Page 46 of The Darkness
As it turned out, she was in luck. Dóra was sitting at the reception desk, absorbed in a newspaper.
‘Hello again,’ Hulda said.
Dóra looked up. ‘Oh, hi there. Back again?’
‘Yes. I just need a quick word with you. Any news?’
‘News? No, there’s never any news here.’ Dóra smiled and closed the paper. ‘New people, yes, but always the same old routine. Or were you talking about, you know, something to do with Elena?’
‘I was, actually.’
‘No, no news there. How are you getting on with your investigation thingy?’
‘Getting there, slowly,’ Hulda said. ‘Look, could we sit down for a minute and have a chat?’
‘Sure, pull up a seat, there’s a stool by the phone.’ Dóra gestured to a table near the reception desk on which there was an old-fashioned desk phone and next to it a bound copy of the telephone directory, a rare sight in this day and age.
‘Actually, I was thinking of somewhere, well, a little more private,’ said Hulda.
‘Oh, none of the residents understand Icelandic. And I’d rather not leave reception unmanned, if I can help it. We’ve already been over this so thoroughly I’m assuming it won’t take long?’
‘No, it shouldn’t,’ said Hulda, giving in. Bringing over the telephone stool, she sat down, facing Dóra across the reception desk.
‘Tell me about Katja.’
‘Katja? The one who did a runner?’
‘Exactly.’
‘Yes, I remember her. Russian, like Elena. They were good friends, I think. Then one day she simply vanished.’
‘Was her disappearance investigated?’
‘I expect so. A policeman came round asking questions, but I couldn’t tell him anything. I thought maybe she’d been delayed somewhere, but she never turned up again. I don’t know if they ever found her, but she certainly never came back here.’
‘She’s still missing.’
‘Oh, right. I always got on well with her. Hope she’s OK, wherever she is.’
‘Did anyone ever link her disappearance to Elena’s death?’
‘Well, that was some time later.’ Dóra looked thoughtful. ‘But, no, I don’t think so. And I didn’t mention it when your friend came round to interview me about Elena.’
‘Alexander?’
‘Yeah. He wasn’t exactly what you’d call keen. Didn’t seem that interested in the case. You strike me as much more energetic.’ Dóra smiled. ‘If someone killed me, I’d definitely rather you were on the case.’
Hulda didn’t smile at the black humour. ‘Yesterday,’ she said, ‘you told me Elena had got into a four-by-four with a stranger.’
‘Uhuh,’ Dóra confirmed.
‘Short, fat and ugly,’ you said.
‘That’s right.’
‘Well, yesterday evening, I met a man who’s indirectly linked to the case, so it’s possible he met Elena at some point. He has access to a four-by-four, too.’ Hulda was reminded of Dóra’s comment about all off-roaders looking the same to her. Perhaps that was because she had seen the same vehicle more than once; perhaps Baldur had fetched Elena in his brother Albert’s car. She’d soon find out. Hulda started rummaging in her bag for her phone. When she couldn’t immediately find it, she was struck by the horrible thought that she might have forgotten it at home, as it now dawned on her that she hadn’t checked it all morning.
‘Sorry,’ she mumbled. ‘Just a sec.’
