The Girl in the Fog by Donato Carrisi

Author:Donato Carrisi [Carrisi, Donato]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780349142616
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Published: 2017-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

5 January

Thirteen days after the disappearance

The yellow light of dusk formed a kind of blue aura around the contours of the mountains.

Martini was driving along the main road in the four-by-four, his wife beside him. The heating was on and rumbled a little, but the car was pleasantly warm. Clea had stopped talking some minutes earlier and seemed to be enjoying the lethargy of this relaxed atmosphere. Every now and again, Martini would turn to her and she would respond to his gaze with a smile. ‘That was a good idea of yours,’ she said. ‘We hadn’t been to the lake in ages.’

‘Not since last summer,’ he replied. ‘But I think it’s lovelier in winter.’

‘I agree.’

They had spent the entire day by a lake located high in the mountains. To reach it, you had to hike for a couple of hours. It wasn’t a difficult route, unlike those he usually took. Clea wasn’t used to hiking, which was why he had chosen that itinerary. In the woods, little rivers and streams intersected with the path, which was cleared frequently to allow hikers to reach their goal. The unusual absence of snow in the region made the climb easier. The reward, once you got to the top, was the view of a small valley surrounded by rocky peaks, not far from a huge glacier. At the foot of this was a very clear stretch of water, its surface sparkling with golden light. All around, a forest of rhododendron trees, whose foliage in summer was bright red. Next to the lake was a mountain hut where you could eat. The menu consisted of only three dishes, all local. Martini and his wife went there for the vegetable soup and black bread in particular. The hours had passed quickly, and by the time they had got back to the car, it was almost dark.

‘What are you thinking?’ Clea asked. It seemed a harmless enough question.

‘Nothing.’ He was sincere. The thoughts that had been disturbing him, even just a day earlier, had all faded, and now he was calm again. But he hadn’t told her about the roadblock, or about the interrogation – if you could call it that – that he had been subjected to.

‘You should cut your hair,’ she said, passing a hand through his layer of chestnut curls.

Martini liked his wife’s little attentions. They made him think she hadn’t given up on him. ‘You’re right, I’ll go to the barber tomorrow.’

They were happy, but also tired. They both looked forward to getting home and having a nice shower. Martini, though, noticed that the fuel gauge had lit up on the dashboard. ‘I have to fill her up.’

‘Can’t you put it off until tomorrow?’ Clea asked. She really didn’t want to stop.

‘Unfortunately not.’

About ten kilometres further on, he spotted a service station. When he turned off the road, though, he realised that it was full of cars and camper vans. Strange – usually this wasn’t a busy area. The missing girl, he thought.

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