Wednesday saw Albin transferring Hannah’s personal possessions to the apartment from the shop, even her mugs and tea and coffee. She stayed in the spare room and thought furiously. Early on Thursday morning she ventured into the kitchen when she heard Albin there.

His smile was that of a stranger. ‘Shall we say you’ll have made arrangements to vacate this apartment one week from today?’ he asked. ‘That will be the twenty-sixth of November.’

Hannah licked her lips. All she’d achieved since returning from England was to feel stunned by the magnitude of what had happened. She had no idea where she’d go but she stuck her nose in the air and said, ‘I’ll leave sooner, if I can manage it.’ She stared at the alien who used to be her boyfriend. ‘I’ll need the money for my stock.’

His eyebrow lift was a masterclass in superciliousness. ‘Payable when you’re safely out of the apartment.’

‘I have to have a deposit for accommodation. Stockholm’s expensive.’

He sighed irritably. ‘Why stay here?’

She didn’t have an answer and the knowledge did nothing but fuel her anger and misery. Her life had been pulled out from under her. Most of her Stockholm friends were Albin’s friends, except maybe Julia, and calls to her were going to voicemail. Probably she felt torn loyalties as Albin had been the one to get her the job as Hannah’s assistant.

It was after he’d put on his coat and left for his office that a reminder flashed up on Hannah’s phone. This evening she’d arranged to meet Nico Pettersson at the shop for dinner. Her fingers hovered. So much had happened since they’d made the arrangement as she’d danced in his arms. They’d both been full of alcohol. He’d blanked her afterwards. There had been zero contact between them since. But when she opened a text message to cancel, loneliness and isolation washed over her and she was overcome by the urge to see a face that reminded her of home. She found herself typing: Are we still meeting this evening? Can it be the same bistro in Stora Nygatan rather than the shop? Will explain if I see you. She kept her tone neutral, making it easy for him to back out.

An hour later she received, I’m free. See you there.

The day dragged. She forced herself to go accommodation hunting online but without an income it felt unfeasible. When the time came, she was glad to shove her laptop aside and put on a red sweater dress and flat black boots. The streets were freezing as she trekked from the broad residential thoroughfares of Östermalm, through chrome-and-glass shopping areas and the galaxy of Christmas lights that had just gone up until she could cross Vasabron to the colourful old buildings of Gamla Stan.