The Last Fix [En liten gyllen ring no]

'Dependswhat you mean by knowing. I didn't want to know that much.'

'Justnow you talked about being with someone who had done everything with everyone.'

'Thatside of her past was no secret.'

'Butwhy did you get together?'

'Iliked her.'

'Whatdid you know?'

'Thatshe had been on drugs and had done a lot of crazy things.'

'Andyou knew about her life on the streets?'

'There'sone thing you have to understand about Katrine and me,' Eidesen said in a lowvoice. He cleared his throat and paused as if to search for words. 'I wasn'tinterested in her past'

Gunnarstrandawaited. At that moment Ole Eidesen seemed very centred.

'Whathappened happened. The Katrine who walked the streets was a different personfrom the Katrine I knew. I was not interested in the person who walked thestreets and took heroin. I was interested in Katrine.'

'Myunderstanding was that Katrine never took heroin,' the policeman said. 'She wason amphetamines, cocaine, Ecstasy…'

'Don'tyou think she tried heroin? She was on the streets because she was a drugaddict.'

'Idon't think anything,' Gunnarstranda answered. 'But I've read reports abouther. Didn't you talk about her past?'

'Never.'

'Whynot?'

'As Isaid, I wasn't interested.'

'Wereyou jealous of her past?'

'Ofcourse not.'

'Seemslike that to me.'

'Thenyou're the one with the problem.'

'Whathappened at those times when she wanted to talk about the past?'

'Itold her to shut up.'

'Wereyou violent?' 'I've never hit another person.'

'NotKatrine, either?'

'Iwouldn't dream of it.'

'Didyou ever hit her?'

'Never.The fact that you ask me shows just how little you know about me. Just askingshows you didn't know her.'

'Butyou asked me to try to understand your torments. You asked me to try tounderstand how you suffered being with a woman who had done everything witheveryone.'

'Thatwasn't what I asked.'

'ButI perceived it as such. Your saying you didn't want to discuss her past seemsto me as though you were jealous of her past.'

'Iwasn't jealous. I've never been jealous. Why are you so obsessed with this?'

'BecauseI sense a motive.'

'You'rebarking up the wrong tree. I would never have hurt Katrine. And, as you saidyourself, Merethe Fossum is my alibi for that night.'

'Indeed,but let us imagine that Katrine insisted on talking about her past thatSaturday. Let's say you refused to listen. It does not seem improbable thatthis may have caused a row in the light of your emotional attitude to herpast.'

'ButI told you I did not have any emotional attitude to her past.'

'Weknow Katrine was out of kilter that Saturday. She was out of kilter – becauseof something that had happened at the travel agency. Perhaps it had somethingto do with her drug-taking years. It does not seem too improbable that she tookthis feeling of despair home with her. In fact, we know she did. She rangSigrid Haugom and told her about the incident while you were sitting in anotherroom. You and Katrine were lovers. You were on intimate terms. You were in andout of each other's flats. Why would she keep such an important incident fromyou?'

'BecauseI wasn't interested in her bloody past.'

'Nowyou seem to be suppressing some aggression towards this past of hers.'

'I amnot.'

'Yes,you are.' The policeman smiled. 'You're very angry now. I can see that you aresitting there and fuming.'

'Andwhat's it got to do with you?'

'You'reangry with her and the fact that she was a prostitute.'

'Itold you I didn't give a shit about what she had done.'

'AndI don't believe you.'

'Idon't give a stuff what you believe!' Ole Eidesen yelled.

Gunnarstrandaleaned back in his chair. It was a waste of time provoking this young man.After all, Eidesen had an alibi. In fact, he was probably wasting his timequestioning him.

Hepulled out a desk drawer and took hold of the prison photograph of RaymondSkau. He passed it to Eidesen. 'Do you know him?'

Eidesenput down the photograph on the desk and examined it carefully. He coughed.'No,' he said.

'Haveyou seen him before?'

