‘Could you please explain to me what it is that you like so much about him?’
To be fair, the question was not strictly related to the murder case, but I was increasingly curious about the phenomenon Kristian Lund and was still struggling to understand the various people involved in the case. Sara Sundqvist had definitely opened the way for heartfelt confidences now and carried on with enthusiasm.
‘He is everything that I have ever dreamed of in a man. There is the physical aspect, obviously. I have always been attracted to blond men of my height, and he has just the right physique and is so elegant. So I thought he was the most handsome man I had ever seen the first time I saw him. But I still would not have fallen for him if he had not also proved to be the nicest man in the world. He is intelligent, hardworking and kind. The fact that he has a wife and son in a way makes him even more reliable and trustworthy. He is the first person that I feel has truly understood me. Of course, we are very different in many ways, but we still understand each other so well. Probably due to our similar backgrounds from the war, I think. He has grown up without a father, and I have grown up without either of my parents.’
I understood what she meant. I actually felt my sympathies torn between the mistress and the wife living as they did, side by side on the first floor of 25 Krebs’ Street. The latter appeared to have few admirers here, other than her young son. The same was apparently true of the next person I was going to visit.
As I walked down the stairs, I pondered whether the ever more mysterious Sara Sundqvist had been aware of the fact that I too was a blond and well-built man of about her height.
It took about ninety seconds from the time that I rang the bell at 1B until the door was opened. And I was soon to discover why. If the former member of the NS Konrad Jensen had been disillusioned and morose when I first visited him, he was now fearful, if not terrified. To begin with, he only opened the door a crack to ask who it was, and on hearing my voice, it took another whole minute before two scared eyes appeared. He rushed to lock the door behind me, putting on the safety chain before following me into the sitting room. Here he sank down heavily onto the sofa and hid his face in his hands.
‘Did you see Petter?’ he asked suddenly, in a choked voice.
I shook my head, having no idea what he meant. Konrad Jensen took his hands from his face, but stared blindly into space before continuing.