Unspoken ak-2

by Mari Jungstedt

  Knutas still felt ashamed every time he thought about what he had done. He turned his chair halfway around and looked out the window. Somewhere out there a murderer was walking around.

  Nothing indicated that they would find him among Dahlstrom’s circle of acquaintances. On the contrary. Dahlstrom was apparently mixed up in something, but they had no clue what it might be. Whatever it was, he had done a good job of hiding it. The question was how long it had been going on. Probably not much longer than the date of the first deposit in his bank account, Knutas guessed. July 20. The same day that Niklas Appelqvist saw Dahlstrom with an un-identified man down at the harbor. It seemed likely that on that occasion the man had handed the money over to Dahlstrom, who later in the day went to his bank to deposit it. Twenty-five thousand kronor. The next deposit was made in October, and for the same amount. Was it possible that the two deposits didn’t actually have anything to do with each other? From the beginning Knutas had assumed that they were connected somehow, but now he was no longer certain. The explanation might be as simple as payments for various carpentry work. But why would someone who had hired Dahlstrom for something so trivial decide to meet him down at the harbor at five in the morning? It was obvious that the man didn’t want to be recognized.

  Fanny’s muscles were pleasantly tired. Calypso had been wonderful. She had gone out riding, taking her favorite route through the woods even though it was a bit too long for the sensitive racehorse. But never mind. It was so seldom that she went out, and she just couldn’t resist.

  He was a gentle horse and responded to her prods without the least effort. He made her feel quite proficient. They galloped for long stretches along the soft forest path. Not a living creature as far as the eye could see. For the first time in a long while she had felt something that resembled joy. She felt a surge inside her chest as they raced forward. She stood up halfway in the saddle, urging the horse on. Tears rose in her eyes from the speed. Knowing that they were going faster than she could actually handle made the whole experience even more exhilarating. This was truly living: to see the horse’s ears pointing forward, to hear his hooves pounding dully on the ground, to feel the animal’s power and energy.

  As they went back to the stable at a walk with the reins drooping, she felt so relaxed. She sensed a budding hope that everything was going to be all right. First and foremost, she had to break things off with him for good. He had called her cell about twenty times that day, but she had refused to answer it. He wanted to apologize. She had listened to his messages, and he sounded upset and remorseful. He tried to convince her that he didn’t mean what he had said. This morning he had sent a picture message with hearts and flowers. None of that had any effect on her anymore.

  It was over, no matter what he said. Nothing could make her change her mind. She had decided to ignore his threat about getting her thrown out of the stable. She had worked there for a year, and everyone knew her. They wouldn’t pay any attention to him. And if he tried, she was thinking about revealing everything. By law it was a criminal offense for him to have sex with her; she was fully aware of that. She was no fool. And he was an old man. He might even end up in prison. It would serve him right. It would be so great to be rid of him, to have her body to herself, and to get out of doing all the shit he wanted her to do. She longed to have herself back. Her mother wasn’t going to change, but Fanny would soon be fifteen, and she wouldn’t have to live at home much longer. Maybe she could even move out next year when she started tenth grade. There were plenty of kids out in the country who did that. They lived in town during the week and went home on the weekends. Why couldn’t she do that, too? All she had to do was tell the school counselor or nurse about her situation, and she was sure to get help.

  When she gave Calypso a hug in his stall, she felt so grateful to the horse. It was as if he gave her strength and self-confidence. And the faith that everything was going to work out.

  She had ridden her bike only three hundred yards when she saw the headlights. He came driving along the opposite side of the road, slowed down, and rolled down the window.

  “Hi. Are you on your way home?”

  “Yes,” she responded, stopping.

  “Wait there,” he said. “I just have to drive a little farther and turn the car around. Wait right there.”

  “Okay.”

  Reluctantly she got off her bicycle and stood at the side of the road. She watched him drive off and had a strong urge to do the same. Just bike home as fast as she could to get away from him. The next second she changed her mind. She was going to tell him it was over. Once and for all.

  When he returned, he wanted her to get in the car.

  “But what should I do with my bike?” she asked, resigned.

  “Leave it in the ditch. No one’s going to take it. We can come back and get it later.”

  She didn’t dare do anything but comply. Her legs were shaking as she got into the car.

  “I have to go home. Mamma is at work, and I have to take Spot out for a walk.”

  “No problem. I just wanted to talk to you for a minute. Is that all right?”

  He asked the question without looking at her.

  “Okay,” she said, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

  His voice sounded strained, and he seemed tense. His jaw moved as if he were clenching his teeth.

  She thought he was driving too fast but didn’t dare object. It was dark out, with little traffic on the road. He headed south toward Klintehamn.

  “Where are we going?”

  “It’s not far. You’ll be home soon.”

  Fear began to creep into her veins. They were getting farther and farther away from town, and she now realized where they were going. She debated with herself and decided it wouldn’t be a good idea to protest. The tense atmosphere in the car told her that it would be best not to.

  When they reached the house he told her to take a shower.

