ReidarFolke Jespersen took a deep breath and was concise: 'I won't sign anything.'
Theother two men exchanged glances again. Arvid shuffled to the door, which thelittle lapdog took as a signal to jump off the chair. Barking and growling, itwaddled and panted its way over to Reidar and took a bite at his ankle. Reidarstared down at the dog for a few brief seconds, then a shudder ran through hisbody. He took aim and kicked the dog as hard as he could. The dog let out ahollow yelp as it took off from the floor, flew through the room and hit thecorner of the fireplace with a wet smack. The plump dog's body emitted arattling noise and lay motionless.
'Youmonster,' Arvid shrieked, shuffling over to the lifeless animal. He knelt down.'Silvie!' he called in a reedy voice. 'Silvie!'
Emmanuelrolled his eyes at Arvid's distraction. He hunched his shoulders as he tried tolight a slim cigarillo with a hand trembling from tension. The lighter flamegrew with every puff he took. Finally satisfied with the glow, he turned toArvid: 'It was stupid of you to let the animal in, you know that yourself,Arvid. Reidar and the dog have never got on.'
'I'moff right now,' Reidar boomed and pointed to the front door with his long, bonyindex finger. 'And as things stand, there is very little chance I will return.'
'You'vekilled Silvie,' Arvid wailed from the fire.
'Cutthat whining out now!' Reidar snapped. 'Your pooch isn't dead.'
Emmanuelcleared his throat. But his voice gave way as he inhaled the smoke. 'For us…'he mumbled in a semi-strangulated voice,'… for Arvid and myself this is purebusiness, Reidar. Money. It's unprofessional of you to make it into a personalmatter.' He coughed and had difficulty breathing. When he resumed speaking, hisvoice had the same wheeze as a dying godfather in a Mafia film: 'You'll have togive in, that's all there is to it. It would be best for you. Arvid and I willnot comply this time. So you might as well just sign.'
'I'llnever sign,' Reidar hissed.
'She'snot moving,' Arvid shouted, lifting up the lifeless dog. 'Silvie.'
'…We're talking about my damned pension!' Emmanuel went on undaunted, though now inhis normal voice. 'Karsten also agrees that this is for the best. Arvid,Karsten and I – you cannot let your usual bull- headedness spoil the future forus.'
Reidarstood with lowered gaze for a few moments before peering over at Arvid, who washolding the little dog in his arms. Its two front paws pointed up into the air.One paw convulsed and fell as the dog's head twisted and a pink tongueprotruded from its gaping mouth. 'Now the mutt's dead,' Reidar intoned with acrooked, malicious smile playing on his lips. He added: 'You killed it. Youshouldn't have picked it up.' Then he turned and marched towards the door.
'Reidar,'Emmanuel chided. 'The war finished more than fifty years ago. You have nothingto gain by going off on your own. For once in your life, admit defeat.'
AsReidar opened the door, he threw a last glance over his shoulder and said: 'I'mnot signing. That's it. No signature – no contract.'
Emmanuelshouted at Reidar as he left: 'There's no point resisting, Reidar! Tomorrow themoney will be on the table.'
Thedoor slammed shut.
'You'velost,' Emmanuel shouted after him and looked at his brother, Arvid, who slowlyraised his head and sent the closed door a furious glare.
Emmanuelpuffed away on his cigarillo. 'The vet will fix your dog,' he assured hisbrother. 'It's another matter with Reidar. We need his name on the contract.Otherwise, we can kiss the money goodbye.'
Chapter 4
Onthe way down the stairs after leaving his two brothers, while stuffing hisemotional shock into a dusty old drawer in his psyche, Reidar was planning hisnext move.
