Krister lifted his glass, cleared his throat, and said, “Skoal, my girls. To my new life!”
Irene’s expression probably revealed her questions about his resolve, but she lifted her glass anyway.
“Jenny and I talked through things yesterday afternoon,” Krister continued. “Vegetarian food is trendy, and I’ve had a number of customers asking for more vegetarian dishes. And I need to lose at least forty pounds.” He grabbed his big belly and hoisted it up. He had really gained weight the past few years. He turned to Irene and asked, “Sweetie, did you notice any difference in flavor in this dish?”
“No, it’s really good.”
Krister appeared content. “Great. Instead of heavy cream, I used half-and-half. It’s the first time I’ve tried it. My old kitchen chef used to say, ‘Real ingredients should never be compromised. Real butter and real cream, boys.’ But the real deal has its disadvantages.” Again he grabbed his belly and jiggled it.
“Perhaps you should also take up jogging,” Irene said thoughtfully.
“Are you crazy? Do you want me to have a heart attack? Jogging is not my style. But I’ve promised myself that I would take Sammie on a one-mile walk every day, in all weather. And every Sunday I’m going to do laps at the Frölunda community pool.”
Irene could hardly believe her ears. They never had much in common when it came to exercise. Irene enjoyed jujitsu and jogging on her own. Not to mention handball and weight lifting, though she’d quit handball after the twins were born. Something had to give. At least weight training was part of her job and she was paid for those hours.
“Jenny and I decided that we’d be eating vegetarian three times a week and the other days would be fish or meat. What do you say?”
“Can you really lose weight that way?”
“Yes indeed. If you don’t add too much cream and are easy on the oils. Jenny doesn’t eat dishes with cream, so her food will have even fewer calories.”
“But I do have to keep eating sunflower seeds and nuts to get the energy I need,” Jenny added.
Katarina shrugged. “Fine by me.”
Irene was still inwardly convinced that hard times had certainly come for the normal eater at the table.
• • •
IRENE WOKE UP on Sunday morning feeling that she’d had a restless night. She should have been well rested; it was already after 8:00 A.M. But one question had been gnawing away at her subconscious: What had been taken from Hilding’s and Tekla’s suitcases?
Irene took Sammie on a quick walk so he could pee before she jogged away by herself. She took a shorter route today, only five kilometers. That was enough. Maybe she’d keep Krister and Sammie company on their walk later. Before then she hoped to solve this riddle that wouldn’t leave her in peace.
Back home she took a shower and prepared breakfast. Krister came down, and they drank their coffee and decided who’d read which part of the newspaper. Once they’d finished breakfast, Irene said, “I’m going to head down to the station. We didn’t finish everything last Friday, and there’s something important I want to get done before tomorrow morning.”
Krister nodded. “Fine. I’m going to go swim in half an hour. Drop me off at the pool on your way in, and then I’ll take the bus home.”
PILES OF PAPER were strewn over Irene’s desk, just as she’d left them. Carefully and thoughtfully, she began to repack Tekla’s things into the paper bags, trying to pin down what might be missing.
First she replaced the poetry books, then the papers and letters. After that she started repacking the clothes. The brown shoes, the shawl, the underwear, the nightgown.… What had been taken? What ought to be here?
Irene sat down in her chair and pondered, until suddenly it came to her.
When Tekla was found in the attic, she was wearing her daily uniform, according to Siv Persson. Her daily uniform was a light blue dress, a hat, and an apron. Where was her dress uniform? It should be among her things. It wasn’t there because the murderer had taken it to wear on the night of the murders. The uniform cap and black shoes had probably been in the suitcase as well.
So what would be missing from Hilding’s suitcase? Irene started to unpack all the folders, files, and books and flip through them, but it was hard to tell if any particular piece of paper was missing. She replaced them neatly.
Then she drove home and took her dog and her husband on a walk.
THE MORNING MEETING had a typical Monday atmosphere; most of the officers were blinking and trying to jump-start their brain cells with coffee. As usual, only Fredrik Stridh appeared energetic. The man is a living advertisement for vitamin-packed fruit juice, Irene thought sourly. She should feel rested, but she’d had a late night. Krister had extra energy from all his exercise, and to cap off his first day of his new life they’d spent the night burning it off with passionate lovemaking. It wouldn’t surprise Irene if Krister needed a few days to recover, but it had been a wonderful.…
She was jerked back into the present by Fredrik’s engaging voice: “… if no one else has anything against it. I have fingerprints and hair from Doris Peterzén and Birgitta Löwander. I wasn’t able to get Carina Löwander’s prints until last Friday evening. She asked me why we needed anything from her. I told her that we’d found a number of clues at the scene of the crime. ‘Which crime scene?’ she asked. ‘You mean by the suitcases?’ I asked her if she knew anything about the old suitcases. ‘Sure I do,’ she said. ‘I didn’t have the keys, so I broke them open.’ Apparently she was looking for the architectural drawings of the building, because she was planning a renovation.”
“For a fitness center,” Irene added. “So when did she break into them?”
“Last Christmas.”
“Did she find the drawings?”
Fredrik looked a little sheepish. “I didn’t think to ask her.”
Irene thought for a minute. Now they knew who’d broken into the suitcases and they also knew what had been taken from Hilding’s suitcase. No drawings in it now. Did Carina take Tekla’s clothes, too? Not necessarily, but there was certainly reason enough to go for another chat with Carina Löwander.
As if he were reading her thoughts, Superintendent Andersson said, “We should keep a close eye on this Carina. Though I must admit I find it hard to believe that a woman would kill three others. Women don’t usually strangle people.”
“What does a typical female murderer do?” Birgitta had to ask.
“Well … poison or a small-caliber pistol.…” Andersson attempted.
Irene could think of at least ten murders during the past few years where the killer had been female and both knives and heavy objects had been the murder weapons of choice. No point in saying anything, though, as this discussion would lead nowhere. On the other hand, she wanted to be the one to check up on Carina Löwander as soon as possible.
“But why would Carina Löwander kill them?” Tommy said. “It doesn’t fit. One night nurse, one day nurse, and a homeless woman. Why? What did her plans for a fitness center have to do with the killing of these particular three women? None of them would have been able to stop her plans for the hospital.”
Obviously, beautiful Carina had impressed Tommy, since he was so quick to defend her. Perhaps he’s also approaching his midlife crisis? Irene thought snidely. But he did have a point.
A secretary knocked on the door and stuck her head in. “Telephone for Irene Huss. Superintendent Danielsson from Västra Frölunda.”