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Back Cold as Hell Save as PDF
Chapters (115)
  1. COLD AS HELL
  2. PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
  3. CONTENTS
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
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  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. 92
  96. 93
  97. 94
  98. 95
  99. 96
  100. 97
  101. 98
  102. 99
  103. 100
  104. 101
  105. 102
  106. 103
  107. 104
  108. 105
  109. 106
  110. 107
  111. 108
  112. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  113. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  114. ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR
  115. COPYRIGHT

‘Do you remember when you last saw him?’ she asked, and he again shook his head. ‘Could you try and remember?’ she said. ‘If you’d be so kind,’ she added, realising how pushy she sounded.

Grímur looked down at the floor, and his forehead furrowed. He looked so odd, completely hairless; it had to be some kind of skin disease, maybe even cancer.

‘No,’ Grímur said at last. ‘I don’t remember when I saw him last.’

Olga sighed. This wasn’t helping. Grímur closed his door and she went back up the stairs to knock at Björn’s and Ísafold’s door. She was surprised when a young woman opened it, and at first thought she had to be Ísafold, but quickly saw her mistake. This one was a very different type.

‘Yes?’ the woman said, and seemed to notice Olga hesitate. ‘I’m Kristín, Björn’s girlfriend. Well … we’re dating.’

Olga couldn’t hide her surprise. ‘Björn and Ísafold have split up?’ she asked.

‘Yes, quite a while ago. I gather she packed her stuff and just left. Back home to Britain.’

‘Well,’ Olga said. ‘You know her family have been looking for her, and the police are involved? She hasn’t turned up in England.’

Now it was the young woman’s turn to be surprised. ‘What?’ she said. ‘Björn hasn’t said anything about this.’

Olga nodded and said nothing. It wasn’t for her to tell the new 235girlfriend that what Björn called ‘quite a while’ was hardly even a month. It was certainly less than a month ago that she had seen Ísafold on her way up the stairs with a bag of shopping.

‘It was Björn I wanted to speak to,’ Olga said. ‘I was going to ask if he had seen anything of Omar, a young foreigner who has been staying with me for the last few months. I didn’t see him yesterday and I’m getting a little—’

She didn’t manage to finish her sentence before the young woman let out a wail of surprise.

‘You’re joking,’ she burst out. ‘Björn has disappeared as well. I can’t find him anywhere, and he isn’t answering his phone or anything. I decided to call in on the way home from work to check up on him, but he isn’t here.’

‘Well,’ Olga said, not knowing what else she could say. ‘What on Earth is going on in this place?’

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