Last Rituals

CHAPTER 14

"Don't be a jerk." Marta Mist pursed her lips and blew out a long stream of smoke. She tipped the ash from her half-smoked cigarette and then stubbed it out. "You're just making things worse, so don't think you're doing anyone a favor." She narrowed her green almond-shaped eyes at the young man who was sitting, or rather lounging, on a chair on the other side of the table. He glared back but said nothing. Marta Mist sat up straight and ran her slender fingers through her curly red hair.

"Come on, don't give me that look. You got us into this, so don't imagine you can suddenly turn into a model citizen with a guilty conscience." For support she looked at her girlfriend who was sitting beside her. The best she got out of the young blond girl was a wide-eyed nod. The girl had a crew cut and was boyish-looking, but she could never be mistaken for a boy. She was buxom but petite. From the rear she must have looked like a child sitting beside willowy Marta Mist, who had more to say. "That's typical male crap and it makes me puke. Chickening out when the shit hits the fan." She leaned back in her chair, contented. Her friend, not daring to look at either of them, concentrated on her soda.

"For God's sake," Dori replied, pretending to ram his finger down his throat. "How about dropping those fucking cliches just for once?" Annoyance crept over his features and as he stared at Marta Mist his upper lip curled involuntarily, revealing his white teeth. He looked the other way and took a drag off his cigarette. When he exhaled his anger was waning and he added in a slightly calmer tone: "You ought to be glad if I went to the police. Don't you think the women's prison would be utopia? Nothing but women there." He gave her a sarcastic grin.

Marta Mist gave as good as she got. "Then we could phone each other and swap happy tales. You'd be popular in prison too, sweetie, a pretty little boy like you." She returned his nasty grin.

"Aw, cut it out." Briet spoke up at last. The others only looked at her in mute surprise, so she went back to peering into her glass, blushing now. Then she muttered into her cleavage: "I'm not interested in going to the women's prison, and I don't want you going to prison either." She looked up and stared at Dori. "I'm terrified."

Dori smiled at her, genuinely. He liked her. In fact, he realized he was really very fond of heralthough he had still not decided whether it was anything more than sexual. "No one's going to prison." He looked up at Marta Mist. "Look what you've done, scaring Briet out of her wits with all this bullshit."

Marta Mist affected shock. "Me? Hello? You started talking about prisonnot me." She looked at Briet, rolled her eyes, and groaned. "Whose bright idea was it to come here anyway?"

They were at Hotel 101 on Hverfisgata, sitting in the lounge in front of the smokers' bar. Harald's other friends had frequented the place while he ran that strange group. Without him the bar seemed to lose its charm.

Dori bowed his head and shook it in confusion. "For God's sake, Marta. I'm cracking up. Can't we talk like friends? I thought you'd be able to help me. I think it's terrible that Hugi's inside. Surely you realize that." He looked up but avoided her eyes and reached over for the packet of cigarettes lying in the middle of the table. "And that snake's driving me crazy. When's the fucking funeral anyway?"

Briet glanced anxiously at Marta Mist, clearly hoping her friend would change tactics. Her wish was granted. Marta Mist heaved a deep sigh but dropped the haughty attitude she had assumed for the fifteen minutes they had been there. "Oh, Dori." She leaned across the table and took hold of his chin, forcing him to look her in the eye. "Aren't we friends?" He nodded meekly. "Then listen to me. If you go mixing yourself up in this, it won't help Hugi." He studied her face as she went on: "Think about it. Nothing that you're worried about can alter his situation. All it will achieve is to implicate us. This happened long after he was killed. The police aren't interested. They're wondering about who killed Harald. Nothing else." She smiled at him. "The funeral must be just around the corner, and then you're home free." Dori lowered his eyes and she had to lift his head up to get him to look at her before she continued. "I didn't kill him, Dori. I'm not going to sacrifice myself on the altar of your guilty conscience. Going to the police is the worst idea you've ever had. The moment you mention weed and being stoned, we're in deep shit. Right?"

