Claudia meets Joonas eyes and takes a step toward him. Gently he puts an arm around her, and she leans heavily against his chest, trying to catch her breath. She moves away again, not looking at her daughters body, gropes for the chair back, and then sits down.
My greatest joy was that Viola was born here in Sweden. She had a nice room with a pink lamp in the ceiling, toys and dolls. She went to school. She watched Pippi Longstocking on television I dont know if you can understand, but I was proud that she never needed to be hungry or afraid. Not like us, not like Penelope and me. We wake up at night and are frightened that someone will come into our house and hurt us
She falls silent and then whispers, Viola was happy, just happy
Claudia leans forward to hide her face in her hands as she weeps. Joona lays a hand gently on her back.
Ill go now, she says, even though shes still crying.
Theres no hurry.
She manages to contain herself, but then her face twists again into tears.
Have you talked to Penelope? she asks.
We havent been able to reach her, Joona says in a low voice.
Tell her that I want her to call me because-
She stops suddenly. Her face turns pale. Then she looks up again.
I just thought that she might not be answering me when I call because I I was I said some horrible things, but I didnt mean anything, I didnt mean anything-
We have already started a helicopter search for Penelope and Bjorn Almskog, but-
Please, tell me that shes alive, she whispers. Tell me that, Joona Linna.
Joonas jaw muscles tense as he reassures her by the pressure of his hand and says, I will do everything I can to-
Shes alive, tell me that, Claudia whispers. She must be alive.
I will find her, Joona says. I know that I will find her.
Tell me that Penelope is alive.
Joona hesitates and then meets Claudias black eyes as a few lightning sensations sweep through his heart. A number of unseen connections click in his mind, and suddenly he hears his own voice answer, Shes alive.
Yes, Claudia whispers.
Joona looks down. Hes not able to recover the thought behind the certainty hed felt that prompted him to ignore caution and tell Claudia that her eldest daughter was still among the living.
16
Joona follows Claudia Fernandez to the waiting taxi and helps her in. Afterward he stands motionless until the taxi disappears around a curve in the driveway. Only then does he dig in his pocket for his cell phone. When he realizes he must have forgotten it, he strides back to the forensic department and quickly enters The Needles office, takes The Needles phone, and sits in The Needles chair. He dials Erixsons number and waits while the call goes through.
Let people sleep, Erixson drowsily answers. Its Sunday, you know.
Confess that youre at the boat, Joona says.
Yes, I am, Erixson confesses.
Let people sleep, Erixson drowsily answers. Its Sunday, you know.
Confess that youre at the boat, Joona says.
Yes, I am, Erixson confesses.
So there was no explosive, Joona says.
Not your average bomb, no. But you were still correct. This boat could have gone up at any second.
What do you mean?
The power cables insulation is seriously damaged in one spot because of crimping. Someone stuffed an old ripped seat cushion behind the cables, too. Very flammable. So its not that the leads are making contact-that would trip the circuit breaker. But they are exposed. If you kept running the engine, eventually youd cause a discharge, with an electric arc running between the two power cables.
What happens then?
The arc would reach a temperature above three thousand degrees Celsius and it would ignite the seat cushion back there, Erixson continues. Then the fire would find its way to the hose from the fuel pump, and bang!
A quick process?
Well, the arc could take ten minutes to form, maybe longer, but after that, everything would happen fast-fire, more fire, explosion-and then the broken boat would fill with water and sink, fast.
So if the motor was started, there would soon be a fire and an explosion sooner or later?
Yes, but the fire wouldnt necessarily be considered arson.
So the cables were damaged by accident and the sofa cushion just happened to be lying there?
Of course.
But you dont believe that.
Not for a second.
Joona pictures again the drifting boat. He clears his throat and says thoughtfully, If the killer planned all this-
Hes not your normal killer, Erixson finished.
Joona repeats the thought to himself once the conversation ends. Again he agrees. The average murderer is motivated by passion, by greed, by anger. Emotions are almost always involved even to the point of hysteria. Only later does he fumble to cover his tracks and fabricate an alibi. This time it appears the killer had followed a sophisticated strategy right from the start.
And still, something went wrong.
Joona stares into space, grabs a legal pad from The Needles desk, and writes Viola Fernandez on the first page. He circles her name and then writes Penelope Fernandez and Bjorn Almskog beneath it. The women are sisters. Penelope and Bjorn are in a relationship. Bjorn owns the boat. Viola asks if she can come with them at the last minute.