intrigue Film Noir

“How did you get involved in spying?” I ask him shivering in the car as he drives. I don’t ask him about the car which is an SUV but I do notice it is a Volvo

Jörn grimaces, and shakes his head,
“....spying....”

“You’re trying to deny it?”

He sends me an icy look that is meant to scare me but I don’t feel scared. No. I suppose in a way I am intrigued

“Well....” he shrugs now and says, “it was during my rebellious stage— you like research, you’re always digging things up on Google.”

“I like archaeology. I liked it even before Google.”

“Yes, archeology.... I was more interested in the science angle,” he glances at me, “how biology tells its own story.”

“Pathology?”

“Yes—but even more than that. So.... at first I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a musician because everyone in my family is and I was always interested in things like what can be learned of a person’s life through their diet or biology or their .... remains.”

“I see. Gruesome.”

I see his smile even as he keeps his head straight and his eyes on the road

“It’s interesting, min lilla duva.... anyway, I studied at university for awhile and a friend of mine invited me to one holiday at his family’s summer house. His father happened to be an investigator.... is still actually....”

“What kind of investigator?”

“For the government.”

he says this simply with a shrug

I turn to look at him but still his head remains straight and his eyes stay focused on the road

“And?”

Only now does he glance at me. He draws his brow,
“and?”

“There is more to that,” I say to him

He looks back at the road,
“Hmmm.... you think so I’m sure.”

“Obviously.”

He shrugs again,
“well.... obviously I am a musician so I did end up following the family path.”

“I’m not sure if you’re really insulting my intelligence or if you think I can’t see through this.”

“No, I just don’t feel like talking about it because I just dragged you out of the Hudson ....so why don’t you tell me about that instead of trying to think you can distract me?”

“I don’t think that.... “ I say but then I add, “I just don’t feel like talking about it,” I say