The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jonasson

Author:Ragnar Jonasson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

VII

Una had no idea where the evening might lead, but she wasn’t getting her hopes up for anything other than some much-needed company.

She and Thór had taken a seat in the sitting room downstairs, among the old books and antique furniture. The chandelier threw a soft illumination over the scene, and Una had lit some candles as well. She didn’t feel guilty about making herself at home down there since she knew Salka wouldn’t be back any time soon and there was no need for her ever to know about Thór’s visit.

‘It’s terrible news about Edda,’ Thór said, once they were seated a polite distance apart on the sofa. The bottle of red he had brought with him was open on the coffee table and they had filled two of Salka’s special crystal glasses. It had felt a shame not to use them, seeing as it was Christmas.

Una had laid the table too, helping herself to the contents of Salka’s cupboards and taking out the best seagull china. The ptarmigan looked delicious and seemed very generous for leftovers. Clearly, Hjördís and Thór had done themselves proud.

‘Yes, it still hasn’t sunk in,’ Una replied. ‘And no one seems to have any idea what was wrong with her.’

‘No, so I heard. You must have been quite close to her after teaching her and living in the same house all these months?’

‘Yes, quite close, though it takes a bit longer to really get to know your pupils, even when there are only two of them.’ Una smiled dully. ‘She was a very open-hearted, lively little thing. Talented too.’

‘Unlike Kolbrún, I imagine,’ Thór remarked drily.

Una hesitated, reluctant to speak ill of a pupil. Choosing her words carefully, she replied: ‘She’s, well, a bit more reserved, a different type altogether. I have to admit I don’t feel I know her at all, despite having taught her all autumn.’ After a pause, she asked: ‘Do you … do you think Salka will come back?’

Thór pondered a moment. ‘I’m not sure, to be honest. She’d only moved here fairly recently, but on the other hand the village seems to exert a strong pull on people, and those with roots here stick together and look out for one another.’ There was a faraway look in his eyes. ‘It’s almost like they don’t let people leave, if you know what I mean?’

Una understood all right. Her thoughts immediately flew to Gunnar and Gudrún. It was obvious that Gudrún would have liked to live somewhere else but that Gunnar wouldn’t hear of it. And then there were Kolbeinn and Inga, always on the point of leaving, of starting a new life somewhere else, but would they ever actually do it? Eventually Una nodded. ‘That just leaves us two, as the guests in the village.’ She smiled and raised her eyes to his. ‘The migrant workers.’

He looked away. ‘I expect I’ll be here longer than you,’ he said. ‘I don’t really have anywhere else to go.’

‘Oh, come on, you could work anywhere …’ She broke off.

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