Chapter 32 - Sunday. The Swallows.

Rakel prepares nervously at home, dresses in her mother’s red muslin, and greets Harry and Oleg at the door. Harry arrives with roses, and the three set off, their warmth and tentative hope returning as they drive through Oslo.

On the way, Rakel reflects on Harry’s honest, unguarded gaze and his reliability in what he promises. They visit Harry’s family in Oppsal, where Sis has made meatballs, and the ease of family routine softens the distance that had grown between Rakel and Harry.

Driving toward the city, they watch low-flying swallows clearing insects before nightfall, and Harry drifts into troubled thought. At the National Theatre, a crowd buzzes about the arrest of the Courier Killer. Reporter Roger Gjendem stops them; Harry pointedly says he is not a policeman and pockets the journalist’s card, hinting at a later statement.

Inside, impresario Wilhelm Barli greets them emotionally. During the performance, Rakel learns Harry has finished his last day as a policeman and accepted a friend’s offer to do something completely different, promising details later. The play ends to roaring applause, with Toya Harang celebrated onstage.

Afterward, in the car, Oleg happily tests whether Harry and Rakel are “friends again.” Back at Rakel’s house, Harry says he must do one last thing at work before coming in. They share a deep kiss; Rakel invites him to return and privately recognizes the risk she’s taking, deciding she’s tired of thinking and willing to fall.