Hidden in Snow (The ?re Murders, #1)(94)

Markus brings up the conversation.

It seems that Amanda has been working for a cleaning company. Linda has sent her addresses, times, and instructions. Ebba’s name is also mentioned more than once.

Daniel scratches the back of his neck. Harald insisted that his daughter didn’t have a part-time job, and Ebba said she didn’t know anything about it.

Something isn’t right.

“What can we find out about this Linda?”

Markus clicks on the sender and is taken to a profile page that is remarkably anonymous. The photograph is backlit; it is impossible to see the subject’s face. There are no personal details or pictures.

“Suspicious,” Markus says. He frowns, clicks a few more times, then shrugs. “That’s not a normal profile. It’s been created purely to access Messenger.”

“Is that usual?”

“It does happen, but it tells us something about Linda.

She doesn’t want to be seen or traced.”

“Do you think Linda is her real name?”

“I’ve no idea.”

Why would an employer not want to post their image?

Possibly because the work is all cash in hand. Whatever the reason, it needs to be checked out.

If there’s one person who knows about Amanda’s job, it’s Ebba.

Time to get the truth out of her.

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103

Hanna is in her new office, trying to catch up with various reports.

Her thoughts keep returning to Zuhra, even though she is trying to concentrate on Amanda.

She now has proof that the cleaning company is involved in something shady. Why would the woman in the office have denied all knowledge of Zuhra, while Kristina Risberg is driving her to different houses to do the cleaning?

There were documents in Kristina’s home with the Fj?ll-st?d logo, so there is definitely a connection.

Hanna doesn’t regret entering the house, but she is uncomfortably aware of the risks. If it came out, she would lose her job in ?re.

It is almost four o’clock when Daniel calls. The station is deserted; it is Friday afternoon, and Anton has just left.

“How’s it going in ?stersund?”

“I think we might have found out something interesting.”

“Go on.”

“There was some correspondence about Amanda’s job on Messenger. She was working part-time for a cleaning company—but off the books, I suspect.”

Hanna sits up a little straighter. “Do you know the name of the cleaning company?”

“No, but Amanda’s contact calls herself Linda, although of course that could be made up.”

The woman in Fj?ll-st?d’s office was called Linda. Is it a coincidence? Could there be a link to Zuhra’s precarious situation?

Before she can mention it, Daniel continues.

“Could you have a chat with Ebba, find out what she knows?”

Hanna has called Ebba several times during the course of the day and left messages, but there has been no response.

“No problem—I’ll go over there right away.”

While she is talking she googles “Linda” and “Fj?ll-st?d,” but there are no matches.

“Great,” Daniel says. “I’m not sure when I’ll be back. I have to see Tobias Ahlqvist, the prosecutor, but he’s been delayed in court, so I’m sitting around waiting for him.”

Hanna isn’t sure what to do; should she tell him about her own research? The problem is that she has so little that is concrete. All she can say is that a young immigrant is showing signs of both abuse and exploitation.

Gut feeling and a police officer’s instinct are no substitute for solid evidence.

She has examined the documents she photographed in Kristina Risberg’s office, but of course she can’t reveal how she obtained them. She doesn’t want to risk losing Daniel’s trust and confidence in her, when everything seems to be going so well.

“Speak to you later,” she says, ending the call.

She grabs her jacket and sets off to see Ebba. As she leaves the station, she realizes it has been far too long since she made any attempt to contact Christian. She has promised to call Lydia at seven this evening for a proper chat. Lydia’s first question is bound to be about how things are with Christian.

Hanna decides that she will call him immediately after her visit to Ebba.

Her broken heart is no longer quite so painful, but the mere thought of apologizing still makes her feel sick.

“Fucking Christian,” she mutters, heading for her car.

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104

This time it is Ebba’s mother, Sanna Nyrén, who answers the door. She is very much like her daughter, small and slim with short light-brown hair. Her expression is troubled as she lets Hanna in.

“Such terrible news about Lena,” she says.

“Sorry?”

“Haven’t you heard what’s happened?”

When Hanna shakes her head, Sanna lowers her voice as if the tragic reality is too much for her.

“She’s in intensive care. She tried to take her own life last night. I feel so sorry for Harald and the twins.”

Hanna swallows hard. She had no idea. Yet another blow for the family in the wake of Amanda’s death. Harald and those poor children must be devastated.