Арнальдур Индридасон - The Shadow District

‘No, that doesn’t ring any bells.’

‘So he didn’t come here to talk to you about the case?’

‘No. I’m not acquainted with any Stefán or Thorson. I don’t get many visitors out here. My daughters both live in Australia. They moved there during the recession in the late sixties and can’t be bothered to fly up to the frozen north that often. What... Why would this man have wanted to talk to me?’

‘He came over here during the war — he was in the military police and investigated the death of the girl I mentioned.’

‘So? I’m not with you. Where do I come in?’

‘He was still making enquiries about the case right up until his death a couple of weeks ago. You may have heard about it on the news. A pensioner was found dead in his home under suspicious circumstances. That was Thorson.’

‘I’m afraid I don’t follow the news very closely, and I still don’t understand what all this has to do with me.’

‘No, of course, I’m sorry; I’ll try and explain. The girl found by the theatre worked for a dressmaker’s in Reykjavík, quite a large enterprise called The Stitch, which had a wide range of customers — from all walks of life, as you might say. Thorson recently stumbled across a new piece of information — namely that the girl had refused to take any deliveries to a certain house in Reykjavík, whose owners were regular customers of the company.’

‘Thorson?’ repeated the man, distractedly.

‘Is it coming back to you now?’

‘He was in the military police, you say?’

‘Yes, that’s right. I assume he would have worn a uniform at the time. He was in the Canadian Army, but as far as I can work out he was seconded to the American forces stationed in Reykjavík and served in the military police.’

Magnús hadn’t offered Konrád a seat, and they were still standing, face to face, by the door.

‘Maybe you’d like to sit down?’ suggested Konrád.

‘Yes, I must admit I’m a bit tired after my swim,’ said the man, crossing the room to sink into an armchair. ‘What were you saying about the girl? Which house was it she didn’t want to visit?’

‘Your parents’ house, as a matter of fact. It seems likely that she had a bad experience when she delivered something there, and after that she refused to go anywhere near the place.’

The man didn’t seem to grasp the implication. ‘What are you driving at?’ he asked.

‘I imagine that to Thorson, all these years later, it must have suggested that she had reason to be afraid of a member of your household.’

‘Afraid?’

‘Yes. That might explain why she refused to go round there.’

‘But why? What would she have been frightened of?’

‘I was hoping you’d be able to answer that,’ said Konrád.

‘Me? I don’t know what you’re implying. I can’t imagine what she would have had to fear at our house.’

Towards evening on the day of his formal arrest, Jónatan was escorted back to the same small room, where Flóvent and Thorson were waiting. He had refused to eat, refused to contact any of his friends or relatives or provide Flóvent with their details. He still seemed to be labouring under the illusion that he would be released at any moment. Although Jónatan had declined the services of a lawyer, Flóvent had gone ahead and made arrangements for a legal representative to meet him later that evening. Flóvent started off by trying to put the young man at his ease, before returning to a tougher line of questioning.

‘Where do you go birdwatching?’ Flóvent asked once they were seated.

‘The Seltjarnarnes Peninsula usually, that’s the most rewarding spot. Or to Skarfaklettur on Videy Sound. Or Nauthólsvík Cove.’

‘Do you always take your binoculars along?’

‘Yes.’

‘Do you see anything other than birds on these trips?’

‘Like what?’

‘People, for example?’

‘Yes, of course. Sometimes.’

‘Soldiers?’

‘Yes. They’re quite active along the coast.’

‘Do you ever come across any women on these trips?’

‘I don’t watch them deliberately, if that’s what you’re implying. I don’t spy on people. I don’t use my binoculars for that.’

‘You said you didn’t have any views on the Situation, on Icelandic women fraternising with soldiers — walking out with them, marrying them, you know. What are your feelings about that kind of behaviour?’

‘I don’t have any feelings, really — I don’t give it much thought.’

‘So it doesn’t make you angry?’

‘No. It has nothing to do with me. I can’t understand why you’re bringing it up. Of course... of course it’s an odd state of affairs and I know lots of people are unhappy about it, but I don’t give it a moment’s thought. It really doesn’t interest me. So, as I said, I really don’t understand the point of the question.’

‘Did you meet Rósamunda on one of your birdwatching trips?’

‘I’ve told you over and over again — I never met her.’

‘Not long before she died, she told someone that she’d been attacked and raped,’ said Thorson. ‘Her attacker told her to blame it on the huldufólk . Can you imagine why he would have ordered her to give such an outlandish explanation?’

‘No.’

‘You’ve gone out of your way to study tales of the hidden people. Why on earth do you suppose this man would have brought them up?’

‘I haven’t a clue. I didn’t know the girl. I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘You didn’t know her?’

‘No.’

‘Did you rape her?’

‘No. I... you...’

‘Did you put pressure on her to get rid of the baby?’

Jónatan was speechless.

‘Did you assault her, then order her to invent some tale about being attacked by the elves or she’d be sorry?’

‘No!’

‘You used the same method three years ago on Hrund, didn’t you?’

‘No.’

‘You forced yourself on her, then told her to blame it on the huldufólk .’

‘That’s not true.’

‘Can you tell us where Hrund is?’ asked Flóvent.

‘Where she is?’

‘Yes.’

‘How am I supposed to know that? I never touched her.’

‘Did you have any contact with her after she claimed she’d been attacked?’

‘No. I’ve told you, I barely knew her. I only ran into her a few times at the petrol station.’

‘You knew Rósamunda from the dressmaker’s, of course.’

‘No, I didn’t.’

‘You took your trousers there to be mended.’

‘Yes, but I didn’t know anyone there. Lots of people take their trousers to be mended there. I’m not the only one.’

‘You could have struck up an acquaintance with her like you did with Hrund, without anyone else knowing. You trusted the girls to keep quiet.’

‘The only one I met was Hrund — we’d chat from time to time, as I’ve told you repeatedly. But I wasn’t acquainted with this Rósamunda at all. Why can’t you get that into your heads? This is all a serious misunderstanding, and while you’re sorting it out, I’d be grateful if you’d let me go home.’

‘It would be a great comfort to her family if you could tell us where you think Hrund’s body is,’ said Flóvent.

‘Haven’t you been listening to a word I’ve said? I never touched her. Ever. Look, I’ve got to get out of here. I’m not feeling well. You can’t keep me here. I’m finding this whole business terribly upsetting and utterly incomprehensible. It’s incomprehensible that you would even think I’d be capable of harming another person. Killing someone. It’s... I just don’t understand how such an idea could enter your head.’