‘You’re not having breakfast?’ Karen says and realises she’s repeating Leo’s words. ‘Don’t you have classes today?’

No reply.

‘You really should get something in your stomach. It’s . . .’

She doesn’t bother finishing the sentence. Just stands there, leaning against the kitchen counter, looking from Sigrid, who doesn’t seem to be listening, to Leo, who turns off the coffee machine. Hears the hiss of coffee droplets sizzling on the hot surface. Smells them.

She just has time to lean over the sink before her stomach turns inside out.

*

And, five minutes later, after rejecting all offers of help, when she has managed to clean up every last trace with shaking hands and far too much disinfectant, she hears Sigrid’s voice.

‘If it weren’t for that fact that you’re, like, a hundred years old, I would have guessed you’re preggers.’

Chapter 25

25

She calls Karl the minute the other two leave. He picks up after one ring.

‘Hiya, Eiken, how are you feeling?’

Relief. He’s asking about her health, didn’t go straight to yelling. Almost sounds concerned, she muses.

‘Not great. Just threw up again actually,’ she replies truthfully.

‘Blimey. Sounds serious, do you have a parasite?’

You might say that.

‘No, I’m sure it’s nothing. But I should probably stay home today.’

‘Definitely, you’re not setting foot here until you’re completely recovered. Can’t risk having you infect the whole team. Did you go see Anita Kollbar?’

‘I did, but it was a dead end. Though I did manage to go by New Builds’ headquarters as well. Before I started to feel poorly, I mean,’ she adds.

Karl says nothing. She knows what he’s waiting for.

‘I should have let you know sooner,’ she says after a long pause.

‘Yes, you should have. You know that as the lead investigator, I need to know where everyone is. Including you, even though you’re technically—’

‘I know,’ she breaks in. ‘And I’m sorry, it won’t happen again. But at least I have a bunch of printouts from New Builds to go through.’

She briefly summarises her scant findings.

‘It’s probably a waste of time, but I want to go over it anyway, just to be sure. I’ll do what I can from home and let you know if it turns up anything.’

‘OK, but your first job is to look after yourself.’

After they hang up, Karen just sits there with the phone in her lap. ‘Stomach bug.’ A day’s respite, maybe two. Sooner or later, she’s going to have to tell Karl. And Jounas Smeed.

And Leo.

But only if she decides to keep—

She cuts the thought short. She can’t.