Red Wolf_ A Novel - Liza Marklund [155]
She emerged onto Kungsbron, and walked off towards Fleminggatan. The angels in her head were completely quiet. The space they had occupied was now available for real thoughts, but right now she was taking a break from thinking.
Maybe the angels were gone for good.
Maybe they were only hiding for a while.
The most important thing is having somewhere to belong, she thought.
52
Thomas stepped off the bus outside their door and looked up at the façade. There were lights on in all their windows, he could see an Advent star and a Christmas candlestick in the living-room window, and felt a warm, soft glow in his chest.
It was good to have her home again.
He flew lightly up the stairs, rang the bell cheerily before opening the door, and was met with the children’s happy cries; he could hear them before he even stepped into the flat.
‘Daddy!’
They leaped into his arms and showed him drawings and told him about outings and the film they had watched was really good, they asked about the computer, and Mummy had given them crisps, and cola, and Ellen had made the salad and Kalle had made a Swiss roll with buttercream that they were going to have for dessert.
He hung up his coat, put his briefcase to one side, loosened his tie and went into the kitchen. Annika was frying steak, and had opened the window a little to let out the smell.
‘Oh good, you’re here,’ she said. ‘We’re ready to eat.’
He went over and put his hands on her shoulders, kissed her neck and pressed his crotch hard against her buttocks, wrapping his arms round her.
‘You need to be careful,’ he whispered. ‘Don’t you realize how precious you are to us?’
She turned round, looked up into his eyes, kissed him gently.
‘I’ve got something good to tell you,’ she said. ‘Sit down.’
He sat down at the table, already laid for dinner, poured some mineral water and looked round for the morning paper.
‘I’ve found a house,’ she said, putting the sizzling frying pan on the designer trivet. ‘In Djursholm. Newly built, only six point nine million.’
He looked up at her, at her blushing cheeks. ‘What?’
‘Sea view,’ she said, ‘so you’ll be able to see the sea again. Vinterviksvägen, do you know where that is? Big garden with fruit trees, oak floors throughout, open-plan kitchen and dining room. Mediterranean mosaic in both bathrooms, four bedrooms.’
Her eyes were excited and glowing, but there was something dark and mysterious swimming about in there, and he felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine.
‘How can we afford that?’ he said, staring at the basket of bread, then picked up a slice and took a bite from it.
‘Ellen and Kalle, it’s ready!’ she called out into the hall, and sat down opposite him. ‘I found a load of money. I’m going to get a huge reward.’
He took the slice of bread out of his mouth and looked up at her. ‘What do you mean, found?’
She smiled into his eyes without blinking. ‘Seven million.’
He stopped chewing and frowned. ‘Found?’
‘A sack of money.’
‘Money?’
She smiled and nodded.
‘That’s crazy,’ he said, putting the bread down. ‘Really?’
‘I have to head over to the paper for a while after dinner,’ she said, and helped herself to a baked potato.
‘That doesn’t matter,’ he said. ‘I’ll sit up and wait.’
She leaned over and stroked his hair and cheek.
‘Don’t,’ she said.
‘Seven million,’ he said. ‘Where did you find it?’
The children rushed into the kitchen, fighting over who was going to sit next to Annika.
‘I’ll tell you later,’ she mouthed.
‘And we’ll make a huge profit on the flat as well,’ he said.
She stood up to get the sauce, and he had a sudden giddy sense of incomprehensible reality, she was a little green woman from another planet. There was nothing soft or malleable or negotiable about her, she was simply her own solid core.
The next thought hit him from out of the blue. There’s no one else like Annika.
The realization made his throat tighten, with something that might have been happiness.
Annika was sitting outside Anders Schyman’s office and felt like she was falling. The sounds