Page 204 of The Sleepwalker
Kasper is sucking on a chicken bone, and he pulls it out of his mouth and uses it as a kind of pen, drawing on the table in saliva.
Hugo goes over to the buffet table and helps himself to some food, then sits down opposite Svanhildur.
‘You off?’ she asks.
‘Yeah, as soon as Lars gets back. Just need my meds first.’
As ever, Kasper is wearing his washed-out sailor’s uniform and the strange shoes with separate big toes. His face is gaunt. He gives Hugo a flicker of a smile and starts sucking on the bone again.
‘You don’t fancy celebrating Christmas here, then?’ Svanhildur asks.
‘Are you?’ Hugo replies as he starts to eat.
‘Nah.’ She grins. ‘I’ll probably end up going to my sister’s place on the twenty-fourth, but other than that I don’t know. Meeting some friends on the twenty-sixth.’
Hugo looks up at her, taking in her pink lips, pale brows and the scattering of freckles across her face. She cocks an eyebrow, and he realises he is staring, quickly lowering his eyes and coating a piece of potato in gravy.
Kasper lets out a fake-sounding laugh, and when they turn to look at him he pulls the chicken bone from his mouth and pointsit at Hugo with a smile.
Hugo points back using his index finger, then reaches for the jug of water and pours himself a glass before he continues eating.
‘Are you going to see Olga?’ Svanhildur asks.
‘Nah, it’s over.’
‘Oh, when did that happen?’
‘Just now,’ he replies, fiddling with the coin around his neck.
‘Have the two of you talked?’
‘Nope, she’s stopped replying.’
‘And that means it’s over?’
‘Yeah .?.?. Plus all the money is gone.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I just saw. She’s taken all the money out of the account.’
‘Seriously?’
‘I feelsocheated,’ he says with a smile.
‘You think she’s run off with it?’
‘Yeah, for sure .?.?. She must’ve been planning it all along, and I fell for it.’
‘You should call the police.’
‘Nah.’
Kasper gets up and points his bone at Hugo again. The sleeves of his sailor’s outfit are far too short, the collar dirty.
‘Is there something you want to say?’ Hugo asks him.
Kasper slowly moves closer, pausing right beneath the ceiling lamp to suck on the clean bone. His slicked-back hair gleams in the light, and he has dark circles beneath both eyes and pimples on his chin.
