Page 83 of Hidden in Memories
Grip is the kind of police officer who never gives up, even though she has few illusions. She is due to retire in a few years. She is in the age group who really ought to go at sixty-five, but Hanna is hoping her boss will stay on for a few extra years as she is entitled to do.
“I want you to know that you are very much appreciated in the unit,” Grip adds unexpectedly, giving Hanna one of her rare smiles. “Your background means you’ve brought a fresh perspective, which is valuable even for a faithful old servant like me. You’re doing a good job, and we’re so pleased you came to join us.”
Hanna feels her cheeks flush with pleasure.
She isn’t used to praise, and has no idea how to handle it—especially when it comes from someone who is known for keeping her distance and focusing on practical matters.
Just as the silence is becoming uncomfortable, Raffe walks in with a big Easter egg filled with candy. The bright colors are slightly jarring in view of the situation, but it’s the thought that counts.
“Nilla dropped by with this,” he explains, sitting down next to Hanna. At that moment she loves his partner—her body is crying out for something to boost its energy level.
The door opens and Anton comes in, followed by Daniel. The link with Östersund is activated, and Grip puts down her phone.
“It’s been a tragic Easter week so far,” she begins. “Another murder connected with the hotel. Have the relatives been informed?”
“We’ve spoken to the police in Estonia,” Anton replies. “They haven’t been able to find any contact details for family members. It seems as if Aada’s father has never been present in her life, and her mother is in a nursing home.”
“That’s very sad.” Grip looks around the table. “Who would like to begin?” She nods to Carina, who has just joined them.
Hanna takes the opportunity to help herself to a handful of candies.
“We’ve completed our examination of the location where the body was discovered,” Carina says. “Unfortunately there wasn’t much to go on as it’s outdoors. Nor did we find any bodily fluids.”
She points to the wall, where photos of the new crime scene have been put up next to the images of Charlotte Wretlind.
“There were no concrete traces of the perpetrator. The snow around the body had already been trampled by the time we got there, and since the road is only about a hundred yards from the location, it seems likely that the killer took that route. In the opposite direction, into the forest, the snow cover was untouched.”
Hanna listens and chews. She sees her own disappointment at Carina’s sparse information reflected in Daniel’s eyes.
“The body is on its way to Umeå for the autopsy,” Carina concludes.
“Is it possible to establish where the murder actually took place?” Daniel asks. “There didn’t appear to be any signs of a struggle.”
“Correct—but you have to bear in mind that Aada Kuus was small and slender, only around five foot four. If we’re thinking it’s the same perpetrator who murdered Charlotte, and that he is relatively strong, given the ferocity of the stab wounds, then Aada wouldn’t have stood a chance. It seems likely that she was killed where she was found—I didn’t see anything to suggest that is not the case.”
“What about the witness who discovered the body?” Raffe wonders. “It was a dog owner, wasn’t it?”
“We spoke to her when we were there,” Daniel replies, “but all she’d done was raise the alarm. The dog reacted when they were out for a morning walk, and when they got closer, the owner realized what had happened.”
Grip looks thoughtful. “What does it mean that the body was simply left out in the open? The killer made no attempt to hide what he’d done.”
There is a logical answer to that question,Hanna thinks.
“Doesn’t that indicate that she was a problem for the perpetrator?” she suggests. “Once he’d solved the problem, it didn’t matter whether she was found or not.”
“It’s very bold,” Anton says. “Not even hiding his victim.”
Paul Lehto’s bitter face comes into Hanna’s mind. Could he be the one who left Aada Kuus in the snow?
Or is Bengt Hedin involved?
She reports on their conversation with Paul Lehto and their new theory that Aada Kuus might have witnessed Charlotte’s murder.
“If we assume she happened to bump into the perpetrator when he was running away from the Silver Suite, then we have a rock-solid motive for wanting her out of the way. And once it was done, presumably the killer was desperate to get away as fast as possible, before anyone saw him.”
“What did Aada Kuus say when she was interviewed?” Grip asks. “Didn’t she mention seeing something?”
Anton consults a list. “No one spoke to her. It looks as if the officers who are interviewing the hotel staff tried to get a hold of her, but didn’t succeed. I don’t know why.”
