66 Degrees North

‘OK, Magnus. If there was a conspiracy to shoot Oskar and Lister, and I emphasize the word if, what does it look like?’

‘Assuming Frikki’s story is correct, a group of five of them all met at the demonstration in January. That’s Sindri, Bjorn, Harpa, Isak and Frikki. At that stage they were all strangers and they were all fired up over the kreppa and who caused it. They drank a lot, Harpa lured out her ex-boyfriend Gabriel Orn, they beat him up and killed him. Probably accidentally, but we need to establish that. They planned a cover-up to dress up the death as suicide. That worked.’

Snorri was listening closely.

‘Now, later, we don’t know when, some of them got together and decided to take things further. Having killed once, they wanted to kill again, once again people they thought were responsible. Oskar Gunnarsson. And Julian Lister.’

‘So who was involved at this stage?’

‘Of the original five, probably just Bjorn, Sindri and Isak, who was in London. But I’m convinced that another conspirator joined them. The guy who actually pulled the trigger.’

‘And who is that?’

‘We have no idea. My bet is that he’s an Icelander who doesn’t speak any foreign languages, but that’s just a guess. Isak speaks English, I wouldn’t be surprised if Bjorn does too, and I think they prepared both hits.’

‘And is it just the two targets?’

‘I think there’s another. A, um, contact of mine spoke to Sindri.’

‘By contact you mean girlfriend?’ said Snorri. ‘Baldur told me.’

‘Yes,’ Magnus admitted. ‘They were both drunk, but Sindri suggested that there is another target, someone he called Ingolfur Arnarson.’

‘The first settler?’

‘I thought one of the Viking Outvaders.’

‘I see what you mean.’

‘And even if we pick up Bjorn and Sindri, the assassin, whoever he is, will still be at large. So they are in danger.’

‘You think we should warn the Outvaders?’

‘I do.’

‘Which ones?’

‘All of them. Or at least the highest profile ones.’

Snorri blew through his cheeks as he thought through the consequences of all this. ‘These men are terrorists. Icelandic terrorists.’

Magnus could see the impending national shame. ‘Seems to me they are criminals,’ he said. ‘A bunch of three or four individuals, not a political movement. We’re talking nutters here, not terrorists.’

Snorri gave him half a smile. ‘Maybe. But if we are not very careful this is going to get caught up in the Icesave negotiations.’

‘We don’t have to cooperate with the British,’ said the Prosecutor. ‘We could force them to make a formal application for assistance. And of course the Lister shooting is in French jurisdiction.’

‘We should cooperate,’ said the Commissioner. ‘Magnus, leave the politics to me, I’m going to have to speak to the minister. For now help Baldur arrest these people and find out who their accomplice is. The man who pulls the trigger.’

Snorri’s phone rang. He answered it. It was his secretary. ‘Put him through,’ he said. He switched to English. ‘Good morning, Chief Superintendent Watts. How can I help you?’

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

WHEN MAGNUS GOT back to the Violent Crimes Unit, Baldur had the whole team in a meeting. Magnus strode into the conference room and took a seat. Baldur acknowledged his presence with a quick flick of his eyes.

‘Arni, I want you to arrest Harpa,’ the inspector commanded. ‘Do you know where to find her?’

‘She’ll be at the bakery, I expect. Or her home. I have both addresses.’

‘Vigdis. Take a couple of uniformed police officers and arrest Sindri. Magnus, you’ve been in touch with the Grundarfjordur police?’

Magnus nodded.

‘Get them to arrest Bjorn right away. And bring him down to the station here.’

‘I got a result from Icelandair,’ Arni interrupted.

‘And?’

‘Bjorn was on a flight from Reykjavik to Amsterdam on Friday. Returned on a flight Saturday evening.’

‘In time to get back to Grundarfjordur for Sunday when I saw him,’ said Magnus.

‘And when Julian Lister was shot,’ said Baldur. ‘Sounds like he was preparing the ground for someone else.’

‘What about Isak?’ Magnus asked.

‘Aren’t the British arresting him now?’

‘Probably,’ said Magnus. ‘Shall I call them to make sure?’

Baldur thought a moment. ‘No. Better to leave all communications with the British police to the Commissioner from now on. This could get delicate.’

Magnus understood that.

‘OK, everyone move,’ Baldur said. ‘And when you get them all back here, we’ll start asking them questions. Like who is Ingolfur Arnarson?’

‘We need to warn the Outvaders,’ Magnus said.

‘I’ll talk to the Commissioner and Thorkell about that,’ said Baldur.

‘Do you mind if I interview Sindri?’ Magnus asked Baldur after everyone else had left the conference room.

‘I’ll do that with Vigdis. I’d like you to be available, though.’

‘Be available?’ Magnus was frustrated. He knew Baldur was the boss, but Magnus was the one who had the case clearest in his mind.

‘Look, Magnus. We all have a lot to do. You can start by getting in touch with Grundarfjordur.’

Magnus went back to his desk and called Constable Pall, telling him to arrest Bjorn for the murder of Gabriel Orn Bergsson and bring him to police headquarters in Reykjavik as soon as he could. Magnus got the impression that Pall had been expecting his call. He was a good man: Magnus was sure he could trust him to arrest his friend.

Magnus struggled to control his impatience. Vigdis called in to say that they had found Sindri at his home and he was coming quietly. Then Baldur appeared at Magnus’s desk.

‘Arni called. Harpa wasn’t at the bakery. She left with Bjorn yesterday afternoon and didn’t show up for work today. No one answered at home and her mobile is switched off.’

‘How did she seem when she was with Bjorn?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Baldur. ‘Arni is checking her house now.’

‘She’s got a small kid,’ said Magnus. ‘Three years old, I think. Arni should look for the kid. Whoever has the kid may know where Harpa is.’

Baldur bit back his frustration. It was obvious he didn’t like taking instructions from Magnus. But it was a good point.

Magnus called Pall back.

‘Pall, it’s Magnus. Apparently Bjorn was with Harpa in Reykjavik yesterday afternoon. They left together.’

‘Right,’ said Pall. ‘He’s not at his house, I’ve just checked. But I’m talking to the next-door neighbour now. I think she saw something. I’ll call you right back.’

Magnus drummed his fingers. The Benedikt Johannesson pathologist’s report caught his eye. He would look at that later, when he could concentrate on it.

It was only five minutes before Pall called back but it seemed much longer.