Chapter 33
The lights of the landing strip outside J?rpen appear before Hanna’s eyes just as her ears become blocked. She swallows several times to even out the pressure.
“Nearly there,” she says to Henry.
He is sitting opposite her in the cream-colored leather armchair with his eyes closed. He has been unusually quiet during the journey home.
Hanna wouldn’t exactly describe the atmosphere as oppressive, but she knows he is disappointed in her decision to put her job before his carefully-thought-out plans for her birthday.
She touches the beautiful bracelet he gave her, and thinks that she must remember to take it off before she goes into the station tomorrow morning.
She can hardly show up to work with an exclusive piece of jewelry worth hundreds of thousands of kronor.
She mustn’t lose that little screwdriver from Cartier.
Henry gives himself a shake and yawns.
“I’m going to stay on the plane and carry on to Stockholm,” he says. “I might as well go into the office tomorrow.”
His comment takes Hanna by surprise. Somehow his words make her feel rejected, even though she is the one who has broken off their trip.
But of course it makes sense for him to return to the capital.
What would Henry do in ?re if Hanna is about to throw herself into an investigation?
Sit in her little cottage stroking Morris the cat?
She has no right to be upset.
“Listen,” she says, taking his hand. “It’s been a fantastic weekend, and I appreciate it enormously. I just have to . . .”
What is it that she has to do?
Why is she behaving like this?
No one is forcing her to cut short her leave.
Daniel expressly told her that there was no need for her to rush back.
However, the compulsion to go in and find out exactly what has happened is overwhelming.
She has googled every search term she could think of in order to learn more about the case.
Her brain is already busy formulating various theories, and the image of the young woman’s body in the snow is already etched on her retinas.
Henry squeezes her hand and gives her an enigmatic smile.
“You don’t have to explain. You’re committed to your job, just like I am. I understand completely.” Then his expression grows serious. “But it would be good if we could talk about the future—about us. Next time we meet, I’d like to do that.”