Wild Shores by Maria Adolfsson

Author:Maria Adolfsson [Adolfsson, Maria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bonnier Publishing Fiction
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

38

Just like last time, Karen finds Jens Groth behind the cluttered desk in his office at the back of the distillery’s warehouse. His wife Sandra is, as Laura Groth informed her, in bed with a high fever. The locum provincial doctor has strongly discouraged but not explicitly forbidden Karen from talking to her, not so much out of concern for Sandra as the risk of contagion.

‘Some of the other guests are likely to start experiencing symptoms in the next twenty-four hours,’ he’d told her, adding, ‘Keep your distance and wash your hands,’ before snapping his black doctor’s bag shut and departing.

Now, Karen studies the tumbler on Jens Groth’s desk and ponders whether sampling is part of his job description or a sign that he needed something to calm his nerves. And, for a moment, she wonders whether it’s the alcohol or a nascent flu infection that’s making Jens’ eyes look slightly glassy in the light of the desk lamp.

At least he seems sober enough to give a statement, she concludes ten minutes later. By and large, Jens Groth confirms his parents’ account: there are a lot of exciting changes in the works for the company and the family wanted to throw their employees and their partners a big party. No, not entirely selflessly: because many among the staff will be asked to take on more duties, it was deemed important to ‘get everyone on board’ and the thinking had been that ‘a bit of lubrication tastes more than it costs’, as Jens Groth put it.

‘Our employees are our most precious resource,’ he adds and Karen resists an urge to roll her eyes.

After patiently listening to this and various other nuggets of wisdom, she steers the conversation to the ‘resource’ that has just been lost.

‘I’ve been told you and Gabriel Stuub got into a fight at the party. Is that correct?’

‘Yes, he was absolutely shitfaced and determined to ruin the mood. Bergvall and I had to physically stop him from getting at the fireworks.’

‘How physically?’ she asks.

Jens Groth shoots her an annoyed look.

‘We each grabbed an arm and pulled him back. Tried to talk some sense into him at first, but that was completely pointless. He got angry and shouted a bunch of nonsense. In the end, Bergvall had had enough. He dragged Gabriel away, gave him a shove and told him to fuck off until he’d sobered up.’

‘And you didn’t give him a hand with any of that?’

‘I would have loved to, but as a co-owner, I can’t afford the luxury of telling people to go fuck themselves. Not even when it’s called for.’

‘What time was this?’

‘Quarter, maybe twenty to twelve. Bergvall and I had gone down to set up the fireworks and, after a while, Gabriel came out and started making trouble.’

‘And when was the next time you saw him after that?’

‘I didn’t. Well, not until this morning when one of the cleaners came running, screaming that we had to come with her. We had just sat down for

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