Patrik sighed. ‘So much guessing and speculating. It’s so frustrating that we still don’t have all the answers. We just have to keep wondering. But at least you’re sure that Marta is Louise Kowalski, right?’
‘Yes, I am. I can’t explain it logically, but it seemed obvious when I realized that Marta and Jonas had kidnapped the girls in connection with horseback-riding competitions. Plus they had to be the ones who sent the postcards and newspaper clippings to Laila. Who but Louise would have a reason to hate Laila and threaten her? Besides, Marta’s age coincides with Louise’s. And Laila has confirmed my theory. She has long suspected that Louise was still alive. She was afraid that Louise wanted to kill both her and Peter.’
Patrik gave his wife a sombre look and said, ‘I wish I had more of your intuition, but please stop acting so impulsively. At least this time you had the presence of mind to leave me a phone message and tell me where you’d gone.’ He shuddered at the thought of what might have happened if he hadn’t rescued Erica from the ice-cold cellar in the House of Horrors.
‘But everything worked out fine in the end.’ Erica took another envelope from the stack of post and slit it open with her finger. She took out a bill. ‘I can’t believe Helga was willing to sacrifice both Marta and Molly so that her son could go free.’
‘Well, you know how strong a mother’s love can be,’ said Patrik.
‘Speaking of that,’ said Erica, her face lighting up. ‘I talked to Nettan again, and it sounds like she and Minna are finding their way back to each other.’
Patrik smiled. ‘It was lucky you happened to think about that car.’
‘Uh-huh. I’m just sorry I didn’t make the connection earlier, when I saw the car in the photo album.’
‘The strange thing is that Nettan didn’t make the connection herself. Both Palle and I had asked her about the white car.’
‘I know. And when I asked her again, she got very cross. She said that of course she would have said something long ago if she knew of anyone who had a white car. But when I mentioned the photo of her former boyfriend Johan standing in front of a white car, she suddenly fell silent. Then she said Minna would never have voluntarily got into his car. She hated him more than anyone.’
‘Parents often know so little about their teenage daughters,’ said Patrik.
‘How true. But who would have thought that Minna would fall in love with her mother’s ex-boyfriend? Especially since they were always arguing. Or that she would get pregnant and then decide to run away with him because she was afraid Nettan would be angry with her.’
‘Well, it’s not the first thing anyone would think of.’
‘At any rate, Nettan has promised to help Minna with the baby. They’re both furious with that shithead Johan, who apparently got tired of Minna as soon as the pregnancy started to show. And I think Nettan was so relieved when they found Minna safe and sound in Johan’s cabin that she’s going to do everything in her power to make things right for her daughter.’
‘At least something good has come from all this misery,’ said Patrik.
‘Yes. And soon Laila will be reunited with her son. After more than twenty years… The last time I talked to her, she said that Peter is going to come and visit her at the prison. And I’ll get to meet him too.’
Erica’s eyes shone with joy and anticipation. It made Patrik happy to see how pleased she was that she’d been able to help Laila. Personally, he longed to put this whole case behind him. He’d had enough of evil and darkness.
‘It’s going to be nice to have Dan and Anna over for dinner tonight,’ he said, changing the subject.
‘Yes. It’s wonderful that they’ve been able to work things out at last. And Anna said they have good news to tell us. I hate it when she does that and then doesn’t give me any details. But I couldn’t get another word out of her. She said I’d just have to wait until tonight.’
Erica was looking through the post piled up on the table. Mostly bills, but at the bottom was a thick white envelope that looked very elegant.
‘What could this be? It looks like a wedding invitation.’ She got up to fetch a knife to open the envelope. Inside was a beautiful card with two gold rings on the front. ‘Do we know anyone who’s getting married?’
‘Not that I know of,’ said Patrik. ‘Most of our friends have been married for ages.’
Erica opened the card. ‘Uh-oh,’ she said, and looked at Patrik.
‘What?’ He grabbed the card out of her hand. Then he read it aloud, his voice incredulous.
‘We wish to invite you to be a guest at the wedding of Kristina Hedström and Gunnar Zetterlund.’
He glanced up at Erica and then looked back at the invitation.
‘Is this a joke?’ he said, turning the card over.
‘I don’t think so.’ Erica started to giggle. ‘It’s so sweet!’
‘But they’re so… old,’ said Patrik, trying not to think about his mother wearing a white gown and veil.
‘Don’t be silly,’ said Erica, getting up to give him a kiss. ‘It’s going to be great. Our very own Mr Fix-it in the family. We won’t have anything left to repair in the house, and maybe he’ll even build an extension so we’ll have twice the amount of space.’
‘What a dreadful thought,’ Patrik said, but he couldn’t help laughing. Erica was right. He wished nothing but joy for his mother, and it was wonderful that she’d found love in her old age. He just needed some time to get used to the idea.
‘Sometimes you’re so childish,’ said Erica, ruffling his hair. ‘It’s lucky you’re so nice.’
‘You too,’ he said and smiled.
He decided to try and put all thoughts of Victoria and the other girls behind him. There was nothing more he could do to help them. But here at home he had his wife and children, who needed him and gave him so much love. There was nothing about his life that he would change. Not a single thing.
Chapter Seventeen
They still had no idea where to go, but she wasn’t worried. People like her and Jonas always found a way. For them there were no boundaries, no obstacles.
Her life had already started over twice. The last time in the abandoned house where she’d met Jonas. She was lying on the floor asleep when she opened her eyes and saw a boy looking at her. As soon as their eyes met, they knew they belonged together. She had seen the darkness in his soul, and he had seen the darkness in hers.
She had been drawn to Fjällbacka by an irresistible force. When she was travelling with the circus, all of Europe had been her home, but she had always known she would return. She had never felt anything so strongly, and when she finally came back, Jonas was there waiting for her.
He was her destiny, and in the murky light of the house, he had told her everything. About the room underneath the barn, and about what his father did to girls down there. Girls that no one ever missed. Girls who belonged nowhere and were of no worth.
They decided to follow in Einar’s footsteps, but unlike him they chose girls who would be missed, girls who were loved. Creating a puppet, a helpless doll, from someone who was important to someone else had made their enjoyment even greater. That may have been their downfall, but they wouldn’t have done it any other way.
She was not afraid of the unknown. It simply meant that they were forced to create new worlds somewhere else. As long as they had each other, it didn’t matter. When she met Jonas, she had become Marta. His twin, his soul mate.
Jonas filled her heart. He was her whole life. And yet she still hadn’t been able to resist Victoria. It was so strange. She had always understood the importance of self-control and had never allowed herself to be governed by her desires. But she wasn’t stupid. She realized that she was attracted to Victoria because the girl reminded her of someone who had once been a part of her, someone who still was. Victoria had unconsciously summoned up old memories, and she hadn’t been able to let her go. She wanted both Jonas and Victoria.