The Last Fix by K. O. Dahl Page B

for words.
        Gunnarstranda
leaned back in the chair, silent.
        'Because
we talked a lot. We got on well.'
        'But
what did she want to talk about?'
        Sigrid
Haugom deliberated. 'I asked if we couldn't talk on the phone, but she said no.
I remember I looked up at that clock.' Sigrid pointed to the wall where the
clock in the brown box was ticking loudly. 'It was past five and we had to be
at Annabeth's for half-seven. And I was working out how much time I would need
for a shower and the other things I needed to do. I… well… I tried to make it
all fit, let me put it like that, and asked if I should pop by before we went
to the party, but she said no.'
        'And
how did she go on?'
        Sigrid
shrugged. 'Words to the effect of… then we can chat later, or something like
that. I wasn't so happy with that because I knew she was very touchy in that
area, about being rejected, so I asked: Are you sure? And once again I
offered to drive down to hers. But then she asked me if I had time tomorrow,
that is, the day after, on Sunday. And I said yes, but, well, that didn't
materialize.'
        'Can
you remember what she said had happened, the precise words she used?'
        The
woman on the sofa turned this over in her mind. Gunnarstranda sipped his coffee
and sent her another complimentary glance.
         Sigrid
closed her eyes. 'She said: I've had a visit… or: Something happened at
work… I've had a visit from the past. I have to talk to you or I'm going to
snap . Something like that - I can't remember the exact words.'
        '… or
I'm going to snap?'
        Sigrid
nodded.
        'How
did you interpret that expression?'
        'Not
in any special way. As a way of speaking, like: I think I'm going to faint or: I think I'm going to die, as some people say.'
        'And
what did you answer?'
         'I
said: Who was it then, my love? Or: My dear, who was it then ?'
        'You
were so intimate? My dear? My love?'
        'Yes,
in fact we were.'
        'Do
you address other patients in the same way?'
        'I
generally get on well with patients.'
        'But
you address them all in the same way?'
        'You
could say that Katrine was… I suppose it is true to say there was something
special about our relationship.'
        'Why
was that?'
        Sigrid
took her time. In the end, she said: 'Because it was her, and it was me.' She
thought a bit more. 'Maybe Katrine was different, yes, I think she was. Katrine
was special.' Sigrid seemed to be clarifying her thinking to herself. She sat
staring into space, lost in thought. 'There was something about Katrine,' she
said at length, and added, 'Oh, I don't know. When it comes to the crunch it
might just have been the chemistry, but on top of that she had confided in me
over a long period.'
        'Confided?'
        'Yes,
it wasn't perhaps very therapeutic, but she preferred me to many others.'
        'But
she didn't say who it was that had visited her or what had happened?'
        'No.
The conversation turned into a discussion of when to meet.' 'Did you try to
contact her on Sunday?'
        'I
rang her in the afternoon, but got no answer.'
        'How
did you interpret that?'
        'I
thought she had forgotten or she would get back to me later. After all, we
hadn't made any specific arrangement.'
        Gunnarstranda
coughed. He considered his next question. 'What sort of person is her
boyfriend?'
        'An
empty shell.'
        'Shell?'
        'I
think so. There's a lot of facade, but not much in here.' She tapped her temple
with her middle finger. 'He was also jealous, not very mature… yes, in fact
that covers it… not very mature.'
        'Is
he violent?'
        'I
don't think so.'
        'Do
you think he hit her?'
        'No.'
She shook her head. 'No, I would have known.'
        'How
did the jealousy manifest itself?'
        'I
guess he was afraid she was intimate with other