It was to be treated a serious matter that Jørn was a no-show, even though these things happened not infrequently when people owed Levi money. Nor agreed, 100,000 kronor was a serious matter, but he had suspected from the beginning that Jørn wouldn't follow up, that he was desperate and didn't have any other way of getting the money he needed (why else would he be at the mercy of Levi?) He didn't understand why Levi catered to the man's financial request. He understood that it was in the nature of the business to take advantage of desperate people, otherwise they would have no business, but surely Levi had some intuition for the people that wouldn't hold up their end of the deal.

Following the meeting with Levi, Nor found Jørn at an art gallery that he owned in Oslo where he showcased his art. He had tried the man's home, and when he found the place vacant (Jørn being a bachelor), he decided a quick search of the man online wouldn't hurt. Which was when he discovered the gallery. It was too easy, any dolt could have done this.

When he reached the gallery and saw Jørn through the window, Jørn was talking to a prospective buyer. Jørn was of average size, dressed in brown, cotton slacks and a comfortable looking, cotton and silk white button up dress shirt. His clothes hung softly on a slim, somewhat muscled figure. He looked about 3 months due a haircut, his brown hair crudely brushed back, but not gelled. He stood with his weight on one foot, gesturing casually with one hand while the other rested, simply, in his pocket. Nor entered discreetly and turned to look at the paintings on the other wall, so that Jørn would not recognize him.

The room was in an old building, but made a nice art gallery, as far as Nor could tell. He knew next to nothing about art, but that didn't make his judgment less significant. The entire front wall was one large window, and the wall and floors inside were dark, old wood. The paintings were clearly the work of someone who had been painting since they were quite young. Were his parents painters? Nor wondered. Most of the paintings were large, and most were abstract, but Nor spotted a few that were somewhere between impressionism and realism.

After Jørn finished selling a painting and scheduled a delivery, his attention turned professionally to Nor, and he approached him with short, energetic steps.

"I apologize for keeping y-"

"I hope you sold that painting for 100,000 kronor."

Jørn slowed as he realized who the man was, and his amiable expression changed to a grim one. Nor, who was stockier, turned to face him, both hands in the pockets of his suit pants. Jørn looked back to make sure they were alone.

"You'll have your money, I promise. You don't need to be here," Jørn said.

Nor's blasé expression went unchanged.

"Oh. I guess I can go, then," he said cooly, idly peering across the room at the paintings hung up high on the far wall, near the banister of the second floor. His gaze wandered for a deliberate moment and then landed on Jørn with hard eyes. "Your promise was to have the money on Wednesday."

"I'm sorry, something came up. It was impossible for me to be there." Jørn said. Nor looked at him. Jørn's tone on the matter, authoritative and desperate, designed to persuade, only made Nor suspicious that he was inventing this excuse. Also, 'something'. 'Something' apparently not worth mentioning.

Nor nodded, seeming to understand. But then he glanced side-handedly at the door, and stepped closer to Jørn, who looked at him unflinchingly.

"Look, it's not that I don't believe you." He spoke levelly. He had to fight to keep serious, to keep from laughing. Surely Jørn saw how pointless all of this was. "But the Twin, you know. He might not be as understanding. I can't speak for you to him." He knew Levi didn't care for his nickname, but Nor liked the effect it had on people. He imagined that the name alluded to the underworld that they operated, which filled some people with uncertainty. A vague idea of what it was they were dealing with. Ghost stories and myths. Legends. He turned and stepped away from Jørn, continuing to look at the paintings. "So how about this. Nothing big, but, how about, you come with me and tell him yourself? He's extended a dinner invitation to you," he said, as though this would be genuinely pleasant news.

Jørn reacted as anyone would. Nor spotted the fear sparkle in his eye but thought, not scared enough. He had no idea what Levi would have in store for him, but it would probably be enough to make the man desperate to pay him, which he was presently not. Jørn seemed to inwardly register things, and come to terms with his circumstances. He sighed tensely, his eyes looking foggy and distracted now, and he nodded. Nor gave a small smile.

"I'll, uh…" Jørn straightened up and patted down the front of his shirt. "Let me just grab my key," he said compliantly, and Nor nodded. Jørn walked around to his desk which was covered in an amount of clutter that contrasted the otherwise neat ambience of the gallery.

"Why do you do this?" Jørn asked confidently, opening a drawer at his desk. Nor looked over, taken off guard by this question that he seemed to ask as an equal. Their eyes met, and there seemed to be a certain significance there. With the excess of items on the desk, Nor couldn't see Jørn's hands. When he heard the opening drawer, it suddenly donned on him that Jørn could have a gun, all these guys did, and when he quickly reached for the inside of his own jacket, Jørn brought his hands up, empty and in surrender, consciously clearing the air with a slight look of alarm. Nor ceased his action.

"This job, I mean." Jørn continued, relaxing some, but looking at Nor pointedly. He contained an edginess now that was unlikely to go away as he gathered his things. "Surely this wasn't your last resort."

Nor tittered, relaxing some as well.

"Why do you paint? 'Surely this wasn't your last resort.'"

"Well…I paint, because…because it's what I care about. It's what gives me purpose, and life. It's what makes me feel…connected." Jørn had a clear, intelligent voice, and he enunciated his words in a way that did not come off as pretentious.

"That's one way you could say it," Nor agreed. His dialect was much simpler. "Or if it's really the right job for you, you could say that it's the one that best utilizes your talents. And…you probably enjoy it, too. Not a last resort at all. As a matter of fact, it was top of the list." Nor looked at Jørn and smiled helplessly before taking another glance over Jørn's paintings. Jørn had paused and was looking at Nor heavily before he closed the drawer to his desk, looking set apart and disheartened.