him would never notice him. Perhaps it was because he was so completely motionless. ‘The police are probably looking for you.’ Thora’s voice was shrill with shock, but she could do nothing about it.
‘We’re all looking for something. I’m also looking – although not for myself.’ The man did not seem to move a muscle. ‘I’m looking for my daughter. The people here moved her and I have to know where she was laid to rest.’
Of everything that had happened in the camp this was the worst thing he could ask about. Thora felt a lump in her throat.
‘I will trade with you. I know that you are looking for someone from here. You will have her in exchange. I know that you moved my daughter. You laid the track. I will trade with you.’ The man seemed serious about this. He moved now, to adjust the rifle he held at his hip. Thora hadn’t noticed it earlier and the weapon made her even more uneasy.
‘Do you have the woman who disappeared from the camp?’ Thora tried to imagine how long it would take the police to appear if she screamed with all her might. ‘Is she alive?’
‘No. Not any more.’ The hunter’s eyes narrowed. ‘Nor is my daughter. So it is a fair trade.’
Thora had to ask about one thing, even though the man had a rifle and help was far away. ‘Did you cut the men up?’
The hunter’s surprise seemed sincere. ‘No. I do not understand what you mean. Will you trade with me or not?’
‘I can’t,’ replied Thora. ‘The police have your daughter’s bones.’ She saw that the man was not pleased with this news. ‘You will get them back, definitely, but it won’t be immediately.’
‘Then when?’ A howl came from somewhere in the distance. First from one dog, but then others joined in. ‘I must have them back.’ Thora tried to think logically. ‘I promise that you will get them back. It’s just not possible right now. The police have the bones because they were found here. Her cairn ended up beneath the track that you mentioned and they had no other choice but to move them. They tried to consult the villagers, and if the villagers had agreed to talk to them the bones would probably have been returned to you.’ She took a deep breath. ‘You’ve got to trust me and return the woman. It means a great deal to us, and she has a husband in Iceland who needs to know what happened.’ She regretted this last statement. If the hunter had murdered the woman, it was ridiculous to talk about finding out what had happened to her. ‘He has the right to stop hoping that she’s still alive.’
‘Hope is often better than certainty.’ The hunter suddenly became alert. He seemed to hear something that escaped Thora’s notice. He looked at her and then nodded. ‘It will be here behind the house in just a short time. Go back in and do not come out again until half an hour from now. Do not go to the police until I am gone, and do not tell them that I was here.’ He saw that Thora was struggling with these conditions. ‘Otherwise it will not happen. And I need to have Usinna’s bones as soon as possible.’
‘Fine. Agreed.’ Thora felt her heart pound in her chest. ‘I’m leaving. I’m leaving now.’
The man nodded again silently and when it looked as if he would say no more she turned on her heel and hurried back into the office building. She stood for a long time in the vestibule and tried to get her bearings. If she told her companions about this, the police would learn of the man’s visit. Matthew was the only one she could trust with it. Her problem was not how to lighten her own burden, but how she could let the police know that Oddny Hildur had been found, and as soon as possible. She couldn’t allow foxes or other creatures to get to the body while she waited for the police to come across it by accident behind the building. They had already combed the whole area around the camp and it was unlikely that they would repeat the search without good reason. She took off her boots and made a decision – but she was not looking forward to it.
‘No coffee?’ Alvar stared at Thora in surprise when she returned to the meeting room.
‘Oh, I decided not to go.’ Thora had forgotten her original errand. ‘I realized I really couldn’t disturb them; they’re probably doing something important and they’d just have been annoyed. It’s not as though they’ve forgotten we’re here, so someone’s bound to come with food and drink for us soon.’ She squeezed out a smile, took a seat next to Matthew – who was still snoring – and tried to act as if everything were normal.
Fri?rikka and Eyjolfur both sat in grim silence as the minutes ticked past. A quarter of an hour later the radiator switched itself on again. Thora jumped slightly in her seat, because she understood what was happening. Fortunately no one seemed to take much notice of her reaction, except for Bella, who raised her eyebrows before continuing with her game of Solitaire. When just over half an hour had passed, Thora acted as if she had heard something unusual. ‘What was that? Did you hear that?’ She looked around, hoping her acting was not as awful as she felt it was.
‘What?’ Eyjolfur was the only one who appeared interested. Alvar had raised his head from his chest but otherwise his curiosity did not appear to be aroused. However, when Eyjolfur stood up, he did the same.
‘It sounded to me as if it came from the corridor or behind the house.’ Thora stood up too. ‘I’m going to go and see.’ She yawned in the hope that her actions would appear more casual than they actually were. She went out into the corridor, followed by Eyjolfur and Alvar. Matthew and Finnbogi slept on, Bella was too preoccupied with her game of Solitaire to bother getting up, and Fri?rikka was still sulking. Thora pretended to look down the corridor in both directions but then walked straight into the open office across from the meeting room. She went to the window and looked out. Now her acting skills would truly be put to the test. Eyjolfur saved her at the last minute when he pushed up next to her to see out.
‘Hey!’ He jumped back from the window. ‘What the fuck…?’
Thora stared in silence at the body of Oddny Hildur, which lay face down in the snow between the office building and the apartments. She was wearing a large, bright yellow coat, with a Russian fur hat and matching boots. ‘Jesus,’ said Thora, her mouth dry. ‘Who is that?’ She looked from the woman to Eyjolfur, who stood by her side, his face pale. ‘Is that Oddny Hildur?’
The young man shook his head. His adult expression was gone, and now he appeared even younger than he actually was. ‘It’s Arnar. What’s going on here?’
Chapter 31
Arnar couldn’t decide whether he should go through with the follow-up treatment or go directly home from Vogur. He didn’t want to do either; there was nothing waiting for him at home and at Sta?arfell Treatment Centre his own wretchedness would constantly be reflected in the other patients. In any case, he knew what went on there and he didn’t feel he needed it. If he remained dry it would be down to his own determination, not to whatever he did there.
‘How are you feeling?’ The therapist had come up behind him without his realizing it. He was too absorbed in his own thoughts. They seemed to be spinning in an endless circle from which it was impossible to break free. ‘It’s time to make the decision we discussed. I don’t want to push you, but you’ll be released shortly and there’s no reason to leave it until the last minute. It’s never a good idea to do it that way.’ The man was kind, he would give him that, but it irritated Arnar that he spoke to him like a child.
‘I know.’ Arnar sat stock-still. He hated wearing dressing gown and pyjamas in the middle of the day, and if he stood up his absurd outfit was even more noticeable. ‘I guess I’ll just go home.’
‘Do you think that’s wise?’ The man smiled warmly at Arnar, who had to look away. ‘Many people think that they can utilize the experience from previous follow-up treatments and skip it, but it rarely works that way.’
An exit from the vicious circle suddenly opened up and Arnar made his choice. ‘I’m going home. That’s my final decision. It’ll be fine.’
The therapist sat down opposite him. He made a point of looking deep into Arnar’s eyes, as if to make contact with his innermost self. ‘A phone call came for you today.’
Arnar’s heart skipped a beat. The man said this so cautiously that it couldn’t be anything good. What had he thought? That none of this would come to the surface and that life would continue on its merry way? Arnar blinked as he regained his composure, then stared back at the therapist as if he had just got something in his eye. ‘And?’
