"Ripped By mstoll" "You said you weren't worried about me." " So?" " So why did you spend last night anchored off the farmhouse and sleep on deck?" "I saw you from my window first thing." "You were crawling out of a sleeping bag." "Must have been a pretty sight." "Why were you there?" "Seemed like a good idea, so we could get an early start." "And it was a nice night, so I slept topside." "I often do." "No other reason?" "Course not." "Anyway, why should I be worried about you?" "That business with the motor cruiser - well, it was an accident." "We've both settled for that, haven't we?" "A drunken boating party." "By the way, I was wrong about those pictures that I found." "Anna-Marie called in yesterday and she said they're some of Ingrid's work." "You didn't show them to her?" "No I didn't, but stupidly, when I took them to the cellar," "I left one behind, and she recognised it." "Well, in that case, then, it means that Ingrid is..." "Very sick indeed." "Did you tell Anna-Marie there were other paintings?" "No." "I said that was the only one I'd found." "So what are you going to do?" "Well, I'm not sure." "It's none of my business." "I mean, maybe the family's well aware of how ill Ingrid is." " Or was, perhaps." " But what if they don't know?" "Well, exactly." "Maybe I'll have a quiet work with Dr Albrigsten." "But that's tomorrow's problem." "Right now, I'm going to forget about it." "Good." "Ready, then?" "Do you like boats?" "Back home, a friend of mine's got a 30-foot ketch." "We often go out sailing together." "Oh I see, he's very keen on it, is he?" "He is a she." "And yes, she is very keen." "We both are." "Great." "Look." "That has to be where they landed." "Anyone could come ashore there and you wouldn't see them from the farmhouse." "I didn't even know there was another jetty." "Take the wheel for a while." "Did you christen her?" "Yeah." "Well, re-christened her, anyway." "What does it mean, "Ski-blad-ner"?" "Skibladner." "It's the name of the boat the dwarfs built for one of the great Norse gods." "It was magic, faster than any other vessel." "And, what's more, all he had to do was set the sails and it made straight for wherever he wanted to go without him having to steer it." "But you said you don't know where you're going." "Or where you'll be in six months." "So there's no point you having a boat like that, is there?" "Perhaps not." "Up until now, anyway." "Only recently I think I've found a destination worth making for." "And Skibladner will get you there, will she?" "I hope so." "Part of the way, at least." "What's happening?" "They're building a bonfire for midsummer 's eve." " Already?" " It's only two weeks away." "It's going to be quite a blaze." "There'll be bigger ones than that on the night." "All the way round the fjord." "Do you like trout?" "Mmm, yes." "We'll have some for lunch, then." "Where did you get trout from?" "On a Sunday?" "I'm surprised at you." "This is Norway." "The land of the great outdoors." "You catch them, of course." " Isn't this cheating?" " It gets the results and it's a lot surer than catching them with a rod and line." "Where to now?" "I want you to see my place." "You don't live in Alesund?" "Most of the time." "This is my summer house." "It was an inn once, a long time ago." "The boatman on the fjord used to call there." "Sounds interesting." "It's home as far as I'm concerned." "I hope you like it, it's nothing special." "We're there!" "Here it is." "Nothing special, you said." "Here, hold her steady." "Can you get here by road?" "Only as far as Stordal on the other side of the headland." "And you can either get a lift in a boat, or you walk it." "I don't suppose you get many visitors." "Nope, thank heaven." "Go on in." "I'll just put these in the kitchen." "It's more or less just as it was in the 1800s." "Except that room was a sort of bar then." " Do you like it?" " Very much." "It belonged to my grandfather." "When he died, he left it to me." "So you see, we both inherited something." "Difference being, you know why you were left this place." "You didn't inherit it from someone you'd never heard of." "You weren't left wondering." "You told me you were absolutely convinced that Hjalmar Jordahl couldn't have been your father." "I am." "Come up with another reason for his doing what he did and I'll be very grateful, believe me." "Are you writing a book?" "On and off." "A novel?" "Yeah, my second." "As a memorial to the first." "It died three years ago on publication, from lack of interest." "Is there a copy of it here?" "And in English." "Sold all of 200 copies in translation." "Which is only slightly fewer than it did in the original Norwegian." "All the same, I'm impressed." "'A Voice On The Wind' by Anders Bjornson." "What's it about?" "Me, I suppose." "They say all first novels are largely autobiographical, don't