Bad Intentions by Karin Fossum Read Free Book Online Page A

make for themselves."
    Axel's impertinence made Hanna Wigert feel dizzy. She gestured toward a small waiting room and went to find Molly Gram, walking off this time with a touch of indignation so that her otherwise noiseless shoes could be heard against the floor. Axel and Reilly sat looking out of the large windows. The sound of a lawnmower cut through the silence.
    "What do you want with her?" Reilly whispered.
    "I just need to check something," Axel said. "Find out if she knows anything."
    Reilly shook his head, despairing. "And if she knows something, what are you going to do?"
    Axel grabbed a magazine and started flicking through it.
    "We need to know where we stand," he said. "I need to be in control. I'll be able to tell immediately if she knows something."
    Reilly stuffed his big hands in his coat pockets.
    "If Jon confided in Molly, there's nothing we can do about it. Or what did you have in mind?"
    Axel did not reply. They listened toward the corridor. The big building was strangely quiet; no shouting, no laughter, no footsteps. But they could hear a distant drone as from a big engine far away, or perhaps it was located underneath them, in the basement.
    A young woman entered the room. The light from one of the tall windows glowed behind her. She was slender as a reed, with wispy blonde hair and harshly made-up eyes. She wore a ballerina's tutu with tights underneath and ballet pumps on her feet. In her arms she was cradling a small white dog.
    Good heavens, Reilly thought. Molly Gram is an angel.
    She looked at them with black eyes. Suddenly the dog freed itself, leapt down to the floor and ran to greet Axel. However, Axel ignored the small, shaggy animal, and after several failed attempts at getting his attention, it ran over to Reilly instead. Here it received a warmer welcome. Reilly stroked its head and the dog began nipping at the legs of his corduroy trousers. Reilly waited patiently. He could not make himself shoo it away and he did not move his leg. He saw that the dog had got its teeth into a torn flap of worn fabric and was pulling at it. After a while it started growling as though it were playing with another dog and Reilly decided to withdraw his foot. No good. The dog was fixed to his trouser leg. It had no intention of giving up its prey, even if it was only a scrap of corduroy. He looked toward Molly for help.
    "Melis," she said. "Drop it."
    The command was barely audible, but the dog instantly let go, spun around and ran back to her.
    Axel stepped forward to greet her.
    "My name's Axel," he said, "and the giant here is Philip Reilly. It's kind of you to see us, we really appreciate it. We're friends of Jon."
    He took both of her hands in his and Reilly knew that Axel's hands were warm, and that the warmth would spread to her whole body. You might even think he had hands like a healer. Reilly had seen many girls go weak at the knees, but Axel Frimann had no effect on Molly. She stood very still and looked at him with her black eyes.
    "We thought you might want to go to the funeral," Axel said. "It's on Friday, in Brodal Church. One o'clock."
    She measured him from his head down to his Italian leather shoes.
    "We used to walk together," she said. "In the evening. After dinner."
    "Where did you go?" Axel asked. "Tell us, please."
    "Through the park," she said, "and down the path. It runs in a figure of eight through the forest and it's just the right distance. It took us an hour. And we would stop on the way back and drink water from the fish fountain up there. There is a carp which spews water."
    Axel smiled. "If you want to go to the funeral, we could come and pick you up," he offered.
    "I'll be getting a lift with Hanna," she said.
    A pause followed.
    She looked as if she was about to leave.
    "Melis!" she called out. "Come here."
    "Jon was really into you," Axel said.
    She took one step forward.
    "What happened?" she asked.
    "At the cabin, you mean?"
    "Yes."
    "We don't know," Axel said. "He went out