Chapters (65)
We pass through another black curtain. Round tables with illuminated keyboards. Monitors with moving Mind Games screensavers. Headphone sets complete with microphones draped over each flat screen. The place is empty save for three men.
‘This is a video gamer café,’ says Ragnar.
I know exactly what it is. I’m excited just knowing it’s here. My opinion of Visberg, the forgotten place up the mountain, just shot up. I like this place. Pizza and gaming. My kind of town.
‘David,’ says Ragnar in a loud voice.
The young guy Ragnar’s addressing doesn’t look up, he just points at the man opposite him, who throws his headphones down on the table and says, ‘What?’
These two are twins. Identical twins, a few years younger than me. Early twenties.
‘David, this is Tuva Moodyson. She’s a reporter, she’ll be covering Visberg now I’m retiring.’
David looks down at his screen then back at me.
‘Hi,’ I say, offering my hand.
‘Hi,’ he says.
I move closer and glance at his computer.
‘My second favourite Call Of Duty, I say. ‘Prefer Black Ops.’
Both he and his twin look up at me and they both smile. Dark, cropped hair, athletic, two sets of deep brown eyes. David’s brother says, ‘Daniel.’
Then the other man in the room yells at his screen, like the computer just told him he was fired and his parents have both been kidnapped and his girlfriend’s left him. A guttural, manic scream.
‘He’s the town accountant,’ says David, looking over. ‘Some kind of auditor. On his lunchbreak. Blowing off steam I guess.’
‘We don’t want to keep you from your shooting games,’ says Ragnar, already backing out of the room.
‘At least we keep the shooting to the screen,’ says David. ‘We heard the victim was killed by a .338, so I’d say it was a moose hunter responsible.’
‘Who told you that?’
‘Forum. Chat on the forums. They said it was a moose gun, a Winchester Magnum.’
I make a note of that on my phone.
‘I’ll be back,’ I say.
We leave and the sun hits my eyes as we step back into the cool town square. There’s a violinist setting up in the bandstand. She’s wearing an orange hunting cap and she’s tweaking her instrument. Tuning it.