Far North - Michael Ridpath [108]
‘But why do you want to know where I was last week?’
Vigdís ignored the question. ‘So, on the twentieth of January your brother Björn stayed with you in Reykjavík?’
‘That’s right. He came down about lunchtime. He wanted to go to the demonstration outside Parliament, so I said he could crash at my place.’
‘Did you go to the demo?’
‘No.’ Gulli snorted. ‘I have no interest in that stuff. A waste of time. And look what happened. We got rid of one lot of politicians and now we have another lot who are just as bad.’
‘Did you see your brother that day?’
‘Yes. I had no work on, it’s hard getting work these days. I let him in the flat. We had lunch together. I gave him a key and he went off to the demo.’
‘And you?’
‘I stayed in my flat. Watched TV. Then I met my girlfriend. I was out all night, didn’t get back till the following morning.’
Vigdís jotted it all down. ‘And then you saw Björn?’
‘Yes. And Harpa. She had spent the night with him. I saw her as she was leaving.’
‘Had you ever seen Harpa before?’
‘No. Never. But I’ve seen her since, of course. Not often, but Björn and she are pretty much an item these days.’
‘And what about Björn? What did he do?’
‘Went back to Grundarfjördur that morning, I think. I went out, looking for work. I don’t remember whether I actually found anything. Probably didn’t. But I told all this to the police at the time.’
Vigdís nodded. He had. And what he had told her just now tallied pretty closely with Árni’s notes.
‘Did Björn say anything about the demonstration that morning?’
‘Yes, he did. He told me all about it.’
‘Did he seem preoccupied? Worried?’
Gulli frowned and shook his head. ‘Nah. I don’t know. I didn’t notice anything, and if I did I can’t remember. Now can I get my lads back to work?’
Vigdís could tell she wouldn’t get much of use out of Gulli without a thorough interview at the police station, and probably not even then. The main thing was to confirm his story about his holiday.
‘Thank you for your help, Gulli, and for giving me so much of your valuable time,’ she said, with exaggerated politeness.
She hurried back to the station to call Iceland Express and check Gulli’s flights. On the street outside she passed a traffic warden, and told her about the front wheel of Gulli’s van. Got to keep the thoroughfares clear.
Magnus tramped along the cycle path by the shore of the bay. The Benedikt Jóhannesson files were stuffed in a briefcase at his side. A gentle breeze coming in from the water tingled his cheeks. The sky was a soft pale blue, and the giant rampart of rock that was Mount Esja glowed softly. There was a smattering of snow along the ridge of its summit, the first of the year.
Magnus needed the air. After leaving the Commissioner’s office, he had gone straight back across the road to police headquarters. He explained to Vigdís what had happened, and extracted a promise from her to keep him informed of what she and Árni turned up. The news that Magnus had been taken off the case seemed to make her even more determined to break it. Magnus was impressed.
As long as they kept their heads down, he thought there was a good chance that she and Árni would make progress. If Baldur didn’t stop them.
Magnus was angry: angry at the Commissioner, angry at Sharon Piper, and what was worse for his emotional equilibrium, angry at himself.
He kept walking as he pulled out his phone and called her.
‘Piper.’
‘It’s Magnus.’
‘No news on Virginie Rogeon, I’m afraid. Her husband still hasn’t checked in with his employer.’
‘Damn! I really needed something firm to tie Ísak into this case.’
‘We’ll get there.’
‘It might be too late.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘The National Police Commissioner here got a call from your anti-terrorist unit.’
‘Oh.’
‘Yes, oh.’
‘Was he upset?’
‘You could say that. I’m off the case.’
‘You’re what? Oh, Magnus, I’m sorry. Did he give you a bollocking?’
‘I don’t know what a bollocking is, exactly, but he was pretty pissed. Sharon, why did you do that when I specifically asked you not to? I knew