Buried Angels

Chapter Nine

With a sense of anticipation, Josef opened the door to Sebastian’s work room. On the desk lay the drawings for the site where he hoped the museum would stand in the not too distant future.

‘Congratulations!’ said Sebastian, coming forward to greet him. ‘The local council has agreed to support the project.’ He slapped Josef on the back.

‘Good,’ said Josef. He really hadn’t expected anything else. How could they say no to such an amazing opportunity? ‘When can we make a start?’

‘Take it easy. I don’t think you realize how much work we’ve got ahead of us. We have to begin producing the peace symbols, plan the construction, draw up a budget. Above all, we have to raise plenty of cash.’

‘But the widow Grünewald is giving us the land, and we’ve had lots of donations. And since you’re the contractor, aren’t you the one who decides when work gets under way?’

Sebastian laughed. ‘Just because it’s my company, it doesn’t mean we can build it for free. I have to pay the workers’ wages, and we need to buy materials. This is going to be an expensive project.’ He tapped his finger on the drawings. ‘I’ll have to bring in subcontractors, and they won’t work for nothing. Not like me.’

Josef sighed and sat down on a chair. To say he was sceptical about Sebastian’s motives would be putting it mildly.

‘We’ll start with the granite,’ said Sebastian, propping his feet on the desk. ‘I’ve drawn up a few cool sketches of how the peace symbols could look. Then we need to produce some clever marketing materials and put together a good package, and then we can start selling the whole damn thing.’ He grinned when he saw Josef’s expression.

‘Go ahead and laugh. For you, it’s all about money. Don’t you understand the symbolic value of this? The granite was supposed to have been a part of the Third Reich, but instead it’s going to be a testimony to the Nazis’ defeat and the fact that the forces of good were victorious. We can make something out of that, and by extension create this-’ Josef pointed at the drawings. He was so angry that he was practically shaking.

Sebastian’s grin stretched even wider. He threw out his hands.

‘Nobody’s forcing you to work with me. We can tear up our agreement right here and now, and you’re free to go to anybody you like.’

The thought was tempting, and for a moment Josef considered doing just that. Then he slumped on his chair. He needed to complete this project. Up until now he’d wasted his life. He had nothing to show to the world, nothing that would honour the memory of his parents.

‘You know very well that you’re the only one I can turn to,’ he said at last.

‘And we’re going to stick together.’ Sebastian took his feet down from the desk and leaned forward. ‘We’ve known each other for a long time. We’re brothers, and you understand how I am. I always want to help out a brother.’

‘Sure, we’re going to stick together,’ said Josef. He gave Sebastian a searching look. ‘Did you hear that Leon is back?’

‘I heard a vague rumour. Imagine seeing him here again. And Ia. I never thought that would happen.’

‘Apparently they’ve bought a house that was for sale above Brandparken.’

‘They’ve got the cash, so why not? By the way, maybe Leon would like to invest. Have you asked him?’

Josef shook his head. He’d do anything to push forward the work on the museum. Anything except approaching Leon.

‘I saw Percy yesterday,’ said Sebastian laconically.

‘How’s he doing?’ Josef was happy to change the subject. ‘Does he still own the manor?’

‘Yes, he’s lucky that Fygelsta is an entailed estate. If he had to share the inheritance with his siblings, he’d have been broke long ago. But it sounds as though his funds have run out for good, and that’s why he contacted me. To ask for a little temporary help, as he put it.’ Sebastian sketched quote marks in the air. ‘Evidently the tax authorities are after him, and they’re not the sort that you can charm with noble ancestors and a fancy name.’

‘Are you going to help him out?’

‘Don’t look so worried. I haven’t decided yet. But as I said, I always like to help a brother, and Percy is my brother just as much as you are. Right?’

‘Of course,’ said Josef, gazing out of the window at the water. They were brothers for all eternity, united by darkness. His eyes returned to the drawings. The dark would be driven away by light. He would do it for his father’s sake, and his own.

