Burned

That moment, it starts to rain. The heavens open completely. Henning and Anette rush to the lobby. They aren’t the only ones to seek shelter there, a bottleneck is created, but it lasts less than a minute, then everyone is inside.

People smile at each other while they shake off the water. Anette runs her fingers through her wet hair. They find themselves by the reception counter. Dreadlocks is there today, but there is no sign of his girlfriend. Dreadlocks meets Henning’s eyes and they nod to each other.

‘Have you seen Yngve today?’ Henning asks Anette in a low voice. She shakes her head and replies ‘no’ at the same time. She is about to say something else.

‘It’s his day off today.’

They turn around and look at Dreadlocks.

‘Yngve and his wife have both taken today off,’ he says and holds up his hands. ‘Sorry, I overheard you. I didn’t mean to. Yngve called in this morning, he wanted to speak to the Principal, but he wasn’t in, so I took a message. He said that neither he nor his wife would be coming to work.’

‘That’s weird,’ Anette says. ‘I was due to meet him today. Did he say why?’

Henning is on the verge of saying that their son has died, but remembers at the last moment that the death isn’t public knowledge yet.

‘He said something about going on a trip,’ Dreadlocks replies.

‘A trip?’

‘Yes. A camping trip, I think he said.’

‘Camping?’

Henning is aware that he is nearly shouting.

‘Yes.’

His stomach lurches. The usual thing would be to tell the truth, that their son has died and they are taking some time off. Everyone would understand. So why say they are going camping?

‘Why did he tell you that?’

‘I just thought he wanted me to know. In case someone asked after him or them. I don’t know. He sounded — how can I put it — a bit agitated. Or manic, I’m not really sure.’

‘How? What do you mean?’

‘If I didn’t know him, I would have said that he was high. He spoke faster than he normally does.’

‘Did he say where they were going?’

‘No. Only that they were going camping. I did think it sounded weird, I’ve never really seen Yngve as one of those, you know, the outdoor type. But I thought — why not — camping is cool, so — ’

He holds up his hands.

‘When was this?’

‘Just after eight o’clock this morning, I think. I can’t be sure. I hadn’t had my first coffee yet.’

‘Sod it,’ Henning mutters to himself, but Anette hears him.

‘What is it?’

He shakes his head and whispers to her so that Dreadlocks can’t hear.

‘The police are looking for them, but no one knows where they are.’

‘Why? Do you think that they — ’

He gives her a sharp look. She understands him instantly, moves closer and whispers:

‘Are you saying that they know that Stefan killed Henriette?’

He knows what he wants to say, but he shakes his head.

‘I don’t know.’

‘And now they’ve gone? Disappeared?’

‘It looks like it.’

They stand for a while without saying anything. Then it dawns on him. He turns to Dreadlocks again.

‘Do you know if the tent on Ekeberg Common is still there?’

‘The tent for the filming? Yes. The police finished with it yesterday, they said they had taken all the pictures and gathered all the evidence they needed. They called to say we could pick it up.’

That’s where they must be. Henning looks out of the window. The rain will soak him. And a minicab is out of the question. He lifts up his helmet.

‘Do you want me to drive?’

He looks at Anette, surprised. ‘You have a car?’

‘Yes. Why shouldn’t I have?’

He thinks no, why shouldn’t she?

‘Don’t you have a lecture or something?’

‘Like I said, I was due to meet with Yngve, but as he’s not here, then — ’

She throws up her hands. ‘And if he’s somewhere else, and you know where and why, I’m happy to provide transport. It’s no big deal. I can give you a lift up there.’

The prospect is too tantalising for him to resist it.

‘Is your car close by?’

‘It’s just over there,’ she says, pointing over his head.

‘Okay. Let’s go.’

Chapter 63

They manage to get soaked to the skin in the short distance from the lobby to the car park. Anette opens the door on the driver’s side first, gets in, and unlocks the passenger door for him. He climbs inside a small dark blue Polo, which appears to be in good nick, even though it must be at least fifteen years old. The car is remarkably free from smells, given that it is a woman’s car, but something tells him that Anette doesn’t care much for perfume.

She starts the car, turns the wipers to maximum speed and reverses out. She is about to put the car in gear, when she stops and looks at him. The sound of the wipers brushing back and forth mixes with protests from the engine that has yet to warm up.

‘What’s going on?’ she says. Henning groans. I can’t tell her about Stefan, he thinks. It’s not up to him to give out that sort of information.

‘I need to speak to the Foldviks.’

‘Both of them?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why? Does it have anything to do with Stefan? Or Henriette?’

He nods. ‘But I don’t know what. Or how.’