Its probably for him anyway, mutters Daniella.
Yes, Joona is saying. No, I want him here OK, but I dont give a damn about that. The detective is smiling as he listens to his colleagues objections. Although I have noticed something, he chips in.
The person on the other end is yelling.
Im doing this my way, Joona says calmly, and ends the conversation. He hands the phone back to Daniella with a silent nod of thanks. I have to question this patient, he explains, in a serious tone.
Im sorry, says Erik. My assessment is the same as Dr. Richards.
When will he be able to talk to me? asks Joona.
Not while hes in shock.
I knew youd say that, says Joona quietly.
The situation is still extremely critical, explains Daniella. His pleural sack is damaged, the small intestine, the liver, and-
A policeman wearing a dirty uniform comes in, his expression uneasy. Joona waves, walks over, and shakes his hand. He says something in a low voice, and the police officer wipes his mouth and glances apprehensively at the doctors.
I know you probably dont want to talk about this right now, says Joona. But it could be very useful for the doctors to know the circumstances.
Well, says the police officer, clearing his throat feebly, we hear on the radio that a caretakers found a dead man in the toilet at the playing field in Tumba. Our patrol car s already on Huddingevägen, so all we need to do is turn and head up towards the lake. We figured it was an overdose, you know? Jan, my partner, he goes inside while I talk to the caretaker. Turns out to be something else altogether. Jan comes out of the locker room; his face is completely white. He doesnt even want me to go in there. So much blood, he says three times, and then he just sits down on the steps
The police officer falls silent, sits in a chair, and stares straight ahead.
Can you go on? asks Joona.
Yes The ambulance shows up, the dead man is identified, and its my responsibility to inform the next of kin. Were a bit short-staffed, so I have to go alone. My boss says she doesnt want to let Jan go out in this state; you can understand why.
Erik glances at the clock.
You have time to listen to this, says Joona.
The police officer goes on, his eyes lowered. The deceased is a teacher at the high school in Tumba, and he lives in that development up by the ridge. I rang the bell three or four times, but nobody answered. I dont know what made me do it, but I went around the whole block and shone my torch through a window at the back of the house. The police officer stops, his mouth trembling, and begins to scrape at the arm of the chair with his fingernail.
Please go on, says Joona.
Do I have to? I mean, I I
You found the boy, the mother, and a little girl aged five. The boy, Josef, was the only one who was still alive.
Although I didnt think He falls silent, his face ashen.
Joona relents. Thank you for coming, Erland.
The police officer nods quickly and gets up, runs his hand over his dirty jacket in confusion, and hurries out of the room.
They had all been attacked with a knife, Joona Linna says. It must have been sheer chaos in there. The bodies were they were in a terrible state. Theyd been kicked and beaten. Theyd been stabbed, of course, multiple times, and the little girl she had been cut in half. The lower part of her body from the waist down was in the armchair in front of the TV.
His composure finally seems to give. He stops for a moment, staring at Erik before regaining his calm manner. My feeling is that the killer knew the father was at the playing field. There had been a soccer match; he was a referee. The killer waited until he was alone before murdering him; then he started hacking up the body- in a particularly aggressive way- before going to the house to kill the rest of the family.
His composure finally seems to give. He stops for a moment, staring at Erik before regaining his calm manner. My feeling is that the killer knew the father was at the playing field. There had been a soccer match; he was a referee. The killer waited until he was alone before murdering him; then he started hacking up the body- in a particularly aggressive way- before going to the house to kill the rest of the family.
It happened in that order? asks Erik.
In my opinion, replies the detective.
Erik can feel his hand shaking as he rubs his mouth. Father, mother, son, daughter, he thinks very slowly, before meeting Joona Linnas gaze. The perpetrator wanted to eliminate the entire family.
Joona raises his eyebrows. Thats exactly it A child is still out there, the big sister. Shes twenty-three. We think its possible the killer is after her as well. Thats why we want to question the witness as soon as possible.
Ill go in and carry out a detailed examination, says Erik.
Joona nods.
But we cant risk the patients life by-
I understand that. Its just that the longer it takes before we have something to go on, the longer the killer has to look for the sister.
Now Erik nods.
Why dont you locate the sister, warn her?
We havent found her yet. She isnt in her apartment in Sundbyberg, or at her boyfriends.