eyes filled with tears, and she tried to hide them by running her forefinger beneath each lid. “Why would anybody want to kill Oscar? It’s incomprehensible,” she said.
“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Thomas said. He leaned toward Diana Söder. “Was Oscar acting any differently lately?”
She thought about it for a moment.
“He seemed harried. Stressed. I thought he just had a great deal to do at work. But all through this past spring, he was more moody.”
“Do you know if he had any financial trouble?”
She shook her head.
“Not anything he discussed with me. In fact, he was always generous whenever we met. We took trips together and always stayed at elegant hotels.” She fell silent for a moment and then asked Thomas, “Do you think this is all about money?”
“I don’t know. And I can’t discuss the investigation.”
Diana Söder sank back into her chair. Her eyes were shiny with tears.
“Do you know if Oscar Juliander used drugs?” Thomas asked. He kept his voice as calm as possible. He didn’t want to frighten Diana.
It was so quiet in the room that they could hear a woman with a baby carriage walking by on the street outside. They could even hear the pinging of the rattle hanging from the carriage.
“Yes, sometimes,” Diana said. “He did cocaine every now and then.”
“What did you think about that? Did you do it with him?” asked Thomas.
Diana Söder shook her head.
“Not on your life. Oscar wanted me to try, but I refused. I have my son to think about.”
“But Oscar still did it?”
“He said it helped him concentrate, made him think more clearly. We argued about it. He thought I was being ridiculous.”
“How long had he been doing drugs?”
“I have no idea. He first used in front of me about a year ago.”
“Where were you then?”
“In my home. I’d gone to the bathroom, and when I came back he showed me some white powder on a pocket mirror. He asked me to try.”
“And you did?”
“No, I already told you.” Diana Söder’s voice was sharp.
“What happened then?”
“He told me not to worry about it. He said lots of people use cocaine. It wasn’t any worse than alcohol.”
“You never thought about leaving him?”
“I loved him. I trusted him when he said he had it under control.”
“How did it affect him?”
“Not badly, really. He got louder and his eyes were shinier. He’d get wound up. Never aggressive, just more intense.” She smiled a sad smile. “That was Oscar, always full of life.”
Then she glanced at her watch, a discreet gold band on her wrist.
“I have a customer coming in ten minutes. Do you think we’ll be finished soon? I’ll have to pull myself together. I can’t look like this when he arrives.”
“Just one last question. Do you know if Oscar had any enemies?”
She shook her head.
“None that I know of. But he could be really condescending at times to people he didn’t like, especially to other lawyers.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’d rant on and on about their incompetence. Called them idiots. Sometimes he’d say that someone never should have been admitted to the Swedish Bar Association. Or that he should be kicked out.”
“Did he say things like that in public?”
“He could be sharp when he showed that side of himself.”
Sharp enough to attract a mortal enemy? Thomas thought. Had Oscar Juliander been so rude that someone decided to kill him?
“Do you know of any contact with the Russian mafia?”
Diana Söder looked at him in surprise.
“Why would you ask a question like that?”
“He may have received some threatening letters from them.”
“I’ve never heard about anything like that. But he probably wouldn’t have told me.”
Thomas stood up.
“I think we’re finished now. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. I’m sorry for your loss.”
Diana Söder tried to smile as she said good-bye, but her expression looked more like a grimace. As Thomas
“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Thomas said. He leaned toward Diana Söder. “Was Oscar acting any differently lately?”
She thought about it for a moment.
“He seemed harried. Stressed. I thought he just had a great deal to do at work. But all through this past spring, he was more moody.”
“Do you know if he had any financial trouble?”
She shook her head.
“Not anything he discussed with me. In fact, he was always generous whenever we met. We took trips together and always stayed at elegant hotels.” She fell silent for a moment and then asked Thomas, “Do you think this is all about money?”
“I don’t know. And I can’t discuss the investigation.”
Diana Söder sank back into her chair. Her eyes were shiny with tears.
“Do you know if Oscar Juliander used drugs?” Thomas asked. He kept his voice as calm as possible. He didn’t want to frighten Diana.
It was so quiet in the room that they could hear a woman with a baby carriage walking by on the street outside. They could even hear the pinging of the rattle hanging from the carriage.
“Yes, sometimes,” Diana said. “He did cocaine every now and then.”
“What did you think about that? Did you do it with him?” asked Thomas.
Diana Söder shook her head.
“Not on your life. Oscar wanted me to try, but I refused. I have my son to think about.”
“But Oscar still did it?”
“He said it helped him concentrate, made him think more clearly. We argued about it. He thought I was being ridiculous.”
“How long had he been doing drugs?”
“I have no idea. He first used in front of me about a year ago.”
“Where were you then?”
“In my home. I’d gone to the bathroom, and when I came back he showed me some white powder on a pocket mirror. He asked me to try.”
“And you did?”
“No, I already told you.” Diana Söder’s voice was sharp.
“What happened then?”
“He told me not to worry about it. He said lots of people use cocaine. It wasn’t any worse than alcohol.”
“You never thought about leaving him?”
“I loved him. I trusted him when he said he had it under control.”
“How did it affect him?”
“Not badly, really. He got louder and his eyes were shinier. He’d get wound up. Never aggressive, just more intense.” She smiled a sad smile. “That was Oscar, always full of life.”
Then she glanced at her watch, a discreet gold band on her wrist.
“I have a customer coming in ten minutes. Do you think we’ll be finished soon? I’ll have to pull myself together. I can’t look like this when he arrives.”
“Just one last question. Do you know if Oscar had any enemies?”
She shook her head.
“None that I know of. But he could be really condescending at times to people he didn’t like, especially to other lawyers.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’d rant on and on about their incompetence. Called them idiots. Sometimes he’d say that someone never should have been admitted to the Swedish Bar Association. Or that he should be kicked out.”
“Did he say things like that in public?”
“He could be sharp when he showed that side of himself.”
Sharp enough to attract a mortal enemy? Thomas thought. Had Oscar Juliander been so rude that someone decided to kill him?
“Do you know of any contact with the Russian mafia?”
Diana Söder looked at him in surprise.
“Why would you ask a question like that?”
“He may have received some threatening letters from them.”
“I’ve never heard about anything like that. But he probably wouldn’t have told me.”
Thomas stood up.
“I think we’re finished now. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. I’m sorry for your loss.”
Diana Söder tried to smile as she said good-bye, but her expression looked more like a grimace. As Thomas
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