The Preacher (35 page)

‘So what did you all think about that scene yesterday?’ Ernst chuckled. He had quickly forgotten his promise not to gossip about what Mellberg had told him in confidence. By this time they had all heard about Mellberg’s mail-order bride, and they hadn’t had such a good laugh in a year and a day. It was something that would be discussed out of the chief’s earshot for a long time to come.

‘The poor devil,’ laughed Gösta. ‘If you’re so desperate for a woman that you have to order one from a catalogue, then you only have yourself to blame.’

‘What a face he must have made when he went to collect her at the airport and he realized that his expectations had been crushed, to put it mildly.’ Annika had a good laugh at the chief’s expense. Laughing at others’ misfortune didn’t feel quite as bad when it was Mellberg who was the target.

‘Well, I must say that she didn’t rest on her laurels. She went straight to the shop to fill up her bag. And it didn’t seem to matter much what she stole, either, as long as it had a price tag on it,’ laughed Ernst. ‘Although speaking of stealing, listen to this. Old man Persson, the one Gösta and I went out to visit yesterday, told us that some idiot used to steal that damned fertilizer from him. He’d lose a couple of big sacks every time he ordered a new supply. Can you believe that someone would be so damned stingy that he’d pinch sacks of shit? Of course the shit is obviously expensive, but still …’ He slapped his knees. ‘Oh, Jesus,’ he said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. Then he realized that it was dead silent all round him.

‘What did you just say?’ asked Patrik in an ominous voice. Ernst had heard that voice only a couple of days before, and he knew that he’d screwed up again.

‘Yeah, well, he said that somebody used to steal sacks of fertilizer from him.’

‘And considering that Västergården is the closest farm, it didn’t occur to you that this might be valuable information?’

His colleague’s voice was so cold that Ernst felt frostbite on his skin. Patrik turned to Gösta. ‘Did you hear this, Gösta?’

‘No, the farmer must have told him that when I was in the toilet for a couple of minutes.’ He glowered at Ernst.

‘I didn’t think anything of it,’ said Ernst with a whine. ‘Damn it, I can’t remember everything.’

‘That’s exactly what you’re supposed to do. But we’ll talk more about this later. The question is, what does it mean for us?’

Martin held up his hand, as if he were still in school. ‘Am I the only one who thinks we should start to zero in on Jacob?’ No one answered so he explained. ‘First of all, we have testimony, albeit from a dubious source, saying that Tanja was at Västergården right before she vanished. Second, the DNA that was found on Tanja’s body is from someone related to Johannes. And third, sacks of fertilizer were stolen from a farm literally next door to Västergården. That’s at least enough reason to make me think we should bring him in for a little chat. And during that time we can take a look round his property.’

Still no comment, so Martin went on with his argument. ‘As you said yourself, Patrik, it’s urgent. We have nothing to lose by looking round a bit and tightening the thumb-screws on Jacob. The only way we lose is if we do nothing. Sure, we’ll find out something after we’ve tested all the Hults and compared the DNA, but we can’t sit here in the meantime twiddling our thumbs. We have to do something!’

Finally Patrik took the floor. ‘Martin is right. There’s good reason to believe it would be worthwhile to have a talk with him, and it couldn’t hurt to take a look at Västergården as well. So this is what we’re going to do: Gösta and I will bring in Jacob. Martin, you contact Uddevalla and ask them for reinforcements to do a search of the whole farm. Ask Mellberg for help getting the warrants, but make sure that they apply not only to the residence but to all the other buildings on the grounds too. We’ll all report in to Annika as needed. Okay? Any questions?’

‘Yes, what should we do about the blood samples?’ asked Martin.

‘Damn, I forgot about that. We need to clone ourselves.’ Patrik thought for a moment. ‘Martin, can you take care of that too, if you get help from Uddevalla?’ Martin nodded. ‘Good, then contact the clinic in Fjällbacka and take along someone who knows how to take blood samples. And be damned sure that the samples are labelled correctly. Then drive them down to Pedersen’s lab as fast as you can. All right, let’s move. And don’t forget why we’re in a hurry!’

