Part 12 (2/2)
”When did you fall asleep?”
Eva shrugged.
Barbro Liljendahl jotted something down in her notebook.
”We have tried to call Patrik on his cell phone-we got the number from his brother-but he doesn't answer. Don't you have any idea where he might be?”
”No, but isn't it better if you go out and look for him rather than sitting here?” Eva asked.
”It's helpful for us to know where to look,” Harry Andersson said.
”Hugo,” Eva turned around and pushed the boy into the hallway, ”I think it's best you went to bed.”
He dutifully followed her into the bedroom. Eva closed the door behind her.
”What have you said?”
”That I was sleeping.”
He was close to tears.
”Good, stay here, you can play a video game or something. We'll talk more after the cops leave. Do you have any idea where Patrik is?”
Hugo shook his head.
”Is he with Zero?”
”I don't think so.”
She hugged Hugo, returned to the kitchen, took out a gla.s.s and let the water run until it became cold. Then she took four long sips and racked her brains for where Patrik could be.
The two police officers were sitting behind her back. Johnny was standing in the doorway to the hall.
”I don't know where he is,” she said finally, putting the gla.s.s down so loudly that Harry Andersson jumped.
”As soon as he gets home, we would like you to call this number,” Barbro Liljendahl said and handed her a card.
Eva laid the card on the kitchen counter without looking at it.
”Of course,” she said.
When the police had left, Eva turned to Johnny.
”Thanks for your help,” she said and sank down onto a chair in the hall.
”It was nothing. What are you going to do?”
”I thought maybe you could stay here for a little while. Is that all right? Just so Hugo doesn't have to be alone. I'm going to look for Patrik.”
Johnny nodded and pulled off his coat.
”I want to come with you,” Hugo said. He was standing in the door to his room.
”It's better if you stay here, in case Patrik calls. You can try to call Ahmed, Giorgio, Anton, Emil, and ...”
”Mossa,” Hugo finished.
”Good. Mossa too. But don't say anything about the police. If they ask, just say you want to reach Patrik. If Patrik calls tell him to call me on my cell phone, okay?”
Eva did not like the narrow walking paths that connected the various areas of the neighborhood. Some stretches cut through dense forest and were poorly lit. This late at night there were not usually many people out, perhaps a couple of teenagers or the occasional dog owner. narrow walking paths that connected the various areas of the neighborhood. Some stretches cut through dense forest and were poorly lit. This late at night there were not usually many people out, perhaps a couple of teenagers or the occasional dog owner.
She walked at a brisk clip in the direction of the school and saw a patrol car in the distance. Naturally they were going around, snooping. But if they thought they could find Patrik they were naive. He was smart enough to stay away. The Savja jungle drums did their work and he would surely know they were looking for him.
The first wave of anxiety was beginning to give way to anger. What was he doing out in the first place? He had promised to stay home. But she should have known better. Patrik was a restless soul who hated staying in. Sometimes she could tempt him with watching a video, otherwise he left as soon as dinner was over.
And now she would have an even harder time keeping tabs on him. Several times a week, and every other weekend she had to work. She stopped at an intersection. Should I stop working at Dakar? Is it right to be gone so much? She turned to the right and came to an area that was even more deserted.
The darkness was oppressive where the streetlamps were even more s.p.a.ced out. She heard rustling in the fallen leaves, a blackbird flew up and disappeared into the tree canopy.
She ran around for an hour, to the school, toward the southern part of the area and back, swung down to the grocery store and turned back again. During this time she called Patrik's cell phone a few times and once back to Hugo at home.
She encountered ten or so other people, of whom four were dog owners and three were teenage girls. Eva knew one of them from preschool. That was ten years ago, but you could tell it was the same girl. She nodded to Eva, who slowed down a bit, not sure if she should ask if they had seen Patrik, but decided not to and continued on quickly to the old post office.
She heard the girls laughing behind her. They probably knew that the police were out. Tomorrow all of Savja and half of Bergsbrunna would know.
She stopped under a streetlight. Was there any sense in running around like this? She was convinced Hugo was calling around to all the friends.
Patrik was wanted by the police, he was most likely aware of it by now and G.o.d only knew what the child was going to do.
She ran the last part home. The a.s.sembly of young people in the yard had dispersed. The light was still on in Helen's apartment. Darkness descended over the area. A tawny owl started to make its call.
Her cell phone rang at that moment.
”Hi, it's me.”
”Where are you?”
”That doesn't matter.”
”What have you done?”
”Nothing. It's just the cops who-”
”Tell me about the a.s.sault!”
She could hear Patrik's breaths.
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