Exposed (aka. 'Studio Sex' & Studio 69') by Liza Marklund

Author:Liza Marklund [Marklund, Liza]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Random House of Canada
Published: 2011-06-14T04:00:00+00:00

38

The first coach pulled into Kronobergsgatan at twenty past two. Annika stayed where she was, watching as the photographer pulled out a long lens and started taking pictures of the youngsters as they got off the coach. The other two buses appeared a couple of minutes later. Annika stood up and brushed off her skirt. She tried to swallow: her mouth was dry. Damn, she’d forgotten to bring anything to drink yet again. She slowly walked over to the crowd, looking out for Martin Larsson-Berg, Lisbeth or Charlotta. She couldn’t see any of them.

The youngsters were noisy and were acting up. Several of them were screaming and crying loudly, and some seemed quite aggressive. She stopped on Sankt Göransgatan. This didn’t feel right. Even from a distance she could see that some of them looked very tired. Their faces were grey with emotional exhaustion and lack of sleep. She crossed the street towards Pettersson.

‘You know what,’ she said, ‘I think we should give this a miss.’

The photographer lowered his camera and looked at her in surprise.

‘What the hell would we do that for?’

Annika nodded towards the coaches. ‘Look at them. They’re completely hysterical. God knows if it’s healthy to encourage this sort of psychosis like they’re doing out in Täby. These kids probably haven’t been home or had a decent meal since Wednesday.’

‘Yeah, but they did call us.’

Annika nodded. ‘Yes, they did. Because they obviously think this is important. But we have to take some of the responsibility, and consider whether it’s right, if these kids aren’t in a position to work it out for themselves.’

The photographer lost patience with her. ‘For fuck’s sake!’ he said. ‘I want a permanent contract! I’m not about to bail out of a job just because you’ve suddenly developed a conscience.’

The group of youngsters had grown into a sea of people. They spread round the cemetery like water round an island. Annika still wasn’t sure.

At that moment she saw the other paper’s car pull up and park on Sankt Göransgatan, and Arne Påhlson got out.

That decided it.

‘Okay, let’s go over, then,’ she said to Pettersson.

She walked up to the cemetery, the photographer following behind her as she headed towards the ornate railings. Her mouth was bone-dry, and she gulped, her pulse racing. When she was just a couple of metres from the youngsters, they started screaming and shouting.

‘There they are. They’re here! Vultures, vultures!’

Annika stopped. Pettersson started taking pictures. The attention of the whole crowd was focused on the two journalists now.

‘Is Lisbeth here?’ Annika asked, but she couldn’t make herself heard.

‘Fuck off, scum!’ shouted a boy who couldn’t have been more than thirteen or fourteen.

He walked aggressively towards Annika, and she backed away instinctively. The boy’s face was swollen with crying and exhaustion, and his whole body was trembling with adrenalin and rage. Annika stared at him, lost for words.

‘We don’t want to disturb you at all,’ she said. ‘We’re not trying to intrude—’

A heavily built girl stepped up and shoved Annika on the shoulder.

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