BooksBarbecue
Back Cold as Hell
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

It took her a moment to register how fast the spyware worked, and that the screen now in front of her was no longer hers, but Hákon’s, her mouse and keyboard operating it remotely. She started by opening a couple of documents with ‘hotel’ in the file 124name, but these turned out to be mostly drawings and some kind of construction schedule, so she closed these down one at a time and turned to his online apps.

His email password was clearly stored in the computer, so she opened his email app and scrolled through endless messages concerning plastering, paint colours and purchases of light fittings. It was obvious that the hotels’ design and decoration were close to Hákon’s heart. From his browser history she saw he had been mainly looking at news, restaurant reviews, and that he had searched for her name. She smiled and felt a warm glow inside that blended with a touch of guilt over spying on him. The browser history also showed that he had visited a Swiss bank’s website. She followed the link, but the login page demanded a username and password that apparently were not stored in the computer.

Hell.

To get hold of his passwords she would have to watch him actually type them in, and even that wouldn’t necessarily be enough. The best thing would be a video of his fingers on the keyboard. Áróra pondered the options without reaching a conclusion.

She was about to stand up and get dressed when her phone buzzed. She could see it was her mother on the line and picked it up. But before Áróra said a word, she could hear her crying.

‘I’m so frightened,’ she sobbed, instantly dragging Áróra back to reality – the family reality, the painful reality.

‘The more time that passes without hearing from her, the more I’m scared that something terrible has happened to Ísafold.’

125

52

The understanding expression that Grímur knew so well from the numerous twists and turns of the system was there on the social worker’s face. As the man had already been sitting there in the office when Grímur came in, he assumed that the look on his face was a standard-issue expression, used by those who doled out municipal cash.