Postcard killers

Chapter 128

There was a faint light coming from a window on the ground floor, the sort of blue light that an old television set gives off.

Dessie wondered how many of her family were there. The house was a base for her uncles, the few who were stil alive, and for a number of her cousins.

"Wil anyone be awake at this time of day?" Jacob asked.

"Granddad," Dessie said. "He usual y sleeps during the day. At night he watches old black-and-white films that he downloads il egal y from the Net. 171 Are you coming in with me?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Jacob said, climbing out of the car.

The held each other's hand as they walked up to the huge building.

The structure was an old-style farmhouse, with four chimneys, two floors, and a loft tal enough to stand up in. The red iron-oxide paint had peeled off decades ago and the wooden wal s shone a grayish white in the early light.

Dessie opened the outside door without knocking and kicked off her shoes.

Apart from the sound from the television, the house was quiet. If anyone was here besides Granddad, they were sound asleep.

Her grandfather was sitting in his usual armchair, watching a film with Ingrid Bergman in it.

"Granddad?"

The old man turned around and took a quick look at her.

Then he went right back to the television screen.

"Drag ata dorn for moija," he said.

Dessie shut the outside door.

"This is Jacob, Granddad," she said, walking toward him, stil holding Jacob by the hand.

Her grandfather hadn't aged much, she thought. Maybe it was because his hair had been white for as long as she could remember, and his face had always had the same miserable scowl. He didn't seem the least bit surprised to see her in his living room for the first time since her mother's funeral. Instead, he just glowered suspiciously at Jacob.

"Vo jar hajna for ein?"

"Jacob mostly does rough work," Dessie said, taking the remote and turning off the television.

Then she sat down on the table directly in front of the old man.

"Granddad, I want to ask you something. If I'm on the run from the police and haven't got any money and want to hide out in Finland, what should I do?"