‘Beware, though, as the waters here can be amongst the most dangerous in the world. Have you heard of Edgar Allan Poe’s “A Descent into the Maelstrom”? The maelstrom is a tidal system of strong currents and eddies that has been responsible for many shipwrecks and lost lives throughout history. Even Jules Verne spoke about it in his famous novel, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

‘Now the maelstrom, like all tides, is caused by the birth of a full moon. And it just so happens that the next full moon will be upon us… tomorrow…’

Chapter 12

Anna walked with purpose through the cobbled streets of Åndalsnes. The town was small, unremarkable, but it had what she needed and she headed straight there.

The bell tinkled as she pushed open the door of the hardware store. A sleepy-looking elderly man was perched on a high stool in the corner. He looked her up and down before returning his attention to the open magazine in front of him.

Anna turned into the first aisle, moving slowly, flicking her gaze left and right.

‘You need help?’

She glanced towards the voice. The man had moved to the top of the aisle, standing bow-legged, scrutinising her.

‘No, thank you,’ she replied, turning back to commence her slow journey.

‘Sometimes a man knows more about what they are looking for,’ he said. ‘We don’t see many ladies in here.’

Anna stopped but didn’t look at him. ‘I don’t need help,’ she said.

After a few moments she turned back, but he had retreated to his magazine.

At the till, she waited in silence as he slipped her purchases into a paper bag. ‘Doing some DIY?’ he asked, his English holding only a trace of a Norwegian accent. ‘Are you local?’

To the left of the till was a pot of screwdrivers, all different shapes and sizes. She thought how easy it would be to pull one out and stick it in his neck, in one quick, fluid motion. She let her eyes travel over the rest of the store. It was a dark and dingy place, and she was the only customer. It was old-fashioned and likely to contain no CCTV cameras. The windows that faced the street were filled with big boxed lawnmowers, bird boxes and stepladders.

How easy it would be.

She ran a finger over the handle of one of the screwdrivers.

‘You want one of them too?’ he asked.

His voice pulled her back to the present, to the reason she was here, which was to clean up a previous unplanned attack. That was her priority, not dealing with this weaselly, sexist little man.

She looked into his watery blue eyes and saw William. Her grip tightened for a second on the screwdriver before she forced herself to let it go. She laid her palm flat on the counter.

‘Nothing else, thank you.’