  “Why should I?” she asked.

  “You reek of the stable.”

  She turned on the shower and the hot water struck her bare skin but she couldn’t feel it. Mechanically she soaped up while thoughts zigzagged through her mind. Why was he acting so strange? She dried herself off with a bath towel, trying to rid herself of the uneasiness that crept over her. She told herself that he was just tense because of what had happened last time. For safety’s sake she put all her clothes back on. In case she had to run away.

  He was sitting in the kitchen reading a newspaper when she came downstairs. That made her feel calmer.

  “You put your clothes back on?” he said, his voice stony. He gave her a distracted look-his glassy eyes were fixed on her, but it was as if he didn’t really see her.

  Her sense of relief vanished instantly. What was wrong with him? Was he on drugs? His question hung in the air.

  “Yes,” she said uncertainly. “I thought-”

  “What exactly did you think, my dear?”

  “I don’t know. I have to go back…”

  “Back? So you thought that we drove all the way out here just so you could take a shower?”

  “No. I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know. Well, there’s plenty that you don’t know, sweetheart. But maybe it’s just as well that you put your clothes back on. That might make it more interesting. We’re going to play a little game, you see. Doesn’t that sound like fun? You’re so young that you like to play games, don’t you?”

  What had gotten into him? She tried to hold back the fear that shot up inside her, and she made an effort to act normal. It didn’t help much. He grabbed her by the hair and forced her down on her knees.

  “We’re going to play dog and master. You’re so fond of dogs, aren’t you? You can be Spot. Is Spot hungry? Does Spot want a treat?”

  As he talked he used his free hand to unbutton his pants, keeping a good grip on her hair with the other. She turned ice cold when she realized what he wanted. He pressed her hard against him. She felt
nauseated but couldn’t get away.

  After a while he seemed to lose his concentration for a moment. He loosened his grip and then she saw her opportunity. She tore herself away and managed to pull free. Quickly she got to her feet and staggered out to the hall. She yanked open the door and dashed out. A fierce wind struck her. It was pitch dark and icy cold. The sea was roaring in the dark. She ran toward the road but he came after her. He knocked her down and slapped her in the face. He hit her so hard that she almost passed out.

  “You damn little whore,” he snarled. “Now I’m going to really let you have it.”

  Again he took her by the hair and then dragged her across the yard. The ground was soaking wet, and the water seeped through her clothes as she was pulled after him on all fours. Holes were torn in her pants, her hands were scraped badly, and blood ran from her nose. The sound of her sobs was drowned out by the howling wind.

  Fumbling, he pulled out the key to the little building. The door opened with a screech. Abruptly he shoved her into the dark.

  TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27

  When Majvor Jansson came home to her apartment after working the night shift, she discovered that the dog had peed on the hall rug. He jumped up and whimpered when she opened the front door. His water bowl was empty. She could tell at once that something was wrong. The door to Fanny’s room stood wide open, and her bed had not been slept in. It was close to seven o’clock on this Tuesday morning, and it was clear that Fanny had not been in the apartment all night.

  Majvor sat down on the sofa in the living room to think. Don’t panic, she told herself. What was it that Fanny was going to do yesterday? Probably go out to the stable after school. She was always over there lately. They hadn’t planned to see each other at home because Majvor had to go to work at five. That meant that Spot had been alone for fourteen hours! Anger bubbled up inside of her, but just as quickly it vanished. As she tried to gather her thoughts, a sense of uneasiness overtook her.

  Fanny would never forget to come home if she knew that Spot was alone. Not of her own free will. Had she gone to a friend’s house to spend the night? The likelihood of that happening was minimal, but she started looking through the apartment to see if her daughter had left a note. What about a message on her cell phone? She hurried out to the hall and pulled her cell out of her coat pocket. Nothing there, either. Spot had finished eating and was now whining loudly. He needed to go out.

  As she walked between the apartment buildings, Majvor wondered what other possibilities there might be. Was Fanny mad at her? No, she didn’t think so. They hadn’t had a fight in a long time. In her heart she was aware that she might not be the sort of mother that Fanny really needed, but she couldn’t help it. This was just how she was, and she didn’t have the energy to make changes. It wasn’t easy being a single mother.

  Was this a sign of some kind of rebellion? Had Fanny run away with some friend that she didn’t know about? Or a boy? Majvor hurried home with the dog, who now seemed much happier. She started making phone calls.

  An hour later she was still at a loss. None of their relatives or acquaintances could tell her where Fanny had gone. She called the school. She learned that Fanny wasn’t there, either. Anxiety was making her throat dry. She got out a bottle of wine and a glass. Something must have happened. What about the stable? Did she even have the phone number? A note with the number was stuck to the refrigerator. Fanny was always so organized. Majvor clutched the receiver tightly as she waited for someone to answer the phone.

  “Hello,” said a gruff male voice after the tenth ring.

  She introduced herself. “Yes, hi, this is Majvor Jansson, Fanny’s mother. Is Fanny there?”

