Before he has time to answer, he finds himself at the park in Observatorielunden. He is digging in the sand in the playground and finds a yellow stone, as round as an egg, as big as a pumpkin. He scrapes at it with his hands and sees the outline of a relief on the side, a jagged row of teeth. When he turns the heavy stone over he sees that it is the skull of a dinosaur.
Suddenly, Simone is screaming. Fuck you!
He gives a start and realizes that he has fallen asleep and begun to dream. The strong pills have sent him to sleep in the middle of the conversation. He tries to smile and meets Simones chilly gaze.
Sixan? What is it?
Has it started again? she asks.
What?
What? she repeats crossly. Whos Daniella?
Daniella?
You promised. You made a promise, Erik, she says. I trusted you, I was actually stupid enough to trust-
What are you talking about? Daniella Richards is a colleague at Karolinska. Whats she got to do with anything?
Dont lie to me.
This is actually getting ridiculous, he says, and despite her clear anger he feels a smile spreading involuntarily across his face. He is so tired.
Do you think this is funny? she asks. Ive sometimes thought I even believed I could forget what happened.
Erik nods off for a few seconds, but he can still hear what shes saying.
It might be best if we separate, whispers Simone.
He snaps awake at this. Nothing has happened between me and Daniella.
That doesnt really matter, she says wearily.
Doesnt it? Doesnt it matter? You want to separate because of something I did ten years ago?
Something?
I was drunk, Simone. Drunk, and-
I dont want to listen. I know all about it. I Fuck it! I dont want to do this, Im not a jealous person, but I am loyal and I expect loyalty in return.
Ive never let you down since, and Ill never-
Prove it to me. I need proof.
You just have to trust me, he says.
Yes, she says with a sigh, and collecting a pillow and duvet she shuffles out of the bedroom and down the hallway.
He is breathing heavily. He ought to follow her, not just give up; he ought to try to calm her down and persuade her to come back to bed, but right now sleep exerts the stronger influence. He can no longer resist it. He sinks down into the bed; feels the dopamine flood his system, the tension flow out of his body as relaxation spreads pleasurably across his face, his neck and shoulders, down into his toes and the tips of his fingers. A heavy, chemical sleep enfolds his consciousness like a floury cloud.
Chapter 12
Erik slowly opens his eyes to the pale light pressing against the curtains. He rolls over with a grunt and glances at the alarm clock; two hours have passed. Immediately, his mind begins to replay the images from the night before: Simones angry face as she made her accusations, the boy lying there with hundreds of black knife wounds covering his glowing body.
Erik thinks of the detective, who seemed convinced that the perpetrator had wanted to murder an entire family: first the father, then the mother, the son, and the daughter.
An older daughter is out there somewhere, in extreme danger, if Joona Linna is right.
The telephone on the bedside table begins to ring.
Erik gets up, but instead of answering he opens the curtains and peers across at the façade of the building opposite, trying to gather his thoughts. The dust glazing the windowpanes is clearly visible in the morning sunshine.
Simone has already left for the gallery. He doesnt understand her outburst, why she was talking about Daniella. He wonders if its about something else altogether: the drugs, maybe. He knows hes very close to a serious dependency on them, but he has to sleep. All the night shifts at the hospital have ruined his ability to sleep naturally. Without pills he would go under, he thinks. He reaches for the alarm clock but manages to knock it on the floor instead.
The telephone stops, but is silent for only a little while before it starts ringing again.
He considers going into Benjamins room and lying down beside his son, waking him gently, asking if hes been dreaming about anything. He picks up the telephone and answers.
Hi, its Daniella Richards.
Are you still at the hospital? Its a quarter past eight.
I know. Im exhausted.
Go home.
No chance, says Daniella calmly. You have to come back. That detective is on his way. He seems even more convinced that the perpetrator is after the older sister. He says he has to talk to the boy.
Erik feels a sudden dark weight behind his eyes. Thats a bad idea, given his condition.
I know. But what about the sister? she interrupts him. Im considering giving the detective the go-ahead to question Josef.
Its your patient. If you think he can cope with it, says Erik.
Cope? Of course he cant cope with it. His condition is critical. His family has been murdered, and hell find out about it under questioning from a policeman. But I cant just sit and wait. I dont want to let the police at him, but theres no doubt that his sister is in danger.
Its your call, Erik says again.
A murderer is looking for his older sister! Daniella breaks in, raising her voice.