Atfirst he stood still, shivering, in the freezing snow on the pavement inUranienborgveien as he racked his brain to decide the best way to locate a taxiand a telephone box. That is perhaps the most irritating thing about days likethis, he thought. When you are older, breaks in your routine make the days moredifficult, almost insurmountable. He started to walk down towards Parkveien.After fifty metres, at the corner of Uranienborgpark, he found a telephone. Onunhooking the receiver, he discovered that he needed a card to operate it. Heput the handset back and considered whether he should go straight to the officein Bertrand Narvesens vei in Ensjø and ring from there. It was cold, and he wasstiff and tired. However, he wanted to call from somewhere anonymous. Heregretted not asking Arvid to book him a taxi before he left. A car as a basewould have facilitated progress and his actions; on top of that he would havehad somewhere warm to operate from. Dramatic exits such as the one he had justmade were quite unnecessary, even though the passion underlined his seriousnessand created unrest in enemy ranks.
Withunbending fingers he extricated a telephone card from the wallet in his pocket,as well as the slip of paper on which he had noted down the telephone number ofIngrid's lover. It rang for a long, long time.
'Yes,'came the response at last.
Reidarhesitated, just for a second and no longer. 'This is Reidar Folke Jespersen,'he said. 'Let me speak to my wife.'
Thesilence on the phone continued. 'No melodrama – I don't have the time,' Reidarcontinued in the same calm tone, but with a hint of impatience now. 'It is ofthe utmost importance that I talk to Ingrid – now.'
'Justa moment,' said the man's voice.
Thesilence persisted. Reidar was frozen. He looked around him and cursed Ingrid'snervousness, cursed her for not understanding how he disliked this kind ofwaiting. As he stood there shivering, a white Mercedes with a taxi sign on theroof came up Josefines gate. It stopped a few metres from the traffic lights.Reidar could see the passenger paying. He was keen to be the next passenger. Asif in response to his thoughts, his wife's hushed voice came on the line:'Reidar?'
'Yes,'Reidar intoned. 'I'll be late home today, maybe after seven o'clock.'
Theother end of the line was quiet. The rear door of the Mercedes opened, and thepassenger got out.
'Areyou there?' he asked.
'Yes,'said Ingrid, his wife, in a barely audible voice.
'Iassume this will be the last time I find you in the house of another man,'Reidar said. 'But it is your choice. If you wish to stay married, I expect tosee you at home at seven. If not, you should not return.'
Thewhite taxi started up and turned into the street where he was standing. Reidarraised his arm and hailed the taxi, which pulled up by the kerb. 'In any eventthis episode is forgotten and we will never talk about it,' he concluded and hungup. He took his card from the machine and blew on his hands before hunching hisshoulders and trudging across the pavement to the car door the driver washolding open from inside. He got in and shut the door after him.
'Where?'asked the driver – a chunky Pakistani, concentrating on the traffic behind himin the mirror.
'Ensjo,'Reidar said and took a deep breath. 'I'm freezing. Would be nice if you couldput the heating up a bit.'
Chapter 5
Theanxiety that Reidar Folke Jespersen had not felt for many years lingered – in away it made him feel restless, which also brought back feelings of youth he hadnot experienced for a long time either. So it was an anxiety that he both likedand disliked. But he was unsure about what to do next – and that made himannoyed with himself. He just sat at his desk making the essential telephonecalls and waiting for five o'clock. As the time approached and it was as darkas night outside, he clumped down the steps from his office to the warehouse.The huge hall was full to the rafters with old furniture and artefacts waitingto be sold at the shop in Thomas Heftyes gate. He stood for a few secondstaking in the chaos of artisanship and old everyday items. For a few seconds heallowed himself to drift into a dream, as he usually did whenever he stoodsurveying this scene. But on this day he could not hold on to the sensation. Sohe forced himself to go on, down the stairs. He took a key from his trouserpocket, went to the front door and opened it. It was still icy cold outside. Heopened the lid of the green post box hanging on the wall beside the door. Thekey fell with a faint, almost inaudible clink. Afterwards he went back in andchecked that the door was locked. Then he made his way between all the antiquefurniture, to the very back of the room and stopped in front of afashionable-looking wardrobe. It was covered with carved mouldings and haddecorative flowers painted on the mirrors mounted on the doors. A black dinnersuit hung inside. It had hardly been worn, and had an old-fashioned cut. Hetook off his grey trousers and blue checked flannel shirt, and put on the suit,white shirt and polished shoes.