Jo Nesbo - The Redeemer

'What are you thinking about?' Halvorsen asked.

'I'm not sure. I saw Mads Gilstrup smile.'

'Eh?'

'I saw his reflection in the glass. Did you notice that Albert Gilstrup looks like a wooden doll? The sort ventriloquists use.'

Halvorsen shook his head.

They walked down Munkedamsveien towards Oslo Concert Hall where fully laden Christmas shoppers were hurrying along the pavements.

'Fresh,' said Harry, shivering. 'Shame the cold makes exhaust fumes hug the ground. The whole town suffocates.'

'Better that than the foul stench of aftershave in the meeting room, though,' Halvorsen said.

At the staff entrance to the concert hall hung a poster for the Salvation Army's Christmas concert. On the pavement beneath it sat a boy with an outstretched hand and an empty paper cup.

'You lied to Bjorgen,' Halvorsen said.

'Oh?'

'A two-year custodial sentence for one Stesolid? And for all you know Stankic may have nine vindictive brothers.'

Harry shrugged and consulted his watch. He was too late for the AA meeting. He decided it was time he listened to God's words.

'But when Jesus comes back to Earth who will be able to recognise him?' David Eckhoff shouted, and the flame in front of him flickered. 'Maybe the Redeemer is among us now, in this town?'

A mumble passed through the crowd in the large, white, simply furnished auditorium. The Citadel had neither an altarpiece nor a communion rail but an 'anxious bench' between the gathering and the podium where you could kneel and confess your sins.

The commander looked down on those assembled and paused for effect before continuing. 'For even though Matthew writes that the Redeemer shall come in all his glory, with all the angels, it is also written, "I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me."'

David Eckhoff breathed in, turned the page and raised his eyes to the congregation. And continued without looking down at the scriptures.

'"Then they will answer: Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you? But he will reply: I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the humblest, you did not do for me. And they will be given eternal punishment, but the righteous will be given eternal life."' The commander pounded the lectern. 'What Matthew is saying here is a call to war, a declaration of war against selfishness and inhumanity!' he cried. 'And we Salvationists believe there will be a universal judgement on the Last Day, that the righteous will receive eternal life and that the ungodly will receive eternal punishment.'

When the commander's sermon was over, the floor was open for personal testimonies. An elderly man talked about the battle of Oslo Cathedral square, which they had won with God's words spoken through Jesus and with open-hearted sincerity. Then a younger man stepped forward saying they should bring the evening to a close by playing hymn no. 617 in the book. He stood in front of the uniformed band of eight wind musicians and Rikard Nilsen on the big bass drum and started counting. They played the introduction, then the conductor turned to the audience and they joined in. The hymn sounded powerful in the room. 'Let the flag of redemption wave, onwards now to holy war!'

When the hymn was finished David Eckhoff approached the lectern again. 'Dear friends, let me conclude this evening's meeting by informing you that the Prime Minister's Office has today confirmed that the Prime Minister will be attending the annual Christmas concert in Oslo Concert Hall.'

The news was met with spontaneous applause. The congregation stood up and made its unhurried way to the exit as the room buzzed with lively conversation. Only Martine Eckhoff seemed to be in a hurry. Harry was sitting on the furthest bench to the back watching her come down the central aisle. She was wearing a woollen skirt, black stockings, Doc Martens like himself and a white knitted cap. She looked straight at him without any sign of recognition. Then her face lit up. Harry got to his feet.

'Hi,' she said, tilting her head and smiling. 'Work or spiritual thirst?'

'Well, your father is quite a speaker.'

'He would have been an international star of Pentecostalism.'

Harry thought he caught a glimpse of Rikard in the crowd behind her. 'Listen, I have a couple of questions. If you feel like walking in the cold I can accompany you home.'

Martine looked doubtful.

'If that's where you want to go,' Harry hastened to add.

Martine looked around before answering. 'I can walk you home. Your place is on the way.'

The air outside was raw, thick, and smelt of fat and salty car exhaust. 'I'll get straight to the point,' Harry said. 'You know both Robert and Jon. Is it possible that Robert might have wanted to kill his brother?'

'What did you say?'

'Think a little before you answer.'

They took tiny steps on the thick ice, past the revue theatre Edderkoppen, through the deserted streets. The Christmas dinner season was coming to an end, but taxis were still shuttling passengers with festive clothes and aquavit eyes up and down Pilestredet.

'Robert was a bit wild,' Martine said. 'But kill?' She shook her head with vigour.

'He may have got someone else to do it?'

Martine shrugged. 'I didn't have much to do with Jon and Robert.'

'Why not? You grew up together, so to speak.'

'Yes, but I didn't have much to do with anyone really. I liked my own company best. As you do.'

'Me?' came the surprised response from Harry.

'One lone wolf recognises another, you know.'

Harry glanced to his side and met teasing eyes.

'You must have been the type of boy who went his own way. Exciting and unapproachable.'

Harry smiled and shook his head. They passed the oil drums in front of the derelict though colourful facade of Blitz. He pointed.

'Do you remember when they occupied the property here in 1982 and there were punk gigs with Kjott, The Aller V?rste and all the other bands?'

Martine laughed. 'No. I had just started school then. And Blitz wasn't exactly the sort of place we in the Salvation Army would frequent.'

Harry grinned. 'No, well, I went there from time to time. At the beginning, at least, when I thought it might be somewhere for people like me, outsiders. But I didn't fit in there, either. Because when it came down to it Blitz was about uniformity and thinking alike. The demagogues had a field day there, like…'

Harry paused, but Martine completed the sentence for him. 'Like my father in the Citadel this evening?'

Harry thrust his hands deeper into his pockets. 'My point is that you soon become lonely if you want to use your own brain to find answers.'

'And what answer has your lonely brain come up with so far then?' Martine put her hand under his arm.

'It seems to me that both Jon and Robert have a number of amours behind them. What's so special about Thea since they both have their eyes on her?'

'Was Robert interested in Thea? That wasn't my impression.'

'Jon says so.'

'Well, as I said, I haven't had a lot to do with them. But I remember that Thea was popular with the boys during the summers we spent at Ostgard. Competition starts early, you know.'

'Competition?'

'Yes, boys who want to become officers have to find themselves a girl within the Army.'

'Do they?' asked Harry in surprise.

'Didn't you know that? If you marry outside you lose your job in the Army straight away. The whole command chain is based on married officers living and working together. They have a joint calling.'

'Sounds strict.'

'We're a military organisation.' Martine said this without a hint of irony.