For a while, neither of them spoke.

‘She’s not my sister.’

‘No?’

She shook her head.

‘You look very alike. At first, I thought you were her.’

‘She’s not my sister.’

‘I’m going to help you.’

Diana looked away.

‘You’re afraid.’

‘Yes, I am. They said they were going to take my daughter if I don’t get out of here. Murder her, actually.’

‘They wanted to scare you.’

‘And they succeeded.’

‘I’m going to help you.’

‘I don’t want any help. I’m going home.’

‘Do you know what they do to your friend? At night?’

Diana stared at her. The eyes in the emaciated face were placed unnaturally far apart and were curiously dark.

‘How did you even get here?’

‘Car. It’s parked up there.’

‘Go wait in your car.’

Diana continued up the gravel road and got into her car. Why aren’t you getting out of here? she thought to herself. She tapped the key against her thigh. Do you know what they do to your friend at night? That could only mean one thing and when she imagined it, it was as though something fell apart inside her chest. Everything in there just collapsed.

She thought about Kiruna and she thought about Susso and during this struggle a memory surfaced from out of nowhere. They’re at Pizzeria Laguna. Cold and pleasantly hungover, they sit down at a table. A man strides over to them, offering cutlery, rolled up in napkins. That are more yellow than white. Then he brings them plates, big, poop-brown plates, laden with pineapple and sweetcorn. There is something touching about the expectant look on the man’s face and his impeccable manners and she has to fight to suppress a smile. When she realises Susso’s struggling too, she starts giggling and within moments they both burst out laughing, while the poor waiter withdraws like a sad clown. They had laughed hysterically, like when they destroyed the school yearbook. It had been insuppressible and in the end, they had picked up their jackets and fled the restaurant.

A scratching on the roof brought her back. The squirrel appeared, sliding down the windscreen on all fours. When it reached the wipers, it whipped around and looked at her.

She opened the door. The squirrel slunk into the car and raced up on her backrest. She reached for the snus tin and after putting a portion under her lip, she held the tin out to the squirrel, who shied away, whether because of the gesture or the sharp, unfamiliar smell.

*

Just over an hour later, the woman came walking down the road. Not one car had driven by in that time. Diana opened the door and climbed out.

‘I wasn’t able to. I told her you were here and that I would help her leave, but she didn’t want to come.’

‘What do you mean she didn’t want to?’