The Writing on the Wall Read Online Free PDF

think so.’
    ‘If you went for a Coke, where might that have been?’
    ‘I don’t know … Burger King … Or some other snack bar.’
    ‘But you can’t remember where it was?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Were there just you two or were other people there?’
    ‘Other people.’
    ‘Who?’
    ‘Er …’
    ‘Was Astrid there?’
    ‘Astrid Nikolaisen?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Might have been.’
    ‘Did you two spend a lot of time with her?’
    ‘A lot of time?’
    ‘Why do you want to know? Has Helene said something?’
    ‘Like what?’
    ‘Erm …’
    ‘Do you know why Astrid isn’t at school today?’
    She snickered suddenly. ‘It’s not the first time.’
    ‘The first time what?’
    ‘She comes to school when it suits her.’
    ‘Oh really? I see.’
    ‘No, you don’t!’
    ‘Maybe not. What is it I don’t see, then?’
    She looked at me defiantly, without answering.
    ‘Did you two go home together? You and Torild, I mean.’
    ‘No, we … I went home earlier.’
    ‘Was there a time you were supposed to be back by?’
    ‘Yes. Ten-thirty.’
    ‘And what did she do then?’
    ‘I don’t kn … I don’t remember.’
    ‘Really?’
    ‘No!’
    ‘And are you sure it was Wednesday and not – Thursday?’
    ‘Y-yes, I think so’, she said, glancing away.
    I tried another tack. ‘That business with the leather jacket, that your father –’
    ‘Well, what about it?’
    ‘Was it one you’d – stolen?’
    Her gaze looked shifty, and her lips moved wordlessly as though rehearsing what she was going to say. Finally all she said was: ‘Yes.’
    ‘Was that something you lot were in the habit of doing?’
    ‘No! Not expensive stuff like that anyway.’
    ‘Just pilfering?’
    ‘Doesn’t everybody do that?’
    ‘Do they?’
    ‘Christ, are you thick or something? If you heard – !’
    ‘What happened at home?’
    ‘Oh … I was daft enough to take it home. I could always have left it …’
    ‘Left it?’
    ‘Yeah!’
    ‘Where?’
    She didn’t answer.
    ‘OK. So your parents found out about it. And then …’
    She hesitated. ‘My dad … he went crazy. Said I had to take it back, that we had to go back to that shop and tell them what I’d done, and then … Well, that’s what we did.’
    ‘Which shop was it?’
    ‘The Leather Centre.’
    ‘And he bought you a new one?’
    She nodded. ‘Mm.’
    ‘As a sort of reward?’
    ‘Yes, just imagine! A reward for going along with him of my own free will, for telling what happened, and because he … he understood that I needed one, I suppose!’
    ‘A new leather jacket?’
    ‘Yeah!’
    ‘I see …’
    ‘Oh yeah – ?’ But this time she cut herself off. ‘Is that all?’
    ‘Not quite.’
    I paused, and she looked at me impatiently. ‘I have to get back to my lesson!’
    I gave a faint smile as though it was the first time I’d heard a secondary school pupil say this. ‘!t was Thursday, wasn’t it? The last time you saw her.’
    She blushed. ‘Must have been, I suppose!’ She stood up and walked towards the door. Without turning around she added: ‘If you say so!’
    She tried to slam the door behind her, but its hinges were too stiff. It just slid to with a quiet sigh like a form teacher full of resignation.

Five
     
     
    SIDSEL SKAGESTØL opened the door quickly as though thinking it was Torild who had rung the bell.
    When she saw who it was, she stepped aside. ‘Come in.’ She looked at me questioningly. ‘You haven’t …?’
    ‘No, alas. Still nothing concrete. I –’
    ‘Oh my God, I’m so scared, Veum! Where can she be?’
    ‘That’s what we must try and find out.’
    ‘Yes … Of course. Forgive me.’
    ‘I understand you completely. Don’t get me wrong.’
    She was wearing jeans and a white blouse, only the collar and cuffs visible under the ribbed blue woollen sweater. Her hair was light and fluffy as though she’d just washed and blow-dried it, and she moved across the floor with a sort of girlish elegance, a mixture of