Helgi went to the counter and bought himself a newspaper and his own cup of coffee, which had clearly been on the hotplate for a long time, watching the woman from the corner of his eye as she repeatedly stared at him then looked away. He paid, slopped some milk into the cup, hoping it would deaden the rawness of the over-strong coffee, and sauntered over to where she sat at the window.
‘Mæja?’ he asked, sitting next to her and looking out of the window at the black strip of road that ran through the little town and the distant mountains beyond.
‘Yes,’ she said with a tremor in her voice. ‘That’s me.’
‘I take it you have a reason to want to meet here?’
‘My husband’s home,’ she said simply, fidgeting and looking around.
‘Just sit still,’ Helgi murmured to her. ‘Don’t keep looking round unless you want to look suspicious.’
‘Sorry. It’s just. .’
‘It’s just what?’
‘I’m not used to this. Look, can we make this quick? What do you want?’
‘I’m a police officer and I’m investigating a very serious crime. I understand that Reynir Aronsson was with you on Saturday and Sunday?’
Mæja lifted her cup to her lips with both hands, sipped and coughed. ‘Yes,’ she said in a dull voice. ‘He was with me.’
‘From what time on Saturday?’
‘Around nine, after Hjörtur went to work.’
‘Your husband?’
She nodded.
‘When did Reynir leave?’
‘Before six.’
‘And he was back on Sunday night? Same time?’
This time she coughed hard and sniffed, glancing around to see the girl behind the counter looking at them without even trying to hide her curiosity.
‘No. Earlier. In the afternoon. Around three.’
‘And where was your husband?’
Mæja’s voice quivered. ‘He does shifts at the power station. Four days at a time.’
‘And while he’s away. .?’ Helgi said.
‘Look, I’m not proud of this. You want to know any more?’ Mæja hissed with scorn in her thin voice. ‘You want to know the details, or what? Times, maybe? Positions?’
Helgi’s phone buzzed discreetly and he glanced at the screen to see a ‘call me when you’re free’ message from Gunna.
‘No, that’s none of my business. But as long as you’re able to confirm that Reynir was with you, that’s all I need to know.’
Her sigh of relief was almost palpable as she zipped her coat around her plump figure and dropped off the high chair to her feet. Helgi was surprised to see that she was hardly tall enough to reach his shoulder.
‘This won’t go any further, will it?’ she asked, hands thrust into her pockets, a packet of cigarettes already in her hand.
‘Not unless it has to go to court.’
‘Court?’ She shook her head. ‘Never.’
Helgi tried to smile at her. ‘We’ll see,’ he said. ‘I don’t think it’s likely to go that far.’
‘Don’t worry. It won’t.’
She left at a trot and Helgi balanced his phone in his hand as he watched her hurry across the garage forecourt, shoulders hunched, stopping to light a cigarette in spite of the wind before she disappeared around a corner. He called and waited for Gunna to answer as he thought through what Mæja had told him, wondering how trustworthy her words were and at the back of his mind wondering what to say to Anna Björg.
‘Gunnhildur.’ Gunna’s voice crackled into his ear.
‘Hæ. It’s me. Any progress your end?’
‘A few bits and pieces. It looks like Borgar Jónsson was planning a new life in Turkey before he found himself in jail. Kjartan’s son Elmar is in hospital with two broken legs and a dislocated shoulder, and it turns out that the van he’s been driving used to belong to Ingi Aronsson.’
‘Really?’ Helgi frowned. ‘I haven’t seen Ingi, only Össur and Reynir, and their mum.’
‘And?’
‘They’re no less nuts than they used to be twenty years ago, not that that tells you much.’
‘Were any of them in Reykjavík on Sunday?’
‘Doesn’t look like it. I have a reliable sighting of Ingi on Sunday. Össur swears he hasn’t been further than Stadarskáli since the summer and I’ve just been checking out Reynir’s alibi for Sunday.’
‘Watertight, is it?’
‘I don’t have any particular reason to doubt it. .’
‘But you do,’ Gunna said, sensing the disquiet in his voice. ‘Would it stand up in court?’
Helgi laughed and looked up with a start to see Anna Björg getting out of a squad car on the garage forecourt, a smile on her face as she strode towards him with her blonde mop alluringly adrift in the wind.
‘Still there, are you?’ Gunna asked. ‘You all right? Where are you, anyway?’
‘Yeah. Still here. I’m in the petrol station in Blönduós. No, I’m not sure Reynir’s friend would want to go to court, somehow.’
‘Ah. Like that, is it? Well, I’ll leave you to it. Stuff to be dealing with here.’
Helgi smiled thinly as Anna Björg sat next to him where Mæja had been sitting, stretching out in the uncomfortable seat and grinning at him.
‘Where are you taking this?’ Helgi asked. ‘Any leads?’
‘To be honest, I’m just hoping you going up there wasn’t a wild-goose chase, as Laxdal will jump on me for your expenses otherwise. But we have something to go on. I’m emailing you a few pictures of the Land Cruiser that place it right where we want it on Sunday afternoon. You’d best get to the station in Blönduós and have a look at them before you go much further, all right? How much longer do you reckon you’ll be up there?’
‘Depends what these pictures show, I reckon,’ Helgi said, avoiding Anna Björg’s eyes.
‘Good, that suits me. Tinna Sigvalds said there was something about it that rang a bell and she’s looking into city centre footage, so if she comes up with anything I’ll let you know. How’s Anna Björg? Seen her yet?’
‘You know her?’ Helgi asked, startled.
‘Of course I know Anna Björg. We were at college together. Give her my regards, would you?’
‘Will do, Chief. Will do,’ he said, and ended the call.
He sat back and reached for his paper cup, shaking his head.
‘Good morning,’ Anna Björg said. ‘Up early today? Sleep well, did you?’
He resisted an urge to place his hand on hers, and felt his face redden.
‘Like a log,’ he admitted. ‘Look, Anna Björg, about yesterday. I really like you a lot, but. .’
‘I know,’ she said soothingly. ‘You’re a married man and you want to go home to your wife without feeling too guilty. Is that it?’
‘Yeah. I suppose so.’
She put out a hand and patted his reassuringly. ‘Don’t worry, Helgi. I’ve heard it all before and I’ve been five minutes’ weakness on a married man’s part once or twice before, so don’t worry about it. I’ll just be a pleasant memory you won’t mention to anyone, won’t I?’
He could see the concern in her eyes.
‘Of course. I’m not someone who needs to brag,’ he said, hurt that she thought he might boast about his night with her. ‘I just hope you enjoyed it,’ he said softly. ‘Because I certainly did.’
‘Hafdís?’ Gunna asked.
The tall woman sitting in the interview room looked her up and down. ‘That’s me. You are?’
‘Gunnhildur Gísladóttir. I’m investigating your husband’s death.’
She shut the door and took a seat while Hafdís looked somewhere between bored and irritated. ‘I’ve been here for almost an hour,’ she said. ‘Just so you’re aware.’
Gunna wanted to snap back that she had been on her feet since before six that morning, but bit back the reply she knew would do no good. ‘I appreciate your coming in. I believe you spoke to my colleague Helgi yesterday? Unfortunately he’s been called away so things aren’t as smooth as they should be. Anyhow, apologies for making you wait. Where do you live now?’