Chapter 12 #2
“Maybe she doesn’t see the point of some stranger using her property, especially when the cottage is being put on the market,” Leif growled.
Inger cut in sharply. “Ella told you this?”
“Yes, and I agree with her,” Leif admitted. “It’s not your property to do what you like with, whenever you please.”
“It’s not fair.” Inger pressed her fingers to her temple. “What do you think, Uncle Erik?”
“I couldn’t care less about some tourist.” He yanked off his fisherman cap and balled it up as if he were anxious about something.
Charlotte shrugged. “Ella might be odd, and a tourist, but she owns a very expensive property. I hope she puts Ringpynten on the market and I hope I’m the one to sell it. Make sure to tell her that I’m the best real estate agent on the southern coast—I want that commission.”
“I think Ella might be working with my cousin,” Mia said, chewing on peach gummy candy.
“Right, we’ll see,” Charlotte said. She slipped several business cards from her pocket and set them on the coffee table.
“Everyone needs to lighten up,” Axel said. “A shot of aquavit should do the trick.”
“Oh, I’m already feeling pretty good.” Inger laughed and leaned closer to Leif. With a voice barely above a whisper, she said, “I had a little fun with the tourist today.” She grinned at him devilishly and sat back in her seat.
“What are you talking about?”
Instead of answering, Inger got up and set six glasses on the table. Axel filled them to the brim with aquavit and passed them around.
They stood, raised their glasses, and toasted in unison. “Sk?l!”
Axel began singing a festive drinking song: “? s? havner vi p? fyllefest igjen. Hei! Sk?l!” Everyone joined in the chorus: “And then we ended up at a drunken party again. Hi! Cheers!”
They downed their aquavit—all except for Leif, who watched Inger out of the corner of his eye. What was she up to?
Charlotte challenged Axel and Erik to a game of darts, and the three of them were off. Inger hurried to the kitchen.
Mia nudged Leif with her elbow. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. Inger just said something weird. Do you know what’s going on?”
Mia shrugged. “Do you mean something with Ella? When I introduced them, they seemed to get along.” She bit her nail. “Maybe Inger said something ugly to test her, you know, see if she could shove her around. I don’t know. That’s just Inger.”
Partygoers pushed through the door and brought the cold, damp outside air with them.
Leif shivered. Was Ella out in that foul weather?
He needed to forget about her, right now, and enjoy the party.
He flipped through the vinyl records stacked by the turntable, looking for some dance music.
It seemed to him that Inger was jealous that Ella now owned Ringpynten, and the truth was, it made him nervous.
She’d once had a fit on his eleventh birthday, when Erik gave him a blue parakeet.
She had wanted that bird. So she mixed loads of salt in the birthday cake batter, and the next day she let the bird out of the cage.
She had always been a little vengeful like that.
Leif set the turntable needle carefully on Depeche Mode’s “Policy of Truth” and cranked up the volume. Inger had better come clean about whatever she was up to. He wheeled around quickly, brushed past Mia without saying a word, and headed for the kitchen.
“Slow down,” Mia called after him. “Don’t start a fight! It’s a party, remember?”
Leif barged into the kitchen, where Inger sat on the oak counter, her long legs dangling over the edge. She was heating up the stove and had a baking sheet full of frozen rolls beside her.
Leif leaned against the refrigerator and crossed his arms. “What did you say to Ella?”
Inger picked lint off her sweater.
“Oh jeez, just tell us,” said Mia, who had followed him in. She raked at her hair.
“I didn’t say anything to Ella. Not a single word,” Inger insisted. “I didn’t even open my mouth.” She wouldn’t meet his eye and tapped her cigarillo ash into a tea saucer.
“Right,” Leif said, “so what did you do?”
“It was just a joke,” Inger huffed. “She doesn’t belong here, and the sooner she leaves the better. I want my garden back.”
Leif stepped closer to Inger, but the sound of chugging engines made him look past her through the window above the sink.
He saw boats with partygoers headed to the Propeller’s dock.
The red dinghy that he’d loaned Ella hung off the back of a wooden skiff.
Cheerful voices echoed across the water.
Leif scanned the boats and their passengers, looking for Ella, but he didn’t see her.
All he saw was the bruised sky, and the waves shattering against the rocks.
His mouth went dry, and he touched his pendant. Please, let Ella be safe.
“So, my question is, Inger”—he raised his voice at her to bring her attention back from the approaching boats—“where is she?”
Inger winced. “I thought she’d notice.”
“Notice what?” Leif said with a sharp edge to his voice. He fought the urge to tower over her and yell.
“She’s fine. Probably a little scared is all.” Inger hopped down from the counter, snatched the tray of rolls, and shoved them into the oven.
“Where is she?” Mia asked, gaping at Inger.
“OK, OK. A couple of hours ago I passed G?sholmen. Ella had tied up the dinghy there, with one of her ridiculous shoelace knots. Bunny ears. Can you imagine?” Inger tittered. “Who does that? So, I might’ve loosened the knot. Just a little bit.”
Silence.
Loud, happy chatter came from the next room. Axel started singing again, likely doling out more aquavit.
“Tell me you’re kidding?” Mia said.
“I’m not kidding.” Inger jumped back up on the counter. “I didn’t think the dinghy would float away though. I was sure it would stay in the cove. You know, worst-case scenario, Ella would have to wade into the water to retrieve it.”
“Are you crazy?” Leif grabbed a cookie tin from the kitchen table and sent it flying into the sink.
It crashed against a glass, breaking it into pieces, and he imagined a body breaking against the surf-pounded rocks.
Mia gasped. Inger blinked twice at the broken bits in the sink. They’d never seen him so angry.
Mia frowned at Inger. “You should be ashamed. That’s just too much.”
Inger pursed her lips at Leif. “Oh, relax! Ella will be fine. It was just a prank, and I didn’t mean any harm. I’ll go get her.”
“Save it. You’re an idiot, and I don’t trust you!” Leif shouted. The back door slammed behind him.