Isabell had left their bed at seven-thirty. Berg would have stayed under the sheets longer – he was tired physically and mentally – but instead, he rushed to get dressed and downstairs before she left, determined to delve into her plans for the day. First, they shared an awkward and near-silent breakfast. Not exactly worth making the effort of getting up for, but he was awaiting his moment.
‘What are you doing today?’ he asked as he poured himself another coffee.
‘How do you mean?’
‘Are you staying home?’
She looked fidgety. ‘Most of the day, yes.’
‘But you’re going out this morning?’
The fact she was up and dressed already confirmed that.
‘Just some errands to run. A couple of meetings.’
‘I thought perhaps we could have lunch today?’
‘Together?’ she said as though it was a preposterous suggestion.
‘No, over a video call. Yes, of course together.’
He moved closer to her, put his hand on her waist.
‘Sorry, darling,’ she said. ‘I would have, but… you never ask me anymore. I’d love to. Another day, though?’
She smiled and reached forward and kissed him on the cheek. Then checked her watch.
‘I’ve got to go.’
With that, she did.
Berg moved through the house. Stood at the window in the lounge, sipping his coffee, until her car was off the drive and out of sight.
Then he called Nyland.
‘Where are you?’ Berg said without pleasantries when the call was finally answered.
‘I was right outside. I’ll follow her.’
Berg was, for once, impressed. And he certainly hadn’t spotted Nyland at all when he’d looked out the window just now, or earlier.
‘What more can you tell me about Tronstad?’
Berg moved away from the window and back through the house to the kitchen.
‘Not much more yet. He’s forty-one. Unmarried. He’s renting a house on the water, a few miles north of the town. One of those big ones.’
Berg knew the type. Huge cabins that rich folk from the cities bought so they could ‘get away’ from the rat race – for a few weeks a year, at least. Properties that were way out of reach of the regular townsfolk, had plots that included acres and acres of land but were so cut off from life that Berg had no clue why anyone would want one. He could have afforded one if he wanted. He didn’t.
So Tronstad was one of those types. Interesting.
‘That doesn’t explain why he and my wife were in that house in town yesterday,’ Berg said as he stared out of the kitchen window to the garden beyond. In summer, their sprawling outdoor space was beautifully manicured and full of vibrant colors. In midwinter, it looked bleak and barren. Kind of how Berg felt right now.
‘No,’ Nyland said. ‘It doesn’t. I need to do some further work on that. He doesn’t have an office, as far as I can see, so perhaps that’s what he’s using that place for. It is possible that… I mean, it’s possible this is all normal. He’s seeing her professionally.’
Yes, it was possible. But even that would be a problem, as far as Berg was concerned. What need did Isabell have for a lawyer? Especially when she hadn’t mentioned a word of it to him. Whatever the answer, she was keeping the truth from him. He would find out why.
‘Let me know where she goes. If she meets him again—’
‘I’ll be there. I’ll get as much information for you as I can.’
‘And the other things I asked for?’
For some reason, Berg couldn’t bring himself to say those things out loud over the phone, as though a small part of him worried that someone was eavesdropping on him, in the very manner that he was asking Nyland to eavesdrop on his wife and Tronstad.
‘It’ll take me a bit longer. I’ve reached out to—’
‘You’ve done what?! I didn’t tell you to speak to anyone else about this!’
Silence.
‘Nyland, you shit—’
‘Mr Berg, you have to understand I can’t do all that you’ve asked on my own. But these people… They’re very discreet. I can assure you of that. That’s what you’re paying for.’
‘Damn right, it is. If any word of this gets out, I’ll tear your balls off and feed them to you.’
Berg waited for a response to the threat. It took him a few seconds to realize the silence was because the call had already disconnected. Bad signal or had Nyland ended the call? Had he heard the threat even? The doubt only made Berg’s temper rise all the more.
Somehow he resisted tossing the phone across the kitchen.
He finished his coffee, got himself ready, and left the house.
* * *
Berg’s temper remained piqued, but under control, as he arrived at work. He managed to make it to the office without anyone accosting him. A bonus. He checked his diary. Only two meetings during the day, both in the afternoon, which would mean he’d finally get a chance to get his head down and get on top of the numbers for the upcoming audit.