‘What’s going on with Martin?’ Patrik was standing in the doorway to Annika’s office. He didn’t like to pry, but it was obvious something was wrong. It was making him uneasy.

Annika turned to face him, clasping her hands in her lap.

‘I can’t say anything. When Martin is ready, he’ll tell you.’

Patrik sighed, and all sorts of thoughts whirled through his head as he sat down on the visitor’s chair next to the door.

‘So what do you think about this case?’

‘I think you’re right.’ Annika was clearly relieved that Patrik had chosen to change the subject. ‘The fire and the disappearance are connected in some way. And considering what was discovered under the floor, it seems likely that somebody was afraid Ebba and her husband would find it as they were renovating the house.’

‘My dear wife has been fascinated by the story of the missing family for a long time.’

‘And now you’re worried that she’s going to stick her sweet nose in the investigation,’ Annika added.

‘You could put it that way, but I’m hoping Erica’s smart enough not to interfere this time.’

Annika smiled, and Patrik realized that he didn’t believe his own words.

‘She probably has a lot of interesting background information, since she’s so good at doing research. Provided she can manage to keep a low profile when it comes to the actual investigation, she might actually be able to help us out,’ said Annika.

‘Except that she’s not very good at keeping a low profile.’

‘But she is good at taking care of herself. So where are you planning to start?’

‘I’m not sure.’ Patrik crossed his legs and absentmindedly fidgeted with the toe of his shoe. ‘We need to interview everybody who was involved when it happened. Gösta is getting us contact information for all the teachers and students. The most important thing is to have a talk with those five boys who were on the island that day. I’ve asked Gösta to prioritize the list of individuals and decide who he thinks we should interview first. Then I was thinking that you could do background checks, based on what Gösta finds out. I don’t have the greatest faith in his organizational abilities, so I really should have asked you to work with him on this assignment. But he’s the one who knows most about the case.’

‘At least he seems very keen to pursue the investigation. For a change,’ said Annika. ‘And I think I know why. I’ve heard that he and his wife took in the little Elvander girl for a while.’

‘Ebba lived with Gösta?’

‘That’s what I’ve heard.’

‘That explains why he was acting so strange out there on the island.’ Patrik recalled the way Gösta had looked at Ebba. How he had behaved, touching her arm.

‘That’s probably why he hasn’t ever been able to forget about the case. Apparently they got very attached to the little girl.’ Annika’s gaze fell on the large framed photo of Leia that she kept on her desk.

‘That makes sense,’ said Patrik. There was so much that he didn’t know, so much he needed to find out about what happened back then on Valö. Suddenly the task ahead of him seemed daunting. Was it really possible to solve this old case after all these years? And how urgent was it?

‘Do you think the person who tried to burn down the house will try again?’ asked Annika, as if she had read his thoughts.

Patrik pondered the question. Then he nodded.

‘It’s possible. We can’t afford to take any risks. We’ll have to work fast to find out what really happened on that Easter Eve. Whoever it was that tried to hurt Ebba and Tobias must be stopped before they strike again.’

Anna stood naked in front of the mirror, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn’t recognize herself. Slowly she raised her hand to touch her hair. When it grew out again after the accident, her hair was darker and more wiry than before, and it was still much shorter. A visit to the hairdresser might fix things, but the idea didn’t appeal to her. A new hairstyle wasn’t going to change her body.

With a trembling hand she traced the scars that ran across her skin, forming a criss-crossing map. The lines had faded a bit, but they would never disappear completely. Listlessly she pinched the roll of fat at her waist. She’d always managed to stay thin with minimum effort, and she’d been so proud of her figure. Now she gazed with disgust at her plump flesh. Because of her injuries, she hadn’t been able to move around much, and she hadn’t cared what she stuffed in her mouth. Anna raised her head to study her face, hardly daring to meet her own eyes. Thanks to the children and to Dan, she’d fought her way back to life, out of a darkness that had been worse than anything she’d ever experienced, worse even than those years with Lucas. The question now was whether it had been worth it. She didn’t yet know the answer.

