Chapter 24We are only ten days away from Christmas and everything has either stopped or is winding down. Many businesses close for four to six weeks, and apart from the odd tourist driving up the mountain to the ski resorts, there are no strangers even passing through town. It is cold, bitterly cold, the tremontane – the wind from the three mountains – cuts through you like a knife. Even when the sun is high and the day is clear, you need to wear a coat. Overnight, Christmas trees which are sprayed white and decorated with brightly packaged boxes have appeared in the main streets, tied to lamp-posts. They look festive when the sun is up, but give the town an eerie, deathly feel at twilight when people are indoors and the street is empty.
My household is no different from the rest; it too
