Dead of Winter

63

They are sitting at the kitchen table. Steph has laced their tea with the schnapps she managed to find in one of the kitchen cupboards. Laura shows her the noticeboard, tells her about her fresh discoveries, but once again she leaves out Hedda, Johnny Miller and Jack. She’s still not sure why.

The schnapps makes her feel warm and slightly nauseous at the same time; she is also experiencing a strange sense of elation. It’s good to share her thoughts at long last, to have someone who is one hundred per cent on her side.

‘Where the hell did you get the taser?’

‘I brought it back from the USA. To be honest, I nearly always carry it with me, just in case. If anyone asks I say it’s a vibrator. Works every time.’ She points to the noticeboard. ‘So you think those two gorillas and their disgusting father murdered your aunt because she wouldn’t sign?’

‘Yes.’

After the events of the last few minutes that conclusion seems inescapable. Or maybe not.

Laura picks up the photograph of Milla and looks at it again. Finds the magnifying glass and once again tries to imagine her thirty years older, maybe after cosmetic surgery.

There’s definitely a resemblance.

‘What do you actually know about Erica von Thurn?’ she asks. ‘Apart from the fact that she’s from Switzerland and is married to Pontus.’

‘Not much . . . I know her through Pontus. As I said before, she and Heinz are old school friends, and I think she’s probably sleeping with him. Why do you ask?’

Steph pulls off her cap and pushes her sunglasses up on top of her head.

Laura takes a deep breath.

‘Because I think Erica could be Milla.’

Steph looks shocked.

‘Milla? The girl who was involved in the fire? The psychopath?’

Laura nods.

‘She’s had cosmetic surgery, changed her hair colour. Her age and height fit, and her character. Milla was very good at transforming herself, becoming the person others wanted her to be. She also dreamed of travelling to Berlin. Germany, Switzerland – they’re pretty close, and Erica’s Swedish is suspiciously good for someone who learned it as an adult.’

She pursues her train of thought.

‘And I thought of something else. Milla and Jack could have left together. His last postcard to Hedda was sent from Berlin. If Milla’s back, then Jack could be here too.’

‘Prince Charming? Are you saying he might be Heinz?’

‘I thought so for a while, but then something happened at the party, during the firework display.’

‘What?’

‘He tried to kiss me, and it felt so wrong. Heinz isn’t Jack.’

‘So where is Jack?’

‘I don’t know. Still lying low, I guess.’

Steph leans back and takes a sip of her tea, her expression serious now.

‘What does all that mean for this place? What about the sale?’

‘I’m going to wait until I’ve got a clearer picture of everything. I’ve asked my office to do an in-depth check on everyone connected with Vintersjöholm Development. False identities are hard to maintain. If there’s the tiniest crack, we’ll find it. And we’ll find out where the money is coming from that the von Thurns are planning to use to buy Gärdsnäset.’

Steph puts down her cup.

‘Are you saying you’re not going to sell?’

‘Not until I know the truth.’

Laura picks up the magnifying glass again, holds it over Milla’s face and follows the contours. The position of the eyes in relation to each other, the distance between the cheekbones, the height of the hairline.

‘You have to sell,’ Steph says.

Her voice sounds different. Laura looks up, realises that Steph hasn’t spoken Swenglish for a long time. She has pushed her sunglasses so far up that they have stretched the skin of her forehead. Something clicks in Laura’s mind. Steph, whom she feels she’s known much longer than she actually has. Steph, who has always been slightly too blonde, slightly too loud, slightly too attractive. Steph, who speaks such exaggerated Swenglish that Laura has always suspected it was a game. A disguise so over-the-top that it can’t possibly be a disguise.

A disguise. A mask.

Her heart leaps into her throat.

‘It’s you!’ she gasps. ‘You’re Milla!’

Steph raises her eyebrows, remains motionless for a second, then relaxes into a cool smile.