Guiltless (Sandhamn Murders Book 3) by Viveca Sten

Author:Viveca Sten [Sten, Viveca]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9781477848654
Publisher: Amazon Crossing
Published: 2017-05-23T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 30

Hanna Hammarsten opened the door. Thomas introduced himself, and she let him in without hesitation.

“Marianne’s in the kitchen,” she said quietly.

“Is her husband back?”

Hanna shook her head. “No, not until this afternoon. I think he had to sign some papers for the pathologist, if I understood correctly.”

Thomas nodded. Regardless of the tragedy that had befallen Marianne and Anders Rosén, the demands of bureaucracy were implacable. The process knew no mercy.

He followed Hanna into the warm kitchen. A fire was crackling in the old-fashioned wood-burning stove, but the cozy atmosphere contrasted sharply with the woman sitting at the table.

Marianne Rosén looked appalling. Her hair was uncombed, and she was gaunt and hollow-eyed. She was wearing a warm navy-blue cardigan, but she looked frozen solid. She clung to her coffee mug as if for dear life. She looked up as Thomas came in.

“How are you?” he said gently.

“Not good.”

“I realize things are very difficult right now, but I do need to ask you a few questions. I’ll keep it as brief as possible.”

She gave a faint nod.

Hanna sat down next to Marianne and took her hand.

“It’s about a former boyfriend of Lina’s,” Thomas began. “His name is Jakob Sandgren—do you know him?”

“The Sandgrens’ son,” Hanna interjected. “They have a house in Trouville, not far from us. I know the parents. Why do you ask?”

“Your daughter, Louise, told us that he and Lina were together last summer, and that he didn’t treat her too well.”

Hanna glanced at Marianne, who showed little reaction to Thomas’s words. She stared into her coffee with no change of expression.

“I don’t remember,” she said eventually. “I don’t know anything anymore.”

Hanna caught Thomas’s eye. “Come with me—we can talk about this in the living room.”

She got up and left the kitchen, and Thomas followed her into a large room with windows on both sides. A generous sectional sofa dominated the space, and the coffee table was strewn with newspapers.

Hanna sat down on the sofa. Thomas thought she must be around forty-five years old; she was slender, with shoulder-length brown hair, and she was wearing jeans and a thick sweater.

“Marianne is devastated. Maybe I can answer some of your questions so she can rest for a little longer.”

“Sure.”

“You wanted to know about Jakob Sandgren?”

“Like I said, Louise told us that he and Lina were in a relationship last summer, and that it wasn’t”—he searched for the right expression—“without problems. I’m trying to find out more; I’d appreciate anything you can tell me.”

Hanna nodded and settled back.

“A lot of kids enjoy being out here for the summer. There’s plenty of work, and they can have fun and earn some money at the same time. Lina and Louise worked in the bakery and the kiosk; there’s a whole bunch of them, and everyone knows everyone else. Jakob Sandgren was part of the gang.”

She made a face.

“They do party. And they drink too much; it’s hard to avoid. As a parent, you’re just glad they’re out here on the island instead of in town, where you don’t have a clue where they are or what they’re doing.

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