The sound of the doorbell startled her. She was home alone, so she would have to go and see who it was. Taking one last look at her body, she threw on her comfy clothes, which lay in a heap on the floor, and rushed downstairs. When she saw Erica standing outside the door, she was filled with relief.

‘Hi, what’s going on?’ said Erica.

‘Nothing much. Come in. Where are the kids?’

‘At home. Kristina is babysitting. I had a few things that I needed to get done. So I thought I’d drop by before I head back there.’

‘Good idea,’ said Anna and led the way to the kitchen to make coffee. Again she pictured her plump white flesh in the mirror, but then she pushed the image aside and took some chocolate macaroons out of the fridge.

‘Oh, no, I daren’t eat any of those,’ said Erica with a frown. ‘I put on a bikini over the weekend, and it was not a pleasant sight.’

‘How can you say that? You look great,’ said Anna, unable to hide a hint of bitterness. Erica followed her outside to the small patio at the back of the house.

‘Nice lawn furniture. Is it new?’ She ran her hand over the white-painted wood.

‘Yes, we found them at Paulssons, near the old Evas Livs supermarket, you know.’

‘You’re really good at finding nice things,’ said Erica, positive that Anna was going to like the idea she’d come up with.

‘Thanks. So where have you been today?’

‘Out at the summer camp,’ said Erica. And she told her sister about the visit.

‘How exciting. So they’ve found blood but no bodies? Something must have happened there, at any rate.’

‘It certainly seems that way.’ Erica reached for a macaroon. She picked up a knife to divide it in half, but changed her mind and set the knife down. She took a bite of the pastry.

‘Big smile,’ said Anna, for a moment feeling a warm surge of childish glee.

Erica understood exactly what she was thinking and smiled broadly, showing her teeth covered with chocolate.

‘Check this out,’ she then said, taking two straws from the tray. She stuck one in each nostril and crossed her eyes, smiling again to reveal her brown teeth.

Anna couldn’t help giggling. She remembered how she’d loved it whenever her big sister acted silly when they were kids. Erica had always been so grown up and serious, more like a mother than an older sister.

‘I bet you can’t drink through your nose like you used to,’ said Erica.

‘Of course I can,’ replied Anna, insulted. She stuck a straw in each nostril, then leaned forward and put the straws in the glass. She breathed in through her nose. When the juice reached her nostrils, she started coughing and sneezing uncontrollably, and Erica burst out laughing.

‘What on earth are the two of you doing?’

Dan had arrived without them hearing, and when they saw his expression, the sisters collapsed with laughter. They pointed at each other and tried to explain, but they were laughing so much they couldn’t manage a single word.

‘I can see that I should never come home unannounced.’ Dan shook his head and left.

Finally they calmed down, and Anna noticed that the lump in the pit of her stomach had eased a bit. She and Erica had had their differences over the years, but nobody could affect her as deeply as her sister. No one could make her as angry as Erica did, but no one could make her so happy either. They were for ever linked by an invisible bond, and Anna realized how much she needed her sister as she sat across from Erica and wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes.

‘After he’s seen you like this, you better not count on any hugs and kisses tonight,’ said Erica.

Anna snorted. ‘I doubt it’ll make the slightest difference. But let’s change the subject. It seems a little incestuous to talk about my sex life when my fiancé used to sleep with my sister…’

‘Good Lord, that was a hundred years ago. To be honest, I can’t remember what he looks like naked.’

Anna made a show of sticking her fingers in her ears, and Erica shook her head, laughing.

‘Okay, I promise. Let’s talk about something totally different.’

Anna took her fingers from her ears. ‘So tell me more about Valö. What’s the daughter like? What’s her name? Ebba?’

‘Yes, Ebba,’ said Erica. ‘She’s living there with her husband, Tobias. They’re planning to renovate the place and open a bed and breakfast.’

‘Do you think they can make a go of it? The tourist season is short here.’

‘I haven’t a clue, but I suspect they’re not doing it for the money. The project seems to have a different purpose.’

‘Well, it might work. The place does have potential.’

