with you hiding her somewhere in Ull?dalen, because you didn’t know what to do. Then you changed your mind and left her body on the VM6 chairlift so that she’d be found. You used your father’s snowmobile to transport her.

We have a witness who saw you driving the snowmobile in the middle of the night.”

This is something of an embellishment, of course. Tor Marklund has not identified Viktor as the driver, but Daniel is happy to take the risk. He is determined to put the boy under pressure, even if he gets into hot water for it later.