to. They are worn out now. As is Iver. Nora, however, looks anything but.
‘What did you think?’ she says, beaming.
Iver hesitates. ‘It wasn’t bad.’
‘Not bad? It was absolutely-’
Nora lifts her head towards the dull evening sky while she searches for the right word.
‘Magical,’ she exclaims, enthralled, and looks expectantly at him. Iver doesn’t reply, he sees no need to ruin her experience. Then he takes her hand and says, ‘I’m glad that you liked it.’
Nora smiles and weaves her fingers into his.
‘Are you hungry?’ he continues.
‘More nauseous. I ate far too much popcorn.’
‘A proper meal will soon fix that-’
Iver is interrupted by his mobile ringing. He takes it out and looks at the display. He lets go of Nora’s hand. ‘It’s Henning,’ he says, and looks at her.
She takes one step away from him.
‘Hi, Henning,’ Iver says.
‘Did you enjoy the film?’
‘Eh?’
‘There aren’t many places where people turn off their mobiles these days so I assume that you’ve been to the cinema. Am I right?’
Iver is silent for a few seconds. Then he says, ‘It wasn’t too bad.’
Iver glances at Nora who doesn’t look back at him. Henning spends the next minutes telling him what he has found out about Thorleif Brenden, his behaviour at home, the drawing he left under Elisabeth Haaland’s pillow and the man Brenden referred to as Furio.
‘Wow,’ Iver says when Henning has finished. ‘I’m impressed.’
‘If you’re still planning to visit Asgard later, then ask if they know a hit man or enforcer who is tall as a tree and thin as beanpole and looks a little bit like Furio.’
‘Do you really think anyone will tell me that?’
‘No, but you can probably think of a slightly more elegant phrasing than I can.’
A short distance in front of him Nora is studying a shop window. ‘I spoke to TV2 earlier today,’ Iver says.
‘What did they say?’
‘That Brenden had been acting very strangely in the past couple of days. Guri Palme thought it was because he had been ill — he threw up outside the prison after Pulli’s death. And the footage he shot was completely out of focus as if he wasn’t paying attention at all while he was filming.’
‘That’s probably true if his mind was on other things.’
‘Brenden is one of their best cameramen, according to Guri. They’re very worried about him.’
‘I could include that quote in my story, and I’ll run it with a double by-line. Have fun at M.’
‘Eh?’
‘Cafe M. That’s where you’re going, isn’t it? You should try the halibut if they still serve it. It’s delicious. Grilled with some sort of apple.’
‘We’re not-’
‘Catch you later.’
Iver has no time to reply before Henning hangs up. He sighs and looks at his mobile as if it could explain to him how Henning knew where they were going.
No. Just no.
He takes hold of Nora, but this time he doesn’t seek out her fingers.
‘Listen,’ he says, while they wait for the lights at Majorstua junction to turn green. ‘Why don’t we go somewhere else for dinner?’
Chapter 71
A smiling green and red painted troll is holding up a sign outside the entrance to Ustaoset Mountain Hotel. This time, fortunately, the door is open.
Tentatively, Thorleif walks across the grey slate floor in the reception area where a white fireplace dominates the lobby. To his left, black leather chairs have been arranged around an oval coffee table. Further in, past a wall that sticks out into the long corridor, there is a sign for the Usta Restaurant.
The woman behind the reception counter is talking on the telephone. She looks up at him and smiles warmly. Her dark brown hair is tied back in a ponytail. Her lipstick is bright red and her skin lightly tanned. Around her neck, just above the white blouse, is a pendant with half a heart.
Thorleif takes a step forwards when she hangs up.
‘Hello,’ she smiles. ‘How can I help you?’
‘I was wondering if you have Internet access here?’
‘Indeed we do. We have wireless Internet in the whole lobby area. Guests or anyone else can connect. The network is free and you don’t need a password.’
‘Ah,’ Thorleif says, grateful for anything that will save him money. The woman serves up her best service smile. He looks around again. ‘Is there a computer I can borrow?’
‘No, unfortunately. We don’t offer that. But if you have WiFi on your mobile then you can use that.’
‘I don’t have a mobile, either,’ Thorleif says and shakes his head. ‘Is there a telephone here I could use? I’ll obviously pay the cost of the call and-’
‘I’m sorry, I — we — we don’t have that, either.’
Thorleif looks down. A torturous silence fills the room.
‘Are you a guest here?’ she asks.
Thorleif looks at the wall further away where notices and posters have been put up at random.
‘No. I live… in a cabin further up the mountains.’
‘And you didn’t bring your computer or your mobile?’
‘No.’
Another silence. What does he do now? Go to the nearest library?
‘You could borrow my laptop if you want.’
Thorleif looks back at her, sees that she is holding up a laptop bag and smiling at him again.
‘I always bring my laptop to work. At this time of the year there isn’t much to do in the evenings.’
‘Really? You would lend me your laptop?’
‘As long as you sit where I can see you, so that… ’ she smiles and points to the black leather chairs next to the fireplace.
‘You never can tell, isn’t that right?’
‘Absolutely,’ Thorleif says, drawn to her warm smile. ‘Thank you so much. You’ve no idea how grateful I am-’
He stops and looks at her.
‘I can see it in your face,’ she replies.
‘Can you?’
She nods eagerly. ‘I’m a writer, you see. Or… at least I’m trying to become a writer. That’s why I always bring my laptop to work in case I have some spare time, and then I can write. And I’m used to studying faces. But please don’t tell my boss. He’s in my book, you see.’
She giggles. Thorleif smiles but feels his smile freeze instantly. The thought that this helpful woman has memorised his face hits him like a punch to the stomach. He takes the bag as she lifts it over the counter and tries to look appreciative.
‘I’ve always wanted to write a book,’ he says, mostly to say something.
‘What a coincidence.’
