Yes, of course they’ve had some problems, especially over the past six months, what with Aylin having such a hard time. Yes, that’s correct, she had filed a police report against him. She had been confused, of course. She feels so very bad about it now. And she had recanted the next day, hadn’t she?

In fact, this might be a good thing for the party. If you had any idea how many men this happens to daily, not to mention how many have been wrongfully convicted. True, there are some bad eggs out there who hurt their wives and girlfriends, but it’s far from everyone who gets accused. Yes, he still feels minimum sentences need to be raised. Yes, generally speaking, of course, but above all for serious crimes like murder and drug dealing. Yes, and also in cases of genuine domestic abuse, of course. But they also need to protect innocent citizens from spurious charges.

Yes, he and Aylin are staying together. Of course. Right now, she just needs some time to rest up. Absolutely, she’s going to support him at home and in the media, if necessary. Their home and children have always been her top priority; she would never put herself before her family. No, not before the party either, of course.

A fucking interrogation is what it had been.

*

‘You fucking bitch,’ Bo Ramnes mutters under his breath as he goes out to the kitchen.

She has held out for more than six weeks this time. Digging her heels in, intent on keeping up her little charade. Even when he has sought her out to talk some sense into her, she has refused to back down, despite almost wetting herself with terror every time she sees him. He has explained, apologised, slapped her around and threatened her, but nothing has worked. She has just stood there and taken it. And then moved again. To a small one-bed flat in Sande this time, apparently. Thank God for loyal friends who keep him well-informed.

Aylin’s friends, on the other hand, have never known what’s best for her, Bo Ramnes ponders and tops up his glass. They don’t know her, don’t understand what she really needs. And yet, they’ve been able to manipulate her for over a month now, that police cunt, the Danish hag and the faggots. She seems fucking brainwashed. At least she hasn’t gone back to the police, she hasn’t dared go that far. Probably realises she doesn’t stand a chance.

Or maybe it was what he had told her the last time he found her, the thing that had made Aylin’s face go rigid with terror. Maybe he shouldn’t have said it, but he’d meant every word.

A dead wife is better than no wife at all, Aylin. You’re running out of time to make this right.