CHAPTER 1

As usual, no copyright infringement.

The call from her Swedish counterpart was quite unexpected for Lillian Larsen.
The last case had been closed, all paper works done, the prosecutor was now in charge.
After the usual formalities and greetings, Linn went straight to the point, asking Lillian to go with Henrik Sabroe in Malmo the following day.
It was a delicate matter and Linn was sure his boss support would be important for Henrik.
Lillian agreed, although the real reason would be revealed only during the meeting.
When the Danes entered Linn's office, David, the forensic doctor from Lund, was already there.
Linn didn't wasted time after they sat.
"I've had a long talk with the prosecutor regarding Frank Wahlgren. We have proofs about Alice but the prosecutor want to be sure regarding Anna's death."
Lillian looked at Henrik; his face lost colour immediately and his hands contracted in his lap.
It was painful for Henrik to talk about Anna just a few weeks after Saga found she was dead.
Linn continued.
"I've asked David to join us because the prosecutor wants to open the grave and perform an accurate examination of the corpse."
"No!"
Henrik stood up, shocked, desperation in his face; his fist went down the desk, hard. It caught a imperfection of the surface and a trail of blood appeared, Henrik not caring.
"You won't touch her!"
He looked at the forensic, the man Saga knew for a very long time.
"You cannot accept such a request, can you?"
David lowered his gaze, unable to meet Henrik's eyes.
"If it was only me, but it's an order."
"Henrik we must. You know the procedure. It has already been decided. You can be sure David will be respectful. I asked his help because Saga trust him so much."
"Please Linn, it's my baby, let her rest forever in peace. I cannot desecrate her grave. Lillian, please!"
His boss was his last chance. Lillian was the only person, apart Saga, that knew all his history, he still had the small socks she gave him when Anna was born to congratulate with the proud parents.
"I'm sorry, Henrik, it's under Swedish law, we have no authority, nor as parent nor as police."
Henrik fell heavily on the chair, tears in his eyes. Lillian put an arm around his shoulders to comfort him. She felt it was too much, too soon for him. Astrid had just returned from hospital with a hole in her leg into a house where her life had been put at risk and Henrik was trying to form a family and cope with Saga's absence.
"We'll go to the graveyard next Monday", Linn stated, "I hope you'll be there, Henrik. I see it is not the best moment for you, but we cannot delay the autopsy."
David felt really bad for the whole situation; he tried to talk with Henrik.
"I'm really sorry. I can barely imagine how you feel."
"It's Astrid! I cannot tell her about this. It will destroy what we are trying to rebuild."
"You could talk with Saga, she sur..."
Henrik stopped him more brusquely than he intended.
"She's gone away two weeks ago, she needed time alone. I don't have anyone to talk with. I got only my baby and this will break her heart."
Linn stood silent.
Painful memories awakened, the blazing fire that killed her child and her husband who tried to save the boy. The nights spent awake, the day she took a flacon of pills and put it on the table in front of her.
She knew too well Henrik's pain and grief. She knew he need the strength to survive, so she made a suggestion.
"You could ask Saga to return in time for Monday."
Henrik shook his head.
He couldn't call her back, it was her decision and it would be a selfish act to find petty excuses to make her return faster than she planned on her own terms.
He had to face this new ordeal alone, like he faced six years of loneliness and guilt.

The night between Sunday and Monday had been rainy; the ground was wet when the forensic team arrived at the graveyard and set up the tent.
David has summoned up two expert undertakers, explaining them the delicacy of the situation; it was a police case and the father of the girl had already suffered enough.
The undertakers started digging and each hit was a fist in Henrik's chest, he looked up at the sky, to a God he had stopped believing in since his life had been destroyed.
David stood under the tent with his assistant, observing the hole that it was forming.
He remembered his mother's tale about the grave of his uncle and aunt, down there in Argentina, before his family left their homeland for ever.
His relatives had been found in a quite deserted area, just a stone placed by someone who wanted them to be found, later, was it one of the solders of the firing squad or somebody passing by who saw the scene, marking their eternal rest.
The decision to became a pathologist sprang from his mother's memories, the desire to find justice for the dead.
"We're close." said one of the diggers.
Then a different sound, a hit against wood. Henrik heard it and hid his face in his arm, crying. He wanted to go away, could not bear such a torture, so shortly after Kevin shoot Astrid, wanting to kill her.
The coffin appeared, the men worked faster to free and lift it up.
David looked down, it seemed it was made of some simple plain woods, not a typical funeral house coffin.
Maybe it was just a cover. He prompted the men to go on and asked his assistant to prepare the stroller to take the coffin to the van.
Five minutes after it was completely exposed and David's suspicions increased.
He called Linn under the tent and pointed at the coffin.
"It's strange, too small, too plain."
"What did Wahlberg do? Did he built it by himself?"
"I don't know. Let's see at my office, no words with Henrik for now."
"Cover the coffin so he won't see it."
Half an hour later the coffin was on a metal examination table and David and his team were ready to open it.
Henrik sat on a chair in the farther corner, he had remained in silence during the travel in Linn's car. She saw him crying and decided not to disturb him.
David took photos while his assistant forced the upper side open; as a pathologist, he was prepared for a gory scene, but nothing was comparable to what he found.
There wasn't another coffin inside, nor a burned or dismembered body.
Instead, heavy stones and bones he was sure weren't human.
David nearly let the camera fell on the floor for the shock.
"It's not a human body. Linn, Henrik, come here!"
Henrik heard his name; at first he thought David was calling him to see the remains of Anna and he couldn't force himself to look.
Then Linn called him again, a strong emotion in her voice
"It's not Anna! Come and see."
Hentrik stood up, shaking, confusion in his head, his heart exploding in his chest; he had to lean on the closest desk not to fall.
David went to him and put a hand on his arm, a support, a friendly touch.
"Stones and animal bones, I'm sure it is not a little girl."