In Bad Company (Sandhamn Murders)

by Viveca Sten

Nothing would ever be fine again.

  “I’m coming to the hospital,” she said. “I have to see her one last time.”

  “You can’t do that.”

  Her father had told her not to come before, and she’d listened to him. Now Mom was dead, and she hadn’t said good-bye. She couldn’t stay here on the island; he had to understand that. “I need to see her.”

  “Please, Mina—do this one thing for me.” He was crying now. “I can’t lose you as well. Promise me you’ll stay where you are. I’ll come to you instead, when everything’s taken care of here. I’ll come as soon as I can—tomorrow at the latest.”

  Mina gave in. “OK,” she whispered.

  “I’ll see you very soon, darling girl. Where are you?”

  “I’m at a shelter called Freya’s Haven on Runmarö—directly opposite Stavsnäs.”

  CHAPTER 105

  Nora’s shoulders were stiff after several hours at her computer. However, it had been well worth it; she’d gone through picture after picture from Mina’s secret email account, analyzing the information and its legal significance.

  This evidence had changed the situation instantly. It was more than she’d dared hope for. Kovač had long since crossed the line when it came to assault, but now he could be charged with gross violation of a woman’s integrity.

  The maximum sentence was six years.

  She could have him arrested and remanded in custody on the basis of this material. She also intended to share it with Thomas to bolster his investigation into Kovač.

  It was time for her meeting with Herman Wibom. He’d asked to see her at one o’clock; it was now ten past, and there had been no call from reception to say he’d arrived. Surely he would have gotten in touch if he’d been delayed? He’d already told her he was filing for a no-contact order against Mina’s husband, and Nora was more than happy to cooperate.

  Where was he? She couldn’t sit around waiting for him all day. She had another meeting with auditors working on a different case at two o’clock.

  She called his cell phone, but there was no answer. She hesitated, then googled the number of his law firm.

  A woman answered almost right away, and Nora introduced herself as a prosecutor with the Economic Crimes Authority. “Do you happen to know if Herman’s on his way here? We were supposed to have a meeting fifteen minutes ago.”

  “To be honest, I don’t know where he is,” replied Wibom’s secretary, Gunilla something or other.

  “You don’t?”

  “It’s very unlike him not to get in touch.”

  Something in her voice made Nora react. “What do you mean?”

  “He hasn’t come in at all today, even though we have a great deal to do. He actually worked late last night, which doesn’t happen very often these days.” She gave a nervous laugh.

  “So you haven’t spoken to him today?”

  “No.”

  “Have you called his cell phone?”

  “Yes, but there’s no answer.”

  Nora stood up and stretched in order to get her circulation going. “I’ve also tried his cell, but without success,” she said, rotating her neck to extend the muscles. When she touched her shoulders, it felt as if there were hard knots beneath the skin. She would have to start exercising more; otherwise she was going to have problems.

  “Do you think something might have happened?” Gunilla said. She sounded as if she had been thinking along those lines, but hadn’t dared admit it to herself until Nora called. “What if Herman’s fallen, or been taken ill? He lives alone, as you perhaps know.”

  Nora had had no idea about Herman Wibom’s marital status, but wasn’t particularly surprised. He had all the signs of being a confirmed bachelor. “Is there anyone who could go and see if he’s OK?” she said. “Just to be on the safe side?”

  “I don’t know who else has a key to his apartment.”

  “Maybe a neighbor?”

  Gunilla suddenly sounded resolute. “I’ll go over there when I’ve finished for the day. He lives in Vasastan—it’s not far from the office.”

  “Good idea. I’d appreciate it if you’d give me a call when you’ve spoken to him.”

  CHAPTER 106

  Freya’s Haven was very quiet when Mina arrived back. At first she wondered where everyone was, then she remembered that Anna-Maria had mentioned a day trip to Sandhamn earlier in the week. Mina had said no, but it seemed as if all the others had gone.

  She parked the stroller and picked up Lukas. When she heard his contented gurgles, the emotion hit her again. Mom would never hear his first words, never watch him take his first steps. Mina would never see her again.

