course, she’s mentally ill. But listen between the lines. She knows about Nurse Tekla and the story going around the hospital. She may have gotten the wrong date for Tekla’s death, but she knew it was a suicide. And she mentions that the building went dark. She must have been near the hospital when the power went out and the murder took place.”
Andersson’s face flushed with excitement from cheeks to ears, and he slid forward on his chair. “You’re absolutely right. We have to track down this … Mama Bird. You and Tommy get on it right away tomorrow morning.”
“Aye-aye.” Irene made a joking salute to her boss, but he’d already turned his attention to Tommy.
“So what did you do today?”
“I was supposed to help Birgitta interview Pontus Olofsson, but since he was gone for the day, I decided to help Hans and Fredrik canvass the neighborhood. We went to all the apartment buildings and single-family houses around Löwander Hospital. No one had seen or heard anything on the night in question. One person walking his dog around eleven-thirty P.M . said that the dog went crazy while they were walking through the park behind the hospital. The park there stretches all the way to a stream at its south side. On the west it meets the edge of a forest. That’s where the dog owner was walking his dog. The dog suddenly began to growl in the direction of the grove. The man couldn’t see anyone but felt uncomfortable, so they left right away.”
If the murderer hid in the grove of trees at the edge of the forest.… If Mama Bird also was in the vicinity.… They would have to find her. But where should they start to look for her? Maybe in the park.…
Irene’s thoughts were interrupted by her pager.
“Come get your pizza,” said one of the men from the front desk.
Irene and Tommy got up to get the food. In the elevator Irene said, “This evening we’re going to talk to Andreas Svärd and Niklas Alexandersson. Then tomorrow morning we’ll have to search for Mama Bird. We’ll have to go to Löwander Hospital and see if there’s anything in the grove, if someone was perhaps waiting there. Perhaps she’s homeless? Höök said she smelled awful.”
Tommy nodded in agreement. “Seems reasonable.”
“There’s a lot of pressure on us right now, especially about Linda Svensson’s disappearance.”
“The two must be connected somehow. Marianne had Linda’s day planner in her pocket.” Tommy was thinking out loud. “And, for a night nurse, no flashlight? Very strange.”
And worrisome, Irene thought. Very worrisome. Yes indeed, why did Marianne, the night-shift nurse, have Linda’s day planner but no flashlight in her pocket?
THE POLICE OFFICERS had eaten their pizza and worked out their assignments for the following day when Irene and Tommy headed out to interview Marianne Svärd’s ex-husband.
Finding the address was not easy. Many of the stone buildings near Linnégatan had been torn down in the 1980s when a changing water table had rotted their support pilings. Architects attempting to re-create a turn-of-the-century atmosphere had not always been successful, but now pleasant pubs, small boutiques, and proximity to the large forest of Slottsskogen had made this area extremely popular. House prices and rents were sky-high.
They finally located the address; A. S VÄRD and N. A LEXANDERSSON were on the nameplate by the entrance. Irene called on the intercom and heard Niklas’s sour voice. “I’m opening,” he said crossly.
The front door buzzed and let the police officers into an airy hallway. The light gray marble floor and warm, champagne-colored walls with their iris-blue borders were very attractive. The elevator was the same champagne tone as the walls, so as to not disturb the aesthetics.
The elevator swished silently to the top floor. Just as Irene was about to press the doorbell, the door was yanked open. The angry twist to Niklas’s mouth took away from his handsomeness. “Is
Andersson’s face flushed with excitement from cheeks to ears, and he slid forward on his chair. “You’re absolutely right. We have to track down this … Mama Bird. You and Tommy get on it right away tomorrow morning.”
“Aye-aye.” Irene made a joking salute to her boss, but he’d already turned his attention to Tommy.
“So what did you do today?”
“I was supposed to help Birgitta interview Pontus Olofsson, but since he was gone for the day, I decided to help Hans and Fredrik canvass the neighborhood. We went to all the apartment buildings and single-family houses around Löwander Hospital. No one had seen or heard anything on the night in question. One person walking his dog around eleven-thirty P.M . said that the dog went crazy while they were walking through the park behind the hospital. The park there stretches all the way to a stream at its south side. On the west it meets the edge of a forest. That’s where the dog owner was walking his dog. The dog suddenly began to growl in the direction of the grove. The man couldn’t see anyone but felt uncomfortable, so they left right away.”
If the murderer hid in the grove of trees at the edge of the forest.… If Mama Bird also was in the vicinity.… They would have to find her. But where should they start to look for her? Maybe in the park.…
Irene’s thoughts were interrupted by her pager.
“Come get your pizza,” said one of the men from the front desk.
Irene and Tommy got up to get the food. In the elevator Irene said, “This evening we’re going to talk to Andreas Svärd and Niklas Alexandersson. Then tomorrow morning we’ll have to search for Mama Bird. We’ll have to go to Löwander Hospital and see if there’s anything in the grove, if someone was perhaps waiting there. Perhaps she’s homeless? Höök said she smelled awful.”
Tommy nodded in agreement. “Seems reasonable.”
“There’s a lot of pressure on us right now, especially about Linda Svensson’s disappearance.”
“The two must be connected somehow. Marianne had Linda’s day planner in her pocket.” Tommy was thinking out loud. “And, for a night nurse, no flashlight? Very strange.”
And worrisome, Irene thought. Very worrisome. Yes indeed, why did Marianne, the night-shift nurse, have Linda’s day planner but no flashlight in her pocket?
THE POLICE OFFICERS had eaten their pizza and worked out their assignments for the following day when Irene and Tommy headed out to interview Marianne Svärd’s ex-husband.
Finding the address was not easy. Many of the stone buildings near Linnégatan had been torn down in the 1980s when a changing water table had rotted their support pilings. Architects attempting to re-create a turn-of-the-century atmosphere had not always been successful, but now pleasant pubs, small boutiques, and proximity to the large forest of Slottsskogen had made this area extremely popular. House prices and rents were sky-high.
They finally located the address; A. S VÄRD and N. A LEXANDERSSON were on the nameplate by the entrance. Irene called on the intercom and heard Niklas’s sour voice. “I’m opening,” he said crossly.
The front door buzzed and let the police officers into an airy hallway. The light gray marble floor and warm, champagne-colored walls with their iris-blue borders were very attractive. The elevator was the same champagne tone as the walls, so as to not disturb the aesthetics.
The elevator swished silently to the top floor. Just as Irene was about to press the doorbell, the door was yanked open. The angry twist to Niklas’s mouth took away from his handsomeness. “Is
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