‘What did he do? When he returned home, I mean.’

‘Like most farmers in this country, he dabbled in bits of everything. The traditional fisheries weren’t that lucrative back then. The shipping was in decline. He worked in the North Sea for a while, on the oil fields, and also sailed with some of the oil tankers. Jens would probably know more about that, or Petter, Ninni’s father. What do you know about him?’

‘All I know is that my mother met him in 1984 in London. They had a short affair, and some weeks later my mother realised she was pregnant. By then Agnar had returned home and my mother didn’t want to follow him. She wanted to stay in London.’

‘You can’t blame her. Boys here, on this coast, have always gone to sea, but they always come home again. Especially boys like Agnar who had a farm. He was an only child and I remember his mother being so worried for him. Magni would have loved a grandson.’ Alma smiled a little.

Jack rose and put on the kettle. He needed something to distract himself. ‘Did you know Agnar well?’

‘As well as anyone. I certainly knew him the longest. Petter, Ninni’s father, was a good friend to Agnar, so he will have other memories if you’re interested.’

Jack poured hot water in two mugs and dropped a teabag in each. ‘Sorry, I don’t have any coffee.’

She didn’t seem to care, putting two spoons of sugar in the mug and stirring with a faraway look in her eyes. ‘I can’t believe Agnar never told me about you,’ she said again.

‘If it’s any consolation, nobody told me about Agnar either. I never thought to ask Mum about him, and by the time I started wondering about Agnar, she was gone,’ Jack said.

Alma took a sip of the tea, frowned and put the mug down, pushing it a bit away. ‘Agnar kept to himself. He worked with Olav on the fields, and in the last few years Tobben, Olav and Britt worked with him on the meat production. Men barely talk about much apart from the weather and football, so he probably didn’t talk to them about you either. Men are strange creatures, sometimes, Mr Greene.’

It was the first time she had referred to him by name. Jack smiled. ‘Please call me Jack. Everyone else does.’

Alma nodded. ‘Tell me something, Jack. You said your mother passed away when you were twelve. What happened to you afterwards?’

‘My mother married my dad when I was five. Paul treated me as if I was his son, and before Mum died she made him my legal guardian. Pauls family wasn’t too thrilled, but he couldn’t care less. I stayed with him and my two siblings.’ Jack smiled.

‘I can’t help wondering if anyone told Agnar about your mother passing. It seems strange to me that he would not make some kind of claim on you,’ Alma said.