In the Heat of the Moment (Sandhamn Murders Book 5)
Page 32
That morning, there had been yet another article in the newspaper about Ekengreen’s trial. It was due to start next week; he had been charged with inciting the murder of his son’s best friend.
Despite the fact that the friend had escaped with no more than cuts and bruises thanks to Ekengreen’s own intervention, the prosecutor had made up his mind. He had already stated that he would be asking for a significant prison sentence.
There was a twisted piece of paper on the gravel path. Sune bent down and picked it up; everything must be neat and tidy when the funeral procession arrived. He unlocked the shed, went inside, and switched on the light.
According to the news reports, Ekengreen had already confessed. The press was reveling in the story of the eminent company director who’d hired a hit man to avenge his son.
And yet there was neither a murder nor a murderer, just a series of unfortunate circumstances. The cop who was involved had been convicted of serious misconduct but had been cleared of any responsibility for Victor’s death. The incident was described as self-defense, as was the struggle Mattias Wassberg had had with Victor Ekengreen.
Sune couldn’t help feeling sorry for Johan, in spite of everything that had happened. He had lost his youngest son, and his wife had left him, too, if the tabloids were to be believed.
It was like a Greek tragedy, where everyone was a loser.
Poor guy.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This story began over the Midsummer weekend in 2010. Due to a misunderstanding, I ended up walking through the harbor area very late at night. It was appalling, with drunken teenagers staggering around all over the place while the police did their best to deal with the situation. Having three teenagers of my own, I was both horrified and disturbed by what I saw.
From that experience, In the Heat of the Moment was born.
I have allowed myself a certain amount of artistic license. There is a lush alder in Skärkarlshamn but no jagged rocks or gray houses nearby. The pools in the former open-cast mines on the island of Utö are not quite as large as they are in my narrative, and there is no narrow pathway inside the fence. There is no pizzeria called Salvatore’s in Huddinge, nor is there a large oak tree in front of the Catholic cathedral.
I take full responsibility for any errors that may have arisen. All the characters spring from my imagination, and any resemblance to any living individual is pure chance.
I am grateful to many kind people for their assistance with this novel.
Warm thanks to Thomas Byrberg, deputy commander of the task force deployed on Sandhamn, and Police Officer Lisa Hall, who allowed me to accompany them during the Midsummer weekend in 2011. Magnus Carmelid, task force commander for Sandhamn and Möja in 2011, also provided crucial support, as did Detective Inspector Lars Sandgren from the Drug Squad in the Nacka police district, who helped me with factual information about drugs and the fight against them.
Detective Inspector Rolf Hansson has been invaluable in answering all kinds of questions relating to police work.
Forensic Pathologist Petra Råsten Almqvist has generously shared her expertise, and Johan Eriksson, solicitor, has helped me to understand the mechanics of interviewing minors. Theréz Randqvist explained the rituals and concepts involved in Catholic funerals.
With Fredrik Klerfelt, who runs Laroy nightclub in Stockholm, and Filip Börgesson, a high school student at Norra Real, I have discussed every possible aspect of teenage life. My daughter Camilla, who graduated from high school in 2011, has been heavily involved in the whole process and has also helped me find the right expressions to illustrate “teen speak.”
Many, many thanks to family, friends, and Sandhamn neighbors who have read various versions and/or contributed wise thoughts: Lisbeth Bergstedt, Anette Brifalk, Helen Duphorn, Per Lyrvall, Gunilla Pettersson, plus of course Camilla and Lennart Sten.
Once again, my heartfelt thanks to my fantastic publisher, Karin Linge Nordh, and my equally fantastic editor, John Häggblom, who constantly pushes me and makes me a better writer. Warm thanks also to Sara Lindegren and everyone else at Forum who works with my books. Annika and Dennis at Bindefeld—you’re brilliant, too!
To the gang at Nordin Agency—Joakim Hansson, Anna Frankl, Lina Salazar, Anna Österholm, and everyone else who promotes my work around the world—I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your commitment!
And finally, I’ve said this before, but it bears repetition. Without my family, this would not be possible. Lennart, Camilla, Alexander, and Leo, thank you for being there. I love you so much.
Sandhamn, May 9, 2012
Viveca Sten
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2016
Since 2008, Swedish writer Viveca Sten has sold more than 4.5 million copies of her Sandhamn Murders series, which includes Still Waters, Closed Circles, Guiltless, Tonight You’re Dead, In Harm’s Way, The Price of Power, and In the Heat of the Moment. These crime novels have cemented her place as one of the country’s most popular authors, whose crime novels continue to top bestseller charts. Set on the tiny Swedish island of Sandhamn, the series has also been made into a Swedish-language TV miniseries seen by seventy million viewers around the world. Sten lives in Stockholm with her husband and three children, yet she prefers spending her time on Sandhamn, where she writes and vacations with her family. Follow her at www.vivecasten.com.
ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR
Marlaine Delargy is based in Shropshire in the United Kingdom. She studied Swedish and German at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and taught German for almost twenty years. She has translated novels by authors including Åsa Larsson, Kristina Ohlsson, Helene Tursten, John Ajvide Lindqvist, Therese Bohman, Ninni Holmqvist, and Johan Theorin, with whom she won the Crime Writers’ Association International Dagger for The Darkest Room in 2010.