The House That Jack Built by Jakob Melander Page A

the concept behind the kind of shoes Italian women wore. Most of them looked like something from an adult movie. But he didn’t get a chance to respond.
    â€œI want to talk about Maria,” Elena continued. She paused briefly, her dark eyes wandering.
    â€œElena —” he started, reaching out for her. She stepped back, turned, and began to rearrange the merchandise with quick, focused movements.
    â€œI think that’s enough of that. We’ve been through it all before.” Her hoarse voice began as a whisper but ended with a firm and authoritative tone.
    He observed the lines on her slender neck, the large, gold earrings. A heavy lump sunk slowly down his throat, continued past his lungs and entrails, to finally settle in his groin.
    â€œI don’t want to argue with you,” he finally said. “If —”
    â€œLars.” She turned around. A grey pallor had settled on her face. “We need to think of Maria now. She needs us, needs you.”
    The abrupt movements of her slender hands followed the rhythm of the sentences. Light brown skin with the beginnings of fine wrinkles. Even her hands were beautiful. They looked like —
    Then came the longing, that sinking feeling in his body that never hit bottom. How long had it been since he had seen Maria? One month? Two? He couldn’t remember anymore.
    â€œIs something wrong?” he managed to ask. His voice sounded wooden, hollow.
    Elena ran her finger along a shelf, checking for dust. Then she looked directly at him.
    â€œShe’s angry with you — no, not angry, furious.” The corners of her mouth were twitching. She cocked her head slightly. “How could you be so stupid and just take off?” she whispered. “She needs you. More than you can imagine.”
    The air was quivering in the small store. Lars was about to reply when the bell rang and two women in their twenties stepped in, weighed down with bags from the nearby boutiques, Free Lance and Stig P.
    â€œWhat about school?” he asked.
    Elena went behind the counter and followed the two women with her eyes. She held her left forearm against her stomach, resting her right elbow in her left hand while she toyed with her earring. His gaze moved down to her breasts.
    â€œShe’s moved over to ØregÃ¥rd.”
    He looked up again, hoping she hadn’t noticed anything.
    â€œShe doesn’t talk about anything,” said Elena. “She just sits in her room with her homework. She sees only a couple of kids from her old high school.”
    â€œThat’s how teenagers are. And Simon?”
    Elena bit her lip. “I think she broke up with him.”
    â€œWell, it’s great that she’s keeping in touch with her old friends.” He moved around the counter, made sure it was between them.
    Elena nodded, staring absently at the two customers.
    â€œExcuse me.” One of them turned to Elena, held up something that looked more like a spectacle than a shoe. “Do you have this in an eight and a half?”
    Lars was about to say something but Elena interrupted him.
    â€œYes, one moment and I’ll have a look.” She turned to Lars. “That’s all I wanted to say.” She was already on her way to the storeroom. “And stop burying yourself in your work.”
    He whispered something; he hardly knew himself what he said.
    â€œI know what you guys are like,” Elena answered. Then she was gone.
    Lars was standing outside the shop on Ny Østergade. He didn’t know what he had expected of his meeting with his ex-wife; he only knew that nothing was as it should be. Apart from Maria — he would see Maria today.

Chapter 12
    â€œW hat the hell did you do to him?” The doctor snapped his bag shut. Meriton Bukoshi had submitted to the doctor’s treatment without batting an eyelid. “I ought to report this.”
    Allan pulled the doctor aside, describing the arrest to him,