‘I know. And that’s where you come in.’ Erica pointed at her sister, a hint of excitement in her voice.

‘Me?’ said Anna. ‘How did I get mixed up in this?’

‘You’re not. At least, not yet. But you could be. I’ve had the most amazing idea.’

‘So modest, as always,’ giggled Anna, but her curiosity was aroused.

‘Ebba and Tobias were actually the ones who brought up the subject. They’re good at doing the renovation and manual labour, but they need help with the finishing touches, creating the right sort of ambience. And you’re exactly who they need: you have a flair for interior design, you know antiques, and you have good taste. So you’re the perfect person for the job!’ Erica caught her breath and then took a sip of juice.

Anna could hardly believe her ears. This might be a way to find out if she could work as a freelance interior designer. This could be her first consulting job. She could feel the smile forming on her face.

‘What did you tell them? Do you think they want to hire somebody? Can they afford it? What sort of style do you think they have in mind? It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. In fact, it would be more fun to go around to country auctions and source good furniture and odds and ends at knockdown prices. I’d think that out there on the island a rather old-fashioned, romantic style would work best, and I know where to get hold of some beautiful fabrics, and…’

Erica raised her hand.

‘Hey, calm down! The answer is no – I didn’t tell them about you. All I said was that I might know someone who could help. I have no idea what their budget is, but why don’t you give them a call? Then we could head out there together and have a meeting with them, if they’re interested.’

Anna narrowed her eyes and looked at Erica.

‘You just want an excuse to go out there again and snoop around.’

‘Maybe… But I also think it’s a brilliant idea for you to meet them. You’d be terrific at this kind of project.’

‘It’s true that I’ve been thinking about starting some sort of business of my own.’

‘So let’s go! I’ll give you their number, and you can call them yourself.’

Anna sensed a spark of something new ignite inside of her. Enthusiasm. That was probably the word that best described it. For the first time in ages she felt truly enthusiastic.

‘Okay, give me the number before I change my mind,’ she said, picking up her mobile.

The interview continued to bother him. It was so frustrating to have to watch what he said and not speak his mind. The journalist he’d talked to this morning was an idiot. Most people were idiots. They refused to see things as they really were, which made his responsibility even greater.

‘Do you think the party will suffer any damage?’ John Holm twirled his wine glass in his hands.

His wife shrugged. ‘Probably not. It’s not one of the major newspapers.’ She tucked her hair behind her ear and put on her glasses to start reading through the stack of documents in front of her.

‘It doesn’t take much for an interview to get picked up by other papers. They’re after us like hawks, always alert for the smallest reason to attack.’

Liv peered at him over the top of her reading glasses. ‘Don’t tell me that you’re surprised. You know who has the power over the media in this country.’

Holm nodded. ‘No need to preach to the choir.’

‘But after the next election, things are going to be different. People will finally wake up to what’s happening in our society.’ She gave him a triumphant smile and went back to leafing through the documents.

‘I wish I had your faith. Sometimes I wonder whether the public will ever understand. Have Swedes grown too lazy and stupid, too multicultural and degenerate to comprehend that the monster is spreading? They might have too little pure blood flowing in their veins for us to have anything worth working for.’

Liv stopped reading. Her eyes glinted as she sized up her husband.

‘Now listen here, John. Ever since we met, you’ve had a very clear goal. You’ve always known what you have to do, what you’re destined to do. If no one listens – well, then you need to speak louder. If someone questions your views – well, then you need to present a better argument. We finally have a seat in parliament, and it’s the people, the very people that you’re now doubting, who have seen fit to put us there. Forget about some minor journalist quibbling over our budget figures. We know that we’re right, and that’s the only thing that matters.’

Holm smiled at her. ‘You sound exactly the same as when I met you at the youth association. Although I have to say that you look better with hair than without.’ He went over and kissed the top of her head.

Aside from her quick temper and fierce rhetoric, there was nothing about his aloof, fashionably dressed wife to remind him of the skinhead in military garb that he’d fallen in love with. But he loved her more than ever now.

