Once the children were asleep Thorleif considered going out to look for her to reassure himself that she was still in one piece, but he decided against it. If they found out it would only make matters worse. And where would he look? Elisabeth never told him where she was going. She could be anywhere in Oslo.
Thorleif looks at his watch again. I have to do something, he thinks. What if something has happened to her on her way back? What if they have talked to her, threatened her even?
Downstairs, the front door slams. Thank God, he thinks. It has to be her. The sound of footsteps gets louder. On the other side of the door Thorleif hears the familiar jingling of keys. He opens the door and grabs her shoulders.
‘Oh!’ Elisabeth exclaims. ‘You frightened me.’
Her breath is saturated with alcohol.
‘Has it never crossed your mind that people might need to get hold of you when you’re out?’
Elisabeth is about to step inside the flat, but she stops. ‘Eh?’ she says, looking vague. ‘Did you try to call me?’
‘Yes, I tried calling you! Several times. Didn’t you check?’
‘No, I-’
Thorleif huffs and marches angrily into the kitchen.
‘And hello to you, too,’ she says and closes the door behind her. Thorleif turns on the tap.
‘Was it something important?’ she asks as she kicks off her shoes.
Thorleif fills his glass with water.
‘What’s happened? Is everything all right?’
‘No, everything is not all right!’ he shouts when he has swallowed a mouthful.
‘Well, go on then. What is it?’ she says, following him into the kitchen. ‘Has something happened to the kids?’
‘No, they’re-’
Thorleif wipes his mouth and turns away, unable to look her in the eye.
‘Well, tell me then. What’s happened?’
Thorleif hesitates for a long time. ‘Nothing,’ he says at last. ‘Only I got… scared.’
‘Scared? Why?’
He shakes his head. ‘Oh, forget it. I just think you should pick up when I call or text you.’
‘But, Thorleif,’ she says and mimics Julie’s voice as she takes a step closer. ‘I like having fun, Daddy. Don’t you understand?’
‘Yes, but-’
‘I need a bit of space from time to time, too.’
‘I know, but our life and what we have together — it’s… it’s-’ He shakes his head. ‘There are times when I need to tell you something important or I need a quick answer and then it’s bloody irritating that you don’t pick up!’
‘I know. I’m not very good at it.’
‘No.’
‘I’ll try harder. Okay?’
She takes another step towards him. Her eyes are inviting. Thorleif looks at her with reawakened tenderness. He pulls her close and holds her tight for a while.
‘Did you have a good time?’ he says, pushing her away from him.
‘It was great. But I think I might have had too much to drink,’ she says, taking the water glass from his hands.
‘Yes, I can smell it,’ Thorleif says, waving his hand under his nose. He grows serious again, desperate to ask if she noticed anything suspicious or anyone watching them, but he drops it. Instead he looks at Elisabeth gulping water and gasping for air when she has emptied the glass.
‘Poor Hilde,’ she says when she has got her breath back. ‘She was rather embarrassing. She doesn’t get out much these days. And there was this guy who… well, I don’t know-’
Thorleif looks straight at her.
‘I think he fancied one of us. He bought us all a round. Several rounds.’
‘Did he?’
‘I’m sure I’ll pay for it in the morning,’ she says and rolls her eyes.
‘What did he look like?’
‘Eh?’
‘The guy who was buying the drinks? What did he look like?’
‘I can’t really remember. Why do you want to know?’
‘Well, I-’ Thorleif evades her eyes.
‘Calm down, it wasn’t me he was interested in. Chance would be a fine thing.’
‘Hey, hey, don’t talk about yourself like that. I won’t have it.’
Elisabeth smiles through swimming eyes.
‘Did he speak Norwegian?’
‘ Did he speak Norwegian? Why do you keep asking me that?’
‘I don’t think I do.’
‘Yes, you do. Earlier tonight you asked if that journalist from Aftenposten spoke Norwegian. Have you gone mad? Why do you keep asking me if everyone I meet speaks Norwegian?’
‘I-’ He looks down.
‘I don’t think he said anything, so I don’t know. He just sat there, smiling and looking at us, nodding and raising his glass. That’s all I remember. Oh, hang on. He was slightly chubby. Balding. He looked like he thought he could pull, if you know what I mean. Fancied himself. But relax — he’s not my type.’
Elisabeth glances at him and smiles. Thorleif looks at her dark hair which falls loosely over her shoulders when she doesn’t put it up. At her tempting mouth.
‘Seriously,’ he says, pulling her close again. ‘You mustn’t ever say such negative things about yourself. Do you hear?’
Elisabeth closes her eyes and smiles.
‘You’re the best, the most wonderful woman in the whole world,’ he whispers to her.
She opens her eyes again and kisses him on the lips. Her lips taste of stale alcohol. But it doesn’t matter.
‘Thank you,’ she says, tenderly.
Thorleif swallows to make the lump in his throat go away. And he realises as he looks deep into her eyes even though it’s late and they are tired, that his girlfriend has never been lovelier.
Chapter 34
The morning meeting has already begun when Henning rushes into the meeting room on the ground floor. News editor Kare Hjeltland is sitting at the end of the table with Heidi Kjus diagonally opposite him.
‘Hi Henning,’ Hjeltland shouts as Henning arrives. ‘Good to see you. Climb on board, climb on board.’
‘Sorry, I’m late,’ he says. ‘Something… something came up.’
‘Not to worry, not to worry.’
Heidi glares at him as he sits down. Henning spent some time earlier this morning looking for old telephone records because Telenor only stores files online for three months, but he found nothing. Nor would the Data Retention Directive have been much use since he is looking for information that is more than a year old.
‘We were just discussing today’s stories, stories, stories,’ Hjeltland shouts as a twitch takes control of his face. Henning has never got used to the news editor’s Tourette’s. The fact that his hair stands out on all sides does little to lessen Hjeltland’s comical appearance.
‘Have you got something you want to add?’ he yells, looking at Henning.
Henning clears his throat, aware that everyone’s eyes are on him.
