The Last Fix [En liten gyllen ring no]

'Shemight be jealous,'

Gerhardsenangled his head. 'Yes… well… but not jealous in that way.'

'Inwhich way was she jealous?'

Gerhardsenheaved a weary sigh. 'Listen,' he began, raising his palms as if in an attemptto calm troubled minds. 'Listen,' he repeated. 'I was forced to tell Annahethabout my relationship with Katrine. There was no alternative. When Katrine startedtreatment it was only a question of time before she said something about me tosomeone at the centre. I had to pre-empt her – not with everyone, of course -but with Annabeth. I couldn't walk in dread day in day out that

'Whendid you confess to your wife?'

'Idon't remember.'

'Along time afterwards?'

'Well…a while. I told her when it was clear that Katrine was going to stay atVinterhagen and had stopped doing bunks.'

'Soit's a number of years since you told her?'

'Yes.'

'Soyour wife has treated Katrine for several years knowing that you paid for herservices as a prostitute?'

'Yes.'Gerhardsen seemed tired.

Thetwo policemen exchanged glances. Frølich cleared his throat and raisedhis eyebrows as a signal to his boss, who nodded in return. 'Do you think thisaffected the relationship between the two of them?' Frølich askedcautiously.

'Annabethis very professional,' Gerhardsen answered. 'With patients she wasprofessional, but this matter triggered a crisis in our marriage of course.''What sort of relationship did the two of them have? Was it warm?'

'No,but I don't think that had anything to do with me. A lot of water has passedunder the bridge since I told her, you might say. The reason the relationshipbetween Annabeth and Katrine was not warm was more to do with chemistry.'

'Butyou just said your confession triggered a marital crisis.'

'Yes,but that was between Annabeth and me.'

'Neverthelessit was Katrine who caused the crisis. It would be surprising if your wife didnot take out her emotional response on her, wouldn't it?'

'Itmay sound strange but I don't think she bore a grudge against Katrine.'

'Areyou on first-name terms with all the patients at Vinterhagen?' Frølichinterjected.

'Heavenforfend, no.'

'WhyKatrine?'

'She'dbeen there for quite a few years. She was a success. She was rehabilitated.That's quite an event of course.'

'Butthat doesn't make it natural for you to be on first-name terms with her.'

Gerhardsensighed. 'She was a special patient for 'So you made advances during the yearsshe was there.'

'No,'Gerhardsen said in desperation. 'But this girl had a position of trust. I readreports, I interviewed her…'

Gunnarstrandabroke in:'… without your pasts as punter and prostitute colouring thesituation?'

'Yes.How much more are you going to hassle me about this?'

'Untilwe find out something important we can use,' Gunnarstranda said, taking out hischewing gum, grimacing at it and flicking it into the wastepaper basket besideGerhardsen's right leg. 'Could your wife have left the party that night?'

Gerhardsenstared at him in silence.

'Comeon, answer the question.'

'Forhow long?'

'Foran hour.'

'Idoubt that very much.'

'Whydo you doubt it?'

'Becauseshe would have been missed by the guests at the party. Annabeth loves havingthis kind of get-together. She loves being at the centre of things and she wasthe one who sent out the invitations. Her leaving the house while there werestill guests would have been inconceivable.' 'Were there any others who wentmissing for shorter periods?'

Gerhardsendeliberated. 'It's possible,' he said at length. 'But who…?' He shook his head.'You'll have to ask Annabeth. As I said I wasn't there for a few hours.'

'Didanyone else at the party have a grudge against Katrine?'

'Idon't know anyone who did.'

'Butnow you're contradicting yourself,' Gunnarstranda said with a smile.

'Icertainly am not.'

'Youclaimed just now that Katrine had been arguing with her boyfriend.'

'ButI don't suppose he would have killed her. My goodness, I can assure you, such adecent man

'Whatwere they arguing about?'

'Noidea.'

'Soyou didn't see an argument?'

'No,but… it was more that they weren't speaking. I could sense an atmosphere.'

'Yousaid they were having a huge row.'

'Iretracted that.'

'Hasit occurred to you they may have been arguing because of you?' Gunnarstrandaasked.

'Me?'

'Youhad just tried it on with her. Perhaps he was jealous?'

'Hewouldn't have been able to hide that from me when we took the taxi to town. Theatmosphere in the car was terrific.'

'Hemay have taken his anger out on Katrine,' Frølich said. 'Have youthought about that?'

Gerhardsenpuffed out his cheeks and closed his eyes. His brow was sweaty. 'No,' he said,his eyes still closed. 'I didn't think about that. Is there going to be anymore of this?'

Frølichsent an enquiring look to his boss who waved his hand in a deprecatory manner.'Not for the time being,' Frølich said. 'But we will contact you toclear up some of the points in your statement.'

'Surprise,surprise,' Gerhardsen said, getting up.

Thetwo policemen sat staring at the walls after Gerhardsen had gone. Gunnarstrandaproduced a box of matches and tried to make a toothpick from a match.

'Bl-oo-dyhell.'

'Yes,so much crap you need a spade,' Gunnarstranda replied, fiddling with hismatch-cum-toothpick. 'Geo- Invest, what's that?'

'Offshore,'Frølich said. 'Some oil guff to do with arbitration – it's the kind ofjob you need to have trained for to understand what it involves.'

'Havewe got any interviews this evening?'

'Eidesen- the boyfriend.' Frølich flicked through the blank sheets of paper onhis desk. 'What do you think?' he asked. 'Could it have been Gerhardsen – orhis missus?'

Gunnarstrandashrugged. 'There's no doubt he must have been in real torment when she turnedup at the centre for the second time.'

'Doyou think he's lying?'

'Whyshould he lie? The whole prostitute business is very delicate, isn't it? Hemust have known or assumed our girl would have confided in someone and that insome way or other we would find out about his blunder. That's why he takes theplunge and admits everything here. It suggests he has nothing to hide as far asthe murder is concerned.'

'Buthis wife?'

Gunnarstranda'sface distorted – he seemed to be in great pain. 'Mmm,' he mumbled. 'But whywait for so many years?'

'Mighthave been the last straw that night. Kramer said Gerhardsen had been molestingKatrine B that night at the party. His wife might have noticed…'

'Yes,and then?'

'Shesees it and loses her temper and… well… and so on.'

'Yes.'Gunnarstranda nodded. 'But Kramer claims he looked after Katrine until three inthe morning. We'll have to check the arrangements with this car Gerhardsen tookhome. But it's an incredible coincidence that Henning and Katrine drive down tothe same part of town where the gang of party-goers leaves the taxi. It seemsquite extraordinary that none of them saw any of the others!'

'Henningand Katrine went to McDonald's in Aker Brygge. The others are on the other sideof the City Hall square outside Smuget. They wouldn't necessarily have seeneach other.'

'Butif they did… ' Gunnarstranda said with a meaningful look. 'Gerhardsen and/orOle Eidesen see Katrine in a clinch with Henning Kramer…'

'Gerhardsenis the only one with access to a car,' Frølich added. 'Kramer claimedthere had been a car following them on to Ingierstrand beach.'

Chapter Fourteen

Old Acquaintances

Gunnarstrandaflicked the tiny cigarette end into the long-necked ashtray as he heard theknock at the door.

'Comein,' he shouted and picked up the photograph attached with a paper clip to thefile on the table.

Frølichcame in. 'You saw it?' He nodded towards the picture the inspector was holdingbetween his fingers. 'The travel agency lady came up trumps. She named thethug.'