they?" "Which is probably one of the reasons why it didn't sell." "'To Norway, to which I owe what I am with my thanks and regrets.'" "Can I borrow this?" "You're not just being polite?" "It's not my style." "And I'll return it, I promise." "How about a swim?" "I didn't bring my costume." "Think I can do something about that." "Oh?" "Hope it fits." "Think it will be OK." " Thanks." " And here." " See you downstairs." " Yep." "OK?" " Come on!" " I'm not a very good swimmer." "Don't worry, I'll look after you." "I'm going to get you!" "What a fantastic day." "I'll go and put these in some water." " Skål." " Skål." "Whose are the clothes in the wardrobe?" "That was passing interest, some time ago." "Passing interest?" "She left them behind last summer." "And where is she now?" "No idea, we haven't kept in touch." "She married a Dane and he took her back to Legoland." "Trout are about ready, I think." "Good." "I'm starving." "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "Do you hear me?" "Stop it!" "I'm sorry, Ingrid, but you agreed." "Don't, please." "Why do glorious days like this have to end?" "It has to be the spite of the gods." "Or they're just making sure they don't spoil us, perhaps." "Do you suppose if I took my hands off the wheel" "Skibladner will take us the rest of the way to Jordahlsholmen?" "Only if that's really where you want to go?" "That's the Nilsen house." "They have a cabin cruiser, I see." "Yes." "Back to reality and what to do about poor Ingrid." "I don't think you need to stay on guard tonight." "Would you like to come in for a while, for a drink?" "Yes, I would, very much." "But I'm not going to." " You're very welcome." " Yeah, I know." "But I don't want to spoil the day." "OK." "Will you have dinner with me during the week?" "Thursday, maybe?" "There's a place in town called the Pepper Mill." "They have music, you can dance." "I'd like that." "Thursday then." "I'll pick you up." "Well I'll meet you there." "The Pepper Mill." "What time?" "Eight?" "Fine." "Well, good night." "And thank you, it's a really special day." "Catherine?" ""There are still times, all these years later," ""when I can hear my grandfather calling me." ""And I see him as he was then, a tall, sinewy man," ""his face leather-like and sculptured by more than 60 years" ""of sun, rain and cold." ""His blue eyes gentle and forgiving," ""but the best and most awesome of lie detectors." ""Standing outside the door of his house at Østbygd," ""and calling, his voice echoing back from across the fjord." ""And always I would hide from him." ""Mostly out of devilment, sometimes from shame." ""But either way, certain and reassured by the knowledge" ""that sooner or later he would find me."" "Good morning, come in." "Good morning." "Oh, I'm sorry." "I'm holding you up, I'm afraid." "That's all right, I'm in no hurry." "I'm just going to do some shopping, that's all." " I shan't keep you." " It's good to see you." "Come in." "How are you?" "In excellent health, thank you." "But the more important question is, how are you?" " I'm fine." " Really, are you sure?" "I've been hearing all kinds of stories about some accident or other." " Oh, that." " It's all over town." "So I gather." "Well, as you can see, no broken bones." "I'm disappointed." "I was rather looking forward to demonstrating my bedside manner to you." "But here you are, hale and hearty." "No aches and pains?" "No bruises, no cold, no headaches?" "Nothing like that?" "Absolutely nothing, I'm OK." "I'm delighted to hear that." "So, apart from reckless motorboats, how are you liking it out here?" "It's great, I'm enjoying myself." "Good." "Well, you must come and have a meal with us before" " you go back to England." " Thank you." "I'll have a word with my wife, and then I'll give you a call." " Fine." " So, enjoy your shopping." "Goodbye for now." "Doctor, have you got a moment?" "Yes, of course." "What is it?" "There's something I wanted to show you." "Yes, you are right." "These paintings are clear evidence of increasingly advanced psychosis." "And I am not surprised that you are shocked by them, because strangely, even after all these years, they still shock me." "You've seen them before?" "Yes." "Hjalmar Jordahl showed them to me, here in this house." "That one, and that one first." "And the others as the collection grew." "And shortly after Freya finished each of them." " Freya?" "But I was told..." " I cannot imagine why Hjalmar kept these." "I've always assumed that after her death he'd destroyed them." "Then I was right." "I'm sorry?" "When I first saw them, I suspected they'd been painted" " by Freya, only then I..." " You couldn't believe it." "I know." "Such a tragedy." "So young, so beautiful, so talented." "And yet at the end, beyond all help." "And is that the reason Jordahl brought her out