Page 95 of Hidden in Memories
“And yet people are furious at the idea that it might disappear. Charlotte definitely stirred up a hornets’ nest when she decided she wanted to pull it down.”
“Mmm.”
Daniel screws up his eyes against the sun. All he can see is a barricaded structure of steel and wood. But two women are dead, and there is a great deal to suggest that this place lies at the heart of the investigation.
How could it mean so much that it led to ... murder?
74
Anton has spent the morning continuing to go through the interviews with employees who lived in the same block as Aada Kuus.
The matter has top priority.
At the same time, he wants to keep digging into Bengt Hedin’s activities. The information that his IP address is behind the abusive posts on Facebook is damning. However, they need a lot more if they are going to be able to prove that Hedin and Paul Lehto, or another member of the hotel staff, are responsible for the two murders.
After some discussion Raffe and Anton have decided not to confront Hedin yet. The text messages and Facebook posts are serious, but insufficient evidence.
It is better to wait and keep an eye on developments, then go in hard.
Hedin has given his wife as his alibi for Sunday night, but Anton doesn’t set much store by that. He has spoken to her on the phone, and although she confirmed that her husband had come home, she admitted in the same sentence that she was “probably” asleep by then. Then she said the same again with regard to Wednesday evening.
It sounds exactly like Paul Lehto’s statement. He also claimed he was home and that his wife could back him up ... although she was asleep.
Anton tries to focus on the screen, but his concentration is poor. Forbidden thoughts come creeping in.
Thoughts of Carl.
An idea has begun to take shape.
Maybe he could contact Carl to find out more about Hedin? After all, they work for the same employer, in the same building. With a bit of luck, Carl might have heard or seen something that would help Anton to move forward.
It would be perfectly reasonable for him to contact Carl and ask that question; it wouldn’t be awkward at all.
On some level Anton knows that he is grasping at straws, searching for a reason to call Carl, but it doesn’t matter. As long as he is doing it in the line of duty, no one can say anything. Least of all Carl, who knows that Anton is working on a case that involves the council, since they bumped into each other in Järpen.
Even though Anton suspects that Carl has a boyfriend, he longs for him.
He can allow himself a brief phone call. As long as he doesn’t get his hopes up.
He picks up his phone and scrolls down to Carl’s number. Weighs the phone in his hand, with butterflies in his tummy.
Then he takes a deep breath and makes the call.
75
Hanna opens her car door. “Shall we go in?”
A man in dungarees waves to them as they get out. This must be Leffe, the site supervisor who is going to show them around. He looks as if he’s close to retirement age; gray hair is peeping out from beneath his dark-blue cap, which is pulled well down over his ears.
“Are you from the police?” he calls out.
Hanna nods and Leffe points to a side door with a frosted pane of glass, about fifteen yards from what they had assumed was the entrance.
“We can go in this way. The main door isn’t used anymore, to keep the heat in.”
Leffe leads them into what was once the foyer, and presses a button to switch on the lights. They are standing in front of a wooden staircase with skillfully carved banisters and a dark-red carpet held in place by brass stair rods.
Hanna can almost see the guests from bygone days sweeping past in their beautiful clothes, delicate cocktail glasses in their hands.