  The door of Anna-Maria’s office was ajar. When Mina walked past and saw her sitting at the desk, she couldn’t hold back the tears. Her face crumpled.

  Anna-Maria stood up and hurried over to her. Gently she took Lukas and led Mina to the sofa in the living room. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

  “Mom,” Mina whispered.

  Anna-Maria started to take off Lukas’s dark-blue zip-suit. His face was already bright red, and he was waving his little hands around. He soon settled when the outer garment was removed. “Tell me what’s happened.”

  “Dad called . . . ,” Mina began. She couldn’t finish the sentence.

  Anna-Maria put Lukas down in the corner of the sofa so that he could lie there safely without falling off.

  “Mom died,” Mina managed eventually. She was sobbing so hard that her whole body was shaking. “She died this morning, in the hospital. Dad was with her, but I wasn’t there.”

  “I’m so very sorry, Mina.”

  “I wasn’t there,” Mina said again. “She died without my being there. I didn’t get to say good-bye.”

  Anna-Maria put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her gently. She, too, had tears in her eyes. “You couldn’t help that.”

  “You don’t understand. It’s my fault that she’s dead.” Andreis had done this to her parents. To her. She hated him. “I can’t do this anymore. I’m done.”

  She rested her head on her knees and closed her eyes. Not even childbirth had been this painful.

  Anna-Maria held her and let her cry. Mina’s face was wet with tears and snot when she finally straightened up.

  “You’ll feel better in a while,” Anna-Maria reassured her quietly. “I know that’s hard to believe right now, when it’s all so fresh, but I promise you won’t always feel this bad.” She held out a wad of the tissues she always seemed to carry around with her, and Mina wiped her face. “Why don’t you go and lie down?”

  “I have to go to Dad. He needs me.”

  “Would he really want you to do that?”

  Mina looked down at the floor.

  “It’s way too dangerous for you to leave Runmarö at the moment,” Anna-Maria went on. “And I’m sure he realizes that.”

  “He told me to stay here,” Mina admitted. A sudden exhaustion came over her; she could hardly hold up her head. Her neck felt weak and thin, her eyelids as heavy as lead. She was so cold that her teeth were chattering.

  “You’re in shock,” Anna-Maria said in a tone that brooked no disagreement. “You need to rest for a while.”

  “I have to take care of Lukas.”

  Anna-Maria got to her feet and picked up Lukas, then held out her hand to Mina. “Let’s get you to bed. Lukas can stay with me in the office; he’ll be fine.”

  Mina stood up and followed her like a robot. She climbed into bed, and Anna-Maria tucked her in with an extra blanket. “Try to get some sleep.”

  “Thank you,” Mina murmured, her eyes already closed.

  “None of this is your fault,” Anna-Maria said quietly before she left the room. “You mustn’t blame yourself for your mom’s death.”

  Mina knew she was wrong.

  CHAPTER 107

  It was three thirty by the time Nora got back to her office. The meeting with the auditors had dragged on, then she’d spent some time with Leila,
going through the new criteria for Kovač’s arrest. If they could be sure that Mina wasn’t about to change her mind again, she was prepared to have him picked up this evening.

  She decided to speak to Thomas, assess the situation. “How’s it going?”

  “Not great—we can’t find Kovač. We’ll have to put out a call for him soon.”

  “We need to liaise on that—I’m thinking of issuing a warrant for his arrest.” Nora filled Thomas in on the latest developments.

  “He’s a popular guy.”

  Thomas’s ironic comment fell flat. He sounded so tired; Nora wished there was an easy way to make him feel better—a pill, a button to press, a witch’s brew to put everything right. He’d been with Pernilla for so many years. Why was it always the people you loved best who hurt you the most?

  “I really need to talk to Mina,” Thomas went on. “The information Leila sent over is very useful, but I have a few questions I’d like to ask Mina myself, face to face.”

