The Man In The Window [Mannen i vinduet - no]

'Ofcourse I'll try to help as much as I can,' said Arvid Folke Jespersen, lettingFrølich into a flat with the stale odour of dust and old books. Like asecond-hand bookshop, he thought, taking off his winter boots after someexertion. A little grunt came from behind a curtain. Arvid pushed the curtainto the side. Among a multitude of shoes lay a basket full of old rugs. In thebasket was a small tremulous dog. It had a bandage wrapped around its body.'Goodness, you have hurt yourself, haven't you?' Frølich said to the dog whichlay trembling with its ears flattened against its head.

'Silviehas two broken ribs,' Arvid said, opening the living-room door. 'She has torest, poor thing.'

Frølichfollowed Arvid into a room with a high ceiling and elegant furniture. The dustcollected in balls along the skirting boards. Thick curtains took up most ofthe space by the windows and let scant light into the room. They seatedthemselves at a table on which there was a tray of coffee cups, a coffee flask,a sugar bowl, glasses and bottles.

'Eventhough he was the eldest, I had always thought that Reidar would outlive me,'Frølich's host said dourly. He was wearing a suit with a broad stripe and had awatch chain in his waistcoat pocket. Around his neck he had tied a dark redsilk scarf. 'He survived everything, Reidar did. He was even shot down overGermany in 1944, but escaped without a scratch. Reidar only seemed to growolder on the outside; I suppose I must have thought he was immortal. Would youlike a glass of port with your coffee?'

Frølichshook his head.

'You'requite right,' Arvid sighed, holding an empty glass in front of his eyes. Hefound a stain and wiped it with his handkerchief before pouring himself adrink. 'I have port now instead of cognac; port is milder.'

Frølichleaned forward and reached for a bulbous, yellow thermal coffee flask. As hetouched the lid, it burst open with a damp pop. He poured himself some coffee.'But how do you see his murder? It's one thing being surprised by yourbrother's death, but a murder…'

Arvidshook his head. 'Mm,' he mumbled. 'It's beyond me.'

'IfReidar had caught a burglar red-handed, what do you think he would have done?'

Arvidput the bottle of port down on the table and considered. 'I wouldn't begin toknow. Nowadays there are so many desperate drug addicts and so on. People youjust can't work out. You know much more about this than me, of course. ButReidar was aware of this too. He read newspapers and watched TV like everyoneelse.'

'Howdo you think he would have reacted? Would he have kept out of the way, would hehave talked to the person, or…?

'Ithink he would have kept out of the way or – maybe not. Reidar was a verydetermined character. Once he had an idea in his head, it took a lot todissuade him. Personally, I am a bit different, I'm a little cautious and don'tlike tense atmospheres. I know I would have kept out of the way or stayedquiet. Reidar never seemed to be afraid, or he became like that, I suppose. Hehad to maintain this image of himself. Of course, he might have told thisintruder to clear off, or threatened him in some other way.' Arvid took a sipfrom his glass. 'A terrible business,' he mumbled. 'Terrible business…'

Frølichsipped at his coffee, which was thin, light brown. Two grains of coffee floatedaround on the surface. One of them went in his mouth. After he had taken itout, it stuck to the tip of his forefinger. 'Is it long since you last saw yourbrother?' the police officer asked, discreetly wiping the coffee grain onto thesaucer.

Theman on the other side of the table gave a start, as though awakened from profoundthoughts. 'No, no, he was round here yesterday, with Emmanuel. That reminds me,I promised to ring him. Would you please remind me? Mention it before youleave?'

'Whendid he come here?'

'Atabout twelve, maybe just after.'

'About?'

'Yes,he may have come a few minutes later. I think we had been waiting for a while.'

'Andwhen did he leave?'

'Hemust have been here for just under an hour.'

'Howdid he seem?'

Arvidstroked his chin. 'He was not himself at all; he seemed quite off-kilter.'

Frølich'seyebrows rose in surprise.

'Yes.You saw Silvie, my poor dog. He tried to kill her. It was fortunate that thingsturned out as they did.'

'Hetried to kill your dog?'

Arvidnodded. 'I know it sounds crazy – Reidar kicked her. A lot of internal bleedingand two broken ribs. It was a miracle she survived.'

'Didhe kick her that hard? Did she bite him?'

'No,Reidar just wasn't himself. He seemed quite agitated. I don't think I've seenhim like that before. When I think of how he behaved with the dog, I daren'timagine what would have happened if there had been a break-in. Has Karstenworked out what was stolen?'

Frølichconsulted his notepad before saying anything. 'Why was he agitated? Had youbeen quarrelling?'

'Goodnessme, no. That is, we were discussing business. You understand, there are threeof us: Emmanuel and Reidar and I. We three own the shares; well, we've all beeninvolved with the shop. Emmanuel and me, too, but now we've accepted that we'reold and have retired, both of us. Reidar never wanted to stop working.'

'Hm,now he doesn't have any choice,' Frølich said dryly. He was at once aware ofhow inappropriate this comment might seem and hastened to add: 'This was aspecial occasion then – this business meeting of yours?'

'Businessis right. The shop is up for sale and we have some purchasers, a marriedcouple. They came, too. A herr Kirkenazr and his wife. I think they're marriedanyway. They've got rings. This man knows a fair bit about antiques, and shedoes, too, of course.'

'Sothere was a row?'

Arvidshook his head. 'Not a row. Disagreement is a better word.'

'Whatsort of disagreement?'

'Aboutthe deal. Emmanuel and I are more than happy with the offer made, but…' 'Butnot Reidar?'

'Yes.I thought he wanted to sell. Reidar has never said no to more money but, on theother hand, he has never tolerated the rest of us having opinions. Reidar was abit odd like that, you know. He was the eldest and always had to call theshots. Well, we suspected, Emmanuel and I, that he would jump up and down abit, but we had never imagined that he would get himself into such a lather.That was after the buyers had gone. The plan was that we would discuss theoffer, but we didn't get round to it.'

Arvidsat sunk in deep thought as he twirled his port wine glass between his fingers.'In fact that was the last time I saw him.'

'Washe well?'

Arvidraised both eyebrows.

'Wasyour brother ill?'

Arvidopened his mouth in a soundless laugh. 'Reidar has never been ill. Are youtrying to tell me he died from an illness?'

Frølichshook his head and poured himself more coffee. 'And now you and Emmanuel arethe sole owners?'

'Hmm,I suppose Ingrid will take over now. She can pay off Karsten and take Reidar'sshare. Great lady, Ingrid is, very good-looking.'

'She'smuch younger than him.'

'Right.He was an old goat, Reidar was, no doubt about that.'

'You'resure the wife will take Reidar's share?'

'Iwould assume so.'

FrankFrølich waited.

'It'sKarsten's big problem that Reidar and Ingrid had joint ownership.'

'Whatdo you mean by that?'

'Eh?'

"…Karsten's big problem…'

Arvidsmiled mirthlessly. 'One would assume that Karsten would have preferred tohandle things on his own…'

'Youmean Karsten wanted to be the sole beneficiary?'

'That'snot so improbable, is it?'

'Idon't know,' Frølich said. 'Are you suggesting there's an inheritance disputehere?'

Arvidstared at him for quite some time before asking in a monotone: 'What do youmean?'

Frølichobserved him. Perhaps the suggestion of a disagreement between the widow andthe murdered man's son had been meant seriously. The old man seemed to havewoken up and realized he was talking to a policeman, and therefore ought toconsider what he was saying. It was a familiar reaction. Frølich repeated: 'Isthere an inheritance dispute as a result of your brother's death?'