The Scent of Almonds: A Novella by Camilla Läckberg Read Free Book Online

wondered who had been so eager to avoid him, and why.
    Still groggy, Martin went downstairs. Hearing voices in the library, he headed in that direction. The storm didn’t seem to have diminished. If anything, it was worse. The strain of being trapped indoors under these circumstances was evident in the pallid faces and tense expressions of the assembled family members. Martin glanced around the room suspiciously, hoping to spot the two people who’d run away from him upstairs, but no one looked particularly nervous or out of breath.
    ‘So, the sleeper awakes,’ bellowed Harald. ‘Nice to see how my tax money is put to use. The officer in charge lies in bed snoring while there’s a murderer on the loose.’ He chuckled as Britten gave him a jab in the side. Apparently she found his humour in poor taste.
    ‘I’d like to continue with the interviews.’ Martin could hear how irritable he sounded, so he added in a calmer tone: ‘Bernard, would you mind …’
    Bernard didn’t deign to answer. He merely raised one eyebrow, nonchalantly set down his glass, and then followed Martin out of the room.
    ‘Were you upstairs a moment ago?’ Martin asked, trying to sound casual while intently studying the man seated on the other side of the desk.
    ‘Upstairs? No, I was in the library. You saw me there, didn’t you?’ replied Bernard, crossing his legs in that annoying way of his.
    Martin wasn’t sure that he believed him, but he persisted, ‘Did you see anyone else come down the stairs a few minutes ago?’
    ‘Hmm … No. Everybody was in the library. I thought this interview was supposed to be about what happened last night. About who killed dear Grandpa Ruben, whose body is now resting in the cold-storage room.’
    ‘Yes, let’s talk about last night. Your grandfather certainly had harsh words for you at the dinner table. What was he referring to? Who are the “sources” that he mentioned, and what did they have to say about the business that you’re involved in?’
    Bernard plucked a few invisible pieces of lint from his immaculately pressed trousers. Then he looked Martin in the eye, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. It seemed to Martin that everything about this man radiated contempt, a sense of superiority towards everyone else.
    ‘As I’m sure you heard me say at dinner, I have no idea what Grandpa was talking about. My company is flourishing. In fact, we’ve recently gone public, and as far as Grandpa’s sources are concerned … well, all I can say is the old man wasn’t in the game any more. His so-called sources are a bunch of has-beens. They’ve ceased to be players, so they spend their time spreading malicious rumours.’
    ‘I didn’t get the impression that your grandfather was a has-been. On the contrary.’
    Bernard snorted. He plucked away more invisible lint before replying.
    ‘Grandpa Ruben put my father and Harald in two of the most important positions in his company. Does that strike you as a sound and intelligent commercial decision?’
    Martin could see what he meant. Maybe it was true that the old man had no longer been fully cognizant of what he was doing.
    ‘There seems to have been a pattern among members of the Liljecrona family of asking Ruben for various … infusions of cash. Did you make use of the family assets in the same way?’
    ‘What if I did? We were going to inherit his money sooner or later. It was better for the old man to help us out while he was still alive. Then he could hear us thank him for his generosity. And share in our success …’
    ‘How much?’ asked Martin coldly.
    ‘How much what?’ Bernard pretended not to understand the question.
    ‘How much did you get Ruben to invest in your company?’
    For a moment Bernard seemed to lose his composure. He paused before replying:
    ‘Twenty million.’
    ‘Twenty million?’ repeated Martin in disbelief. The sum made him dizzy.
    ‘He was going to get it all back, and with interest. As soon as the