  Nora kicked off her shoes under the desk. She would also like to see Mina one more time before making her final decision on Kovač. Depriving someone of their freedom was no small matter, and she still didn’t entirely trust Mina to keep her promise and testify against her husband.

  “Why don’t we go over there together?” she suggested. “How urgent is it?”

  “I’d like to see her today.”

  Nora glanced at her watch; she had no more meetings. “We can go right away if you like. I’ll be ready to leave in fifteen minutes. Actually, how about this: we’ll go over to Runmarö together and talk to Mina, then we can have dinner and catch up.”

  The therapist Jonas had mentioned was in the back of her mind. If she brought the subject up on the phone, she knew exactly how Thomas would react. He would dismiss the idea immediately, without giving her a chance to put across her point of view. Over dinner she might be able to persuade him to give it a try.

  Before it was too late.

  “We could even go over to Sandhamn and eat at the inn,” she added. “An evening in the archipelago would do you good. You’re welcome to stay with us.”

  He might lower his guard in the archipelago; Thomas always felt better when he was by the sea.

  “That’s kind of you, but I don’t have time.”

  “Steak with Béarnaise sauce and fries,” she cajoled. “You’ll be twice as efficient tomorrow. We’ll catch the first boat back. I need to be in the office bright and early.”

  “I don’t know . . .”

  “Is Elin still with you?”

  “No. Pernilla’s picking her up today, because she came to me early last weekend.”

  “There you go then. There’s something else I want to talk to you about, but not on the phone.”

  Thomas capitulated. “My boat is in Stavsnäs. I’ll meet you there at five thirty, then we’ll go over to Runmarö, see Mina, then on to Sandhamn.”

  Nora nodded with satisfaction. “Good decision. See you in Stavsnäs.”

  CHAPTER 108

  Mina woke to find Anna-Maria by her bed with Lukas in her arms.

  “What time is it?”

  “Five o’clock. How are you feeling?”

  Mina was so groggy that she didn’t know what to say. Then the realization hit her with full force.

  Mom was dead.

  Why did Anna-Maria have to wake her? Why couldn’t she just go on sleeping?

  “I need to pick up a few things from the store,” Anna-Maria said. “Could you take care of Lukas for a while? He’s had something to eat; he’ll probably fall asleep soon.”

  Mina nodded weakly.

  “I’ve spoken to your father,” Anna-Maria continued with a sad smile. “He called a little while ago, and I promised him you wouldn’t leave Runmarö. You’re much safer here than anywhere else.”

  Another nod.

  “He’s going to try and come over tomorrow. The others should be back from Sandhamn at around seven, but I’ll be here long before then.”

  She carried Lukas over to his crib and gently laid him down. His contented babbling reminded Mina why she had to make the effort and sit up.

  CHAPTER 109

  Nora was on the subway. She had to change at Slussen, then continue to Stavsnäs. She was so pleased she’d managed to persuade Thomas to have dinner on Sandhamn, even if she was meddling with his relationship more than she should. She couldn’t just stand there and say nothing when he was clearly unhappy.

  The way he spoke about Pernilla showed that his feelings hadn’t changed; there was just too much crap in the way.

  Nora had been devastated after her divorce. If there was any way of saving Thomas’s marriage, it was worth a shot. Adam and his girlfriend had agreed to watch Julia overnight in return for a pizza of their choice.

  Her phone rang; it was Herman Wibom’s secretary.

  “How did it go?” Nora asked. “Did you get a hold of Herman?”

  “No. I went to his apartment and rang the bell, but there was no answer.” Gunilla sounded out of breath. “I looked through the letter box, but I couldn’t see anything. I called out his name, but he didn’t come.”

  “Does he have any relatives you could contact?”

  “He has a sister in Karlskoga. I’ve already called her, and she hasn’t heard from him.”

  It would soon be twenty-four hours since anyone had spoken to Herman Wibom.

  “I don’t like this,” Gunilla went on. “By the way, you’re not the only one who’s wondering where he is.”

  “Oh?”

  “Ulrika Grönstedt has called several times.”

