‘Under the weather, you said?’
‘It’s like he’s wasting away in there, losing the will to live. Not that he’s tried to take his own life or anything. But the upshot is that I’ve been asked to send someonedown to Skólavördustígur to talk to him. Who knows? Maybe he’ll be willing to open up at last…’
‘If he’s dying anyway, you mean?’ Hulda asked.
‘Well, you could say that. Though, of course, we can’t be sure. He may still rally. Anyway, I wanted to ask you to take on the job, Hulda. Could you be persuaded to go? I have a feeling it’ll be a waste of effort, but it occurred to me that it might surprise him to be confronted by a female officer. An unexpected, novel experience. After all, he’s been questioned by any number of men over the years without success. And you’ve got a way with people. I’ve been watching you.’
‘Thanks.’
‘So you’d be willing to do it?’
‘Yes, of course.’
2012
Friday, 2 November
‘Thor?’
‘Yes, who’s speaking, please?’ The mobile phone connection crackled.
‘It’s Helgi Reykdal here again, from the police.’
‘Mm? Oh, right. Any news? Sorry, I’m in the car.’
‘Would you be able to spare me five minutes later? I can come by your office again.’
‘Actually, I’ve just left. I’m on my way to the pool in Laugardalur for a dip in the hot tub. But I can meet you at my house, in a bit over half an hour, perhaps.’
Helgi deliberated. He would prefer to speak to Thor in private, out of earshot of his wife.
‘I think it would be better if we met somewhere else.’
‘Then why don’t you come by the swimming pool? If you only need five minutes, we could take a seat in the foyer.’
‘All right, then. See you there.’
Helgi found a parking space near the pool and made a dash from the car to the entrance. If anything, the weather was even more perishingly cold than it had been earlier. On days like these he wondered why on earth he’d decided to return to Iceland after finishing his postgrad studies in the UK. Of course, he’d had his reasons at the time. For one thing, he’d wanted to be near his mother after his father died, and, for another, Bergthóra had been offered a good job in Iceland. In practice, though, he didn’t actually see much of his mother, since she lived on the other side of the country. Maybe it would make sense to move abroad with Aníta if they could both find suitable work. Anything was possible and, with Aníta at his side, he was starting to realize that everything seemed brighter.
Unable to spot Thor anywhere, Helgi was briefly struck by the wild idea that the accountant might have made a run for it. He smiled at the thought.
Helgi did a circuit of the pool reception area, which smelt strongly of chlorine, and watched members of the public coming and going, thinking that he himself wouldn’t dream of venturing outside in this brutal cold in nothing but his swimming trunks.
Finally, he gave up and rang Thor.
‘I’m outside, queuing for a hot-dog. I’m nearly at the front.’
Helgi sighed. ‘OK, I’ll come and find you.’
He braced himself, huddling his coat around him, then stepped outside, where he soon spotted the tall figure placing his order at the window.
‘I’m sorry,’ Thor said. ‘I was famished. Were you looking for me inside?’
‘No problem.’
Thor had ordered a hot-dog with nothing but ketchup, and an apple juice, like a kid attending a swimming lesson rather than a seventy-year-old accountant.
‘Do you mind if we talk here?’ Thor asked. He stationed himself at a small standing table nearby.
