Free Closed Circles (Sandhamn Murders Book 2) by Viveca Sten Page B

tired.
    “Who sent them?” Thomas asked.
    “I think it was called Property something. I don’t really remember. Something to do with real estate.”
    “How do you know?” asked Thomas.
    “I happened to open a letter by mistake. My dad told me it was a company who’d employed him during some bankruptcy proceedings. He told me the previous owners had owed the Russian mafia money. The mafia wanted to pillage the company, but they went into bankruptcy before that happened.”
    “Are you sure about this?” Margit asked.
    David seemed to hesitate.
    He’s just a boy who’s recently lost his father, Thomas thought.
    “Pretty sure. When they found out about the court proceedings, they told my dad to stop the bankruptcy case. But the court had already ruled on the matter.”
    The young man was familiar with legal terms. He clearly went to law school.
    “What happened to the letters?” Margit asked.
    “He said he’d given them to the police.” David seemed unsure. “I don’t remember that well. It was last year, or maybe even the year before. My dad told me not to worry about them.”
    He cleared his throat and went on.
    “My dad laughed it off,” he said. “I asked if he was scared. He told me that such threats happened occasionally to lawyers, but it was nothing to worry about. I’d forgotten all about it until now.”
    Thomas made a note to check if Juliander had filed a report about the threatening letters. He also noted that the letters had been sent to the home address, even though the family had an unlisted telephone number.
    Margit turned to Sylvia and asked, “How was your relationship with your husband? Were you happily married?”
    Sylvia appeared insulted by such a private question.
    “We’ve been married for almost thirty years. We have three children.”
    “Please answer my question,” Margit said. “How would you describe your marriage?”
    Sylvia stared at Margit for a moment. Then with a sigh and a quick look at her son, she decided to speak.
    “I was alone most of the time,” she said. “Oscar traveled a great deal. He had work and many other duties as well. The Swedish Bar Association, the RSYC.”
    “Tell us about his sailing,” Thomas said.
    Sylvia’s entire face transformed. As she smiled, the worn contours disappeared. She was still a beautiful woman.
    “Oscar loved sailing,” she said. “He’s loved it since he was a teenager. He’s always raced. The bigger the boat, the better. I think his best memories were made at sea. He found peace there, even though he always focused on winning.”
    “Do you like to sail?” Margit asked.
    Sylvia laughed. Her smile disappeared.
    “No. I don’t like sailing. I get seasick the moment I see a mast.” She pulled her cardigan tighter around her body. “But it was Oscar’s life. Our eldest son loves it, too. But not David. Right, darling?”
    She looked at her son, who nodded in agreement and squeezed her hand.
    “What did you do while your husband was at sea?” Thomas asked.
    Sylvia shrugged hopelessly.
    “I’d wait for him in port. Or I’d stay at our summerhouse on Ingarö. I often found myself waiting for Oscar. It became part of our marriage.”
    “Were you also active in RSYC?” Margit asked.
    “Not really.” She shook her head. “Oscar wanted me to become more involved. I did my best, but I wasn’t really interested.”
    “Did your husband expect to be elected chairman this fall?” Thomas asked.
    “Yes. But I wasn’t really paying attention. It wasn’t that important to me.” She spread her hands. “Becoming chairman was just one more duty that would take him away from us.”
    “Why do they need a house on Ingarö when they already have one with such a wonderful view of the water here in Saltsjöbaden?” asked Margit as they left. “Going from one water view to the other. What’s the point?”
    Thomas turned the Volvo around and started back. He simply smiled.
    “What do you make of those threatening