Read Online Hell Fire by Karin Fossum - Free Book Online

didn’t manage to remove the stains completely, she got rid of a lot and the smell faded. Then she turned it. She found some clean sheets, which she had washed a while ago in Ingemar’s old machine down in the cellar, and then made up the bed and washed the floor. Finally she went back into the bathroom and scrubbed the bathtub.
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    â€œThat’s me finished,” she told Ingemar. “Everything’s done now.”
    He didn’t want to look at her. Maybe he was ashamed after all. She went out to the car and called the office.
    â€œI’ve done it,” she said to Ragnhild. “It wasn’t as bad as I thought. The garbage bags are standing in the snow outside. His children can deal with them. If they bother to show up.”
    â€œBonnie, I have to thank you,” Ragnhild said. “I’m pretty certain that none of the others would have done that, but then none of the others are as dedicated as you.”
    Bonnie put the key in the ignition and started the car.
    â€œYou can go home now,” Ragnhild said, all of a sudden.
    â€œI’m sorry?” Bonnie was so surprised her mouth dropped open.
    â€œYou earned some extra time off. You’re invaluable.”
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    When Bonnie appeared in the doorway to the playroom, Simon jumped with joy. He ran across the floor into her arms as fast as his little legs would carry him. She squeezed him tight.
    â€œWas Kaja pleased to get the perfume?” she whispered.
    Simon nodded happily. “But Märta was jealous.”
    Bonnie smiled and said not to worry. She carried him in her arms to the office, where Kaja was doing some paperwork. She exchanged a few friendly words with her and then took him out to the car.
    â€œThe toy store,” she said. “I promised you yesterday. Have you thought about something you’d like that isn’t too expensive?”
    Simon beamed from the back seat. Oh yes, he had thought about it a lot. Because he’d once gone Christmas shopping with Granny Henny and had seen something that he really liked. But it wasn’t what he got that Christmas and he’d never forgotten about it.
    The parking lot by the shopping center was full, so Bonnie waited patiently, and soon enough she saw a van reverse out of a parking spot.
    â€œThat was lucky.” She slipped the Opel into the space, and they got out. Simon was so excited that he climbed the high escalator steps. They went into the toy store and started to wander along the shelves. It was clear that Simon was looking for something in particular, because he was patient and systematic. Every now and then, he lifted something up and stood for a while admiring it, but his mind wandered back and he continued his search. He finally found himself in front of a shelf with all kinds of animals in all shapes and colors. There were lots of cuddly stuffed animals, but he already had a well-loved teddy bear with black glass eyes. No, he was looking for something else. He picked up some big bags of colorful plastic and rubber animals, each containing a different type of animal. One of them was full of rubber snakes with beautiful zigzag patterns on their backs and poisonous red tongues.
    â€œUgh, you don’t want snakes, do you?” Bonnie asked, shivering. “They’re horrible.”
    Simon liked them because they were soft and nice to touch, but he put them down. He lifted up another bag, this one full of Norwegian farm animals: sheep and cows and horses, a goose with orange feet, some hens and a spotted dog. He put these animals back too. And when he lifted up the third bag, he had found what he was looking for. Wild animals from the African savannah. A lion with a great mane. An elephant, a giraffe, a rhinoceros, and a hippopotamus. An ape and a beautiful flamingo, a gnu and a hyena, and a vulture.
    â€œOne hundred and ninety-eight kroner,” Bonnie said. “We’ve got just enough.”
    They paid for the animals,