Page 123 of Hidden in Memories
“Can you go any faster?”
Daniel takes the next bend at such speed that Hanna has to grab a hold of the door handle on the passenger side.
She realizes he isn’t convinced, but she trusts her intuition. They have to find the half brother before anyone else does. According to their colleagues on patrol, Hedin is still missing, and there is no sign of Lehto either. His wife claimed he was out with the dog when the officers called, but he isn’t answering his phone.
Suspicions against both men are piling up. Why would they be avoiding the police if they are not behind the two homicides?
Filip must be found.
They still haven’t heard from the phone’s service provider, and no new sightings have come in over the past hour.
Hanna shifts anxiously in her seat. The stress is rising with every minute. Her thoughts are all over the place, and the lack of sleep certainly isn’t helping.
The landscape swishes by. The weather is overcast and very windy, buffeting the trees along the E14.
They are heading for Ängena, a collection of houses ten minutes from there on the road to Duved. That is where Erik Mogren lives—the child who was conceived in Storlien as a result of rape just under fifty years ago.
Today he is an adult. Charlotte’s half brother, Filip’s uncle.
Hanna silently goes over the details she found in the register. Married, no children. Father unknown, mother deceased.
Finally a sign appears, and Daniel takes a right. After one more turn, they arrive at a small single-story dwelling with blue wood paneling and white window frames.
As soon as the car stops, Hanna leaps out and runs to the door, with Daniel close behind. There is no bell, so she knocks loudly.
The sound of a dog barking comes from inside—this is encouraging, someone should be home.
She knocks again, and after a minute or so, a plump, middle-aged woman opens the door. Her hair is all over the place, and she has clearly been crying—her face is red and her eyes are swollen.
Hanna inhales sharply.
It is obvious that something is wrong.
Are they too late?
98
Tiina stares at the woman in the woolen hat. She seems agitated, her breathing is rapid, and her hand is raised as if she is about to knock again. Behind her is a man with a short beard, wearing a dark-blue padded jacket.
When they introduce themselves as police officers from Åre, Tiina can’t cope anymore.
“Is he dead?” she asks, dropping to her knees in the hallway. She buries her face in her hands and whimpers. The woman, who says her name is Hanna, steps forward and helps Tiina up.
“We need to talk,” she says. “Can we go and sit in the kitchen?”
Tiina nods. She sinks down at the kitchen table with images of Ogge swirling around in her head. A faint groan emerges from her lips, and Zelda reacts. She comes padding in from the living room and positions herself protectively beside Tiina’s chair.
The man, who is called Daniel, pours her a glass of water. He sits down next to her, and Hanna takes the chair opposite.
“You asked if he was dead,” she begins. “Who did you mean?”
“My husband,” Tiina whispers.
“Erik Mogren?”
“Yes.”
“What makes you think he’s dead?”
