The Circle (Hammer) - By Elfgren, Sara B.,Strandberg, Mats Page 0,147

heart makes a cheerful countenance.’ They’re everywhere in her house. As if she were trying to convince herself. Anna-Karin feels pangs of shame as she imagines what Minoo’s father would think of those wall hangings.

You can see into the big kitchen with its white cupboard doors and dark wooden floor. The study door is ajar: a brand-new laptop stands on a desk next to a steaming coffee mug. Even more bookshelves.

How many books can you have in a home? Anna-Karin wonders. Where do they find the time to read them all? Do they, even?

She lets her gaze fall on a painting that doesn’t depict anything, just colours and shapes. Her mother would scoff at it and say that any five-year-old could’ve painted that. But Anna-Karin likes it.

‘I’m Erik Falk,’ Minoo’s father says, holding out his hand.

Anna-Karin realises she’s been standing there staring, like a fool. She takes Minoo’s father’s hand and meets his eyes for a split second.

‘Anna-Karin Nieminen,’ she mumbles. It’s strange to introduce herself with her last name. ‘Minoo and I are in the same class. We’re working on a project together.’

‘Is it the play?’

Anna-Karin has no idea what he’s talking about. She opens and closes her mouth like a fish out of water. That’s how she feels in this house.

‘Minoo said something about how you rehearse on Saturdays.’

‘That’s right,’ Anna-Karin answers. She was within a hair’s breadth of ruining Minoo’s alibi for their meetings at the fairground. ‘But today we’re going to do some chemistry,’ she says, and hopes that Minoo’s father won’t ask any more questions.

Finally she hears footsteps on the stairs and Minoo appears in the doorway. Her black hair is in a ponytail and her eyes are still a little puffy from sleep.

‘Hi,’ she says, without managing to hide her surprise.

‘Shall we get started on the chemistry?’ Anna-Karin asks.

Minoo catches on. ‘Of course. Let’s go up to my room.’

Anna-Karin notices how easily Minoo moves through the house, as if there’s nothing special about being surrounded by nice things.

They walk down a long landing. She glances into a bathroom with an old map of Engelsfors on the wall. The deep bath has lion’s feet. That was where Minoo was attacked.

Minoo takes Anna-Karin into her room and shuts the door.

The wallpaper is striped yellow and white and brings out the warm tones of the lacquered wooden floor. A red counterpane has been thrown rather sloppily across the bed, and a large art book lies on Minoo’s bedside table. The books on the shelf are neatly lined up, no doubt in alphabetical order.

The chaos in Minoo’s room is concentrated on the desk in front of the window. It’s overflowing with textbooks and notebooks, which threaten to engulf the closed laptop.

‘So it wasn’t Gustaf,’ Anna-Karin says.

‘Not the real one,’ Minoo says. ‘I mean … he doesn’t know he has an evil doppelganger.’

Anna-Karin goes to the bed and sits down. ‘I’m glad it wasn’t Gustaf,’ she says. ‘Even if that means we still don’t know who did it.’

Minoo sits down next to her. Waits.

Anna-Karin doesn’t know where to begin. Eventually she takes a deep breath and starts with what she feels is most important. ‘I’m sorry,’ she says. ‘I’m sorry I just disappeared.’ She glances at Minoo, her dark eyes gaze at her intently.

Anna-Karin has always been a little afraid of Minoo. She often seems so intense, almost angry. When Minoo is impatient, when she thinks you’re being stupid or childish or doing something wrong, you can feel it in your whole body. And then that laser stare.

‘You know the accident when the barn burned down,’ Anna-Karin begins. ‘It wasn’t an accident.’ She doesn’t tell her everything, as she did Nicolaus. She starts with the fire, but leaves out Jari and her mother. It’s still difficult to own up, especially to the fact that at first she didn’t resist, that she almost welcomed her death.

When she gets to the bit with Grandpa she starts to cry. She wipes away the tears with the back of her hand. She doesn’t want Minoo to think she’s trying to gain sympathy.

‘Why didn’t you say anything?’ Minoo asks.

She’s angry. Just as Anna-Karin thought. Her courage falters. ‘I was ashamed. I shouldn’t have gone into the barn alone.’

‘When you resisted … did you see anything?’ Minoo asks.

Anna-Karin is unsure what she means. ‘I didn’t see whoever did it,’ she says.

‘No, but did you see anything else? Something in the air, maybe?’

‘No. Why?’

Minoo shakes her head. ‘Forget it,’ she says. She doesn’t look angry any