‘What do you mean, Björn?’ Violet asked. ‘I haven’t heard anything about you and Ísafold not being together any longer. The last I heard from her was a few weeks ago, and then she was happy and said that everything was fine between you.’

Björn shrugged.

‘Well. It was a surprise to me as well when I came home one day and found she had packed her stuff and left. I haven’t heard a word from her since. I reckoned she’d gone home to you in Newcastle. That’s what I thought. Where else would she go?’

‘Italy, maybe?’ Daníel suggested.

Björn stared at him in astonishment.

‘What?’

‘She posted a picture on Facebook yesterday, saying she’s in Italy,’ Violet said. ‘Does she know anyone in Italy?’

Björn shook his head with vehemence, and for a moment he reminded Daníel of a cornered animal. There was a fury in his eyes, even a hint of fear. The pulsing in his own head was stronger, Daníel could practically feel the beat of it. It was clear that Björn was upset, either taken by surprise or infuriated.

‘How the hell should I know?’

‘Why did you tell the neighbours that she was on holiday, visiting relatives in Britain, if she’s in Italy?’ Daníel asked, taking a step 162closer and placing a hand on the door to prevent Björn from slamming it shut, which was what he seemed keen to do.

‘I don’t know,’ he snapped. ‘Maybe because it’s not much fun having to tell people that your girlfriend left you, eh? I just guessed that she’d gone back home.’ His puffy face had turned red, and the tension in his body made the veins pulsing in his neck stand out. ‘And I don’t want to see the cops around here,’ he said, his voice lower, as if he was struggling to keep control of his temper.

Daníel withdrew his hand and the door banged shut. Daníel would have liked to have asked Björn a few more questions, adding a little more pressure, but this wasn’t the time or the place.

‘He seems surprised to hear that Ísafold’s in Italy,’ Violet muttered, and Daníel wondered if she hadn’t fully understood when he had explained it to her. Maybe she was living in the hope that the picture wasn’t faked and that Ísafold was genuinely in Italy.

‘Yes’ he said. ‘He was surprised to hear that Ísafold appears to have posted a picture from Italy,’ he said, emphasising the ‘appears’.