‘I’m not saying anything,’ I interrupted. ‘I just know that everyone is jumping to conclusions in this town, and I’m stuck in the middle of the shitstorm. Do you have any idea what that feels like? Do you have any idea what it feels like to have your own best friends doubt you?’

None of them said anything.

‘It’s not a good feeling, I can tell you that much,’ I continued. I could feel my cheeks turning red.

‘We’re sorry anyhow,’ Fredrik said. ‘If you want us to go, we can go. We just … we wanted to help, in any way we can. If you need some help, that is, or if you…’

‘Fredrik,’ I said. ‘Stop talking.’

He looked at me with some uncertainty. I sighed heavily. ‘Just … OK. Thanks. I appreciate it.’

We just stood there for a few moments. The air was cold, but nice against my red-hot face.

‘I just can’t believe this shit,’ Kaiss said.

‘Me neither,’ Fredrik added. ‘Especially that Børre was killed right after we talked to him.’

I looked at them, one after the other. ‘How…?’ I wasn’t sure what my question was. ‘How did Børre react?’ I asked. ‘Could he have been lying?’

My friends exchanged quick glances.

‘It didn’t seem like he was,’ Kaiss said. ‘I mean, there really wasn’t any reason for him to, right?’

I shook my head. ‘I don’t get it,’ I said. ‘I just don’t. Not any of it.’

A group of girls walked past. Fredrik sent them an appraising look, but none of them looked back.

‘It must have been someone else, then,’ Oskar said. ‘There’s no other explanation.

I nodded, but couldn’t think of who that could be.

For some strange reason, I thought about something Imo had said about my mother. She might be a bit frail these days, your mother, but when she’s angry, she’s dangerous. She had been to the school show that night.

I hadn’t even thought to ask her about it. About when she left. What she saw. Who she talked to, if anyone. I just hadn’t thought it was important.

‘What is it?’ Oskar said. ‘You’re as pale as a ghost.’

‘Am I?’ I said. I could feel my heart racing.

Thinking about Mum had made me think about Dad, too. The car accident. Mari was looking into it. She’d talked to her father about it. She was going to do the same with Ole. And my mother had been in the car that day.

‘It’s nothing,’ I said. ‘I just haven’t been eating much lately. Did any of you see Ida in there?’

They all shook their heads.

Thinking about my mother made me want to get home and speak to her – see what she knew. But I had something more important to do first.

37

37

‘Alright, thanks for your call.’