The Gallows Bird by Camilla Läckberg Read Free Book Online Page A

stranger.’ He paused and waited tensely for her reply. He hoped that she would say yes. Suddenly he felt a great protective instinct when he saw her body that was much too thin and the haunted expression in her eyes. She was so much like Erica, yet not the same. A more frightened and fragile version of Erica.
    ‘I . . . I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I don’t know what to say. Where to begin.’
    ‘We could start by going for a walk. And if you want to talk, then we’ll talk. If you don’t want to, then . . . we’ll just walk for a while. How does that sound?’ He could hear how anxious he sounded.
    Anna sat up carefully. She sat with her back to him for a moment, then got up from the bed. ‘Okay, let’s go for a walk. But just a walk.’
    ‘Okay,’ said Dan and nodded. He led the way down the stairs and cast a look into the kitchen where he heard Erica clattering about. ‘We’re going out for a walk,’ he called to her, and from the corner of his eye he could see Erica trying to pretend it was no big deal.
    ‘It’s cold out, so you’d better put on a jacket,’ he said to Anna, who took his advice and slipped on a beige duffel coat, wrapping a big white scarf round her neck.
    ‘Are you ready?’ he asked, aware of the multiple meanings in that question.
    ‘Yes, I think so,’ said Anna quietly, and she followed him out into the spring sunshine.
    ‘So, do you think anyone ever gets used to it?’ asked Martin in the car on the way to Fjällbacka.
    ‘No,’ Patrik said. ‘At least I hope not. Otherwise it’d be time to switch professions.’ He took the curve at Långsjö much too fast, and Martin clutched the handle above the window as usual. He made a mental note to warn the new officer against riding with Patrik. Although it was probably too late. She had ridden in the car with him to that accident scene this morning, so she’d probably already had her first near-death experience.
    ‘How does she seem?’ Martin asked.
    ‘Who?’ Patrik seemed more distracted than normal.
    ‘The new officer. Hanna Kruse.’
    ‘She seems all right,’ said Patrik.
    ‘But?’
    ‘What do you mean, “but”?’ Patrik turned to look at his colleague, which made Martin grip the handle even harder.
    ‘Jesus, would you please watch the road? I meant, it seemed like you wanted to say more.’
    ‘Oh, I don’t know.’ To Martin’s relief he was now keeping his eyes on the road. ‘I’m just not used to people who are so . . . ambitious.’
    ‘And what do you mean by that?’ Martin said with a laugh, unable to hide the fact that he felt a bit insulted.
    ‘Hey, don’t take it the wrong way. I didn’t mean that you lacked ambition, but Hanna, she’s, how shall I put it – super-ambitious.’
    ‘Super-ambitious,’ Martin said sceptically. ‘You have reservations about her because she’s super-ambitious? Could you be a bit more specific? And what’s wrong with super-ambitious women, anyway? You’re not somebody who thinks women have no place on the force, are you?’
    Now Patrik looked away from the road again and gave Martin an incredulous look.
    ‘How well do you know me, anyway? Do you think I’m some sort of male chauvinist pig? A chauvinist pig whose fiancée makes twice as much as he does, by the way. I just mean . . . oh, never mind, you’ll just have to see for yourself.’
    Martin was silent for a moment, then he said, ‘Are you serious? Does Erica make twice as much as you do?’
    Patrik laughed. ‘I knew that would shut you up. Although to be entirely honest, that’s before taxes. Most of it goes to the government. Lucky thing, too. It would have been too depressing to be rich.’
    Martin joined in the laughter. ‘Yeah, what a fate. That’s not something you’d want to deal with.’
    ‘You can say that again.’ Patrik smiled but soon turned serious. They turned into the Kullen neighbourhood, where the blocks of flats stood close together, and parked the car. Then they sat there for