‘Oh, it’s OK. I thought you handled both situations really well. I don’t think any low reviews could come from it. Definitely not from me anyway.’
He nodded. ‘OK, so, this is the apartment. I do not know what it is like, but my friend has texted me a code for the key safe. It is…’ He checked the screen of his phone then whispered, ‘1234.’
‘Are you serious?’
‘Sshh, we do not want the passengers on the bus to hear the special code.’
He watched the woman looking at the front door of the place and the small black box attached to the door. It didn’t look much from the outside, but Henrik had assured him it was definitely a few grades up from a dungeon. She opened the lid of the box and began to turn the dials to the appropriate numbers. Once they were set the key was released.
‘Thank you, again, for your help. I will definitely not sue you for knocking me over or badly repacking my case.’
He smiled. ‘Do you need me to come in? Light the flaming torches in the dungeon.’
‘I think I’ll be good.’
‘OK, well, enjoy but…’ He was hesitant. Why was he hesitant? Then…
‘I should give you my phone number,’ he said.
‘O-K.’
‘Not in a strange way,’ he continued.
‘A strange way?’
Why was he starting to feel hot? It was minus temperatures. He rarely felt hot, even when it had actually made it over twenty degrees here in the summer…
‘In case there is a problem and you need…’ What was he saying?
‘A bus?’
He nodded. ‘Exactly.’
‘And your number, is it 1234?’
He smiled as she took her phone from her coat pocket and he recited the number.
‘OK, Olga,’ she said. ‘I have that saved now.’
‘Good. Then I will leave you to settle in.’
‘And meet the other prisoners disorganised for their holidays chained to the brickwork.’
‘Yes,’ he answered. ‘So,bless.’
‘Bless? Really?’
He smiled. ‘It means goodbye. In Icelandic.’
‘Really? Or is this a trick?’
‘You are very suspicious of everything.’
‘I prefer the word “cautious”.’
He nodded. ‘OK, well, I need to get back to my bus before anyone else has time to be sick.’ He turned towards the vehicle parked at the edge of the road only a few steps away. The sooner this shift was over, the sooner he could get back to the people who relied on him.
‘Just a second,’ the woman said.
