Part 14 (1/2)

Camilla trembles. I have. He wanted to come over right away, but I told him there was no need.

Once Finn was married to Camillas best friend. The friends advanced uterine cancer was diagnosed within days of her giving birth to a baby daughter. During the first two months after the diagnosis, Camilla took a lot of time off work. Later she moved in to help Finn look after both his wife and the new baby.

During the eighteen months that followed, Camillas friend steadily weakened and finally she died. At first Camilla went back to live in her own place, but now she has a son with Finn and has moved into his home on Amager Island. Finn works as a plumber, mostly on Amager. Camilla brings him to the summer and Christmas office parties. Hes a small, bald man, but friendly and always ready to share a joke.

Malene goes over to Camilla and puts her arms around her. Its an impulse; they have never hugged before. Camillas body is warm and Malene realizes to her surprise that she is close to tears as well. But she doesnt start to cry. Instead she shouts, in an odd voice that seems to rise from somewhere deep inside her: Camilla, we wont let them get away with it!

She hears Iben speak behind her. Malene? You didnt react like this when we were e-mailed.

Malene steps away from Camilla. Its true. She is furious with whoever has done this, but cant think why shes reacting so strongly.

I know. But its so Iben watches her.

They shouldnt be sending this stuff to Camilla! She stops and turns to Camilla. You havent done anything. Were the ones who wrote the articles. It isnt fair to pick on you!

They can hear the elevator stop at their landing. The door opens and Bjarne, the Centers freelance IT advisor and technician, steps out. He has come to move the connections serving Camillas desk.

Anne-Lises voice is strident. We must do everything we can to find out whos writing these e-mails.

They nod, but n.o.body looks in her direction.

There they stand. Everyone agrees, naturally. But what can they do?

Nothing that they havent done already.

When Bjarne has been told where the desk is meant to go, he wanders off to the small storeroom where the office server is kept, as well as leads and other pieces of equipment h.e.l.l need. Paul is the only one sitting down. He asks Camilla if she would prefer to go home and try to recover from the shock. Thanks, Paul. But no, I wouldnt. Theres n.o.body at home. Id rather stay here with all of you.

Camilla, why dont you sit in a meeting room if you want some quiet? Iben suggests.

What Id really like to do is lie down. Just for a bit, on the couch in the library.

Malene squeezes her arm. You do what feels right for you. Ill deal with any phone calls today.

Youre all so sweet and kind to me. Camilla looks around from one colleague to another. Her expression is still distressed, but in a more familiar way. I wasnt very pleasant to you when you were sent these e-mails.

Malene comforts her. But Camilla, things are different now. Our e-mails arrived at the same time. Now its clear to all of us that its not just an isolated occurrence. That makes the whole thing more serious. For us too.

Malene glances at Anne-Lise. She doesnt look that frightened. Why not? Now it seems that all the Centers staff are under threat, so shouldnt her body language be more tense?

Camilla worries. But I shouldve Malene interrupts her. Camilla, you mustnt blame yourself. All you have to do now is decide whether youd rather stay here and let me take the phone calls, or if youd prefer to rest on the couch. Or whatever else you want to do.

Camilla thanks her but then starts crying again. Paul gets up and says that he must notify the police.

Malene and Iben escort Camilla to the couch, with Anne-Lise trailing behind them. Once they are in the library aisles, Anne-Lise seems to feel that Camilla has entered her area of responsibility and comes closer.

Shall I take it from here? Theres a blanket somewhere and some water, and if there is anything else, Im sure Malene intends to reply, but Iben speaks first: Camilla, what do you think? Is there anything youd like?

But all Camilla wants to do is rest quietly, so Malene and Iben leave her alone.

Bjarne is back in the Winter Garden now, on his knees behind the set of pigeonholes, which he has pushed away from the wall. To check the new connections for Camillas desk, he wants it moved out of the way. Malene and Iben decide they can do it. To protect the floor they jam wads of junk mail under its legs and together push the desk to its new position, Malene shoving the desk to avoid taking any of the weight directly on her hands. Then they move a couple of small shelves, the monitor, the plants, and Camillas other bits and pieces, trying to arrange everything as nicely as possible. Anne-Lise comes in to join them, leaving the door between the Winter Garden and the library open for the first time.

The three of them dawdle restlessly for a while. Iben and Anne-Lise push two large shelving units sideways to give Camilla more light and air around her new workplace. Bjarne curses when he discovers that the networking cables have been laid in a strange way, which means that a new set must be joined up to the server.

All this should satisfy Anne-Lise. They are working together as a team, and Iben chats to her. Malene ought to join in, but can find nothing to say.

When Anne-Lise returns to her desk, the door is still left open. Everyone will be able to hear what everyone else is saying from now on. At least, Anne-Lise can pick up what the rest of them are talking about. Anne-Lise herself never says anything, of course.

Its almost lunchtime. Iben and Malene still havent done any proper work. Iben nods to tell Malene they should talk. They meet in the copier room.

Iben stands very close to Malene and speaks in a whisper: I have the impression that Camilla is scared of a man, someone she knows.

What do you mean?

Its probably nothing I know we shouldnt speculate about every little thing, but didnt it strike you how strongly she reacted to this? Two large shots of whiskey at nine oclock in the morning? Then resting on the couch or sleeping or whatever, because she wont go home and wont go back to work either?

Malene hadnt thought of this, but Iben has a point.

Iben has more to say. When Camilla phoned Finn I overheard her say I knew hed be back.

Anything else?

Nothing. Just that.

What does it mean?

No idea. I tried to ask her, but she avoided the question.

The light in the copier room is bleak. Malene backs away a little.

Couldnt she explain at all? It couldnt be about a friend coming to visit or something like that?

No. I have no idea what she was going on about, but it wasnt like that. I could have misheard, of course.

Well, yes. I mean, Camilla is so sensible. She wouldnt drag us into something dangerous. Did you ask her again?

I did, but indirectly. She could be frightened of someone she knows, and thats why shes taking the e-mails even more seriously than we did.

Malene leans on the copier. Ill ask her too.

Ibens voice is still very quiet. Do that. But somehow I dont think it will get you anywhere.

Malene takes the phone calls that afternoon, as agreed. When Finn rings to ask how Camilla is doing, Malene goes to the library to find out and wakes her up. Camilla follows Malene back to the Winter Garden, but stops in the doorway.

Oh, look! Is that how its going to be from now on?

Malene glances at Iben before replying. Yes well, no; its up to you to decide. We just moved your desk because Bjarne wanted it closer to the new connections. So that he could check if it all worked.