The Killer's Art by Mari Jungstedt Read Free Book Online

town, of course. He and his wife have run the art gallery for twenty-five years. He took it over from his father, and it’s been in the family for as long as I can remember. Wallin has no criminal record. I’ve met him many times over the years, although I can’t say we really knew each other. A hell of a nice guy, and he seemed to be well liked. Is there anyone here who knew him?’
    They all shook their heads.
    By this time Sohlman had washed down two sandwiches, so Knutas assumed that he was ready to talk. ‘Erik, what can you report?’
    Sohlman went over to the computer in the middle of the room. He signalled for Smittenberg, who sat closest to the door, to switch off the lights.
    ‘This was the sight that Siv Eriksson encountered this morning on her way to work. She was walking along the path from Kung Magnus Road when she discovered the body hanging in full view from the top of the gate. Egon Wallin was fully clothed, but he had neither his wallet nor his mobile on him. We’ll be sending his clothes to the National Crime Lab later today for analysis. A scarf was found on the ground beneath the body. We don’t know whether it belonged to the victim or not, but it’s going to the NCL too.’
    Sohlman clicked through images of the body taken from various angles.
    ‘I’ve only given him a preliminary examination, but I’m almost positive that we’re dealing with a homicide. And that’s because of the wound on the neck. When we took the body down, I was able to get a closer look, and it seems likely that he did not die by hanging.’
    He paused for effect and gulped down some coffee. Everyone around the table was listening closely.
    Sohlman used a pen to point at the image.
    ‘Wallin has visible injuries that have nothing to do with the noose around his neck. Both of the thin parallel marks that we can see here go all the way round his neck, just above the larynx and continuing around in back. The marks indicate that he was strangled from behind with a thin, sharp cord – a piano wire or something similar. Either the killer wasn’t sure that his victim was really dead after the first attempt, or else Wallin struggled and his attacker had to try again – hence the two parallel lines. There are reddish ruptures inside the marks, indicating that it was some sort of cord that caused his death. In addition, we can see this thicker mark, which probably resulted from the rope that was put around Wallin’s neck when he was hanged. There is no sign of bleedingor discoloration. That indicates that he was already dead before he was hanged. Otherwise his injuries would look very different.’
    More photographs showed the victim’s face. Knutas flinched. It was always worse if he happened to know and like the victim. He could never disconnect his own feelings completely.
    Sohlman, on the other hand, seemed to have no trouble doing so. There he stood with his unruly mop of red hair, wearing his usual brown corduroy jacket, speaking in a calm and pleasant voice as he informed them of the details of the horrifying crime that had been committed. Now and then he took a sip of coffee, as if he were showing them his holiday snaps. Knutas would never be able to understand how Sohlman did it.
    He cast a quick glance at Karin. Her face was as white as chalk. Knutas was full of sympathy; he knew how hard she struggled. The pictures of the victim showed everything in close-up. Wallin’s face was reddish, his eyes were open. On his forehead a cut and a bruise were visible, and there was a scratch on his cheek. Knutas wondered if he got those injuries as he fought for his life.
    As if Sohlman had read his mind, he now went on, ‘These injuries on his face are inconsistent. I have no idea where they came from. I suppose we can’t rule out the possibility that they were sustained in connection with the hanging, but that seems strange, and the wound on his neck indicates that he was attacked from behind. But I’m happy to leave the