Read Online Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Karin Fossum
Ads: Link
the barn and came walking across the yard.
"Police," Sejer said politely, nodding toward the red car. "Do you have any other cars on the farm?"
"Two others," she said, surprised. "My husband has a Mercedes, and my son has a Golf. Why?"
"What color are they?" he asked.
She stared at him in astonishment. "The Mercedes is white and the Golf is red."
"What about the farm next door? What kind of vehicles do they have?"
"A Blazer," she said. "A dark-blue Blazer. Has something happened?"
"Yes, it has. We'll come back to that. Were you home yesterday in the middle of the day?"
"I was in the fields."
"Did you see a car coming down the hill at high speed? A gray or green car with a ski-box on the roof?"
She shrugged. "Not that I recall. But I don't hear much when I'm driving the tractor."
"Did you see anyone around that time of day?"
"Hikers. A group of boys with a dog," she said. "No one else."
Thorbjørn and his group, he thought.
"Thanks for your help. Are your neighbors home?" He nodded toward the farm farther down the road as he looked at her. Her face was that of someone who worked outdoors often, healthy-looking and attractive.
"The owner of the farm is away, there's only a caretaker there. He left this morning, and I haven't seen him come back."
She shaded her face with her hand and stared in that direction. "The car's not there."
"Do you know him?"
"No. He's not the talkative sort."
Sejer thanked her, and they got back into the car.
"He had to drive up there first," Skarre said.
"He wasn't a murderer then. He might have been driving very slowly, and that's why no one noticed him."
They drove in second gear down to the highway. Shortly afterward they saw a small country shop on the left side of the road. They parked and went in. A tiny bell rang above their heads, and a man wearing a blue-green nylon smock appeared from the back room.
For several seconds he simply stood and stared at them with a look of horror. "Is it about Annie?"
Sejer nodded.
"Anette feels so terrible," he said, sounding shocked. "She
called Annie today. All she heard was a scream on the other end of the line."
A teenage girl appeared and stood motionless in the doorway. Her father put his arm around her shoulders.
"We're letting her stay home today."
Sejer went over and shook hands.
"Do you live next to the store?"
"About fifty yards from here, down by the shore. We can't believe it."
"Did you see anyone unusual in the area yesterday?"
He thought for a moment. "A group of boys came in, and each bought a Coke. Otherwise, only Raymond. He came in around midday and bought milk and flatbread. Raymond Låke. He lives with his father up near Kollen. We don't have many customers; we're going to have to shut down soon.
He kept on patting his daughter on the back as he talked.
"How long did it take for Låke to buy his bread and milk?"
"I don't know, a few minutes. A motorcycle stopped here too, by the way. Must have been between 12:30 and 1:00 P.M. Stopped for a minute or two and then left. A big bike with large saddlebags. Might have been a tourist. No one else."
"A motorcycle? Can you describe it?"
"Oh, what can I say? Dark, I think. Shiny and impressive. He was sitting with his back to me, wearing a helmet. Sat and read something that he held in front of him on his bike."
"Did you see the license plate?"
"No, sorry."
"Do you remember seeing a gray or green car with a ski-box on the roof?"
"No."
"What about you, Anette?" Sejer said, turning to the daughter. "Is there anything you can think of that might be important?"
"I should have called her," she said.
"You can't blame yourself for this; you couldn't have done anything to prevent it. Someone probably picked her up on the road."
"Annie didn't like people to get upset. I was afraid she'd get mad if we tried to pressure her."
"Did you know Annie well?"
"Pretty well."
"And you can't think of anyone she might have met along her route? Had she mentioned any new
"Police," Sejer said politely, nodding toward the red car. "Do you have any other cars on the farm?"
"Two others," she said, surprised. "My husband has a Mercedes, and my son has a Golf. Why?"
"What color are they?" he asked.
She stared at him in astonishment. "The Mercedes is white and the Golf is red."
"What about the farm next door? What kind of vehicles do they have?"
"A Blazer," she said. "A dark-blue Blazer. Has something happened?"
"Yes, it has. We'll come back to that. Were you home yesterday in the middle of the day?"
"I was in the fields."
"Did you see a car coming down the hill at high speed? A gray or green car with a ski-box on the roof?"
She shrugged. "Not that I recall. But I don't hear much when I'm driving the tractor."
"Did you see anyone around that time of day?"
"Hikers. A group of boys with a dog," she said. "No one else."
Thorbjørn and his group, he thought.
"Thanks for your help. Are your neighbors home?" He nodded toward the farm farther down the road as he looked at her. Her face was that of someone who worked outdoors often, healthy-looking and attractive.
"The owner of the farm is away, there's only a caretaker there. He left this morning, and I haven't seen him come back."
She shaded her face with her hand and stared in that direction. "The car's not there."
"Do you know him?"
"No. He's not the talkative sort."
Sejer thanked her, and they got back into the car.
"He had to drive up there first," Skarre said.
"He wasn't a murderer then. He might have been driving very slowly, and that's why no one noticed him."
They drove in second gear down to the highway. Shortly afterward they saw a small country shop on the left side of the road. They parked and went in. A tiny bell rang above their heads, and a man wearing a blue-green nylon smock appeared from the back room.
For several seconds he simply stood and stared at them with a look of horror. "Is it about Annie?"
Sejer nodded.
"Anette feels so terrible," he said, sounding shocked. "She
called Annie today. All she heard was a scream on the other end of the line."
A teenage girl appeared and stood motionless in the doorway. Her father put his arm around her shoulders.
"We're letting her stay home today."
Sejer went over and shook hands.
"Do you live next to the store?"
"About fifty yards from here, down by the shore. We can't believe it."
"Did you see anyone unusual in the area yesterday?"
He thought for a moment. "A group of boys came in, and each bought a Coke. Otherwise, only Raymond. He came in around midday and bought milk and flatbread. Raymond Låke. He lives with his father up near Kollen. We don't have many customers; we're going to have to shut down soon.
He kept on patting his daughter on the back as he talked.
"How long did it take for Låke to buy his bread and milk?"
"I don't know, a few minutes. A motorcycle stopped here too, by the way. Must have been between 12:30 and 1:00 P.M. Stopped for a minute or two and then left. A big bike with large saddlebags. Might have been a tourist. No one else."
"A motorcycle? Can you describe it?"
"Oh, what can I say? Dark, I think. Shiny and impressive. He was sitting with his back to me, wearing a helmet. Sat and read something that he held in front of him on his bike."
"Did you see the license plate?"
"No, sorry."
"Do you remember seeing a gray or green car with a ski-box on the roof?"
"No."
"What about you, Anette?" Sejer said, turning to the daughter. "Is there anything you can think of that might be important?"
"I should have called her," she said.
"You can't blame yourself for this; you couldn't have done anything to prevent it. Someone probably picked her up on the road."
"Annie didn't like people to get upset. I was afraid she'd get mad if we tried to pressure her."
"Did you know Annie well?"
"Pretty well."
"And you can't think of anyone she might have met along her route? Had she mentioned any new
Similar Books