  Nora had a bad feeling. Of course Grönstedt could have a perfectly legitimate reason for wanting to contact Wibom, but too many factors just didn’t fit.

  Herman Wibom never missed a meeting, nor did he fail to answer his phone.

  “Where are you now?” she asked.

  “At the office.”

  “Do you think you could go back to Herman’s apartment if I send a police officer over there? Her name is Leila Kacim.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “I’ll ask her to go right away.”

  CHAPTER 110

  The turn-of-the-century apartment building on Roslagsgatan was nowhere near as opulent as the elegant architecture in Östermalm dating from the same period, but the high ceiling in the foyer was equally impressive when Leila walked in.

  She ran up the stairs to the third floor. A woman in her early sixties was waiting by one of the doors; this must be Gunilla, Wibom’s secretary. She was wearing a pale camel-hair coat.

  “Leila?” she said immediately, her voice shrill with nervous tension. Leila held out her hand and smiled reassuringly. “I keep ringing the bell, but there’s no answer,” Gunilla said, pointing to the door behind her. A small brass plaque above the letter box bore the name “H. Wibom.”

  “Have you checked with the neighbors to see if anyone has a key to the apartment?”

  Gunilla tightened her grip on her purse. “No, sorry, I didn’t think of that.”

  There were three apartments on each floor; Wibom’s was closest to the elevator. Leila rang the bell of his next-door neighbor, but it soon became clear that no one was home. She moved on, and after a moment a sleepy voice called out: “I’m coming.”

  The door opened to reveal a young man in jeans and a T-shirt. His light-brown hair was tousled; he must have been having an afternoon nap. Leila showed her ID, explained why she was there, and asked if he had a spare key to Wibom’s apartment.

  “I’m afraid not,” said the young man, who’d introduced himself as Dagge. “I haven’t lived here very long—only since the start of the autumn semester. It’s a sublet.”

  “Do you happen to remember when you last saw your neighbor?”

  Dagge shrugged. “I’m not sure. We keep different hours. I’m studying biology at the university, so I often work late, and if I don’t have lectures in the mornings, I sleep in.” He yawned and scratched the back of his nec
k. “Sorry, I was up late last night.”

  Leila considered her next question. If the guy was sometimes home during the day, he might have noticed if anything unusual had gone on in Wibom’s apartment. “Is there anything that’s struck you lately? Anything out of the ordinary?”

  Dagge shook his head as if he didn’t really understand the question.

  “Strangers on the stairs? Weird noises from your neighbor’s apartment?”

  “No . . . actually, yes.”

  Leila waited for him to go on, her nerves on edge.

  “Last night . . . he was playing his music really loud.”

  “And that’s unusual?”

  “He’s so considerate. I’ve never heard a sound before, to be honest, but this was deafening.”

  “What kind of music was it?”

  “I’ve no idea.” Dagge spread his hands apologetically. “It was kind of old fashioned, like church music.”

  Gunilla inhaled sharply. “Could it have been an organ? Herman likes to listen to Bach’s fugues.” Suddenly she was overcome with embarrassment at having interrupted. “Sorry, I just meant . . . he must have been at home then.”

  “What time did you hear the music?” Leila asked.

  “Around ten o’clock, maybe. I’m not sure.” He leaned against the doorframe, and Leila was able to see into his apartment. It didn’t look as if cleaning was high on his list of priorities. Dirty clothes were strewn across the floor, and there was a faint smell of stale cigarette smoke. The bedroom wall adjoined Wibom’s place.

  “What did you do when the loud music started?”

  Once again, Dagge didn’t seem to understand the question. “Nothing, really. I was studying, so I put my earbuds in and turned up my own music. It wasn’t that bad.”

  “Do you know when the music stopped?”

  “Sorry, no. I’ve got an exam soon; I was concentrating on my work.”

  “When did you go to bed?”

  “After one, maybe?”

  “Was the music still playing then?”

  “I don’t think so—I guess he’d turned it off.”

  “And you didn’t hear anything else?”