‘Yes. And I just don’t know what to do. It’s not my role to pursue this any further. I’ve done all the right things, I contacted her GP and her mother, and I called the police after I met her ex at her apartment. But after Elisabeth, it’s like I just can’t let it go. I can’t stop thinking about her. I keep thinking that if I just went there like she asked me to, then I could save her—’

‘You called the police?’

‘Yes. I felt I had to.’

‘And what did they say?’

‘That they would try to send a car over to her apartment. I explained that she’s not there and that they need to go to the cabin and it didn’t sound like they would even consider that unless she’s reported missing by her next of kin. So what do I do? I can’t just do nothing. I can just tell that something bad has happened, or will happen…’

‘Kristina. Listen to me. This does all sound very worrying. But you’ve done all the right things. I think you’re letting Elisabeth influence how you are reacting to this. Not every troubled soul will do what she did. Most won’t. And even if Leah Iverson did, it wouldn’t be your fault. You’ve done everything you can.’

‘I was so shocked to hear that she’s pregnant. You can imagine how it made me feel. I completely broke down with Vera. You know, it’s made me realize how I’m absolutely not ready to give up. I think we should call the clinic and make plans for a new round of treatment.’

Eirik is quiet and holds himself very still. I can tell he’s thinking about how to word his response. ‘You’re right. It’s been a few months now. But we need to wait until after the election.’

I feel suddenly, irrationally angry and turn away from him. Everything needs to wait until after the election.

‘Come here, honey,’ he says, pulling me closer. I let him hold me because there are tears in my eyes and I don’t want him to see.

‘I wish you could come with me tomorrow,’ he says, after a long while.

‘Come with you where?’

‘I’m off to Bergen again tomorrow morning, remember? Six thirty flight, nightmare. The campaign? This one is really, really important. If I get the nomination there, I’m likely to win most of the west coast. And then I go on to Trondheim and Tromsø. Back on Thursday.’