Stalker

32

Linda’s cheeks turn red as she looks at the symbol drawn in the grit in front of Joona’s feet. The stylised scythe has already begun to be erased by the wind. She says nothing, but her forehead is shiny with sweat.

‘Sorry, but I’m expecting a phone call,’ Joona says, and stands up with the help of his stick.

Margot watches him limp off towards the steps of the Norra Latin School and pull out his mobile. She understands that he’s left them alone to give her a chance to create a more intimate atmosphere between her and Linda Bergman.

‘Linda,’ she says, ‘I’m going to find out what all this is about sooner or later, but I’d rather you told me.’

The young woman has dark-grey sweat marks under her arms now, as she slowly brushes the hair from her face.

‘It’s just a bit personal,’ she says, licking her lips again.

‘I appreciate that.’

‘They call it saturnalia,’ Linda says, looking down at the ground.

‘Is that some sort of role-play?’ Margot asks gently.

‘No, it’s an orgy,’ Linda replies as steadily as she can.

‘Group sex?’

‘Yes, although group sex sounds like… I don’t know, it’s not like some sort of tragic old swingers’ club.’ She smiles, embarrassed.

‘You seem to know what you’re talking about,’ Margot goes on.

‘I went with Maria a few times,’ she replies, shaking her head almost imperceptibly. ‘I’m single, it was nothing funny, you didn’t have to sleep with everyone just because you were there.’

‘But isn’t that the point?’

‘I don’t have any regrets about trying it… but it’s not exactly something I’m proud of either.’

‘Tell me about the saturnalias,’ Margot asks quietly.

‘I don’t know what to say,’ Linda says, crossing her legs. ‘I was carried along by Maria’s… I don’t know, completely open attitude about sex. Well, I thought I was, anyway…’

‘Were you in love with her?’

‘I did it for my own sake,’ Linda said, without answering the question. ‘To try something new, no obligation, to just let go and allow it to mean nothing but sex.’

‘I can understand that.’ Margot smiles gently.

‘The first time,’ Linda says, giving Margot a dark look, ‘your whole body just shakes… You think, I can’t be doing this. Several men at the same time… and there are loads of drugs, and you have sex with other girls and it goes on for hours… it’s mad.’

She looks over towards Joona and brushes the sweat from her top lip with her forefinger.

‘But you stopped going,’ Margot says.

‘I’m not like Maria, I wanted to be with her, and I tried doing it her way… and after a while I felt different, and brave and everything… But after the third time I started to think a whole load of things, it wasn’t like I regretted it… more like: OK, why am I doing this? I don’t have to feel ashamed, I’m allowed to do it… but why?’

‘That’s a good question.’

‘It was my decision to go, but it sort of wasn’t on my terms… I think I felt a bit exploited, in spite of all that.’

‘Was that why you stopped?’

Linda rubs the end of her nose and says quietly:

‘I’d had enough when it turned out that someone had filmed one of the saturnalias. You’re not supposed to do that, no mobiles… Maria called and told me, she was really angry, but it just made me worried, I felt like I was going to be sick… The film clip was on a porn site for amateur films, it was shaky and dark, but I could still see myself, and that wasn’t exactly a great feeling, I can tell you.’

A few drops from the fountain reach them, and Linda turns away from the hazy sphere and shakes her head.

‘I can’t believe she’s dead,’ she whispers.

‘These saturnalias – how are they arranged?’

‘It’s two guys from Östermalm, Filip and someone called Eugene… It probably started out as them having parties where there was a lot of cocaine and Ecstasy… And then there was spice, monkey dust, Spanish fly and all the rest of it… and now it’s been going on for at least two or three years… There are maybe a couple of saturnalias every month… exclusive, invite only.’

‘Always on Saturdays?’

‘You know where the English word Saturday comes from?’ Linda replies, looking her in the eye.

Margot nods, and Linda kicks at the ground again.

‘I’d just like to say that I never took any drugs,’ she says.

‘Good for you,’ Margot says neutrally.

‘I drank too much champagne instead.’ She smiles.

‘Where do they take place?’

‘When I was involved, they had a suite at the Birger Jarl Hotel… All I remember is really weird, psychedelic rooms.’

‘Tell me about the stud Maria had in her tongue.’

‘Filip and Eugene gave studs to all the girls who belonged to the inner circle.’

‘Did Maria want to leave as well? Do you know?’

‘I don’t think so… well, I…’

She falls silent and gathers her hair over one shoulder.

‘What were you going to say?’

‘Just that Filip fell in love with her, he wanted to see her on her own, didn’t want her sleeping with other men. She just laughed… That was what she was like, Maria.’

Margot pulls out a photograph of Susanna Kern.

‘Do you recognise this woman? Take a good look.’

Linda looks at Susanna Kern’s smiling face, her warm, light-brown eyes and glossy hair, and shakes her head.

‘No,’ she replies.

‘Was she at the saturnalias?’

‘I don’t recognise her,’ Linda says, getting to her feet.

Margot remains seated on the bench, thinking that they still haven’t found a connection between the victims. They’re dealing with a serial killer who stalks his victims, but they have no idea where he finds them, or how he chooses them.