Arnaldur Indridason - Oblivion

‘Why do you say that?’ asked Joan, with an expression of aggrieved surprise.

‘Just a hunch,’ said Caroline.

‘I won’t be judged by you... I don’t know what—’

‘I’m not judging you. Far from it.’

‘Earl’s—’

Joan broke off and Erlendur sensed that she was seething with rage.

‘You bitch!’ she spat. ‘Ten years ago your kind wouldn’t have been allowed to talk to me like that.’

‘What did you say? What did you call me?’

‘You heard me.’

‘Because I’m black? Is that what you mean?’

‘You don’t talk to me like that,’ said Joan. She stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray in the car door, fished another out of the packet and lit it. ‘No nigger talks to me like that.’

‘I’ll talk to you how I like. White trash!’ snapped Caroline. ‘Just be grateful I don’t lock you up for disrespecting a police officer.’

‘You should hear how Earl talks about you people. He hates you.’

‘ You people ?’

‘Yes, you people.’

‘Earl’s what?’ asked Erlendur, hastily intervening. ‘You were about to say something about your husband.’

Joan shot Caroline a look of loathing before turning to Erlendur.

‘Earl won’t so much as look at me,’ she said, the pain breaking through her voice. ‘He never pays me any attention. There’s no love in him. No affection. I try my best but he’s always so cold, and we never have any time together. He’s always shooting off somewhere. Things’ve been like that for a long time and it sucks. It plays hell with your marriage.’

Erlendur couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for her, though he had the impression that she had made this speech before. In Kristvin’s ear, perhaps.

‘So that makes it OK to play around with other men?’ said Caroline.

‘You shut your mouth! It’s not like that,’ said Joan, looking to Erlendur for understanding. ‘I’m not playing around.’

‘Just a minute,’ said Caroline. ‘Are you saying you don’t want to sleep with your husband’s buddies in the marines so you turn to locals like Kristvin instead? Icelandics who come to the Animal Locker for a good time?’

Joan ignored her.

‘So your husband, Earl, wasn’t in the country the last time you saw Kristvin? Is that right?’ asked Erlendur, frowning at Caroline to get her to leave Joan alone.

‘No, he wasn’t. He’s still away. But I’m expecting him home soon.’

‘Can we get confirmation of that?’ Erlendur asked Caroline.

‘Oh, you can be sure I’ll remember to check up on that,’ said Caroline.

‘Kristvin drove round to see you in his car, didn’t he?’ said Erlendur. ‘The last time you met?’

‘Yes, he parked outside the next-door dorm and we were together for a couple hours. I guess he left my place around eleven.’

‘Was he going home after he left you?’

‘I think so, I don’t know. He didn’t mention any different.’

‘Were you aware that his tyres had been slashed?’

‘No. I knew nothing about that, so I guess it happened while he was with me,’ said Joan. ‘Listen, I have to get back to the PX. I nearly had a heart attack when you knocked on my door and started asking about Kris, and I was so upset when I heard—’

‘Oh, for Christ’s sake, don’t start claiming you loved him,’ said Caroline.

‘Shut your mouth!’ said Joan. ‘You shouldn’t go trampling all over other people’s feelings. You don’t know what I’m like. You know nothing about me.’

‘No, that’s for sure.’

‘Do you know how Kristvin went about getting hold of marijuana?’ said Erlendur.

‘No,’ said Joan.

‘Are you sure?’

‘I have no idea how he got it.’

‘Were you aware he used drugs?’

‘No.’

‘And of course you’ve never seen anything like that,’ said Caroline.

‘Shut up,’ said Joan. ‘I’m not talking to you.’

‘How did he get into this club, the Animal Locker?’ asked Erlendur, starting the car. He was keen to return Joan to work before a fight broke out in the back seat.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Don’t Icelanders need someone from the base to vouch for them when they go to places like that? What’s it called...?’

‘You mean a sponsor?’

‘Yes. Who was his sponsor? The first time you met?’

‘I didn’t know him, I think he’d only just been transferred here,’ said Joan, sucking in smoke. ‘“W”, I think Kris said. That’s all I know. I think he just called him “W”.’

‘“W”? That’s all?’

‘Yeah. I have no idea how they knew each other. No idea. I never saw him. I think he’d left by the time... by the time Kris and me got acquainted.’

‘Did he tell you anything about this “W”?’

‘No,’ said Joan. ‘I don’t know who he is. No idea.’

‘Is he a soldier?’

‘I don’t know. There’s no point asking me. I know nothing about the guy.’

‘This club or bar, the Animal Locker — what kind of place is it?’

‘What kind? Well, the officers’ club’s the fanciest; that’s for the highest ranks. The Animal Locker’s about as different from that as you can get. It’s the enlisted club and there’s a reason why they call it the Zoo. There’s a hell of a lot of trouble and fighting goes on there. They serve the liquor in plastic cups nowadays because glass got too dangerous. The Zoo’s that kind of club. Ask her,’ said Joan, pointing at Caroline. ‘She comes in sometimes.’

Joan stepped out of the car next to the back entrance of the PX without saying goodbye, leaving Caroline and Erlendur sitting in her stale smoke. As she headed for the store she turned and gave them the finger, then flounced inside, slamming the door behind her. Erlendur assumed the gesture was aimed at Caroline, who now moved up to join him in the front seat. She seemed to think so too.

‘Screw you too, bitch,’ she said.

‘Was she wearing a wig?’ asked Erlendur, thinking of Kristvin’s sister.

‘Yeah, she looks like some kind of Dolly Parton freak.’

‘Do you think she could be ill?’

‘With that on her head? Must be.’

‘You should keep an eye on her,’ said Erlendur. ‘I doubt you can believe a word she says.’

‘Not a word,’ agreed Caroline, ‘and she’s probably the last person who saw your man alive. Apart from... I’ll check up on her husband, see if she was lying about him.’

‘We’re not going to arrest her, then?’

‘No, let’s leave her to sweat a little,’ said Caroline. ‘I’ll keep an eye on her. You’re right — she can’t be trusted. Who knows what to believe.’

‘So you sometimes go to this place, the Animal Locker, yourself?’

‘Now and then,’ said Caroline. ‘I’ve seen Joan there a couple times, coming on to the customers. She’s a slut.’

‘You don’t recall seeing Kristvin there?’

Caroline shot Erlendur a look.

‘I’d have told you — you showed me a picture of him, remember?’

‘What about “W”?’

‘No,’ said Caroline crossly.

‘Marion told me you didn’t want to help us,’ said Erlendur.

‘That’s right.’

‘What made you change your mind?’

‘I don’t know. At first I thought Marion was asking me to spy on my friends, but when I stopped to think about it, I realised I was wrong. Anyhow, things are so quiet around here, it makes a nice change. And I had a hunch about that dumbass.’

‘Joan?’

‘I had an instinct that she was stressed and hiding something that time we visited her in the barracks. After Marion talked to me I remembered her and thought I’d pay her another visit, put the thumbscrews on her, and she just caved in. I don’t know if I was helping you exactly. I just wanted to find out if she was lying to us.’