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Chapters (65)
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  65. Acknowledgements

She hands me a mask and one of the candles in the shop dies. Its wick splutters and the smoke rises vertically up to the dark ceiling above.

‘What is it?’

‘Mask,’ says Alice.

It feels like leather or hide. Animal skin where the flesh beneath wasn’t removed properly and it’s still there in clumps. Rotting meat and sinew. The mask I’m holding has two eye holes and a fringe of black and white fur.

‘Badger?’ I ask.

‘Badger hair and boar hide,’ says Cornelia. ‘You need a mask for the big night, girl?’

‘What do you know about Pan Night?’ I ask.

Alice shudders and grimaces.

‘I know we ain’t welcome after dark, none of us are except hill folk.’ She points to the trolls in the room. ‘It’s not our thing. We’re usually here selling till dusk then head back to Utgard, aint it, Alice.’

‘Home,’ says Alice.

‘Any idea who killed the man in the forest? Why they took his head?’

Alice narrows her eyes.

‘Alice saw a young man with a saw late last night, didn’t you Alice,’ says Cornelia.

Alice keeps her eyes narrow and nods slowly.

‘Have you told the police?’ I ask.

‘What do you think?’ says Cornelia. ‘Course we told ’em. Man with a saw ain’t uncommon though, not in these parts.’

‘Did you see what he looked like Alice?’

Alice scowls and waves her hand in the air like she doesn’t want to discuss it.

‘They found a shell casing, that’s what we heard from a hill man,’ says Cornelia. ‘Shell casing out in Visberg woods. Decent calibre, kind to put you down and keep you down. So Björn will find the killer soon enough, I reckon.’

‘Do you think Pan Night and the murder in Visberg forest are somehow connected, Cornelia?’

She looks to her sister. ‘What do you say to that, Alice?’

Alice blows a raspberry.

I point to the black lightbulb-size helium balloons affixed to the trolls’ pine hands.

‘The black balloons?’

‘Ah, they’re just for the likes of you and me,’ says Cornelia. ‘Outsiders. Alice has seen the real balloons, just a glimpse, but I ain’t been near them. Pan balloons, I’m talking about. You go ask the timekeeper man about them balloons, girl. You leave us be and go bother the timekeeper man.’

Alice stands up slowly and then widens her eyes.

‘Go,’ she says.

13

I will not let this pre-Halloween bullshit spook me. Investigating the murder of Arne Persson is the task at hand. Helping to bring his attacker to justice. Finding some closure for Annika and the others Arne left behind. Visberg locals might think I’ll stay back, keep a respectful distance, leave the town to its own devices, but I won’t. Push me away and I’ll push back twice as hard.