The Fire Witness

181

There is a light fog in the air as Joona parks his car and walks across Karlaplan to Disa’s apartment.

“Joona?” Disa says as she opens the door. “I almost thought that you weren’t coming. I have the TV on and they’re talking about what happened at Delsbo.”

Joona nods.

“So, you caught the killer,” Disa says with a slight smile.

“Or however you want to put it,” Joona says, thinking of the father’s fiery embrace.

“What happened to that poor woman who was always calling you? They said she’d been shot.”

“Flora Hansen,” Joona says.

He bumps his head on the light in the hallway. Light flashes back and forth over the walls. Joona is barely aware of it. He’s thinking now about the young girls whose photographs were in Daniel Grim’s shoe box.

“You’re tired,” Disa says, pulling him by the hand.

“Flora was shot in the leg by her brother and…”

She doesn’t notice that he’s stopped in the middle of a sentence. He’s tried to clean up at a gas station on the way back, but his clothes are still covered in Flora’s blood.

“Go take a bath. I’ll pick up some food at the corner shop,” Disa says.

“Thanks.” Joona smiles.

In the living room, the news is showing a photo of Elin. They stop to look at it. A young journalist is reporting that Elin Frank has undergone an operation during the night and that her doctors are very optimistic. The picture switches to footage of Elin’s assistant, Robert Bianchi. He looks exhausted, but he smiles tentatively and tears leak from his eyes as he tells the reporters that Elin is going to live.

“What happened?” Disa asks.

“She fought this killer all on her own. She saved the girl’s life, the one-”

“My God,” Disa whispers.

“Yes, well, Elin Frank, she’s… she’s actually quite exceptional,” Joona says as he rubs Disa’s narrow shoulders.