Dori looked deep into her eyes and nodded. "But maybe"

He did not have a chance to finish the sentence. Marta Mist shushed him. "No buts, no maybes. Listen to me now. You're a bright guy, Dori. Do you think the medical faculty would take you with open arms once they knew you smoked weed, even if it went no further than that?" She shook her head and turned away from him to Briet, who had watched the proceedings in fascination, ready as always to agree with the last speaker. Marta Mist turned back to Dori and said slowly: "Don't do anything stupid. Like I say, the cops are only interested in who killed Harald. Nothing else." She spoke her last words emphatically, then repeated them to be on the safe side. "Nothing else."

Dori was entranced. He stared straight into the green eyes that looked at him without flinching from beneath pierced brows. Then he gave a tiny nodthe best he could manage with Marta Mist's hand still gripping his chin. It occurred to him that this was precisely why he had told them he was going to the police: he knew that Marta Mist would be able to talk him out of it. He drove the thought out of his mind: "Okay, okay."

"Brilliant," Briet mumbled, smiling at Dori. Clearly relieved, she clenched Marta's arm in delight. Marta Mist showed no sign of even noticing thisher attention did not waver from Dori and she kept his chin locked in her hand.

"What's the time?" she asked, without releasing her grip.

Briet hurriedly retrieved a pink mobile phone from the bag hanging on the back of her chair. She unlocked the keypad and announced: "Almost one-thirty."

"What are you doing tonight?" Marta Mist asked Dori. Her voice suggested nothing, her eyes rather more.

"Nothing," came the curt reply.

"Come and see meI haven't got any plans either," Marta replied. "It's a long time since we've been together and I can see you need a bit of company." She drew out the last word.

Briet fidgeted in her chair. "Should we go and see a movie?" She stared expectantly at Marta Mist, who ignored her. Briet felt her foot being stamped on and when she looked down she saw Marta Mist's leather boot completely covering her neat little shoe. She blushed as she realized that her presence was not required that evening.

"Do you want to see a movie?" Marta Mist asked Dori. "Or do you want to drop by my place for something a bit cozier?" She leaned back.

Dori nodded.

Marta smiled. "Which? That's no answer."

"Drop by your place." Dori's voice was hoarse and heavy. None of the three had any misconceptions about what was on the agenda.

"I can hardly wait." Marta released Dori's chin and clapped her hands. She waved to a passing waiter and asked for the bill. Dori and Briet said nothing. She was a little offended, and he had nothing else to say. He fished a thousand-krona note out of his pocket, placed it on the table, and stood up.

"I'm late for class. See you." As he walked away they both turned round to watch him leave.

When he had gone, Marta turned round again and said: "He's got a really nice bum, that guy. He ought to leave us more often."

She looked at her girlfriend who was watching her, hurt. "For God's sake. Don't sulk. He's in pieces at the moment. There's too much at stake." She slapped Briet on the arm. "He fancies you, that hasn't changed."

Briet forced a faint smile. "No, maybe not. But it looked to me like he was pretty into you."

"Come on. It's nothing to do with fancying people. You're the one everyone fancies. I'mwellI'm good in bed." She stood up and observed Briet coldly. "You know what?" No answer. "I live for the moment. You could try that too. Stop waiting for people to rescue youenjoy life."

Briet fumbled for her purse. There was no answer to that. She had taken part in all kinds of escapades with that crowdshe blushed just thinking about it. Wasn't that enjoying life? Had she ever implied that she wanted to be rescued? What crap! On the way out she consoled herself with the thought that boys went after her. Not after Marta. But the stakes were still too high to provoke her into trying to make a statement and competing over who was more desirable. Marta Mist behaved like a female Harald. She controlled Dori. Briet did not want to go to prison. No, thanksforget Dori. She could get him later. Briet straightened her back to show off her bust. As they walked toward the door she enjoyed the fact that the three men in suits who were sitting by the window were ogling hernot Marta. Briet smiled to herself. The little triumphs were often the sweetest.