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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

He emptied the contents of the mower’s bag into the black compost bin. Then he put the mower away in the shed and took off his boots and trousers there on the decking. It was just as he stepped under the rush of water in the shower that he decided he’d be investigating this case. It didn’t matter that he was supposed to be on leave; he needed to find out what had happened to Ísafold. What was less easy to figure out was whether this decision was because of his intuition, the knowledge that something bad had happened to Ísafold, or the fact he longed to meet Áróra again.

63

25

The masseuse pummelled Áróra’s shoulders, releasing the tension that had built up over the last couple of days. She hadn’t noticed that her muscles had become so sore – the massage came as part of the body-scrub package the hotel’s spa offered, which she had originally booked with Hákon in mind, to make her skin soft and sweet. But now she realised that the massage was exactly what she needed. Her face was pressed into the gap in the bench and when she opened her eyes, she had a view of the floor below. There was nothing like having to lie still for an hour with nothing to look at to clear the mental processes.

Now she was able to look into her own thoughts, which had split into two, as if she had kept them in two separate rooms. In one sat her mother and sister: her mother worn down with worry, while Ísafold was in trouble somewhere. To her surprise, Áróra felt a surge of anger well up inside her. She would release this once she had found Ísafold, because, despite the disquiet that had taken root inside her, common sense told her that Ísafold was probably in someone’s spare bedroom, or in a hotel somewhere sunny, licking her wounds after parting from Björn, without having had the sense to let anyone know.

In the other room in her mind was Hákon and the treasure he had buried somewhere. She was always at her best with work ahead of her. She felt a twitch of excitement in her belly at the thought of the chase to come, blended with the dose of chagrin that always came with the start of any job. It came from her need to see that justice was done, ensuring that men like Hákon didn’t get away with their misdeeds. Maybe there was some kind of avenging angel inside her.