My Knight

Investigation

When I get back to the group Kurt looks up at me. "You okay?"

I nod, "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Good, because you're coming with me to talk to Erica's mother."

I nod and take a deep breath before the two of us head out. When we get to the hospital Erika's mother is less than helpful. As Kurt and I talk to her.

"Her father's death was..."

"Was she very close to him?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, did they get on?"

"I can't see what that's got to do with you, Inspector. In fact, I'm not quite sure what you're doing here. If you don't mind, I'd like to sit with my daughter."

"Of course."

Kurt and I walk back to the entrance of the hospital, as I sigh, "well, that was almost useless..."

"Why do you say almost?"

"The only thing I got out of that was that Erika's relationship with her father wasn't great and her mother knew about it but did nothing."

"Very good, I got that too. But we can't make assumptions." I nod as Kurt and I walk back to the car. When we head back to the station. It's almost another week before we get more information about the case. Kurt ended up going to the home of one of the men who had been killed, to talk to the family about their daughter and sister, Louise.

Thankfully I am left behind to work more on the case from the office. Not long after he gets back Magnus runs into the office area, "Kurt! Erika Carlman has regained consciousness."

Kurt looks over to me and I nod, standing and rushing out of the office with him. You'd think about being here for a few months I'd learn not to wear skirts, but they're so nice. When we get to the hospital Kurt and I head to Erika's room and see she is awake and looking around. I call out to her softly as we enter the room, "Hi, Erika. I'm Emily Wright, I work with Kurt."

She looks over to me, "Are you a detective too?"

I look over to Kurt and then back to Erika, "Yeah, I am. Would you be willing to talk to us about your father, at all?"

Erika cringes but nods her head, "It started when I was a child... with him coming into my bedroom." She clinches her fits and jaw.

"It's okay." I take a deep breath after speaking to her. I can feel her fear and anxiety about the whole thing.

"I was so frightened. I had to look at that horrible painting every day. What was in his head... But I still loved him. How would I still love him? What's wrong with me?"

I take her hand lightly, she looks up at me, tears in her eyes. "There's nothing wrong with you. He was your father. There's nothing wrong with you at all. I've seen woman love worse men when they shouldn't have. It's okay."

Erika nods and lets out of my hand. As she does Kurt nods to her, "We'll let you rest now. Thank you."

When we step a few steps out of the room I sigh softly, "Is someone... taking revenge for these girls?"

Kurt shrugs his shoulders just before his phone goes off. "Yeah. Is she willing to talk to us? Is she there now? Great, thanks." Kurt hangs up the phone and looks at me. "That was Svedberg. He's found a prostitute from the Liljegren parties. Do you enjoy children's sports?"

"What?" I look at Kurt a little confused.

He shakes his head and chuckles as he walks off, with me a few feet behind him. When we get to our destination, a middle school, where there was a game going on. When Kurt and I walk in we see one of Svedberg talking to a blonde woman. When we walk over to them. "Hello?"

"Ahh... this is Kurt Wallander and his associate."

The woman smiles up at the two of us before we sit and Kurt starts to question her, "So what can you tell us."

"I think, there's a market for virgins. There usually is with these guys. Feeds into some fantasy about them screwing their daughters." The woman starts.

"We just need some names, ok?"

"There were no names. "

"Well, did you recognize any of the faces, then? You see this man?" Kurt pulls out a photo. "Gustav Wetterstedt, did you see him?"

"A couple times."

Kurt pulls out another picture, "What about him? Bjorn Fredman."

"Keep me out of this, please. I have a young daughter. I was told you just wanted help." The woman looks at the three of us.

"Yes, it's okay, I'll look after you I promise," Kurt treasures the woman, "But I have to know, did you see this man?"

The woman nods, "Some sort of courier. Brought the girls in from wherever. I saw him hanging around. But not IN the parties."

Kurt nods, "um... just one more..." He pulls out another photo, "um, you see her?"

"I don't think so."

"You don't THINK so?!"

"Maybe. There were so many different girls. A lot of them were foreign. I never asked questions."

I take a deep breath, "One more girl. Short, dark-skinned. She was 15 years old and she wore a pendant around her neck..."

Kurt pulls the pendant out of his pocket, "This... around her neck. She burnt herself to death in front of me because she was so bloody scared and I think that you know what she was so scared of."

The woman clears her throat, "There was another man. He was like the agent. He was evil."

"Would you recognize him again if you saw him." the woman looks among us looking terrified. "I will look after you, I promise."

"I don't know."