The killer's art

72

The entire team was present at the police meeting on Monday morning. Someone had made coffee and set on the table a basket of fresh cinnamon rolls from the Siesta pastry shop. Kihlgard was whistling merrily. Knutas guessed that he was the one who had brought the provisions. Kihlgard loved to munch, as he put it.

The murder of Hugo Malmberg had pushed the controversy about Karin Jacobsson’s promotion on to the back burner. Knutas was grateful for that.

The meeting began with Jacobsson reporting on what she’d discovered about Hugo Malmberg’s background.

‘So who’s the son who was given up for adoption?’ asked Wittberg.

‘I think it would be worthwhile checking out one potential candidate,’ said Jacobsson. ‘Someone who was invited to Egon Wallin’s gallery opening, who was in Visby at the time of Wallin’s death, who has a special interest in Nils Dardel, and who also happened to rent the cottage at Muramaris. He’s in his forties, and he’s been popping up in the investigation like a jack-in-the-box right from the start.’

‘Erik Mattson,’ exclaimed Kihlgard. ‘That soft-spoken, ultra-correct man who has made so many public statements with regard to the theft at Waldemarsudde! Could he really be the perp?’

‘But that’s impossible. He’s much too thin,’ objected Wittberg. ‘Do you really think he could have hoisted Egon Wallin up in the gate and dragged Hugo Malmberg — his father — to the cemetery? Not on your life.’

‘He could have had help, of course. I realize that he couldn’t have done it alone.’ Jacobsson glared at Wittberg. Apparently the promotion controversy wasn’t completely forgotten, after all.

‘And the motive would be… what? The fact that his biological father had abandoned him?’ Wittberg looked dubious.

Lars Norrby was quick to chime in. ‘And what about Egon Wallin? Why would Erik Mattson kill him?’

‘Obviously I don’t have answers to all the questions,’ said Jacobsson crossly.

‘So you haven’t checked to see whether Mattson really is the son given up for adoption?’ Knutas gave Jacobsson an enquiring look.

Her face fell. ‘Well, no…’ she had to admit. ‘I haven’t.’

‘Maybe that would be a good idea before we start jumping to conclusions.’

Even though his tone of voice was a bit stern, he sympathized with Jacobsson when he saw the pleased expressions on the faces of Wittberg and Norrby.

Later that afternoon, there was a knock on Knutas’s door. Jacobsson came in and sat down with a dejected look.

‘I’ve talked to Erik Mattson’s adoptive parents — Greta and Arne Mattson, who live in Djursholm. They’ve never told Erik that he was adopted. So he has no idea that Hugo Malmberg is his father.’

‘What sort of relationship does Mattson have with his parents?’ Knutas asked.

‘It’s non-existent. They broke off all contact with him when it became apparent that he was using drugs and was homosexual.’

‘Homosexual? He’s gay too? That seems to be a common thread in this whole investigation.’

‘I agree.’

‘But that sounds rather harsh. Did they really break off contact just because of that? It certainly doesn’t sound very loving.’

‘No, it doesn’t,’ Jacobsson agreed. ‘On the other hand, they seem to have a good relationship with his ex-wife Lydia and his children. Or at least two of them.’

‘How old are they? His children, I mean.’

‘The boys, David and Karl, are twenty-three and twenty-one. The daughter, Emelie, is nineteen.’

‘Which child doesn’t have a good relationship with the grandparents?’

‘Apparently, David. The eldest. I talked to Erik’s father, who by the way sounded very nice, and he said that David was the most sensitive and was hit the hardest by the divorce. Erik and his wife split up because of his drug abuse. And he lost custody of the children because he neglected them when they spent weekends with him. But that didn’t seem to bother David. Evidently he has always sided with his father.’

Knutas fixed his eyes on Jacobsson for a long time without saying anything. Then, with a resolute expression, he picked up the phone as if he’d suddenly had an idea.