here?" " Because of her mental state?" " Catherine, my dear your having found these puts me in a very difficult position." "Both as a doctor and as a close friend of the family." "Quite by chance, you have intruded into a secret." "And though ethically I shouldn't," "I really don't have any alternative now but to share it with you." "Besides, since these paintings now belong to you, you're entitled to an explanation." "Actually, I'd guessed some of it already." "I'm very relieved it was me you raised this with and not with Anna-Marie or Ingrid." "Even now, this would come as a terrible shock to them, I think." "They don't know about their mother?" "Only that within her later years she was ill." "Not the nature of the illness, though." "Hjalmar wanted it kept from everyone." "He dreaded the thought of perhaps having to have her put away somewhere." "Oh, they probably suspected the truth, or something close to it." "But they were young, thank God." "At that age the ugly reality of madness is outside your experience or comprehension." "Besides, the lie would have been much more comforting to them, anyway." "So, as far as I know, they accepted it gratefully and didn't question it too closely." "And they were never with Freya on the island, only here occasionally, during those times when she was more rational." "Almost her old self, even." "But those days got to be fewer and fewer." "And Astrid looked after her?" "Oh, Freya would accept no one else." "Her derangement turned her against Hjalmar completely." "So, Astrid gave up her job in Oslo, as a teacher, and moved here to be with her." "For seven years she hardly left her side and never once during that time was she able to close her bedroom door at night, in case Freya needed her." "She coped magnificently, and without her..." " she's a remarkable woman." " Yes, she is." " What about the dolls?" " Oh, they were among the first signs of Freya's unbalanced mental state and later she seemed to find great solace in them." "Oh, I cannot tell you what terrible days those were." "Oh, not only for Freya but everyone close to her and especially for Hjalmar." "I can imagine." "Tell me, there's a room in the house on the island that's obviously been kept locked." "Yes." "More and more there were times when she became quite violent and had to be restrained." " For her own safety." " How awful." "And then finally she killed herself?" "With an overdose of sleeping tablets which she stole from Astrid." "So now you know everything." "It's quite extraordinary, isn't it?" "Ingrid not only inherited her mother's artistic talent but also her style." "This could almost have" " been painted by Ingrid." " I agree." "You'll not repeat anything I have said about Freya to her, will you?" "Nor to Anna-Marie?" "I can rely on that, I hope." "Of course." "And far as these are concerned..." " Hello." " Hello, Anna-Marie." " You shopping too?" " Oh no, unfortunately." "I've just come out of a board meeting of Jordahl Industries." "A bit of a monthly chore, I'm afraid." "Well, Lars and Ingrid will be out in a moment." " How are you?" " Fine." "And you?" "Busy, and I feel I'm neglecting you." "Oh, nonsense." "No more frightening adventures, I hope?" " No." " Well!" "This is a pleasant surprise." "Hello, Catherine." " Hello, Ingrid." " Hello." " Are you well?" " Yes, thank you." "This is nice, now we can all have lunch together." "Oh, not for me, I'm afraid." "I've got to get back to the office." "I've so much to do." "But I'm sure Catherine will join you." " Oh, well actually..." " Of course you must, we haven't seen you for ages." "We've missed you, haven't we Ingrid?" "Yes, you should not have moved to Jordahlsholmen." "Have you heard anything from Olav Tunheim?" "No, not yet." "He said he might not be able to make an offer for three weeks." "Well, whatever happens about that, you will be staying on for midsummer's eve now, won't you?" "Yes, I'm looking forward to that." "You'll enjoy it, I'm only sorry I can't be with you all." " Oh?" " Sadly, there's a trade fair in Bergen on that Saturday, and I have to be there." "Can't be helped, I'm afraid." "Still I won't miss out entirely on the celebrations," "I'm coming back on the Hurtigruten by sea." "So I'll see it all happening as we come up the coast." " That's good." " Well?" "Oh yes, I must go." "Bye Catherine, see you soon." " Bye." " Bye." "Shall we go?" "Don't you see, with those paintings she found," "I had to tell her about Freya." "But not everything." "You didn't tell her everything?" "Certainly not." "Not everything." "It's getting chilly." "Take me in." "You and your photographs of all your ex-pupils." "They're not just my ex-pupils." "They're my girls." "My family." "The only family I've ever had, really, apart from Freya." "And I saw most of them married and there's very few who haven't kept