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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

This had taken the sister by surprise, and she wanted to know exactly when Björn had said this, and precisely how he had worded it. Olga repeated what she had heard Omar repeat Björn saying, but she wasn’t going to let Omar get mixed up in this, even though he was more familiar with Ísafold than she was. He often drank tea with her, lecturing her that she ought to find herself a man to marry instead of living in sin with Björn.

‘The Middle Ages came calling,’ Ísafold had said, giggling as she told Olga what Omar had said, and Olga sighed. Omar was terribly innocent in these matters, and his views were old-fashioned.

There hadn’t been much more she had been able to tell the woman, and she was surprised at how concerned she seemed to be.

‘Your family hasn’t heard anything from her since she left?’ Olga had asked, and the woman frowned, saying that their mother hadn’t heard from Ísafold since the middle of May.

Olga thought about her Jonni. She knew how children could turn their backs on their mothers, so this didn’t necessarily mean much.

As the sister was leaving and Olga was about to close the door on the newly vacuumed stairwell, the woman had turned and asked one more question.

‘Do you know where she had been working recently?’ she asked. ‘Our mother thought she was working in some clothes shop in the Kringlan shopping centre, but Björn said she left that job ages ago.’

This was a surprise to Olga. The family obviously had little idea about Ísafold’s life in Iceland.

‘She was working as a cleaner at some sheltered housing for 68elderly people down in the town,’ she replied. ‘At least, she was the last I heard.’

She hadn’t asked the sister how come she knew so little of Ísafold’s circumstances, how come she wasn’t aware that Ísafold had left the clothes shop long ago, how come Ísafold hadn’t told her mother. Of course, other people’s affairs were their business, and it was as well to avoid poking your nose where it wasn’t wanted. Olga was grateful that the people living in the block of flats weren’t inquisitive about who Omar might be, and why he was living with her.

69

28

Grímur was about to lock the door of his flat when he was startled by a voice behind him.

‘Good morning,’ the voice said, and as he turned to face it, he saw its owner was the woman who had rung the bell a couple of days ago: Ísafold’s sister.