The little girl was watching her and she could tell instantly from her eyes that she was herself. Diana sank into a squat next to the sofa and stroked her little head.

‘I had an accident.’

The call connected. Diana quickly stood up and walked off, toward the kitchen.

‘It’s okay,’ Susso said. ‘It’s happened to me too.’

‘Hello? This is Eva.’

‘Mum. You have to come get us.’

Silence.

‘Who am I speaking to?’

‘It’s me!’

More silence.

‘And who is that?’

‘It’s Diana. Can’t you see it’s me calling?’

‘Diana …’

‘What’s wrong with you?’

‘What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you?’

‘Mum, listen to me.’

‘What time is it anyway? Oh my goodness.’

‘Can I speak to Dad?’

A long silence.

‘He’s not here.’

‘What do you mean, not there? What are you doing?!’

‘Shouldn’t I be asking you that?’

‘Mum. This is serious. You have to come get us.’

Now there was a deep sigh.

‘Where are you?’

‘We’re in the cabin, you know that. We went out to the cabin!’

‘And what’s happened?’

‘Just come get us!’

‘Don’t raise your voice at me.’

‘But you’re not getting it. You have to come get us!’

‘I hope you haven’t broken anything? Diana. Because I remember that time when you went out there and then a lamp was broken. And several wine glasses, the fancy wine glasses I got for my fortieth birthday, and someone had vomited in the sauna and who had to clean that up, that’s right, me.’

Diana ended the call.

Susso was rummaging through the suitcase and the little girl was standing up, naked from the waist down. Her pyjama bottoms lay in a pile on the floor.

‘They must have got to them. I talked to Mum and she was super weird. It was like she was drunk or fucking demented or something.’

Susso helped the girl step into a fresh pair of knickers.

‘Makes sense, I was wondering how they found us here.’

‘You’re going to have to call Gudrun.’

I picked up my phone from the…

I picked up my phone from the nightstand with trepidation. This is it, I thought to myself, it’s happened. Hearing Susso’s voice in my ear was a surprise, since it was Diana’s number. She didn’t sound afraid. Serious, rather. She said they were in Diana’s parents’ cabin in Kurravaara and that I had to come pick them up immediately.

‘But what happened?’

‘You have to hurry.’

‘But where is it?! I don’t know where their cabin is!’

‘Tell them to send a pin,’ said Roland, who had already got up and pulled on his trousers and was now fiddling with his watch clasp.

I was getting dressed when the message arrived.

Roland took my phone and looked at it.

‘Are you ready?’ he said.

*