‘It’s an article in a local paper, that’s all.’ Liv squeezed his hand, which he’d placed on her shoulder.

‘I suppose you’re right,’ said Holm, but he couldn’t rid himself of an uneasy feeling. He had to carry out the plan he’d set for himself. The monster had to be rooted out, and it was his job to do that. He only wished he had more time.

The bathroom tiles felt wonderful against her forehead. Ebba closed her eyes and let the cool sensation wash over her.

‘Aren’t you coming to bed soon?’

She heard Tobias’s voice from the bedroom but didn’t answer. She didn’t want to go to bed. Every time she lay down next to Tobias, she felt as if she were betraying Vincent. The first month she couldn’t bear to be in the same house with him. She couldn’t even look at Tobias, and if she happened to catch his eye in the mirror, she would turn her face away. She felt nothing but guilt.

Her parents had taken care of her around the clock, watching over her as if she were a baby. They had talked to her, pleaded with her, telling her that she and Tobias needed each other. Finally she had started to believe them, and then she decided to relent because it was easier.

Slowly and reluctantly she had drawn closer to him. She moved home. They had spent those first weeks in silence, afraid of what would happen if they began talking to each other and said something that could never be taken back. Then they’d started to say ordinary things.

‘Please pass the butter.’

‘Have you done the laundry?’

Harmless, innocent subjects that couldn’t provoke any accusations. Over time their sentences got longer, and they found more safe topics for conversation. They had started talking about Valö. Tobias was the one who’d suggested that they should move there. But she too had viewed it as an opportunity to leave behind everything that would remind them of a different life. A life that may not have been perfect, but at least it was happy.

As she sat there with her eyes closed and her forehead pressed against the bathroom tiles, for the first time she began to question whether they’d done the right thing. The house was sold, the house where Vincent had lived his whole, brief life. The place where they had changed his nappies; spent nights walking about, holding him in their arms; where he had learned to crawl, walk, and talk. The house was no longer theirs, and she wondered whether they’d actually made a decision or had simply moved away.

And now they were here. In a house where they might not even be safe, and where the entire dining-room floor had been broken apart because her family had been obliterated in there. It was affecting her more than she was willing to admit. When she was growing up she hadn’t devoted much time to speculating about her roots. But she couldn’t go on pushing her past aside. Seeing that dark stain that had been hidden under the floorboards, she had experienced a terrible clarity. This was not some vague enigma, it was all too real. Her mother and father had presumably died on that very spot, and for some strange reason, that seemed more real than the discovery that someone may have been trying to kill her and Tobias. She didn’t know how she was going to handle this reality, living right in the midst of it, but there was nowhere else to go.

‘Ebba?’

She could hear in his voice that if she didn’t answer he would come looking for her. So she lifted her head and called towards the door:

‘I’m almost done!’

She took her time brushing her teeth as she studied herself in the mirror. Tonight she didn’t look away. She stared at this woman with the dead expression, at the mother who had no child. Then she spat into the sink and wiped her mouth on a towel.

‘That took you long enough.’ Tobias was holding a book open, but she noticed that he was on the same page as last night.

She didn’t reply, just lifted the covers and crawled into bed. Tobias put his book down on the bedside table and turned off the lamp. The blinds that they’d put up when they moved in made the room pitch-black, even though it never got completely dark outside.

Ebba lay there motionless, staring up at the ceiling. She felt Tobias’s hand fumbling for hers. She pretended not to notice, but he didn’t withdraw his hand, as he usually did. Instead, it inched towards her thigh, gently moved under her T-shirt to stroke her stomach. She felt the nausea rise in her throat as his hand purposefully continued upward, grazing her breast. The same breast that had given Vincent milk, the same nipples that his tiny mouth had so hungrily suckled.

Bile filled her mouth, and she leaped out of bed, rushing for the bathroom. She barely managed to lift the lid of the toilet before her stomach turned inside out. When she was done, she collapsed weakly on the floor. From the bedroom she could hear that Tobias was crying.