Yrsa Sigurdardottir - Last Rituals

"What did he say exactly? Can you remember?" asked Thora.

"Not exactly. We went to the common room and he insisted I tell him what the hole in the photograph was. It was a fireplace in some cave. The cross too. It was carved into the wall there. Some kind of altar."

"And the drawing?" asked Matthew. "What did it show?"

"It was a plan of the cave with symbols showing what was what. If I remember right, one was beside the cross, another by a hole in the roofI think that was a chimneyand the third was by a hole that was supposed to be a fireplace." Briet looked at Matthew. "I remember him pointing excitedly at the third symbol and asking me if I thought the monks would have cooked on the altar. I said I had no idea. Then he asked if I thought they would have put the fireplace under the chimney. It wasn't like that at all on the drawing. The fireplace was beside the altar but the chimney was by the entrance. It was so boring, and it wasn't like Harald to get worked up about that kind of nonsense."

"Then what happened?" Matthew asked.

"He went and talked to Gunnar. Afterward he ordered me not to do anything else about the letter." She looked at them angrily. "But he was the one who'd been egging me on to torment Gunnar in the first placefucking Gastbucht, as he called him."

"Gastbucht?" exclaimed Thora. What did it say on Harald's sketch? Gastbucht? So it wasn't the visitors' book of the cross, as she had imaginedit wasn't a cross but the letter t, and Gastbucht was the nickname Harald had made up from Gunnar's last name, Gestvik: Guest's bay.

Thora and Matthew went straight back to the faculty building. As they hurried along, she called Markus at the police station and told him the idea she and Matthew had had about Gunnar, which he immediately scoffed at. After a little persuasion, however, he agreed to check the professor's bank account transactions.

Gunnar's office was empty when they arrived. Instead of waiting, they took the liberty of sitting down inside, assuming that Gunnar had gone to meet the director of the Manuscript Institute to hand back the letter.

Matthew looked at the clock. "Surely he'll be back soon."

At that moment the door opened and Gunnar walked in.

He was flabbergasted to see them. "Who let you in?"

"No one. It was open," Thora said calmly.

Gunnar strode over to his desk. "I thought we'd said good-bye earlier." He sat down at his desk and glared at them. "I'm not in the best of moods. Maria wasn't exactly overjoyed at getting the letter back in that state."

"We won't keep you for long," said Matthew. "We didn't quite manage to conclude our business with you."

"Really?" snapped Gunnar. "I don't think I have anything left to say to you."

"We just want to ask you about a few outstanding details," Thora said.

Gunnar tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling. He groaned before looking back at them. "Fair enough. What would you like to know?"

Thora looked at Matthew first, then at Gunnar. "The ancient cross mentioned in the letter to Arni Magnussoncould it be the cross in the Irish monks' cave near Hella?" she asked. "You're supposed to be an expert on that periodaren't you? At least, the cross was in Iceland before the settlement proper began."

Gunnar turned beet red. "What would I know about that?" he stammered.

Thora shrugged. "Actually, I think you know all about it. Isn't that a photograph of you and the farmer who owns the land where the caves are?" She pointed to the framed photograph on the wall. "The monks' caves?"

"As it happens, it is. But I don't see the connection," Gunnar said. "I find your questions irrelevant and I can't understand your interest in history. If you want to enroll in the department, there are application forms in the office."

Thora went on, unruffled. "I think you understand the connection perfectly. You were at the celebration that lasted until midnight on the night of Harald's murder." When Gunnar said nothing she added: "Could it be that you met Harald that night?"

"What nonsense is this? I've made countless statements to the police about Harald's untimely death. I had the misfortune to find the body but in other respects it has nothing to do with me. You should get out of here." He pointed a shaking finger at the door.

"I'm certain the police will recheck all their statements from you now that it's clear how the marks on Harald's body were made," Thora said, smiling nastily.

"What do you mean?" asked Gunnar, agitated.

"They've found the person who removed the eyes and carved the symbol on the body. Your reaction on seeing the body is no guarantee that the police will treat you with silk gloves. Everything appears in a completely different light now."

Gunnar seemed to be having difficulty breathing. "You're busy people. So am I. I'd hate to delay you. Let's call this a day."

"You strangled him with your tie," Thora continued. "Your tiepin will confirm that." She stood up. "The motive has yet to be revealed but it's unimportant at the moment. You killed him. Not Hugi, not Halldor, and not Briet. You." She looked him in the eye, torn between revulsion and pity. Gunnar shuddered and Matthew stood up slowly, using one hand to edge Thora gently back toward the door. It was as if he feared Gunnar would jump over the desk with his tie held aloft to strangle her too.

"Are you mad?" shouted Gunnar, staring at Thora. He leaped clumsily to his feet. "How could you imagine such a thing? I advise you to seek help immediately."

"I'm not madyou killed him." Thora stood her ground. "We have several pieces of evidence to prove your guilt. Believe me. When the police get it and look into your case you'll have trouble coming up with a defense."

"This is ludicrous, I didn't kill him." Gunnar looked at Matthew plead-ingly, hoping for support.

"The police may be interested in hearing you deny itbut we're not." Matthew was stone-faced. "Perhaps the department can assist with an investigation into your private affairs. And perhaps a search will reveal more clues if the tiepin isn't enough."

Thora's phone rang. She kept her eyes on Gunnar for the short duration of the call. He nervously listened to her conversation without a clue about the context. Thora put her phone back in her pocket. "That was the police, Gunnar."

"So?" he blustered. His Adam's apple bobbed.

"They asked me to go down to the station. They've discovered some interesting transactions from your bank account and want Matthew and me to explain our case more fully. As far as I can see, the police are closing in on you." She stopped talking and stared at him.

Gunnar looked back at them, confused. Then he lifted his tie and stared at the pin. He opened his mouth twice to say something, then thought better of it. In the end he bowed his head in resignation. "Are you looking for the money?" he slurred. "I haven't spent much of it." He watched them, but got no response. "I have the book, too, but I'd rather not hand it over. It's mine. I found it." He clutched his forehead in a gesture of desperation. "I have nothing else valuable or unique. Harald seemed to have everything, plenty of money at least. Why couldn't he covet something else?"

"Gunnar, I think we ought to call the police," said Thora gently. "You don't need to tell us any moresave your strength." She saw Matthew take out his phone, ready to dial. "One-one-two," she said quietly to him. Gunnar didn't notice. Matthew stepped outside to make the call.

"I always expected the police to accuse me of murder when they questioned me about finding the body. I was convinced they were just playing a game with me, pretending not to know I killed him. Then it turned out I wasn't even under suspicion." He looked up, smiling faintly. "It would have been impossible for me to feign the horror I felt when the corpse fell on me. The last time I'd seen it was on the floor of the common room. For a moment I thought he had risen from the dead to take revenge. You must believe that I did nothing to his eyes. I just strangled him."