Missing

cracked wall. They fixed their eyes on her.
    ‘We can’t find you anywhere in our records. Is it the first time you’ve done this sort of thing?’
    The men in black were coming towards her. One of them held out a red-hot socket-spanner. They were going to unscrew her, take her apart.
    ‘We shall have to contact the social services in due course, but first of all we’ll call your parents. They can come and take you home now.’
    They were going to keep bits of her as spare parts to fix smarter models. The man with the socket-spanner seemed to speak, his lips were moving but she couldn’t hear what he said.
    She looked at the man behind the desk instead, but his face had sort of disappeared. There was nothing there, just a hole going straight through his head.
    Now she couldn’t see anything at all, and what was she doing on the floor?
    She heard the sound of a chair being pushed back and a voice shouting.
    ‘Lasse, come here! I need a hand!’
    Steps came hurrying along.
    ‘I’ve no idea what’s wrong with her. Better get the ambulance.’

S he came to because someone was kicking her in the ribs, not violently but hard enough to wake her. Thomas was standing next to her, wearing nothing except a pair of underpants. She took in the scene in one second flat. He was drunk and he was holding a wad of notes in his hand, approximately twenty-nine thousand kronor.
    Instinctively she put her hand to her neck, but where the money should have been was only her skin. In fact, she was naked. He was grinning menacingly at her, waving the purse in his other hand.
    ‘You’d be looking for this, right?’
    Her mouth felt like a sandpit. It was years since she’d drunk hard liquor. She couldn’t actually remember drinking a lot, but the bottle on the table was empty.
    ‘You cunt! Sending me off to the post office to get you more dosh! And snivelling because you can’t manage, dear oh dear!’
    She tried to think. Meanwhile she was too slow reaching out for her bra. A flick with his foot and it flew across the room. She covered herself with the flap of the sleeping-bag.
    ‘Please listen, Thomas …’
    He twisted his face into a grimace and spoke in a piping voice.
    ‘Please, Thomas.’
    His eyes had narrowed into slits.
    ‘What got into you, fucking around with me like that? I was running a bloody big risk, the police could’ve got me for aiding-and-abetting or some shit. Meanwhile you’ve a sodding fortune up your jumper!’
    He was scrunching the notes in his hand.
    ‘I’ve been saving that for years.’
    ‘Oh yeah. And?’
    She was almost whispering now.
    ‘For a house.’
    At first he just stared at her, then leaned back, laughing. The movement almost unbalanced him and he had to reach out for the ladder. This sudden weakness angered him even more.
    Before he had time to speak, she folded back the sleeping bag flap. Then she spoke as sweetly as she knew how.
    ‘Thomas. Let’s not fight. I was going to show you the money anyway.’
    He was still holding onto the ladder. She felt nauseous.
    ‘Thomas, I came here because I’ve been missing you.’
    His eyes were glued to her breasts. She felt his gaze touching her like hands and she had to steel herself not to shudder. He dropped her purse on the floor. She tried to keep smiling. Next he scattered her hopes for the future with one careless movement, the notes floating slowly towards the filthy floor.
    The next second he had come down on her. She prayed that he would be quick.

L ord, give me strength to survive from hour to hour, from one day to the next. Help me face these empty days, the remainder of the vacant time left to me here .
    He will be waiting for me somewhere in the great beyond. I shall go to him, find my treasure again. My heart will always be with him .

    Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears my word and believes Him who has sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life .
    Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgement .
    I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgement is just, because I seek not my will, but only the will of He who has sent me .

G od failed to hear her yet again. Thomas was taking his time. Finally, he had had enough and fell asleep on top of her like a