The Mountain Shadow

‘She can stay at my place,’ Vinson said quickly.

Everyone looked at Vinson.

‘It’s . . . it’s a big place, my place,’ Vinson stammered, looking from one to another of us. ‘There’s plenty of room. And I have a live-in servant. She’ll take good care of her. That is . . . if . . . if she wants to come to my place.’

Lightning Dilip turned to me.

‘Who the fuck is this idiot?’ he asked in Hindi.

‘This is Mr Vinson,’ I said.

‘I’m Stuart Vinson,’ he said. ‘I was here, like, ten minutes ago.’

‘Shut up,’ Lightning said.

‘We’d like to escort Miss Larsen home, Lightning-ji,’ I said. ‘That is, if she’s free to leave.’

‘Free,’ Dilip repeated, drawing out the word. ‘It’s such a little word, but with so many conditions attached to it.’

‘I’d be happy to meet those conditions,’ I said, ‘depending, of course, on just how many conditions there are, and how firmly they’re attached.’

‘I can think of at least ten conditions,’ Lightning said, a sly grin sliding off the edge of his irritability.

I counted out ten thousand rupees, and put the money on the desk. As I slid it across, he reached out to cover my hand in both of his.

‘What interest does the Sanjay Company have in this girl?’

‘This isn’t Sanjay Company business. This is personal. She’s a friend.’

Still holding my hand against the desk, he glanced at the girl, looking her up and down.

‘Ah, of course,’ he said, his lips twitching around an oily grin.

‘Wait a minute –’ Vinson began, but I cut him off, pulling my hand free.

‘Mister Vinson would like to thank you, Lightning-ji, for your kind and compassionate understanding.’

‘Always happy to help,’ Dilip snarled. ‘The girl must be back here in two days, to sign the papers.’

‘What papers?’ Vinson demanded.

Dilip looked at him. I knew the look: he was thinking about which part of Vinson’s body he would start kicking, after he had his men chain him to a gate.

‘She’ll be here, Sergeant-ji,’ I said. ‘And exactly what papers will she be required to sign?’

‘The transfer of the body,’ Dilip replied, picking up a file from his desk. ‘The body of the unfortunate young man goes back to Norway, in three days. But she must sign the forms in two days. Now get out of here, before I start adding more conditions to her release.’

I held my hand out to the girl. She took it, stood up, and walked a few steps. She was unsteady on her feet. As she neared Vinson she stumbled, and he reached out to put an arm around her shoulder.

Vinson walked her to the street, helped her into the back seat of his car, and climbed in beside her. The driver started the engine, but I leaned against the open window.

‘What happened, Rannveig, like the thing at the airport?’ I asked her.

‘What?’

‘Your boyfriend. What happened?’

‘You don’t have to worry about me,’ she said abstractedly. ‘I’m okay. I’m okay.’

‘Right now, I’m worried about him,’ I said, nodding toward Vinson. ‘And if I’m gonna go back in there and deal with that cop, I need to know what happened.’

‘I . . . I wasn’t,’ she began, staring at the cloth bag cradled in her lap.

I guessed that it held everything she owned.

‘Tell me.’

‘He . . . he couldn’t stop. And things got crazier and crazier. Then, just yesterday, just last night, I told him I was leaving him, and going back to Oslo. But he begged me to stay one more night. Just one more night. And . . . and then . . . He did it on purpose. I saw it in his face. He did it on purpose. I can’t go back home. I can’t see anyone from there.’

The fierce, electric blue of her eyes glazed over, and she slithered into an exhausted silence. I knew the look: staring at the dead. She was staring at the face of her dead boyfriend.

‘Have you got anyone in Bombay?’ I asked.

She shook her head slowly.

‘Do you want your consulate involved?’

She shook her head more quickly.

‘Why not?’ I asked.

‘I told you. I can’t face anyone now.’

‘She’s beat,’ Vinson said softly. ‘I’ll take her home. She’ll be safe with me, until she decides what she wants to do.’

‘Okay. Okay. I’ll talk to Lightning Dilip.’

‘You have to do more?’ Vinson asked. ‘I thought that was it.’

‘He didn’t give back her passport. He’s holding out for more money, but he didn’t want to go into that. Not with you in the office. I’ll handle it.’

‘Thanks, man,’ Vinson nodded. ‘I’ll make sure she gets back to sign the forms. Hey, let me give you that money!’

‘It’s only cool to hand over money inside a police station, Vinson, not outside. We’ll settle it later. If I get the passport back, I’ll leave it with Didier, at Leo’s.’

Vinson turned to the girl, speaking to her softly.

‘You’ll be okay. My maid will look after you. She’s tough, but she’s all bark and no bite. A hot bath, some fresh, clean clothes, something to eat, and some sleep. You’ll be fine. I promise.’

He gave instructions to his driver, and the car moved off. The girl turned quickly, found me on the street, and mouthed something at me. I couldn’t understand what she was trying to say. I watched the car until it disappeared, and then went back to talk with Lightning Dilip.