Chapter 40
William is sitting to the left of Olivia on the Sadelexpressen chairlift, with Pontus on her right.
Amir is next to him, leaning back but with his attention focused on where they are going.
He still seems angry, and hasn’t said a word to Olivia since breakfast. When they were boarding the lift, she did her best not to end up beside him.
Emil hasn’t joined them; he said he had a stomachache. Olivia wishes he were here. He has a calming effect on the group. He was the one who interrupted the big argument at breakfast and got her to back down before she said something she might regret.
She is convinced that Amir hates her now.
The two of them will never be friends again.
After breakfast it was William who suggested they should go skiing. Or rather, he insisted on it. They had to do something, he said. They were all so restless and irritable. If they sat around indoors all day, they would only start bickering again.
Olivia allowed herself to be persuaded, even though she didn’t want to go skiing at all. But nor did she want to stay in the house all day, driving herself crazy wondering what had happened.
The chairlift is moving slowly between the tall poles. The Plexiglas bubble screen that provides protection from the wind is down, but Olivia’s face is still freezing, even though her scarf is wrapped around her mouth.
When she looks out at the slopes, there aren’t many people around; no doubt the weather has kept them away. The fog comes and goes, and ?reskutan is barely visible, even though the lifts at the top are allegedly open, according to the app.
“It’s good to get out, isn’t it?” William says, pushing his goggles up onto his forehead. “I said the fresh air would make us feel better.”
“Mmm.”
William leans closer; his helmet is almost touching hers. “Why did you go for Amir at breakfast?” he says quietly. “I’m sure he hasn’t done anything. You can’t seriously think he was behind Filippa’s accident?”
The fact that he is calling it an accident makes Olivia uncomfortable. It’s a simple explanation, because it means that no one needs to suspect anyone else—but she can’t believe they’re all buying it.
Is she the only one who doesn’t believe Amir’s lies?
She can’t handle this. She needs to think about something else, clear her mind, if only for a few hours.
“Do we have to talk about this now?” She busies herself adjusting the chin strap of her helmet.
William remains silent for a moment, then turns so that he can see the other two. “I assume we’re going up to Skutan?” he says. “We can come back via the Western.”
He means the West Ravine. Olivia wonders if this is a good idea, especially if the fog lingers.
William wouldn’t have any problems; he is the best skier in the group, and he is used to skiing off-piste from his vacations in the Alps.
Olivia can usually find her way down without too much difficulty; she is pretty good after many trips to ?re and S?len, even though she’s not as fast as the boys.
But Amir isn’t as technically skillful, and Pontus is considerably weaker than the rest of them. He is also the only one with rented skis—Olivia, William, and Amir have brought their own.
The chairlift sways, and Olivia reaches out a hand to steady herself.
“I think we should wait to decide until we see what it looks like up there,” she says.
William grins, perfectly relaxed as always.
Olivia thinks she knows why he has suggested the downhill route via the ravine, the off-piste run that is challenging even in good weather. It will give him the opportunity to show off his superiority, how easily he can outclass the rest of the group.
It is as if he can’t help it; it’s part of his nature.
He simply has to outshine everyone else.
Be the best.