‘What happened?’ Livio said.
He was waiting back at the stalls as planned, and his smile was long gone. He stared at her with either mistrust or concern, she wasn’t sure which. Then he pointed at her filthy hands that she’d wiped clean on her jeans little better than not at all.
‘I was in this basement corridor,’ she told him. ‘Thought I’d found some kind of hatch, but it was apparently just a board. Got myself all dirty in the process, and on the way back I slipped on the stairs.’
She stepped by him and took a look at his find – the cameraless tripod and a stretcher bed.
The bed was smeared with blood and faeces, and something turned in Feli’s stomach. ‘Looks like Nele was having contractions.’
Livio agreed.
‘And then someone must’ve taken her away.’ He pointed at the phone in her hand. ‘Are you finally going to call the police?’
Feli nodded but said: ‘I’m not sure. Probably. I’ll need to ask Mats first.’
‘All right, but if you’re gonna call the cops…’ Livio didn’t finish, but she knew what he was asking.
‘Fine, take off!’
Livio looked like he wanted to explain, then added: ‘I mean, there’s not much more the both of us can do here together. And you know the police and I aren’t exactly best buddies.’
‘Fine. Just go!’ She pointed at the exit.
‘Really?’
‘Just one more thing.’
‘What?’
He’d already turned to leave, but pivoted back around.
‘My wallet.’
‘What? Oh, right.’
He pulled it out of his trouser pocket, grinning, and joked, ‘A guy’s gotta try.’
Feli fished out two fifty-euro bills, intending to give him his promised fee, but he declined. ‘You can take me out to dinner,’ he said, blew her a kiss, and headed off for the exit.
Feli waited until he’d disappeared into the rain outside the corrugated walls and heard the sound of his car starting. Only then did she take a deep breath and dial Mats’ number, her heart pounding wildly.