Red Wolf: A Novel by Liza Marklund Page A

Kalle asked.
    ‘It’s Daddy’s computer.’
    ‘But Daddy lets us. I know how to start it.’
    ‘Watch some cartoons instead, they’ll soon be on,’ she said, connecting to the paper’s server.
    The boy went off, shoulders drooping. She cut the cod into slices as her laptop signed in, turned the slices in salt and flour, then put them in a heavy pan with a bit of melted butter. She listened to the frying sound as she sent over the three articles, then splashed some lemon juice over the fish, dug out some frozen dill and scattered that over the top, then poured in some cream, warm water, fish stock, and a handful of frozen prawns.
    ‘What are we having for tea, Mummy?’ Ellen said, looking up at her from under her fringe.
    ‘Darling,’ Annika said, leaning over to pick her daughter up. ‘Come here, come and sit up here.’
    Her daughter cuddled into her lap, put her arms round her neck.
    ‘Oh, sweetie,’ Annika said, rocking her, breathing into her hair. ‘Are you hungry?’
    The girl nodded hesitantly.
    ‘We’re having fish in cream sauce with rice and prawns. You like that, don’t you?’
    She nodded again.
    ‘Do you want to help me make the salad?’
    A third nod.
    ‘Okay,’ Annika said, putting her on the floor and pulling a chair over to the worktop next to the cooker. ‘Have you washed your hands?’
    The girl ran into the bathroom, there was the sound of running water, and Annika suddenly felt giddy with tiredness.
    She took out an apron and a fruit knife, tied the strings behind Ellen’s back and showed her how to hold the knife. She let her cut some cucumber while she dealt with the lettuce and a handful of tomatoes. She poured over some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and some Italian salad herbs, and let Ellen toss the salad.
    ‘Brilliant!’ she said, putting the bowl on the table. ‘Can you lay the table? You know how, don’t you?’
    ‘You’re missing
Björne
,’ Kalle yelled from the television room, and the girl dropped the cutlery and ran off. Annika noted how filthy her socks were as she ran out.
    Then came the sound of the front door being unlocked. She heard the children’s jubilant cries and the noise of Thomas’s briefcase being dropped on the bench in the hall.
    ‘Hello,’ he said as he came into the kitchen and kissed her on the forehead. ‘Who have you been talking to?’
    She reached up on tiptoe to kiss him on the lips, wrapping her arms round his neck and holding himclose. For some reason the image of Forsberg, the police officer, popped into her head.
    ‘I haven’t been talking to anyone,’ she said to her husband’s neck.
    ‘You’ve been engaged for half an hour.’
    She let go of him abruptly. ‘Shit. I’m still online.’
    She hurried to the laptop, pulled out all the wires and plugged the phone back in.
    ‘We can eat straight away,’ she said.
    ‘I don’t want anything,’ Thomas said. ‘We’ve got a meeting with the department this evening so I’ll be eating with the working group.’
    Annika stopped, the pan of fish in her hand.
    ‘I thought you were playing tennis tonight,’ she said, bewildered.
    She was burning her fingers in spite of the oven gloves, and quickly put the pan down.
    ‘The bloke from Justice wants a quick run-through over a bite to eat.’
    ‘You could have a bite with us first,’ Annika said, pulling out a chair for Ellen.
    She looked up at her husband, saw him sigh soundlessly, and put the rice on the table.
    ‘Kalle,’ she called towards the television room. ‘It’s ready!’
    ‘But I want to watch this,’ the boy shouted back.
    She spooned out rice and fish for Ellen, and put the salad next to her.
    ‘Ellen made the salad,’ she announced to the room in general. ‘You can help yourself, can’t you?’
    Then she went into the television room and switched off the set, making her son howl with annoyance.
    ‘Stop that,’ Annika said. ‘Food before television, you know that. Go and sit down.’
    ‘What are we