Page 125 of Hidden in Memories
Not only is Erik Mogren employed at the hotel, he was also absent from home at the times when Charlotte and Aada were murdered. And he has a personal motive for Charlotte Wretlind’s death.
The new information floors Daniel. Tiina has shown them the bloody sock and the T-shirt with its faint stains.
They came here because they thought Erik Mogren could be in danger. Now they are faced with a completely different scenario, one that changes everything.
In all likelihood Mogren is the killer they have been hunting.
The same person who told Hanna about the altercation between Paul Lehto and Charlotte Wretlind. Tiina has shown them a photo, and Daniel recognized him as the man from the concierge department.
It was nothing more than a red herring.
Mogren was smart enough to have used the argument at reception to cast suspicion on his colleague. His quiet tip-off had fooled both Daniel and Hanna, although her intuition had eventually led them to his home.
How could they have missed Mogren when they went through all the employees who had been on duty in the hotel on the Sunday when Charlotte was murdered?
Daniel reads the same shock and surprise on Hanna’s face as he is feeling.
Tiina keeps talking. Daniel tries to concentrate while processing this new information. His brain is working double time.
The focus shifted from Paul Lehto the second they found out that Mogren is employed at Copperhill, but at the moment Daniel can’t work out if there is a connection with Bengt Hedin. No one has managed to track him down yet.
“Do you really think Ogge could be behind the murders of those women?” Tiina’s voice is barely holding. “Sorry, I mean Erik. He’s been known as Ogge ever since he was a teenager.”
Daniel would like to say something reassuring, place his hand on hers, but it’s not looking good. Erik Mogren has both a hunting permit and a gun license, and he owns a snow scooter. It seems likely that the sock Tiina found will provide forensic evidence. She has also confirmed that his shoe size is forty-five, which matches the print from Charlotte’s room.
Erik also appears to have a strong motive, albeit a deeply tragic one.
The facts speak for themselves.
Daniel clicks his ballpoint pen several times.
Erik Mogren has avenged his mother’s misfortune on his father’s daughter, his own half sister. And now he seems to have turned his attention to the rapist’s grandson.
The most important thing right now is to find Filip. All available resources have been deployed, and a nationwide call has gone out.
Daniel glances at his watch. The chances of finding Charlotte’s son alive are dwindling with every passing minute.
Through her tears, Tiina has told them everything she knows. She has described her husband’s terrible childhood, talked about his mother who died of alcoholism. It is a tale of unimaginable tragedy. Monica Mogren was treated appallingly, both by her employer who hushed upthe assault and gave her the sack, and by her parents who broke off all contact when they discovered she was pregnant. Then the community turned its back on her when she tried to raise her son alone. Alcohol was probably the only way to deal with the trauma and angst that followed the rape in the mountain hotel.
Daniel can’t help thinking about his own mother, who also brought up her son alone. Francesca too was the victim of a devastating betrayal, but somehow she managed to put her son’s well-being before her own pain. They had a close relationship, but now he feels a new admiration for her, and the fact that she found the strength to give him a secure childhood without allowing the bitterness to take over.
He would love to thank her for that.
Hanna looks up from her phone. She has been in touch with the service provider to request a location for Mogren’s cell. This is their best chance of tracking down Filip. A little while ago they had been informed that his phone had been found in the snow at the parking lot by the train station, out of charge.
“Do you know if your husband’s gun is still in the cupboard?” Daniel asks.
Tiina’s expression changes to one of horror. Her face is red and puffy. She is constantly stroking her dog, as if the feel of Zelda’s soft fur is her only way of clinging to reality.
“What do you mean?”
“We need to check if it’s in the house.”
He refrains from spelling out what he fears: that her husband is armed.
Tiina fetches the key to the gun cupboard and gives it to Daniel with shaking hands.
“It’s in the cellar,” she mumbles.