‘So what should I do?’ Ernst saw his chance to regain favour.

‘You stay here,’ said Patrik, and wasted no words on further discussion.

Ernst muttered but knew it was time to lie low. But he should really have a talk with Mellberg when this was all over. He hadn’t screwed up that badly. He was only human, after all.

Marita’s heart swelled in her breast. The outdoor worship service was wonderful as usual, and in the centre of it stood her Jacob. Straight-backed and strong and sure of voice he proclaimed God’s word. Many people had gathered. Besides most of those on the farm – some of them had not yet seen the light and refused to participate – another hundred faithful followers had come. They sat on the grass with their eyes fixed on Jacob, who stood in his usual place on the rock with his back to the lake. Around them stood a towering grove of birches, providing shade when the heat was most oppressive and rustling in accompaniment to Jacob’s melodious voice. Sometimes she could hardly believe her good fortune. That the man whom all regarded with such admiration in their eyes had chosen her.

When she first met Jacob she was only seventeen. Jacob was twenty-three and already had won a reputation as a powerful man in the congregation. This was partly thanks to his grandfather, whose fame had rubbed off on him, but most of it was thanks to his own charisma. The unusual combination of kindness and strength gave him a radiance that no one could avoid noticing. Marita and her parents had been members of the congregation for a long time and never missed a worship service. Even before they attended the first service that Jacob Hult was going to lead, Marita felt a tingle inside her like a premonition that something great was about to happen. And it did. She hadn’t been able to tear her eyes away from him. She had stared at his mouth, from which God’s word had spilled as easily as flowing water. When Jacob’s eyes began to meet hers she had started sending prayers to God. Feverish, imploring, entreating prayers. She, who had been taught that one must never pray for anything for oneself, was praying for something as worldly as a man. But she couldn’t stop. Despite the fact that she felt the fires of purgatory beginning to scorch her in their hunt for the sinner, she kept up her fervent prayers and didn’t stop until she saw that Jacob was looking at her with desire in his eyes.

Actually, she didn’t really understand why Jacob had chosen her as his wife. She knew that she’d always had a rather plain appearance, and her personality was quiet and introverted. But he had wanted her, and the day they got married she promised herself never to worry about or question God’s will. The Lord had obviously seen both of them in the crowd and decided that their marriage would be good, and with that she had to let herself be content. Maybe a strong person like Jacob needed a weak partner so as not to be worn down by resistance. What did she know?

The children were fidgeting restlessly as they sat on the ground beside her. Marita hushed them sternly. She knew that their legs were itching to run about and play, but there would be time for that later. Right now they had to listen to their father as he preached God’s word.

‘Faith is tested when we are confronted by difficulties. But that’s also when our faith grows stronger. Without resistance faith grows weak and makes us become sated and lazy. We begin to forget why we should turn to God for guidance. And soon we end up going astray. I myself have had to endure tests lately, as you know. And my family has been tested too. Evil forces are working to test our faith. But they are doomed to failure. Our faith has grown so strong that the powers of evil have no opportunity to reach me. Praise the Lord, who grants me such strength!’

He raised his hands to Heaven and the congregation burst out in a ‘Hallelujah’, their faces shining with joy and conviction. Marita raised her hands to Heaven and thanked God. Jacob’s words make her forget the difficulties of the past week. She relied on him and she trusted in the Lord, and if both of them were together, nothing could budge them.

When Jacob finished the service a while later, crowds of people gathered round him. Everyone wanted to shake his hand, thank him and offer support. Everyone seemed to have a need to touch him and in that way take some of his calm and conviction home with them. They all wanted a piece of him. Marita stayed in the background, triumphantly aware that Jacob was hers. Sometimes she wondered guiltily whether it was a sin to feel such a desire to own her husband, to want to have every fibre of him to herself, but she always rejected those thoughts. It was obviously God’s will for them to be together, so it could never be considered wrong.

When the crowd began to disperse around Jacob, she took the children by the hand and went up to him. She knew him so well. She saw that what had filled him during the service had now begun to fade away, and instead the weariness filled his eyes.

