Page 21 of Hidden in Memories
“Why was it so important to her?”
Henry takes off his camel-hair coat and places it on the chair beside him.
“Charlotte was her daddy’s girl.” He sounds deeply sad. “She constantly sought his approval. Curt—that was his name—often urged her to make something of her own, something that would last. He was an entrepreneur in the restaurant industry and had a lot of opinions on how things should be done. At some point during all those visits to Storlien, I guess he began to think that he might take over the hotel. Gradually, as time went by, it became about creating a magnificent newestablishment in the mountains. He never succeeded himself, but he passed on the idea to the next generation.”
“What was the relationship like between father and daughter?” Hanna wonders.
Henry reaches for the glass of water and takes a sip. Daniel notices that he doesn’t answer right away.
“I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, but Curt was ... a hard character. He regarded his children as an extension of himself rather than as independent individuals. It had a lasting effect on his daughter, if I can put it that way.”
“You can put it however you like,” Hanna replies.
Daniel makes a note, then meets the businessman’s gaze again.
“Can you give us an example of what you said about Charlotte’s father?”
“Where do I begin?” Henry’s expression is resigned. “Charlotte and I studied at the Stockholm School of Economics together. She almost didn’t get in—she wasn’t quite up to the standards they set. Eventually it worked out, she was accepted as the last reserve candidate, but until then she was devastated. Curt would never have approved of anywhere else. Reading economics at an ordinary university wasn’t good enough—only the elite institution would do. Charlotte placed high demands on herself, and that came from her father.”
He shakes his head at the memory.
“I have to say that he could be very entertaining, and he was an excellent businessman. He helped me at the start of my career. But he wouldn’t have won a prize as daddy of the year. He was more like the patriarch inSuccession, if you know what I mean?”
Daniel gives a brief nod. He hasn’t seen the TV series, but he’s heard that it’s about four siblings fighting to gain the approval of their ice-cold father.
He is also well aware that the nuclear family isn’t the answer to everything. If it were, then his relationship with Ida shouldn’t be so complicated.
Henry rubs his forehead and sighs. “This is so difficult to take in.”
“How about brothers and sisters?” Daniel asks.
“She had a younger brother, but he passed away a few years ago. He developed problems with alcohol at a young age, and eventually his liver gave up. There wasn’t exactly a supportive atmosphere in that family ...”
He doesn’t elaborate, but the meaning is clear. Growing up in the Wretlind family seems to have been quite difficult, in spite of those magical Christmases in the mountains.
Hanna glances at Daniel, as if to indicate that she would like to change the subject. He nods—he trusts her intuition.
“How come you decided to invest in Charlotte’s project?”
“To be honest, I was her last resort. I know she’d tried other investors, but they’d turned her down. She swore it would be profitable and I wouldn’t be disappointed.”
Henry breaks off and clears his throat.
“I said no to begin with. During the course of the journey, there have been times when I’ve wished I’d stuck to my guns, bearing in mind how much money we’re talking about. The costs have already increased considerably, and we haven’t even started demolishing the old complex.”
“And yet you provided the capital,” Hanna points out.
“Like I said, Charlotte didn’t take no for an answer, and I guess I got a little sentimental, remembering our childhood Christmases. And she was stubborn—once she’d made a decision, there was no stopping her. Whatever the cost.”
“And how did people react? It sounds like a recipe for making enemies.”
The ringtone of Henry’s phone interrupts them. He takes it out of his jacket pocket, glances at the screen, and rejects the call before placing it on the table.
“Enemies?” he repeats.
Most people have enemies,Daniel thinks. Especially if they work in a tough industry, like Charlotte. However, it rarely leads to murder, especially not in such a brutal way.
He gazes at Henry across the table. The financier is lost in thought, it’s impossible to guess what’s going on in his mind. Despite the shocking situation, he seems composed now. Maybe he is used to keeping his emotions in check after years working in business.
