Read Online Unwanted by Kristina Ohlsson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kristina Ohlsson
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hypothesis.
His attitude to the woman in Flemingsburg was a case in point.
Fredrika found it hard to exclude her from the investigation. It was frankly grotesque that Sara hadn’t been asked for a description of the woman and that they hadn’t done a photofit. On the way back to the office after they had seen Sara, Fredrika had tried to raise the question again, but a weary Alex had firmly interrupted her.
‘It’s obvious, completely bloody obvious, that the father of that child is as sick as they come,’ he said agitatedly. ‘There’s nothing to point to there being any other lunatics in Sara’s circle who would want to harm her child, or scare Sara by taking Lilian from her. And nobody’s sent Sara a ransom note or anything like that.’
When Fredrika opened her mouth to point out that the perpetrator could be someone Sara was not actually in touch with at present, or did not realize she was in conflict with, Alex brought the discussion to a close with a:
‘It would be to your advantage in this organization to respect the competence and experience we have here. I’ve been looking for missing children for decades, so believe me, I know what I’m doing.’
Things went very quiet in the car after that, and Fredrika saw no reason to continue the discussion.
She peered over at Spencer’s peaceful face. Craggy features, grey, wavy hair. Good looking, you might even say handsome. Not cute, not ever. She had stopped asking herself how he could sleep so well, night after night, when he was being unfaithful. She assumed it was because he and his wife lived separate lives and had a mutual agreement about the extent of personal freedom they each had in the marriage. There had never been any children. Perhaps they had chosen not to have any. Fredrika wasn’t sure about that.
Alex Recht really shouldn’t have been particularly hard for Fredrika, of all people, to deal with. Not after almost fourteen years with a person whose views came from a time machine stuck somewhere in the mid-nineteenth century. Not after fourteen years with someone who still wouldn’t let her open a bottle of wine. Fredrika smiled wistfully. Spencer still respected her infinitely more than Alex did.
‘What is it he gives you that you feel you can’t do without?’ a succession of her friends had asked her over the years. ‘Why do you carry on seeing him, when nothing can ever come of it?’
Her answer had varied over time. At the very beginning, it had been so incredibly exciting and passionate. Forbidden and invigorating for both of them. An adventure. But the relationship had deepened, within its given limitations. They had many interests and some values in common. Over time, closeness to Spencer developed into a sort of fixed point for her. As she commuted between various cities and countries while finishing her studies, Spencer had always been there to come back to. The same was true when she became entangled in a variety of love affairs, all relatively short-lived. Once disaster had struck and the house of cards had collapsed, he was always still there. Never without pride, but permanently bored with his marriage yet unable to leave his wife. Though Fredrika had been told the wife had flings of her own.
Fredrika’s single status had been discussed in her own family on countless occasions over the years. She knew she had been a surprise to her parents in more than just her choice of profession. Neither of them had imagined she would still be single by her age. Her grandmother definitely hadn’t.
‘Oh, you’ll find someone,’ she used to say, patting Fredrika’s arm.
It had been a while now since Fredrika’s grandmother had done that. Fredrika had just celebrated her thirty-fourth birthday with some good friends out in the archipelago, and was still husbandless and childless. Grandma would probably have had a heart attack if she had known Fredrika shared a bed from time to time with the professor who had been her supervisor
His attitude to the woman in Flemingsburg was a case in point.
Fredrika found it hard to exclude her from the investigation. It was frankly grotesque that Sara hadn’t been asked for a description of the woman and that they hadn’t done a photofit. On the way back to the office after they had seen Sara, Fredrika had tried to raise the question again, but a weary Alex had firmly interrupted her.
‘It’s obvious, completely bloody obvious, that the father of that child is as sick as they come,’ he said agitatedly. ‘There’s nothing to point to there being any other lunatics in Sara’s circle who would want to harm her child, or scare Sara by taking Lilian from her. And nobody’s sent Sara a ransom note or anything like that.’
When Fredrika opened her mouth to point out that the perpetrator could be someone Sara was not actually in touch with at present, or did not realize she was in conflict with, Alex brought the discussion to a close with a:
‘It would be to your advantage in this organization to respect the competence and experience we have here. I’ve been looking for missing children for decades, so believe me, I know what I’m doing.’
Things went very quiet in the car after that, and Fredrika saw no reason to continue the discussion.
She peered over at Spencer’s peaceful face. Craggy features, grey, wavy hair. Good looking, you might even say handsome. Not cute, not ever. She had stopped asking herself how he could sleep so well, night after night, when he was being unfaithful. She assumed it was because he and his wife lived separate lives and had a mutual agreement about the extent of personal freedom they each had in the marriage. There had never been any children. Perhaps they had chosen not to have any. Fredrika wasn’t sure about that.
Alex Recht really shouldn’t have been particularly hard for Fredrika, of all people, to deal with. Not after almost fourteen years with a person whose views came from a time machine stuck somewhere in the mid-nineteenth century. Not after fourteen years with someone who still wouldn’t let her open a bottle of wine. Fredrika smiled wistfully. Spencer still respected her infinitely more than Alex did.
‘What is it he gives you that you feel you can’t do without?’ a succession of her friends had asked her over the years. ‘Why do you carry on seeing him, when nothing can ever come of it?’
Her answer had varied over time. At the very beginning, it had been so incredibly exciting and passionate. Forbidden and invigorating for both of them. An adventure. But the relationship had deepened, within its given limitations. They had many interests and some values in common. Over time, closeness to Spencer developed into a sort of fixed point for her. As she commuted between various cities and countries while finishing her studies, Spencer had always been there to come back to. The same was true when she became entangled in a variety of love affairs, all relatively short-lived. Once disaster had struck and the house of cards had collapsed, he was always still there. Never without pride, but permanently bored with his marriage yet unable to leave his wife. Though Fredrika had been told the wife had flings of her own.
Fredrika’s single status had been discussed in her own family on countless occasions over the years. She knew she had been a surprise to her parents in more than just her choice of profession. Neither of them had imagined she would still be single by her age. Her grandmother definitely hadn’t.
‘Oh, you’ll find someone,’ she used to say, patting Fredrika’s arm.
It had been a while now since Fredrika’s grandmother had done that. Fredrika had just celebrated her thirty-fourth birthday with some good friends out in the archipelago, and was still husbandless and childless. Grandma would probably have had a heart attack if she had known Fredrika shared a bed from time to time with the professor who had been her supervisor
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