The Scent of Almonds: A Novella Read Online Free PDF Page B

Old secrets had begun to stir, like a monster lurking below the surface.
    The next day the storm was still raging. Börje and Kerstin had made a valiant attempt to clear a path at the front entrance, but the snowfall was so heavy that by now the drifts reached almost to the window ledges on the ground floor. If the storm continued like this for another twenty-four hours, they would soon be completely snowed in.
    It was a subdued group that appeared for breakfast. Everyone found it unnerving to sit down at the same table where they’d all gathered the night before. Yet no one had offered any protests when their hosts asked if it would be all right to serve breakfast in the dining room. Once again there was an abundance of food. Boiled eggs, three kinds of cheese, ham, salami, bacon and bread fresh from the oven. But most of the family members hardly touched their food. Only Harald and Bernard ate heartily. Apparently they weren’t going to let a murder ruin their appetite.
    ‘Did you sleep well?’ Britten asked everyone in an attempt to start a conversation, but aside from a few murmurs no one replied.
    ‘Such comfortable beds,’ she told Kerstin, who was walking around the table to serve the coffee.
    Kerstin nodded and smiled. ‘I hope you weren’t cold. Let me know if you are, and I’ll bring you some extra blankets.’
    ‘No, it was fine. Perfect.’ Britten looked around to see if anyone else would care to comment, but they were all staring down at their plates.
    Martin couldn’t bear the oppressive mood a second longer. He said brusquely, ‘I’d like to continue with the interviews as soon as you’ve finished breakfast. Gustav, could you join me in the office in …’ Martin glanced at his watch. ‘Let’s say ten minutes?’
    ‘Certainly,’ said Gustav. He and Vivi exchanged a glance that was difficult to interpret. ‘Of course. I’ll be there in ten minutes. So I’m next in line, is that right?’ He uttered a brief laugh that bordered on falsetto. No one else laughed.
    ‘Thanks. That would be great,’ Martin said as he stood up. In truth there was nothing he had to prepare that required an extra ten minutes, but he wanted to retreat to the peace and quiet of the office to gather his thoughts.
    Precisely ten minutes later Gustav Liljecrona entered the room. Once again Martin was struck by how different the two brothers were. Harald was a tall, broad-shouldered, and loud man with a bushy mane of hair. His younger brother was short and wiry with sloping shoulders. And whatever hair he’d once had was now a distant memory.
    ‘So, here I am,’ Gustav said as he sat down. Martin’s response was to launch into his first question.
    ‘How would you describe your relationship with your father?’
    Gustav flinched and seemed to have a hard time deciding where to look. Finally he fixed his eyes on the desk as he stammered: ‘Well, er, um. What should I say? It was like most father–son relationships. In other words, occasionally it could get a bit complicated.’ He laughed nervously.
    ‘A bit complicated?’ Martin paged through his notes to find what he’d written about his interview with Harald. Then he went on. ‘From what I understand, both you and your brother had a very complicated relationship with Ruben. But the same might be said of the interaction between you and Harald. It seems to be rather problematic.’
    Gustav gave another nervous laugh. He still hadn’t looked Martin in the eye. He kept his gaze steadfastly fixed on the desk.
    ‘It’s not always easy being a member of this family. To say that Father had high expectations would be an understatement.’
    ‘I’ve heard that his intention in putting you and your brother in management positions at the family business was to bring you closer together. Is that right?’
    Gustav’s only reply was a disdainful snort.
    ‘From what I can gather, things didn’t work out too well,’ Martin persisted.
    ‘No, they didn’t.’ Gustav