Inertia, page 37
Over by the taxi stand there’s a lone car. The driver has opened the door and has one foot on the ground, as if he is about to get up and go. But he is sitting perfectly still. His face is illuminated by the light from the phone in his lap.
Afsaneh sees my gaze and nods.
‘What is wrong with people?’ I ask.
She doesn’t answer but sneaks her hand into mine.
I squeeze it hard and wipe away my tears with my other hand. Then I rummage through my pocket, pull out a pack of cigarettes and hand it to her.
‘Would you like one?’
Afsaneh laughs quietly.
‘I knew you were sneaking smokes.’
‘Right back at you,’ I say, lighting the cigarette she’s just placed between her lips.
We sit on a concrete step barrier. My knee hurts like hell and apparently humanity is going to hell too, right down a spiral of escalating narcissism.
But what does it matter?
I look at Afsaneh.
She smiles, inhales the smoke deeply, tilts her head back and lustily blows the smoke out into the brightening summer sky.
We are a pretty ordinary family. It is a morning like any other.
And even though nothing is as it used to be, we have our life back.
Acknowledgements
I would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who has been part of and contributed to my work on The Hideout, especially my editor Katarina, and my publisher Sara at Wahlström & Widstrand, as well as my agent, Christine, and her colleagues at Ahlander Agency.
I would also like to thank Åsa Torlöf, who has contributed important insight into police matters, and Martina Nilsson, who has shared her knowledge on DNA analysis.
Finally I would like to thank my family and my friends for their understanding and encouraging words during my work with this book. Without your love and patience there would not have been a book!
About the Author
Camilla Grebe was born near Stockholm and in the early part of her career wrote collaboratively with other authors. Her debut novel as a solo writer, The Ice Beneath Her, has been sold in 22 countries and topped several bestseller lists, including the UK, France, Italy and Sweden. It is also in development for film, with Daisy Ridley set to star. Her second book, After She’s Gone, won the Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year Award.
Also by Camilla Grebe
The Ice Beneath Her
After She’s Gone
We hope you enjoyed The Hideout by Camilla Grebe. Don’t miss her other award-winning psychological thrillers:
THE ICE BENEATH HER, soon to be a major film starring Daisy Ridley, and AFTER SHE’S GONE, perfect for fans of Will Dean’s Dark Pines.
Originally published in Sweden by Wahlström and Widstrand in 2018
First published in the UK in 2021 by Zaffre
This ebook edition published in 2021 by
ZAFFRE
An imprint of Bonnier Books UK
4th Floor, Victoria House, Bloomsbury Square, London WC1B 4DA
Owned by Bonnier Books
Sveavägen 56, Stockholm, Sweden
Copyright © Camilla Grebe, 2018
Translation by Sarah Clyne Sundberg
Cover design by Dom Forbes
Cover photographs © David Lichtneker/Arcangel Images (scene); Shutterstock.com (boat)
The moral right of Camilla Grebe to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organisations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-1-83877-067-9
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-83877-435-6
This book was typeset by Palimpsest Book Production Ltd, Falkirk, Stirlingshire
This ebook was created by IDSUK (Data Connection) Ltd
Zaffre is an imprint of Bonnier Books UK
www.bonnierbooks.co.uk
Camilla Grebe, Inertia
