{"id":621,"date":"2026-04-24T10:18:57","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T10:18:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insidemayasmind.com\/?p=621"},"modified":"2026-04-24T10:18:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T10:18:57","slug":"betrayal-part-2-chapter-25-skarsgard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insidemayasmind.com\/?p=621","title":{"rendered":"Betrayal Part 2 – Chapter 25, Skarsg\u00e5rd"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The engine cut out, a heavy silence rushing into the car, pressing down on my shoulders. Lela sat beside me in the driver\u2019s seat. Ingrid was gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She had argued, of course. Her voice had been sharp with the insistence that she had to be there beside Asmund\u2019s bed. I had countered her with a voice like honey, relaxed, calm and comforting. I\u2019d told her that she was exhausted, whispered that she needed rest. Promised that I\u2019d call her as soon as anything changed. Reluctantly, she had swallowed my bait. Her shoulders had dropped, and she had left for home, leaving me alone with Lela.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sitting there, the silence settled over me, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. But as the car door opened with a click, the thick dampness of the mid-morning air lunged at me, raising the hairs on the back of my neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walking up the stone slabbed steps, the hospital loomed over us. A grey prison of stone and concrete. The windows were black, looking out vacantly, reflecting the leaden grey clouds that hung low overhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My hands trembled with a nervous energy, a prickling tingle that fluttered just under the skin. I reached out towards the cold steel handle of the imposing double doors. As soon as I touched that freezing metal, a shiver surged through my body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s ok, babe,\u201d her pure, clear voice chimed in my ears. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to do this. If coming back here is too painful, Asmund will understand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was it the memories of Rune that suddenly flashed before my eyes? Or perhaps it was the vision of Asmund\u2019s body crumpling to the ground that held me back? Or was there something else niggling in the back of my mind? The sense of a domino wavering, dangerously close to toppling over?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Squeezing my eyes shut, I sucked in a shuddering breath, banishing the image of the blade flashing in the sodium orange lights and the sound of Asmund\u2019s rattling breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m ok,\u201d I said, glancing into those beautiful, understanding eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

****<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hospital lobby was its usual hustle and bustle of people, doctors, and the occasional squeak of a trolley as a patient was wheeled past. We ignored them all, moving through the commotion, our eyes fixed on the door ahead and a sign marking out the Holst-Fr\u00f8lich Ward.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pushing through the doors, we found ourselves in a long, narrow corridor. A hard tiled floor and sterile white walls stretched out in front of us, under the harsh lighting of the fluorescent strip lights, humming with a low electrical vibration. The sharp, biting scent of disinfectant stung my nostrils. Our footsteps clipped loudly, a hollow rhythm keeping perfect time with the heart pounding inside my chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A dark shape appeared at the end of the corridor, its long shadow stretching towards me across the cold floor. My feet froze to the ground, refusing to move. My breath hitched in my throat. I recognised that worn brown suit and short cropped hair instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspector Skarsg\u00e5rd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I filled my lungs with a deep breath and I forced my legs to find their strength. Pushing myself forward, I fell back into step with Lela, but my eyes were locked onto the policeman striding purposefully forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside my head, that domino rattled ever more loudly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His footsteps rang in my ears, a perfect offbeat to our own. His unblinking pupils were fixed on me, his thin, grey brows drawn down low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We drew level, our shoulders almost brushing. With nostrils twitching from the scent of the stale tobacco which followed him like a cloud, I kept my gaze locked onto the glass doors at the distant end of the deserted passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My breathing faltered, but he didn\u2019t break his stride; he walked straight past. He didn\u2019t look at me. He didn\u2019t utter a word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My shoulders relaxed, the air whistling softly through my nose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMiss Bjornson?\u201d His voice jolted me to a sudden stop. \u201cI thought that was you, Miss Bjornson.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I turned around slowly, my heart hammering against my ribs, to find the inspector facing me, his eyes fixed on me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re certainly looking better than when I last saw you,\u201d he continued, a thin smile playing on his lips. \u201cPerhaps you don\u2019t remember me? We spoke a couple of days ago. I\u2019m Inspector Skarsg\u00e5rd from the Oslo Police.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course, Inspector.\u201d I forced the words out, desperate to keep my voice steady.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad that I\u2019ve bumped into you here. It saves me the trouble of coming around to the house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What did he want with me? Did he know of the secrets that I kept? Surely he couldn\u2019t know. A cold sweat began to bead on my brow as a single droplet ran an icy trail between my shoulder blades, making me shiver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skarsg\u00e5rd\u2019s head tilted, his jaw set firmly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was wondering if you recognised the man in this photo?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He watched me, looking for any reaction as he delved deeply into his jacket pocket. With a faint rustle, he pulled out a square of glossy paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve spoken to the other witnesses, but unfortunately it was dark and they couldn\u2019t identify him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snatching the photo from him, with perhaps slightly more force than I had intended, I looked down at it. Staring up at me was the grainy mug shot of a bald-headed man. A vicious scar tugged at his eyebrow and a sneer twisted his lips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRune!