‘Thank you for your time, Susanne,’ he said. ’And it really wasn’t more than two minutes.’

‘It felt like a whole lot more.’

47

47

‘So let me get this straight,’ Imo said. We were sitting in his living room. I had a glass of Coke in my hand, Imo a cup of tea. It was half past eleven, but I was anything but tired.

‘A super-hot girl more or less offers you full service and you … you said no?’

I gave a feeble smile as I replayed the whole incident again in my head. I needed to process it, which was exactly why I had ridden my bike straight here after I’d left the party. I could always talk to him about anything.

He shook his head in disbelief. ‘When I was your age, Even, it was hard enough to even get some titty-action. We’re talking Fort Knox. Locked and sealed from head to toe.’

I laughed. ‘Things are a bit different nowadays, Imo.’

‘God, what I wouldn’t give to be seventeen again.’

He drank some tea and crossed his legs. ‘Two things,’ he said, raising his index finger. ‘First, life doesn’t often offer you many gifts that will provide you with wanking material for as long as there’s steam in your rocket. Take them. With both hands. Whenever you can.’

I grinned, then started laughing.

‘Two.’ Imo held up another finger. ‘A gentleman never tells.’

He was being serious now. ‘Keep this between you and Ida. Even though this sort of thing will never be bad for your reputation, it’s not the same for her.’

I knew what he meant. Rumours spread fast, especially in a place like Fredheim. Her outburst did make me wonder how genuine Mari and Ida’s friendship had been, though. It was almost as if she was jealous of Mari, not necessarily because of me. And if Ida really was jealous…

No, I said to myself, stopping the thought right away. Ida could never have killed her best friend. She could never have been a match for Johannes on her own. Or Børre, for that matter.

Or could she?

People were capable of a lot of things when they were angry enough.

‘There are three things you must never do to a girl, Even,’ Imo said. Clearly this was the night for my uncle’s gems of wisdom. ‘One, you don’t spread false rumours about a girl. That’s mean. Two, you stick to one girl at a time. And three…’ he held his third finger in the air and paused for effect: ‘You don’t hit them. Not under any circumstance. A guy picks a fight with you, sure, you stand your ground. Not with a girl. Not ever.’

I nodded slowly.

‘You’ve lived by these rules all your life, Imo?’

‘I have, yes.’