The Fire Witness

156

Flora pours steaming hot water into the bucket and, although she hates the smell of the rubber gloves, she puts them on. The scent of lemon cleanser spreads through the small apartment. Cool air pours in the open windows. The sun is shining and birds are singing.

When the detective left her standing on the sidewalk, she had stayed right there. She should have started preparing for the séance, but she didn’t dare go downstairs by herself. Instead, she waited for the first participants to arrive. Dina and Asker Sibelius came at their usual early time, fifteen minutes before the séance. Flora pretended that she’d arrived late. They came downstairs with her and helped her set up the chairs. By five after seven, nineteen participants had arrived.

The séance lasted much longer than usual. Flora gave each of them her time and pretended to see friendly old ghosts, happy children, and forgiving parents.

She had been able to figure out why Dina and Asker kept coming.

Their grown son was left in a coma after a car accident, and they had reluctantly agreed with the doctor to turn off life support and to donate his organs.

“What if he can’t get to God?” Dina had whispered.

This evening, Flora talked to their son and was able to reassure them that he was in the light. He was happy that they’d donated his heart, lungs, corneas, and kidneys, which were now living on.

After the séance, Dina kissed Flora’s hands. She was weeping and kept saying that she was now the happiest woman on earth.

Now Flora is scrubbing the floor of the apartment. Ewa is at a sewing circle with a few friends. Hans-Gunnar is in the living room, watching a soccer match against Italy. He has the volume turned up high.

Flora rinses the mop and squeezes out the water while she stretches her aching back. Then she gets back to work.

She knows that Ewa is going to open the envelope and pay the bills on Monday.

“Pass, Zlatan, pass for God’s sake!” yells Hans-Gunnar from the living room.

Flora’s shoulders have started to ache by the time she carries the bucket to Ewa’s bedroom. She closes the door behind her and places the bucket in the way. She takes the key hidden behind the wedding photograph and unlocks the desk.

A crash makes Flora jump.

It was just the mop falling over.

Flora listens for a moment before she lifts the heavy desk lid. She tries to pull open the tiny drawer inside, but her hands are trembling. The drawer is stuck. She pokes among the pencils and erasers and finds a letter opener. She carefully inserts it into the spring above the drawer and gives it a gentle tug. The drawer slides open an inch.

She can hear a scraping sound close-by, but sees it’s just a pigeon on the windowsill.

Flora gets her fingers into the drawer and manages to pull it all the way open, but the postcard from Copenhagen gets bent. She takes out the envelope for the bills and replaces the exact amount she took.

She puts everything back in its proper place. She tries to straighten the postcard, pushes the drawer back in, and makes sure the pencils, pens, and letter opener are arranged as she found them. She closes the lid and locks it.

She goes over to the nightstand and has just lifted the wedding picture when the door to Ewa’s room crashes open. The bucket tips over and the water spills out.

“You goddamn thief!” Hans-Gunnar yells as he storms inside. He’s not wearing a shirt.

She turns toward him. His eyes are wide open and he’s punching wildly. The first blow hits her shoulder and she doesn’t feel it. Then he grabs her hair and beats her with his other fist. The third blow lands under her chin. The next on her cheek. She falls and feels her hair rip out. The wedding picture falls to the floor and the glass breaks into pieces. She lies on her side in the spilled water. She can hardly breathe from the pain in her eye.

Flora feels nauseated and rolls onto her stomach. She tries to keep herself from vomiting. Spots appear before her eyes. She tries to focus and sees that the photograph has fallen from the frame and is leaning against the nightstand. On the back someone has written: Ewa and Hans-Gunnar, Delsbo Church.

Flora remembers what the ghost has whispered to her. This wasn’t the last time, right before the séance, but earlier, here at home. She doesn’t remember exactly. Miranda had whispered about a church bell tower. The girl was holding the wedding photo and pointing at the bell tower in the background as she whispered: She’s hiding there. She saw everything and she’s hiding in the tower.

Hans-Gunnar is standing over her, breathing heavily, when Ewa comes in, still wearing her coat.

“What is going on here?” she demands in a frightened voice.

“She’s been stealing! I knew it!”

He spits on Flora, picks up the bronze key, and goes to the desk.