The Quarry

19

When Per was little he had enjoyed watching the sun go down over Kalmar Sound, and on Tuesday evening he stood by the window for a while. He had settled Jerry in front of the TV, and shortly he would ring Nilla to arrange a time to pick her up, but first he wanted to see the sunset.

It was just after eight. The sun had lost its heat much earlier in the evening, but it was still dazzling as it hovered just above the water line in the west, bright and golden. It was only when it had slipped halfway below the horizon that it lost its glow, staining the clouds dotted over the mainland dark red, like blood-filled arteries.

Then all of a sudden it was gone. The sky in the west continued to glow, as if a fierce fire were burning beneath it, but the darkness quickly moved in across the shore and the quarry.

Per leaned closer to the window and studied the compact shadows down there. He thought about the steps that had been destroyed. Perhaps it was his imagination, but he thought some of the shadows might be creeping and crawling around the piles of reject stone.

The police had not been in touch since the initial interview, and Per hadn’t called them. On Wednesday morning he drove into Kalmar to collect Nilla. In the hospital cafeteria he came across an evening paper from the previous day. He flicked through it quickly, and found a short news item:

A man is missing after a devastating fire which started on Sunday evening in a large house in the forest outside the village of Ryd, sixty kilometres south of Växjö.

When the police and fire brigade were called to the scene at approximately 18.00, the wooden house was already burning fiercely, and the fire-fighters concentrated on ensuring that the fire did not spread. The damping-down operation continued until midnight.

The house was completely destroyed, and as we went to press it was unclear whether anyone had lost their life in the blaze. The owner of the property managed to escape and has been questioned by the police, but was unable to shed any light on the cause of the fire.

A witness has stated that at least one person was seen inside the burning house. An employee of the owner, who used the house as an office and for overnight accommodation, is still missing, and the police fear that he could have perished in the blaze.

Forensic technicians will be examining the remains of the property as soon as possible in order to clarify whether anyone could have been inside, and to establish the cause of the fire.

Per closed the paper. ‘The owner of the property’, that was his father, and ‘the missing employee’ must have been Hans Bremer. Per himself was only ‘a witness’, which made him feel better. If and when the press found out that it was Jerry Morner who owned the house, they might well write more.

There were no answers yet, but they would no doubt come in time.

He headed for the lift.

Nilla had put on her outdoor clothes and was waiting for him in the day room. She had brushed her hair and was smiling at him, but she looked even thinner than before. Her shoulders felt narrow and bony when he gave her a hug.

‘Did it go OK?’

She nodded. ‘They said they’ve finished now. Mum went to talk to the doctor this morning, before she left.’

‘Good, I’ll give her a ring. Shall we make a move, then? Jesper is waiting for you at the cottage, and Jerry’s there too.’

‘Jerry?’

‘Yes, Jerry... your grandfather.’

Nilla blinked. ‘Why?’

‘He’s going to celebrate Easter with us.’

Nilla nodded, and didn’t ask any more questions. ‘I need to bring that with me,’ she said. ‘Have we got room?’ A folded wheelchair was leaning against the wall further down the corridor.

Per looked at it. The wheelchair made him go cold — why did Nilla need it right now? He wanted to ask someone, but there was no sign of a doctor.

‘Of course,’ he said. ‘I’m sure we can fit it in the boot.’

They reached the quarry about an hour later.

‘Do you remember the cottage?’ said Per as he pulled up.

Nilla nodded. ‘You said you were going to paint it last summer... Have you done it?’

‘I didn’t get round to it.’

‘And what about the repairs?’

‘When I get time,’ Per said quickly. ‘And we’re going to build a flight of stone steps too. But tonight we’re going to a party.’

‘What kind of party?’

‘A get-together with the neighbours.’

Per got out of the car to avoid further questions. Then he helped Nilla out on to the gravel, and over to the door.

‘I can walk by myself,’ she said, but she clung to his arm as they moved into the hallway and then on to a small bedroom.

‘This is your room,’ he said. ‘It’s nice and clean, and I’ve aired it for you.’

Nilla sat down cautiously on the bed, and Per went to fetch her luggage and the wheelchair.

Jesper was on the computer in his room, but Per couldn’t find Jerry.

He went out on to the patio in the sunshine. His father was slumped in one of the chairs, with a sunhat tipped down over his forehead and his eyes closed. His briefcase was lying at his feet like an old brown dog.

‘Hi Jerry.’ Per sat down in front of him and placed the newspaper on his knee. ‘Read this.’

But Jerry wasn’t looking down at the paper, he was looking at something over Per’s shoulder.

Per turned and saw Nilla standing in the doorway. Her arms were dangling wearily by her sides, but she was smiling at Jerry. ‘Hi Granddad,’ she said. ‘How are you?’

Jerry just nodded. He raised a hand slowly in her direction, and cleared his throat. ‘Hi,’ he said.

Per was holding his breath. His first instinct was to protect his daughter from Jerry in some way, but that was hardly necessary.

‘Granddad doesn’t say much,’ he said to Nilla. ‘I’ll be in soon... we’ll have something to eat.’

Nilla nodded and went back inside.

Per leaned forward and pointed to the newspaper article. ‘Jerry, it seems as if Hans Bremer was in the house. He’s still missing, according to the police.’

His father was listening, but there was no reaction. ‘Bremer,’ was all he said. Then he pulled up his shirt to reveal the large plaster on his stomach.

Per didn’t need to look, he just shook his head. ‘Jerry, why would Bremer want to harm you?’

Jerry’s mouth worked as he struggled to find the word, and at last it came. ‘Frightened.’

Per nodded. He didn’t want to leave his father, but he was wondering if it was a good idea to take him over to the neighbours’ party.