Dead Below Zero

by Sten Ostberg

  He examined the bruise across the bridge of her nose. Luckily the branch had struck her there and not gone into her eyes. ‘Sure you don’t want to get that seen to?’

  ‘Not now.’

  Karl’s scalp throbbed and his throat was still very tender but the sensations were a reminder that their ordeal wasn’t completely over. He glanced at his watch. They’d been home for over an hour and still no visit from the police.

  Kjell had said nothing as they’d carried him out of the forest.

  ‘What did you say to him?’

  ‘A number of years ago, before I retired, I heard a report about Kjell.’

  Marte put Nadina carefully on the rug and waited for him to continue.

  ‘He assaulted a student working in a coffee shop. The police were called but the student didn’t want to take it any further. From what I understand, it wasn’t an argument over an order. The officer on the scene was positive they knew each other and from what witnesses said, Kjell attacked him without provocation. The student had a troubled past and had been involved in a male prostitution internet service.’

  Marte blinked as she turned the story over in her head. ‘So you think Kjell—’

  ‘I don’t know. But I threatened to expose the story. He obviously doesn’t care about Brynja or Vigar but he does have a professional reputation to maintain. Any association with a male prostitution ring is something he can live without.’

  ‘So, you’ve known about this all along. All those times we’ve visited them … you were concealing it.’

  ‘It wasn’t my place to reveal it. To you or Brynja. It still isn’t. But I had to protect you.’

  Marte closed her eyes and sighed.

  ‘It was what made Brynja’s story about Kjell seem so convincing.’

  The phone rang. Neither made a move to answer it. Nadina’s eyes darted between them.

  Karl took a pace towards the phone but Marte picked it up.

  ‘Hello? Brynja … any news?’

  She listened and swallowed. Then she put down the receiver. Marte leaned down to stroke the back of Nadina’s head. ‘He’s stable. The hospital let him call Brynja.’

  ‘No police?’

  ‘No, but he says he wants her and Vigar out of the house before he’s discharged.’

  Karl nodded and felt a knot loosen between his shoulders. ‘Let’s warm this place up.’ He bent to the log basket and grabbed a handful of kindling.

  ‘Karl?’

  He straightened and saw she had a strange expression on her face.

  ‘I’m sorry I went so crazy.’

  ‘Brynja knew exactly how you’d react when she told you her story.’

  Marte stopped stroking Nadina. ‘I’ve forgiven her so much. When she tried to kiss you at Christmas, it should have been her last chance.’

  ‘She’s your sister.’

  ‘And I’m hers. It doesn’t seem to matter to Brynja though.’

  Karl put the kindling inside the burner.

  ‘Did it make a difference that she’d saved you at the pond?’

  Karl took out a match.

  ‘Because that was me.’

  Karl paused the head on the side of the box.

  ‘I pulled you from under the ice. Then I told Brynja to bring you around and I got back into the water.’

  Karl didn’t ask why. He already knew.

  ‘I thought if you believed she’d saved you …’

  The phone in the bathroom cabinet and now this. He didn’t want to but Karl recalled what Kjell had said about how devious Brynja and Marte were. But unlike Brynja, he knew Marte had done everything for the right motives.

  ‘Say something.’

  Nadina seemed to anticipate his answer as well.

  Did it excuse Marte’s deceit though? She’d dispensed with sanity and put everything at risk.

  Karl lit the match and threw it on the kindling. It roared to life and he tossed in a log and sealed the door. ‘You both saved me, you at the pond and Brynja on the landing when Kjell nearly strangled me. She could have taken off when she jumped out of the window as well.’

  But he was thinking about Brynja’s kiss. He’d been drunk as well but, even though he knew it was madness, he’d held it longer than he should have.

  ‘The only thing that matters now is the three of us are safe.’ Karl kissed them both on the head. ‘I’ll get some more firewood.’

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