  As she spoke she realized that she didn’t know who she was talking to, or even what the place looked like. Fanny had been working at the stable for over a year, but Majvor had never set foot in the place. Why hadn’t she ever gone to visit? Now she cursed herself as it suddenly became crystal clear to her how little interest she had shown in her daughter. When was the last time she had helped Fanny with her homework? She didn’t dare even think about that.

  “No, she’s not here,” replied the man, sounding friendly. “She was here yesterday afternoon. But shouldn’t she be in school right now?”

  “She’s not there, and she didn’t come home last night, either.”

  Now the man on the phone sounded uneasy. “That’s odd. Wait a minute,” he said, and she heard him put down the receiver, then the sound of voices in the background as he shouted to someone. After a moment he was back.

  “No, unfortunately, no one has seen her. I’m sorry.”

  A call to the hospital proved equally fruitless.

  What about her room? Normally Majvor didn’t go in there, since she and Fanny had a mutual understanding that the room was her private space.

  At first glance everything looked the same as usual. The bed was neatly made and a book lay on the nightstand, next to the alarm clock. On the desk was a jumble of pens, several schoolbooks, elastic bands for her hair, scraps of paper, and newspapers. Majvor rummaged among Fanny’s things, pulled out all the dresser drawers, then searched the bookshelf and the closet. She turned everything in the room upside down without finding any note with a message, or an address book or a phone number that might give her a clue about where Fanny had gone.

  But hidden under several decorative pillows at the head of the bed she found what were obviously spots of blood on the reverse side of the bedspread. She tore off all the bedclothes. No blood on the sheet or the blanket, but under the bed she found a towel with more traces of blood. She was shaking all over as she punched in the phone number for the police.

  As soon as he stepped inside, Knutas felt weighted down. He was glad that Sohlman had come with him. The whole apartment was depressing, with its cramped rooms and dreary colors. It was in a four-story building on Mastergatan in the Hoken district, in the north-eastern section of Visby and about half a mile outside the ring wall.

  Majvor Jansson’s eyes were red from crying when she opened the door. Since Fanny was not with her father, either, the police were taking the report of her disappearance very seriously. The bloodstains on the bedspread meant that there was reason to suspect an assault or a rape. That’s why the police had decided to do a proper crime scene investigation of the girl’s room. Sohlman immediately got to work.

  Knutas noticed a faint smell of liquor on Majvor Jansson’s breath.

  “When did you last see Fanny?” he asked when they were sitting at the kitchen table.

  “Yesterday morning. We had breakfast together before she left for school. I didn’t have to go to work until five, but she usually goes to the stable after school, so we rarely see each other in the afternoon.”

  “How did she seem?”

  “Tired. She’s always tired, especially lately. That’s probably because she doesn’t eat properly. She’s awfully thin.”

  “What did you talk about?”

  “Nothing special. There’s not much to talk about in the morning. She ate toast for breakfast, as usual. Then she left.”

  “What was the mood like between the two of you?”

  “Same as always,” replied Majvor flatly. At the same time she cast a pleading glance at Knutas, as if he might be able to tell her where her daughter was.

  “What did she say when she left?”

  “She just said bye.”

  “Is anything missing from the apartment? Clothes, a toiletry case, money?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “And Fanny didn’t leave a message? You’re sure about that?”

  “Yes, I’ve looked high and low.”

  “Tell me about Fanny. What’s she like?”

  “Well, what can I tell you? What are most kids like at that age? She doesn’t say much, but I don’t think she likes school. She’s started cutting classes a lot. Maybe she’s lonely. I don’t know. She never brings any friends home.”

  “Why is that?”

&
nbsp; “I have no idea. Maybe she’s shy.”

  “Do you ever talk about these problems with your daughter?”

  Majvor Jansson seemed disconcerted, as if it had never occurred to her that she was the one responsible for her daughter, and not the other way around.

  “It’s not easy to talk about things when you’re a single mother and have to work all the time. I don’t have a husband to support me. I have to do everything myself.”

  “I can understand that,” said Knutas sympathetically.

  Suddenly she fell apart and buried her face in her hands.

  “Shall we take a break?” asked Knutas tactfully.

  “No, we might as well get this over with so that you can start looking for her.”

  “Have you talked to anyone at her school about why she’s been cutting classes?”

  “Yes, a teacher called me. That was just a few days ago. He said that she hadn’t been to his class for several weeks. We talked about the problem, but he seemed to think that she was just tired of school. I told Fanny that she had to go to school, and she promised to do better.”

  “Has Fanny mentioned anything new in her life? Someone new that she met?”

  “No,” replied Majvor, after giving it some thought. “I don’t think so.”

  “Is there anyone in particular that she spends a lot of time with?”

  “No, we don’t have a big circle of friends, as they say.”

  “What about relatives?”

  “My old mother lives at the Eken retirement home, but she’s so out of it that it’s almost impossible to talk to her. And I have a sister who lives in Vibble.”

  “Does your sister live alone?”