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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

She decided that she’d find a café once she had got herself moving. A brisk walk through the city centre would help her wake up. She picked up a scarf and a sweater, but decided to leave the jacket. It wasn’t raining outside, even though it was a grey day with thick cloud. The cleaner pulled a vacuum cleaner behind her into the room and was plugging it in when Áróra decided to ask her about her work.

‘What’s it like, working here?’ she asked.

The girl paused, and stared enquiringly, twisting the vacuum cleaner cable between her fingers as if she was trying to wring it out.

‘What do you mean?’ she asked, her accent from somewhere in Eastern Europe. She appeared frightened now, and Áróra immediately regretted having said anything.

‘Just wondering if this is a good place to work, and if the pay is reasonable.’

The girl’s hands froze and she dropped the cable to the floor, staring open-mouthed.

‘You speak to manager,’ she snapped angrily, then plugged in the vacuum cleaner and got to work, running it back and forth across the floor. It was clear that this wasn’t up for discussion.

Áróra left the room, and all the way along the corridor and in the lift, she wondered whether the girl’s response had been because she was shy, if her poor English had led her to misunderstand, or if her question had hit a sensitive spot.

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65

Olga wasn’t sure how many times in her long working life she had called in sick, but the fingers of one hand were probably enough to count them all. She had even turned up for work as usual the day after Jonni died. It had been better to keep herself occupied, rather than sit at home, turning over all the things she should have done that might have made his life turn out better. But that Friday morning she felt that the night’s insomnia, plus the thought of having to tell Omar about his appeal, had drained all the energy from her. All the same, having called in and climbed back into bed, she wasn’t able to get to sleep again. She lay there for an hour, sweating as she thought through all the ways Omar could have obtained this dead man’s papers in Istanbul.