However, it turned out to be more difficult than expected. The scraper itself was fairly weak, and threatened to break if she wasn’t careful. What was more, all sorts of things splashed up out of the tank, making her realise that she had a solid task ahead of her. And it still ended with her having to stick her gloved hands into the excrement, before searching for a handhold and pulling the bag out by hand.

It was definitely a bag. Carefully wrapped in a black bin liner. Whether it was the right bag was something she would find out when she was outside and could get rid of the gloves. She opened the door with her foot and threw the package out into the rain.

Since it seemed unnecessary to make a mess twice, she thought she might just as well do the same thing with the next tank. Shortly thereafter, she heaved out another black bin liner with something inside it that definitely felt like a holdall, which she also threw outside.

She reached for the floor scraper, threw it outside as well and shouted for Jeanette.

“Jen!” she cried out. “Come here, I think I’ve found the cash!”

Then she turned around and went back inside, sinking to her knees while she attempted to get the bench back into position. Even though she was filled with anticipation about the contents of the two black packages, she took her time restoring order while she was still wearing the gloves. The bench was awkward—it had been easier to get it off than it was to put it back—but eventually she managed to fit it in between the walls and apply pressure so that it levelled out.

Odd, she thought to herself as she stood up. Why hadn’t Jeanette answered? Why hadn’t she come running? Kerstin shoved the door with her shoulder, ready to tackle the bags and then finally throw the gloves onto the grass.

60. Jeanette

60

Jeanette

JEANETTE HAD GOT her hands really dirty, and felt the need to get the worst of it off, so that she didn’t leave conspicuous handprints on everything she touched. Unfortunately, she discovered that the water supply in the slaughterhouse was off, and decided to go outside to get clean. There was hardly a water shortage in the great outdoors.

She had been planning to rub herself clean in the wet grass outside the door but then she caught sight of a rainwater barrel by the wall of the hunting cabin, so she ran over to it at a crouch. Just as she put her hands in the water, she heard Nanna shout from over by the loo.

“Jen!” she cried. “Come here, I think I’ve found the cash!”