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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
  24. 21
  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

Daníel watched Violet’s and Áróra’s reactions as Helena spoke; it was clear from the expression on Áróra’s face that she understood all the implications. She blinked rapidly and nodded. However, some kind of hope appeared to have awoken in Violet’s eyes.

‘Could Ísafold have disappeared like that as well?’ she asked. ‘Could they have decided to disappear together? To run away from debts or to get away from people Björn was in trouble with over this pill business?’

Her eyes went from Daníel to Helena and back, desperately seeking confirmation that this might be a possibility. Daníel wished that he could, with a clear conscience, allow her to hang on to the idea that her daughter was safe and well in Canada, but Helena quickly extinguished this tiny spark of hope in Violet’s eyes.

‘There’s no evidence that she has left the country. She does not appear to have bought a flight, or a ticket for the ferry from Seyðisfjörður. 241We have an active alert request that should flag her up if she’s registered entering another country, but we aren’t confident of getting a positive response.’ Helena allowed this information to sink in before she continued. ‘But it goes without saying that we will keep trying to find out as much as we can, and we’ll carry on searching for her…’ she said, and fell silent, leaving the final word to Daníel – the final word that would bring Violet’s hopes to an end.

‘The police are working on the assumption that Björn has fled justice,’ he said, keeping his voice as mild as he could, in the hope that this might soften the blow. ‘Because we believe he has harmed Ísafold.’

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101

Áróra had expected Daníel to be the bearer of bad news, but all the same, she was shattered by the meeting at the police station. She and her mother had asked question after question, as if every moment they could prolong the meeting might extend Ísafold’s life in their minds. But as they left the interview room and walked along the police-station corridor, they knew they would have to accept the reality that Ísafold had vanished for good.