in touch." "Well, that's it then:" "Everything's solved." "And you were almost right after all, except there wasn't a conspiracy and Freya Jordahl is dead." "And it's good to know that whatever else Ingrid inherited from her mother, it didn't include madness." "She's still a bit strange, though." "Well, that's not really very surprising, is it?" " No." " End of mystery." "I suppose so." "Nothing else has happened, has it?" "That woman on the boat, though." "I'm not entirely convinced, and I'm still none the wiser why I was in Jordahl's will." "Can't you forget about it?" "Is it really that important to you?" "Yes, I don't like question marks any more than you do." "You wouldn't be so keen to prove your theory that Jordahl was murdered." "It's only a hunch on my part." "I haven't got any solid leads to work on." "Well let's not talk about that, eh?" "Or about wills." "Not tonight anyway." "Glad you're here." "I missed you." "Me too." " Would you like to dance?" " Yes." "Look, has something upset you?" "Something I said or did?" " No." " Are you sure?" "Yes, quite sure." "I was wondering if you'd like to come out to my place again this weekend?" "I could sail round and collect you." "It's a nice idea, but I don't think I can." "There is something wrong, isn't there?" "No." "You got something else planned?" "No it's just that... well, I'm not going to be here that long." "You think I'm looking for an affair?" "Aren't you?" "Nothing casual." "That makes it more difficult." "I've got plans." "I don't know if I want to get involved." "Not here, so far from home." "I didn't want to get involved either, but I have." "And for the first time, I'm thinking of the future." "So am I. I'd need to be very sure." " And you're not?" " Just confused." "Good night." "Hello?" " Miss Durrell?" " Speaking." "This is Olav Tunheim, Miss Durrell." "Hello, yes." "I'm not disturbing you, I hope?" "No, not at all." "What can I do for you?" "I'm calling to tell you that I have just heard from my bank and they have finally approved my application for a loan." "That's very good news." "I'm very happy for you." "This means, of course, that I can now make a formal offer for the factory." "I've one or two further calculations to make, but you shall have it in writing early next week." "Fine." "But perhaps you'd better send it direct to Mr Nilsen at Jordahl Industries." "He's advising me on the sale." "Oh, that's a very wise idea." "I will do that." "And when he receives it, I'm sure he will agree, that the price I'm offering is a fair one." "Oh, I'm sure it will be." "All right," "I'll call Lars and I'll tell him to expect it." "Yes, do that." "If, hopefully, we come to an agreement, I would think you would be returning to England shortly, yes?" "Yes, I suppose so." "Well, thank you for calling, Mr Tunheim." " Bye." " Goodbye." ""My mother looked at me and I could see" ""that she had been crying." ""'This makes no difference, I suppose', she said." ""'You're still going back to Oslo, are you?" "'" ""I wanted to tell her that she was wrong, to lie, to comfort" ""her with the thought that I would never leave her again." ""But I couldn't, so I said nothing," ""knowing that I could not explain," ""could never make her understand why that was not possible." ""And, as we walked back to the house, I heard it again;" ""that familiar, demanding and insistent voice on the wind."" " Hello." "Can you speak English?" " Yes." "Do you know where..." "Thank you." "I brought your book back." "You're right." "It is about you." "How long can you stay?" "Looks like it's going to be an other lovely weekend." " Hi." " Hi." "Have I called at a bad moment?" "No, not at all." "Come in, please." "I was going to telephone you today." "I won't stop, I just called in to say hello." "I'm on my way to see Lars." "He rang and said Tunheim's offer's arrived." "Yes, he received it late yesterday afternoon." "From what he's told me, it is a good one." " So I understand." " You will accept it?" "If he says I should." "He will, I think." "And that will only leave you Jordahlsholmen to dispose of, then you'll be free to return to London." "Um, well..." "How much do you want for it?" "As I told you before, whatever the price is, I will pay it." " That wouldn't be right." " But you promised." "I couldn't accept more than it's worth." "Well then, I will give you whatever you think is fair." "I tell you what." "If and when I do sell Jordahlsholmen it will be to you, and that is a promise." "If?" "Yes, I'm not sure I want to get rid of it now." "But you agreed, the place is of no use to you." "Well yes I did, but since then I've changed my mind." "I like it there, and now I'm thinking of staying on." "But you can't." "Do you really think that is a wise decision?" "I hope so." "Personally, I think it's one you will regret." "Ripped By mstoll"