Seriously surprising his expectations, he managed to make it past lunchtime without interruption, though by that point his brain was weary and his thoughts were increasingly turning from work to his private life. He’d heard nothing more from Nyland. Should he call him?
Then came the inevitable knock on the door. The even more inevitable face that peered through the glass was Marius’s.
‘Come in.’ Berg beckoned.
Marius did so. He took a seat opposite Berg without being invited.
‘Can I help you?’ Berg said.
‘You never did tell me what that was about yesterday,’ Marius said. ‘With those Russians.’
That was right. Berg hadn’t. In fact, he’d done everything he could to avoid Marius for the rest of the day, and he’d thought Marius was out all day today with suppliers. Clearly not.
‘How did your meetings go?’ Berg asked.
‘I’ll get to that,’ he said. Berg didn’t like his tone. ‘I’m starting to get the feeling that you don’t trust me. That, or you want to keep things from me?’
‘Things? What things?’
‘I’m not an idiot,’ Marius said.
Berg kind of thought he was, though he decided against saying it.
‘I know about your history with them.’
Berg gritted his teeth.
‘You thought I didn’t? Like I said, I’m not dumb.’
‘You’re talking as though there’s some dark secret. Just because I don’t tell you everything that happens in my business, doesn’t mean there’s something bad.’
Marius humphed. ‘Yeah, except I don’t trust those guys. And I don’t trust you around them.’
‘Are you serious?’ Berg said, hackles raised. ‘Don’t you dare—’
‘I know what happened last time.’
Berg clenched his jaw rather than bite back. Twice now Marius had said that. Berg really wanted to find out more. To find out exactly what this asshole knew. But doing so would only open up the fact that there really was something Berg was trying to hide.
Perhaps Marius was only fishing.
‘I know to anyone on the outside looking in, everything looks above board here, but the way I see it, this place is as much theirs as it is yours,’ Marius said.
‘What on earth are you talking about?’ Berg said. ‘They don’t own anything here.’
‘Those two from yesterday? Maybe not. You might be in charge here, but I’m older than you, Sigurd. I worked here while you were still at school. I worked with your father.’
‘I know you did. I took you on as a favor to him.’
‘I worked with him, but I always knew he was dirty.’
Berg felt ready to explode but somehow held it in. He wasn’t sure that was a good thing. What would happen when he eventually erupted?
‘He was dirty, his money was dirty,’ Marius continued. ‘The money used to start this business, money which still sits as a debt on our books, came from him.’
‘You piece of shit,’ Berg said, getting to his feet. ‘My father’s been dead—’
‘For a long time.’ Marius got up from his chair too, standing his ground. A challenge? ‘Yeah. I know that. I was at his funeral. He’s gone. But those debts still sit on our books, don’t they? So who are we going to pay back? His ghost?’
‘Get the fuck out of my office—’
‘Don’t worry. I’m going.’ Marius moved for the door. ‘I’ve still got a real job to do.’
‘No, you don’t. You’re fired.’
Marius turned and looked at Berg. A snide look. Berg wanted to wipe it off.
‘I don’t think so, Boss. See what happens if you try.’
With that, Marius opened the door and stormed out.
Berg was left stunned. He didn’t move for what felt like several minutes.
Had that conversation really just happened? Had he really been threatened by that… that… He couldn’t even think of the word. But Marius was proving to be a far bigger problem than Berg had ever anticipated. What worried him the most was that Marius had a big mouth. Who else had he already talked to?
Berg’s phone buzzed on the desk. He glanced at the screen. Hoped it was Nyland. No.
‘What do you want?’ he shouted when he answered.
‘Sigurd, it’s me.’
Berg sighed in frustration and clenched the phone a little more tightly in his hand. ‘I know it’s you. What do you want, you dumb ape?’
Silence. Had the phone disconnected again like earlier with Nyland? What was wrong with this thing? He checked the screen. No. Probably the big bastard was just unsure how to respond to the insult.
‘We’ve got a problem,’ Erling said.
This was all Berg needed. ‘What problem?’
‘The boy. He’s gone.’