there?”
“He’s head of the investigation.”
“The investigation of what?”
“The homicide of the woman.”
Camilla wasn’t listening at all. If this had been in her old days as a journalist, she would have gobbled up every detail, pressing for more.
“Was he doing okay?”
Camilla stood by the window, her back turned, watching the workers load their equipment into their vehicles.
Louise shrugged. “I didn’t ask.”
“You were so stupid to screw that up,” Camilla scolded and turned toward her. “Things could have worked out really well for the two of you.”
Once again she turned her attention to the workers. Louise emptied her glass in one long swallow to avoid having to reply and stood up, annoyed. Camilla was in a whole other world, and she didn’t have the energy to be part of it.
Just then the door opened and Markus walked in, closely followed by two friends. “Mom, can we go to the movies?” he asked. “And can you give us a ride?”
Camilla said a quick hello to her son’s friends and nodded. “As long as you don’t have any homework.”
Only then did Markus notice Louise, and he walked over and gave her a hug. It was quicker than they used to be, she noted, remembering that he would be turning fourteen on his next birthday. So perhaps it wasn’t so strange, especially with his friends watching.
Louise had not seen much of Camilla’s son since he changedschools, and even though Jonas and Markus had been friends since the first grade, and promised each other to keep in touch, Jonas had only been to visit him once. Luckily, Markus appeared to have settled in well in his new class.
“Can you drop me off at the station?” Louise asked. She got out the bag of decorations from the craft store and put it on the table. She had no idea why Camilla wanted to mess around with making the invitations herself when she had the entire bottom floor to remodel.
“Did you make any plans with Mik then?” Camilla asked as they sat in the car, the boys making a racket in the back.
“He was in the middle of a homicide investigation,” Louise repeated. “The woman’s body was still there. To be honest, we didn’t talk much.”
“But now you have a reason to call him,” her friend went on, oblivious to her feelings. “You know, there’s nothing like some good sex to lift your spirits.”
“Please stop,” Louise pleaded, picking up her bag from the floor so she would be ready to jump out in front of the station.
“Take care.”
She gave Camilla a quick peck on the cheek before she got out and waved to the boys from the sidewalk.
W HEN L OUISE GOT home, Jonas was in his room, playing the guitar. She could hear the music through his closed door, and after taking off her shoes and saying hi to Dina she walked over and knocked to let him know that she was home.
“Hey,” he said, looking up.
“Do we know if Melvin’s having dinner with us tonight?” she asked. She hadn’t had a chance to call their downstairs neighbor as she’d said she would. On weekdays they atetogether if neither of them had other plans. The deal was that they would take turns preparing the meal, but in reality Melvin did most of the cooking.
“He’s with Grete. They were going to her friend’s place by the community garden in Dragør. He said we could come along if we want.”
“I really don’t feel like it,” Louise burst out.
Over the past few months Melvin had been seeing Grete Milling quite often. The two of them had met while Louise was investigating the disappearance of Grete’s grown-up daughter in the Costa del Sol. Her daughter had been murdered, but the two retirees had subsequently stayed in touch, and Louise was pleased that they were enjoying each other’s company. It eased her guilty conscience a little on those occasions when she lacked the energy to be social.
“Fine by me,” Jonas said. “I’d rather finish this one anyway so I can put it up on YouTube.”
Her birthday
“He’s head of the investigation.”
“The investigation of what?”
“The homicide of the woman.”
Camilla wasn’t listening at all. If this had been in her old days as a journalist, she would have gobbled up every detail, pressing for more.
“Was he doing okay?”
Camilla stood by the window, her back turned, watching the workers load their equipment into their vehicles.
Louise shrugged. “I didn’t ask.”
“You were so stupid to screw that up,” Camilla scolded and turned toward her. “Things could have worked out really well for the two of you.”
Once again she turned her attention to the workers. Louise emptied her glass in one long swallow to avoid having to reply and stood up, annoyed. Camilla was in a whole other world, and she didn’t have the energy to be part of it.
Just then the door opened and Markus walked in, closely followed by two friends. “Mom, can we go to the movies?” he asked. “And can you give us a ride?”
Camilla said a quick hello to her son’s friends and nodded. “As long as you don’t have any homework.”
Only then did Markus notice Louise, and he walked over and gave her a hug. It was quicker than they used to be, she noted, remembering that he would be turning fourteen on his next birthday. So perhaps it wasn’t so strange, especially with his friends watching.
Louise had not seen much of Camilla’s son since he changedschools, and even though Jonas and Markus had been friends since the first grade, and promised each other to keep in touch, Jonas had only been to visit him once. Luckily, Markus appeared to have settled in well in his new class.
“Can you drop me off at the station?” Louise asked. She got out the bag of decorations from the craft store and put it on the table. She had no idea why Camilla wanted to mess around with making the invitations herself when she had the entire bottom floor to remodel.
“Did you make any plans with Mik then?” Camilla asked as they sat in the car, the boys making a racket in the back.
“He was in the middle of a homicide investigation,” Louise repeated. “The woman’s body was still there. To be honest, we didn’t talk much.”
“But now you have a reason to call him,” her friend went on, oblivious to her feelings. “You know, there’s nothing like some good sex to lift your spirits.”
“Please stop,” Louise pleaded, picking up her bag from the floor so she would be ready to jump out in front of the station.
“Take care.”
She gave Camilla a quick peck on the cheek before she got out and waved to the boys from the sidewalk.
W HEN L OUISE GOT home, Jonas was in his room, playing the guitar. She could hear the music through his closed door, and after taking off her shoes and saying hi to Dina she walked over and knocked to let him know that she was home.
“Hey,” he said, looking up.
“Do we know if Melvin’s having dinner with us tonight?” she asked. She hadn’t had a chance to call their downstairs neighbor as she’d said she would. On weekdays they atetogether if neither of them had other plans. The deal was that they would take turns preparing the meal, but in reality Melvin did most of the cooking.
“He’s with Grete. They were going to her friend’s place by the community garden in Dragør. He said we could come along if we want.”
“I really don’t feel like it,” Louise burst out.
Over the past few months Melvin had been seeing Grete Milling quite often. The two of them had met while Louise was investigating the disappearance of Grete’s grown-up daughter in the Costa del Sol. Her daughter had been murdered, but the two retirees had subsequently stayed in touch, and Louise was pleased that they were enjoying each other’s company. It eased her guilty conscience a little on those occasions when she lacked the energy to be social.
“Fine by me,” Jonas said. “I’d rather finish this one anyway so I can put it up on YouTube.”
Her birthday
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