‘Come, let’s go home, Jacob.’

‘Not yet, Marita. I have something I have to do first.’

‘There’s nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow. I’m taking you home now so you can rest. I can see you’re tired.’

He smiled and took her hand. ‘As usual you’re right, my wise wife. I just have to fetch my things from the office, then we can go.’

They had started heading up to the house when two men came walking towards them. At first, with the sun in their eyes, they couldn’t see who they were, but when they came closer Jacob let out an irritated groan.

‘What do you want now?’

Marita looked in bewilderment from Jacob to the men, until she realized that, judging from Jacob’s tone of voice, they must be police. She gave them a fierce look. They were the ones who had been causing Jacob and the family so much trouble recently.

‘We need to have a little chat with you, Jacob.’

‘What more could there be to say that I didn’t tell you yesterday?’ he said with a sigh. ‘All right, we might as well get it over with. Let’s go to my office.’

The police officers didn’t move. They cast an embarrassed glance at the children, and Marita began to smell a rat. Instinctively she drew the children closer.

‘Not here. We’d like to talk to you down at the station.’

It was the younger officer who spoke. The older one stood a bit to the side and watched Jacob with a solemn expression. Fear sank its claws into Marita’s heart. It was, in truth, the forces of evil that were approaching, just as Jacob had said in his sermon.

9
SUMMER 1979

She knew that the other girl was gone. From her corner in the dark she heard her utter her last breath, and with clasped hands she prayed frantically to God to accept her comrade in suffering. In a way she was envious of the girl. Envious that now her suffering was over.

The girl had been there before her when she landed in hell. The fear had paralysed her at first, but the girl’s arms around her and her warm body had offered an odd security. At the same time she hadn’t always been nice. The struggle to survive had forced them together but also apart. She herself had retained hope. The other girl had not. She knew that sometimes she was hated for having hope. But how could she abandon hope? Her whole life she had been taught that every impossible situation had its solution, and why should this one be any different? She could see her father and mother’s faces in her mind’s eye and she was convinced that they would find her soon.

That poor other girl, who’d had nothing. She realized who she was as soon as she felt her warm body in the dark, even though they had never spoken to each other in their lives up there. And by a tacit agreement they did not call each other by name, which would have seemed too normal. Neither of them would have been able to bear that burden. But the other girl had talked about her daughter. It was the only time there was any life in her voice.

To fold her hands and pray for the one who now was gone had demanded an almost superhuman effort. Her limbs would not obey her, but by marshalling all the strength she had left she had willed her unruly hands into a pose that resembled an attitude of prayer.

She waited patiently in the dark with her pain. Now it was only a matter of time before they found her. Mamma and Pappa. Soon …

alt

Irritated, Jacob said, ‘Yes, I’ll come to the station. But that’ll be an end to it, do you hear me!’

Out of the corner of her eye Marita saw Kennedy approaching. She had never liked him. There was something nasty in his eyes that was mixed with adoration whenever he looked at Jacob. But Jacob had admonished her when she told him how she felt. Kennedy was an unhappy child who had finally begun to find some sense of inner peace. What he needed now was love and consideration, not suspicion. But the anxiety never really left her. A dismissive signal from Jacob made Kennedy reluctantly turn and go back to the house. He was like a watchdog who wanted to defend his master, Marita thought.

Jacob turned to her and took her face in his hands. ‘Go home with the children. There’s no danger. The police just want to throw a little extra wood on the fire that will eventually consume them.’

He smiled to take the sting out of his words, but she held on to the children even tighter. They looked back and forth between her and Jacob with worried expressions. In their own way they could feel that something was upsetting the balance of their world.

The younger policeman spoke again. This time he looked a bit embarrassed when he said, ‘I would recommend that you not take the children home before this evening. We …’ he hesitated, ‘we’re doing a search of your house this afternoon.’

‘What do you think you’re playing at?’ Jacob was so upset that the words stuck in his throat.

Marita could feel the children fidgeting anxiously. They weren’t used to hearing their father raise his voice.