He smiled, though for once he hadn’t thought to bring a book with him.
‘Sure, no problem.’
‘My programme finishes at six, but I can get away a little earlier. I’ll ask my colleague to cover the last quarter of an hour for me.’
The time passed quickly. Helgi fetched himself a coffee, cheekily using a mug labelled with the name of a well-known newsreader.
Kristín reappeared sooner than expected. This time she smiled at him, appearing more relaxed than she had been earlier. Perhaps she had concluded that his reason for wanting to talk to her couldn’t be that serious since he was happy to have a coffee and wait for her to finish.
She sat down on a sofa facing him.
‘So, what is it you want, Helgi?’ Her eyes narrowed, though her face was still friendly. He felt for a moment as if she were interviewing him for the radio.
‘I have to admit that I’m here on rather an unusual errand. Are you familiar with the author Elín S. Jónsdóttir?’
‘Aren’t we all?’
‘Have you ever met?’
‘Only once. We don’t know each other personally, I think I’m safe in saying. Why do you ask?’
Helgi drew a deep breath.
‘What I’m about to tell you should not be public knowledge. I hope you understand what I’m saying?’
‘Of course.’
‘No one’s heard from Elín for some time,’ Helgi said in a level voice. ‘And we’re all concerned for her well-being – the police, her publisher and her friends.’
‘Has she gone missing, is that it?’
‘You could say that.’
‘Dead?’
Helgi hesitated.
‘Impossible to tell at this stage.’
‘I see. What else would be required?’
‘I’m sorry?’
‘For her to be declared dead if she doesn’t turn up?’
The question was so unexpected that Helgi was completely wrongfooted.
‘Hard to say. It would require a court order and, if I remember right, that could take quite a long time. At present…’
…she’s caught in some sort of limbo between life and death, he wanted to say.
‘At present she’s only being treated as missing.’
‘OK. In other words, she could be alive.’
Again, Kristín’s reaction took him aback.
She seemed preoccupied, but eventually she continued: ‘Sorry, but what has all this got to do with me?’
