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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

Áróra finished the last of her coffee and rubbed her eyes. If her instinct was correct, then Hákon Hauksson had a stash of money hidden away somewhere, and if she could find it, she’d take her cut in Icelandic krónur. Wallowing in krónur would be a new experience.

41

17

Olga woke to the sound of the boy weeping. She sat up, swung her feet out of bed and sat for a moment as she listened. The sound wasn’t coming from his room, so he must have hidden himself away in the bathroom again. With difficulty, she hauled herself to her feet and stood still while the pain in her hip receded. These days she always became so stiff as she slept, she had to be careful not to make sudden movements first thing in the morning. She glanced at the clock and saw that it wasn’t exactly morning, even though the daylight that spilled past the curtains told her otherwise. It was only just four o’clock. It was so strange how these nightmares always came between three and four in the morning.

With a hand on the wall for support, she went down the passage towards the bathroom and peered inside. As she had suspected, he lay on the bathmat, wrapped tightly in his duvet and curled into a foetal position, weeping tears so bitter that the sound of them wrung her heart.

‘Omar,’ she said quietly. ‘You’re having a nightmare.’

He continued to sob in his sleep so she came closer and touched his shoulder.

‘Omar.’

He jerked up in fright, hands in front of his face, and shuffled rapidly away until he could go no further and his back was against the bathtub.

‘There’s blood,’ he whispered, staring in desperation into the distance. ‘So much blood.’

‘Shh, shh. No,’ she said to comfort him. ‘There’s no blood here. Everything is quiet and fine, Omar. Remember where you are. You’re here with me in Engihjalli, in Kópavogur, and there’s no war here. Remember? Everything’s peaceful and quiet here. Everything’s all right.’42

‘All right,’ he echoed, and he seemed to be awake as he looked at her with the special blend of wonder and doubt that seemed to be a part of his disturbed sleep.

‘Yes, it’s all right,’ she said, and extended a hand.