\u201d The name hissed in the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is the man you were with the night Mr Hansen was attacked?\u201d Skarsg\u00e5rd\u2019s voice was a low rumble. \u201cThis is the man who attacked him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d I said, nodding quickly as I handed the photo back. \u201cThat\u2019s him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRune Hagen,\u201d the Inspector said, his voice flat. \u201cA nasty lowlife, he is. We\u2019ve been wanting to talk to him for a while regarding a string of assaults, rapes and murders in the Jernbanetorget area. Would you be prepared to give a formal identification when we catch up with him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you, Miss Bjornson,\u201d he said, tucking the photo away as he turned to leave. \u201cOh, but before I go, there\u2019s one last thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His eyes snapped back to mine, his voice dropping. \u201cI just want to offer you my condolences for your parents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My parents? My heart, now hammering a frantic beat against my ribs as the air in my chest turned to ice. My fist clenched into a tight ball. He knew! He knew about my parents. In his eyes, I was no longer just some nameless, broken junkie on the streets. He knew who I was. My mask had been torn away, leaving only Heidi Bjornson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI knew your name seemed familiar when I first spoke to you,\u201d he continued, his eyes boring deeply into me. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t place you until I got back to the station. Firstly, let me assure you that we\u2019re doing all we can to find whoever murdered your father and to track down your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He paused for a moment, letting the weight of his words settle. \u201cI wonder if you\u2019d mind dropping by the station at some point? I know you were out of the country, but we\u2019d really like to take your statement. We\u2019ve been trying to get in touch with you for a while, but when we contacted the address your brother gave us for Copenhagen, we were told they didn\u2019t know you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2026\u201d My voice stammered as I frantically fought to get it back under control. \u201c\u2026it was a share house, Inspector. Perhaps someone made a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lela\u2019s feet shuffled on the floor beside me, the black leather of her jacket creaking as she shifted to look at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPerhaps\u2026 There\u2019s just one more thing, Miss Bjornson.\u201d Skarsg\u00e5rd\u2019s gaze didn\u2019t waver as he pinned me with a steel-grey stare. \u201cWe\u2019ve been wanting to speak to your brother. Just to check a few details of the night your parents were attacked, but we can\u2019t seem to get hold of him. He\u2019s not answering his phone, and nobody seems to be at the house when we call. Do you know where we can reach him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My hands clenched; the palms felt cold and damp. My eyes flickered over the Inspector\u2019s shoulder to the door at the end of the corridor, the door to Asmund\u2019s ward. Sucking in a ragged breath, I looked back into his eyes, the left one betraying a slight, almost imperceptible twitch at the corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLars?\u201d My tongue twisted as I forced out my brother\u2019s name. \u201cI haven\u2019t seen him for a few days. His head has been all over the place lately. He\u2019s been struggling since Dad was found. The stress of everything has really got to him. He said something about getting away from everything, mentioning a hunting trip in the North. But that\u2019s all I know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVery well, that\u2019s understandable,\u201d Skarsg\u00e5rd replied, his tone unreadable. \u201cIt\u2019s not all that important. We can speak to him when he returns. At least we know where to find you now if we have any more questions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He offered a curt nod to me and a fleeting smile directed at Lela, before his boots began their rhythmic clip-clop, marching away from us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stood frozen to the spot, unable to move until the sound of him had vanished completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHeidi?\u201d Lela\u2019s voice was a frantic whisper beside me. \u201cYou lied to him. You lied to the police. About Copenhagen\u2026 about Lars.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat was I supposed to say?\u201d my voice snapping like a bowstring. Spinning to face her, my eyes were hard. \u201cI can\u2019t have anyone knowing what really happened to me. Come on, let\u2019s find Asmund.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I couldn\u2019t let the police discover the truth. I couldn\u2019t risk Skarsg\u00e5rd digging through my past. Besides, it had been Lela who had first fed the Copenhagen story to the police in her statement. What right did she have to pull me up about it now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The engine cut out, a heavy silence rushing into the car, pressing down on my shoulders. Lela sat beside me<\/p>\n

Continue readingBetrayal Part 2 – Chapter 25, Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":570,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-betrayal-part-2"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/insidemayasmind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Cover-Book-2-NEW-JPG.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insidemayasmind.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insidemayasmind.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insidemayasmind.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insidemayasmind.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insidemayasmind.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=621"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insidemayasmind.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":623,"href":"https:\/\/insidemayasmind.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621\/revisions\/623"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insidemayasmind.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insidemayasmind.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insidemayasmind.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insidemayasmind.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}