The bustling activity of the Växjö police station seemed muted to Mikael Hansson as he stared at the man across the interrogation table. Emil Nyström, a wiry young man with a shock of unkempt blond hair, sat slouched, avoiding eye contact. His fidgeting hands betrayed nervous energy, but his eyes, red from either exhaustion or fear, were watchful.
Mikael leaned forward, his voice measured. “You were the last person seen with Anna Karlsson before her death. Care to explain that?”
Emil rubbed his face with both hands, sighing deeply. “Look, I’ve already told you everything. I met her at the bar because she owed me money. That’s it. I didn’t kill her.”
“You argued,” Mikael pressed. “Witnesses saw you knock over your chair and storm out. Doesn’t sound like a friendly chat to me.”
Emil’s face flushed. “Of course, I was upset! She promised me help with my career. She said she’d connect me to producers, even fund a demo. But instead, she blew all her money on booze and God knows what else. I felt like a fool for believing her.”
“Then what?” Mikael’s tone sharpened. “You got angry, followed her to her room, and things got out of hand?”
“No!” Emil’s voice cracked. “I didn’t follow her. I left the hotel and went home. Alone.”
“Convenient,” Mikael said dryly. “No one to vouch for your whereabouts.”
Emil slammed his hand on the table. “I didn’t kill her, okay? Anna was scared of someone. She kept saying she was being followed, that ‘he’ wouldn’t leave her alone.”
Mikael’s pen paused mid-note. “Who was ‘he’?”
“I don’t know,” Emil admitted, leaning back in his chair. “She didn’t say. But she kept looking over her shoulder like she was expecting someone to show up. Maybe it was Magnus something ...her ex.”
Mikael raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think that?”
“She mentioned his name once. Said he was ‘bad news’ and that she didn’t want anything to do with him. I got the feeling that he was the short of man who doesn’t like no for an answer.”
Mikael exchanged a glance with his partner, Anders, who stood by the door. Anders gave a subtle nod, indicating they had what they needed for now.
“We’ll check your story, Emil,” Mikael said, standing. “If you’re lying, we’ll know.”
Back in his office, Mikael found Alma waiting, her face etched with concern.
“You look like you need food and sleep urgently,” she said softly, handing him a thermos of coffee.
“Because I haven’t had either,” Mikael replied nervously, sitting heavily in his chair. Then seen her face he quickly added, “sorry hon, I’m just tired and frustrated. Emil claims Anna was being stalked by someone she called ‘him.’ Could be Magnus Ekström, her ex-husband?”
Alma nodded. “Magnus was controlling, manipulative. He drained her bank accounts, left her with nothing, and disappeared. But…” She hesitated.
“But what?” Mikael prompted.
“I heard from one of Anna’s old colleagues this morning. Apparently, Magnus resurfaced recently, asking about Anna. It’s not hard to imagine him trying to worm his way back into her life.”
Mikael’s jaw tightened. “If he’s our ‘him,’ then we need to find him. Anders is already running a trace on his last known whereabouts.”
Alma hesitated again, then added, “There’s something else you should know. Anna wasn’t just a victim of bad relationships. She made choices that…that put her in danger. After Magnus, she spiralled. The drinking, the men ...it was her way of coping, but it also attracted the wrong kind of attention.”
“Younger men...” Mikael whispered, scribbling notes. “And Emil claimed she owed him money. How deep was she in?”
Alma’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Deeper than I realized. She’d pawned her jewellery, sold her remaining properties, and still couldn’t stay afloat. She was desperate.”
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