He stared at her.

‘Get out of here.’

Balder got up awkwardly and Norah knew from the way he moved that he had wet himself. He looked about him. It occurred to Norah that he was scanning the place for the cameras he’d had installed, looking to see if they were on. The world’s vainest man wanted to know if he was being videoed. Then he pulled himself up to his full height and set off. It didn’t take long for him to leave the bright floodlit circle—only two or three seconds before the darkness began to swallow him up. Grimm watched him go for a moment, clearly unsure whether or not to follow. Norah knew that she wouldn’t have the energy to stop him.

And then Sandra and Max and Paul were there with her, hugging her, and no one said anything for a while.

‘What the fuck are you doing here?’ Norah asked eventually.

‘I had a bad feeling,’ Sandra said. ‘You sounded so strange on the phone. I called Max straight away and he was worried too. I got on the next plane.’

‘I don’t think you know what an unbelievably bad liar you are,’ Max said.

‘Lousy,’ Paul agreed.

‘You have a lot to explain to us,’ Sandra said.

‘I will,’ Norah said. ‘Tomorrow.’

They fell silent again.

‘Norah?’ Paul said when everyone was feeling a little calmer. He pointed at the gun that was still lying on the ground.

‘I wonder if anyone heard the shots,’ Sandra said.

‘I think we’d know by now if they had,’ said Max.

‘Is it still loaded?’ Sandra asked.

‘No.’

‘Okay,’ she said, bending down to pick it up. ‘I’ll take care of it.’

‘No,’ Norah said, also reaching for the gun. She snatched it up and slipped it into her bag, which was lying on the ground a few metres away. ‘I’ll take care of it.’

When she stood up again she caught Theresa’s eye.

‘Don’t forget to send the video,’ Norah said.

‘I’ll do it as soon as I get home, promise.’

Norah gave her a nod and Theresa vanished into the darkness. Only Grimm was still standing there; he seemed uncertain what to do.

‘Okay then,’ he said.

Norah didn’t know what to say.

‘I’m sorry about Valerie,’ Grimm said.

His eyes glistened in the darkness. Norah gave him a brief nod then he too turned and left.

‘I’m freezing my bum off,’ said Paul. ‘Haven’t we been here long enough?’

‘Yes,’ Norah said. ‘Let’s go.’

Norah didn’t even wait to get home to ring Coco, but called her from the taxi. Coco picked up at the first ring, but didn’t say her name, the way she usually did.

‘Coco?’ Norah said.

Silence.

‘Hello?’

Silence.

‘Hello?’

Nothing.

‘Coco, can you hear me?’

‘I can hear you,’ Coco said.

‘Why aren’t you saying anything?’ Norah asked.

Silence.

‘Hello?’

‘I’m speechless,’ said Coco.

Norah understood and hung up with a grin.

Theresa had kept her promise.

64

When she opened the door, her flat came rushing towards her. Suddenly she was alone and all was quiet and still again. Her home. No pictures on the walls, no rugs on the bare boards, no books on the shelves. No ghostly memories floating about between floor and ceiling. Norah stepped in, closing the door behind her, and sat down at the kitchen table. She took her phone from her bag—no reply from Alex, nothing. Of course not. She put the phone aside and listened.