It was almost one o’clock in the morning when Anna went to bed. For the first time in days, she slept a sound, untroubled sleep.
When she woke up Thursday morning, she was cold. She lit a fire, turned up the radiators, made oatmeal, and put far too much sugar on it.
“Yummy,” Lily said, skillfully scalping the oatmeal with her spoon. “More sugar, please.”
Anna sprinkled a little more into her bowl and rubbed her nose against the back of Lily’s neck.
“I’ll pick you up early today,” she whispered.
“I want to go to Granny’s,” Lily declared. Anna sat down at the table and looked into Lily’s eyes.
“No, Lily, you’re not going to Granny’s today.”
“Granny makes pancakes,” Lily argued.
“You can have pancakes here,” Anna said. “With ice cream.”
“Ice cream,” Lily exclaimed, overjoyed, and looked in the direction of the freezer.
“Not now, Lily. This afternoon,” Anna replied.
“No, ice cream now.”
Anna sighed, found another bowl and scooped two hard balls out of a tub. Lily hoovered the contents of the bowl and wanted more. In the end, Anna had to carry her howling daughter into the hall and put her into her snowsuit. But suddenly, Lily threw her arms around Anna.
“You’re my mom,” she said.
Anna was touched. “And you’re my cuddle bunny,” she replied, softly.
“Bloppen is coming with me to school,” Lily declared.
“Then go find him.”
While Lily rummaged around her bedroom, Anna zipped up her jacket and thought about Johannes, who had still not called, and then about the man who had come to see her last night. It had to be Johannes, who else could it have been? The World’s Most Irritating Detective would surely have shown his ID. Anna sent Johannes another text.
Johannes darling. Please call me. I’m really sorry about yesterday. I’m sorry that I shouted at you. By the way, did you stop by last night? Please call!
Anna remembered the note with the telephone numbers for the health visitor. It was still lying next to the computer and she stuffed it in her pocket.
“Come on, Lily.” She called down the hallway to Lily’s room.
Lily was dawdling. Anna waited on the landing and called out again.
“Lily, come on.”
At that moment she heard a security chain rattle and a dark gap appeared behind her neighbor Maggie’s door. Maggie peered out, and when Anna said “hi,” her face lit up, she closed the door, removed the chain, and joined Anna on the landing.
“Look at the state of you,” she exclaimed. “You have Olympic-size bags under your eyes. Have you had gentlemen callers?” Maggie wore a floor-length dressing gown and her hair stood out on all sides.
“Not exactly,” Anna said, but couldn’t help smiling.
Maggie pulled the dressing gown tighter and suddenly glanced anxiously down the stairwell.
“So who is he then? It did seem a little odd.”
Anna froze.
“What do you mean?”
The old lady scrutinized Anna.
“The man who came back last night. It all seemed very strange to me. The other day I asked him if he wanted a drink. I didn’t want him sitting out here getting cold, did I? But he declined and, after last night, I’m very glad that he did.”
“What do you mean, the other day?” Anna asked, massaging a spot on her upper chest through her jacket.
“The other day. Yesterday? Or was it two days ago? What are you doing?” Maggie asked, indicating Anna’s hand. Anna sighed.
“It’s nothing. It’s my heart. It’s racing. What did he look like?”
“He had lovely eyes… and he was tall. He looked nice. Nice and a tad nervous. He wore a hat and a long black coat. His hair was auburn.” Maggie touched her ear to show where his hair had stuck out.
“It must have been Johannes. What did he say?”
“I was coming back with my groceries, and you know how I leave the bags on the landing and carry them upstairs, one at a time. When I came up with the first bag, there he was. Very polite, asked if he could help me, and then he carried my groceries upstairs. He said he was one of your friends, so I invited him in, but as I said, he declined. He glanced at his watch as though he was in a hurry,” Maggie explained. “And yesterday, when I saw him sitting there again, I thought it odd and I nearly called the police. And then, suddenly, he was gone. Like the last time. As though he had changed his mind. Strange, don’t you think? Either you need to see someone or you don’t. I rushed to my balcony to check if the light was on in your apartment, but it was dark as the grave,” she said dramatically and narrowed her eyes.
“It must have been Johannes,” Anna repeated, to herself mainly. “Think back. When was the first time he came here?”
“Three days ago,” Maggie declared.
Lily came outside with Bloppen tucked under her arm.
“Can I have a Gummi Bear, please?” she asked. Maggie shuffled back inside her apartment, closely followed by Lily. Anna remained outside. It was going to be a long day.
Anna received a text just as they entered the nursery school. She reached into her pocket for her mobile, but the mayhem of children and parents in the coat room distracted her. Lily ran ahead into the classroom and tugged the skirt of one of her teachers.
“Look!” she called out. “Look! It’s my mom. Look, she’s right there!” Lily pointed and a teacher came out to share Lily’s excitement.
“Look, my one is the lion,” Lily said, sticking out her lower lip. Since when had her speech developed so quickly? Anna thought. “I’ve got the lion, Anton has the rhinoceros, and Fatima has a fried egg,” Lily explained and pointed to some small wooden shapes stuck to the wall above the peg rail.
“Do you have long to go before you finish your dissertation?” the teacher asked.
“No,” Anna said, looking up in surprise.
“She misses you,” the teacher said softly.
“She has her granny,” Anna defended herself.
“Sure,” the teacher said. “But you’re her mother, and she talks about you all the time.” Then she turned on her heel and left.
“I’m four years old,” Lily said.
“No, darling. In five weeks you’ll be three years old.” Anna held up five fingers. “And I’ll pick you up at four o’clock,” she went on and removed one finger.
Outside the school she fished out her cell and smiled when she saw the text from Johannes.
Apology accepted. We’re still friends. I just need to be alone for a while. Hugs. P.S. I was at home all of last night and didn’t visit you. Must have been one of your other admirersJ
Anna breathed a sigh of relief. Johannes wasn’t upset. But then, who could the visitor have been?
She was on her way into Building 12 when her cell rang. It was Cecilie.
“No, you don’t need to pick her up,” Anna said, before Cecilie had time to say anything.
“Ah, right, well, okay. Bye then, Anna,” she said, sounding hurt. Then she continued, “But it wouldn’t be a problem today. My meeting has been canceled, and I could pick her up as early as two o’clock. Saves her wasting her afternoon at the school.”
Anna lost her temper and screamed. “You’re not picking her up, do you hear me?! Christ Almighty, why can’t you leave us alone? I’ll call you tonight.” She ended the call and stuffed her phone into her pocket.
The seal on Helland’s door had been broken, and as Anna walked past she could see crime scene investigators inside the office. She slowed down. They were wearing thin white boiler suits and spoke quietly to each other. The floor in the corridor was covered with dirty footprints, and Anna had an irrepressible urge to eavesdrop. Why had the police come back? When she entered her study, she saw that Johannes’s computer was gone. An official-looking form had been left on top of one of his piles of paper, briefly stating it had been confiscated by the police. Anna took out her mobile.