Free Someone to Watch Over Me by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir Page B

were no longer in the sky but had crash-landed there on the outskirts of the city to remind them to be more cautious next time around. The roundabout that was meant to keep traffic flowing smoothly now did nothing more than complicate the route of anyone who strayed there by accident. Thóra stared out of the window while Matthew sat at the wheel, just as dumbfounded as she was by what they saw. As they turned a corner a single house appeared at the end of a cul-de-sac, but instead of lessening the surreal atmosphere, this solitary building only underlined it.
    ‘I guess the people who first noticed the fire must live there?’ Matthew nodded towards the house, which dis-appeared from view as they exited the roundabout. Thóra had told him all about the case before asking him to accompany her on this tour. She was more comfortable having him along; she didn’t know her way around the area, least of all in darkness and with a light snow falling. This way she could concentrate on finding the place without having to worry about driving. Also, it was just nice to have company.
    ‘Probably,’ she replied. ‘I don’t remember the name of the street, but there aren’t many houses to choose from.’
    ‘Are you going to pay them a visit?’ Matthew’s voice suggested he sincerely hoped not.
    ‘No. There was nothing unclear about their testimony, at least nothing that has any bearing on the verdict. They didn’t see anyone, they didn’t hear anything, they simply went to sleep and then woke to the smell of smoke when it was already too late. Who knows, maybe something will come to light that’ll change my mind, but I don’t think I have anything to discuss with them.’ Thóra squinted in order to read the sign ahead of them. ‘I think we should turn here.’
    Matthew took his eyes off the road briefly and smiled at her. ‘You don’t say. It’s either turn here or drive off-road onto the open moor.’
    ‘Well, you never know,’ said Thóra. ‘According to the map I looked at, we should almost be there. We drive to the end of this road and from there a little dead-end street should lead off to the home.’
    ‘If it’s still standing,’ said Matthew. ‘Maybe it was demolished. The way you described the fire made it sound as if it was practically destroyed, there can’t have been much to restore.’
    But the house had been neither demolished nor restored. A large concrete shell stood exactly where the map said it should, at the end of a short road that had probably only been built to serve this one house. That it should have been allocated a name was rather generous, since it looked much more like a driveway. A low fence marked the boundaries of the large plot surrounding the centre and a wide gate swung gently back and forth as if it wanted to invite them into its solitude.
    ‘Well, now.’ Matthew drove slowly up to the building’s entrance. There he stopped the car and glanced at Thóra. ‘Are you happy to look at it from here or do you want to walk around the house?’
    Thóra had already buttoned her coat up to her chin to keep out the cold. ‘We’re getting out, of course. I’m hoping we can get inside.’ And with that she quickly climbed out of the car, so as not to have to listen to Matthew’s objections. As soon as she shut the door she noticed two things: the bracing cold, that would be unbearable if the wind were blowing, and a vague smell of smoke, despite the considerable amount of time that had passed since the fire. Thóra took a deep breath to convince herself that she wasn’t imagining it, and although the smell was faint it still made her nose prickle. She pulled the collar of her coat right up under her eyes to keep out the unpleasant odour. She saw Matthew wrinkle his nose too as he stepped out of the car, but he only shuddered slightly before pushing his repulsion aside. He wasn’t the kind of person who would hold his nose, but Thóra knew him well enough to realize that was exactly