Eidesenshook his head. 'Don't think so.'

'Never?'

'No.'

'Thinkabout it.'

'I'mthinking as hard as I can.'

'You'reabsolutely sure you've never seen this person?'

'Yes.Who is it?'

'It'ssomeone from Katrine's past.'

'Who?'

Gunnarstrandasmiled. 'Interested?'

Eidesengave a groan of despair. 'Don't give a shit,' he sighed.

'Idon't give a shit or you don't?' v 'All right, I don't give a shit. I don'tgive a fuck who it is.'

'I'vegot your point now,' the policeman said, thinking. 'Now there's just one thingI don't understand.'

'Andthat is?'

'Youhaven't asked me yet what happened on the Saturday – in the travel agency.'

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Lie

Thepolice inspector was sitting with a plate of chips in front of him on the deskwhen Frølich rang. With the receiver under his chin he tried to squeezethe ketchup out of a little foil packet and over the freshly washed Cinzanoashtray. He swore as a spot landed on his tie.

'Breakthrough,'Frølich said.

'Whatare you talking about?'

Frølich:'We can make an arrest.'

'Arrestwhom?'

'HenningKramer.'

Gunnarstrandawas eating. 'Why?' he chewed.

'I'vebeen talking to two taxi drivers who have confirmed Kramer's version of eventsthrough to Aker Brygge. Both remember the girl. No question it was Katrine B -a real knockout in a skirt and black lace bra. The two of them had given theimpression of being a couple, and she in particular was in a good mood – seemedquite high. A waiter at Lekteren – one of the restaurant boats – also remembersthe girl well. She had been waltzing with some of the men on the wharf. A girlworking at McDonald's recognized both of them. They bought cheeseburgers andCokes and left. The guy at Lekteren also remembers Kramer, but he couldn'tunderstand how such a stupid-looking guy could have a woman like her.'

'Everyoneagreed they had had a nice time,' Gunnarstranda interrupted, dipping a handfulof thin chip-stalks into the ashtray filled with ketchup. 'Get to the point!'The chips splayed out as he was about to stuff them into his mouth.

'Listento this,' Frølich said, excited. 'One taxi driver's name is Kardo Bukhtal.He was driving a late-night party-goer home that morning. He remembers the tripbecause it was a long one, out to Ski. And on the way back he took old Mosseveiand drove past the car park where Kramer thought they had parked. And he'swilling to swear he saw the car there.'

'Kramer'scar?'

'Yes,Kramer's car, an Audi open-top sports car, green with a grey hood. Well, thisguy thinks cars like this are pretty stylish and he slowed down as he passed.The car was there at half past six that same morning, when Kramer says he wassleeping sweetly in his own bed after dropping off Katrine by the roundaboutleading up to Holmlia.'

'Inother words, Kramer is lying.'

'Likea presidential candidate.'

Gunnarstranda'sfingers were covered in ketchup. 'Where are you?'

'InHolmen.'

Gunnarstrandastood up. He put the receiver under his chin, wiped his fingers clean on aserviette and patted his pockets for cigarettes. 'In Holmen. What the hell areyou doing there? I want Henning Kramer here, now! With handcuffs on!'

'I'msitting in my car outside his mother's house,' Frølich answered drily.'The guy isn't at home. But I was given his brother's address. That must bewhere Henning stays when his brother is away.'

'Theaddress?'

'BehindDeichmannsgate. Fredensborgveien 33.'

'Seeyou there.' The inspector was already on his way to the door. He drank the restof the Coke running down the stairs. His coat-tails fluttering behind him.

If Frølichhad spoken to this idiot's mother she could have warned him on the phone andput the boy on his guard. Gunnarstranda took the next flight in three stridesand caught a glimpse of Yttergjerde's stooped figure down in reception.Yttergjerde glanced up. They exchanged looks. Gunnarstranda pointed his indexfinger ahead and circled it above his head.