‘Maret tell me. He speak when he sleep. He speak Swedish when he sleep.’
While Matti was grimly hugging the big car’s wheel as it growled up the long slope of the heath on the road north and Marika filed her nails, Gunna sat back and simply enjoyed the feeling of being out of uniform for a few hours.
It hadn’t stopped her from calling in at the station to see what progress Bara and Bjossi were making. Bara looked surprised to see her, while Bjossi made it clear that her presence wasn’t wanted and that she should make the most of an afternoon off duty now that she finally had one.
After a visit to the supermarket in Keflavik, she drove Gisli’s rusting Range Rover through the achingly slow Sunday afternoon traffic in the town to the museum that overlooked the small boat harbour and parked in the sunshine.
She pulled down the shade, peered carefully at herself in the mirror and didn’t entirely like what she could see. She looked tired, and older than she ought to. Fine lines were starting to appear at the corners of her eyes and fatigue was entrenched in her face. She had long ago given up make-up, having been told many times by Raggi that her fresh complexion didn’t need it.
Gunna frowned and her mighty eyebrows fused into a dark bar across her forehead. For a moment, she thought about crying off and going home, but brushed aside the idea of a grown woman being nervous about what was not even really a date.
She fussed for a moment with her hair, decided that this week she really would have to get it cut before it became so thick that it would be beyond control, and swung herself down from the Range Rover.
He was sitting alone at a table by the window in the corner of the room, gazing down at one of the small boats leaving the little pontoon dock. Outside a group of children on the cafe’s balcony waved frantically at the boat as it chugged past and whooped with delight when the man at the tiller waved back at them.
‘Waiting for someone?’ Gunna asked.
Steini’s head jerked up and he grinned with what Gunna saw was obvious relief. He quickly stood up and took her by surprise by leaning forward to peck her cheek.
‘Don’t you know I could arrest you for that?’
Steini held out both hands, wrists together. ‘Go on, then.’
‘Sorry. I’m off duty,’ she apologized, sitting down opposite him. ‘Anyway, how are you?’
‘Fine.’
They sat in awkward silence for a moment.
‘The Salt House was good,’ he ventured finally.
‘It was. Shall we do that again some time?’
‘I think we ought to,’ Steini replied seriously and waved for the waitress to bring a menu.
Gunna made her choice in seconds flat and laid her menu down again while Steini pored over his a little longer. She felt guilty, enjoying the colours outside, cobalt sky and the bright green of the autumn grass clinging to the basalt outcrops surrounding the little harbour, while Bara and Bjossi were on duty.
‘Aren’t you hungry?’ Steini asked.
‘Do I look like the sort of girl who doesn’t enjoy her food? Of course I’m hungry.’
Steini grinned and waved to the waitress, who stood there with her open note pad and waited expectantly.
‘Ready to order?’ the girl asked finally, as Gunna and Steini each waited for the other to go first.
‘Fish of the day,’ they both suddenly said simultaneously.
‘Two fish,’ the waitress said. ‘And to drink?’
‘I have to drive, so water for me,’ Gunna said, looking at Steini.
‘Same here,’ he added, handing back the menus. Gunna sat back and stretched her legs out beneath the table, basking in the warmth of the afternoon sunshine on her face. Steini let a smile run around his face while his fingers tugged at the end of his moustache.
‘How goes it? Work and everything?’
‘Ah, really busy right now. I shouldn’t be here at all.’
‘Well, there’s no point overdoing it. You don’t get paid any more for it and I don’t suppose you’ll get thanked either.’
‘Y’know, you’re probably right,’ Gunna agreed, trying to imagine Vilhjalmur Traustason with anything other than the usual disapproving look on his long face. ‘It’ll blow over soon, I hope.’
‘Is that all the work around that aluminium smelter they’re building?’
Gunna sighed. She had hoped to get away from work for an hour or two. ‘Partly. We have an unusual murder investigation in progress that’s taking all my time right now.’
‘Murder? In Iceland?’ Steini’s eyebrows lifted in surprise.
‘Yup. It’s a serious one and I’m afraid that’s about all I’m able to say. Case in progress and all that, has to be kept confidential.’
‘Understood. Ah, food,’ Steini said with his interest on the waitress, striding towards them with a plate in each hand.
Gunna hadn’t realized quite how hungry she was until the aroma of the generous portion hit her senses.
‘
They ate in silence. Gunna felt that Steini was not completely at ease and wondered why, while she found herself to be more relaxed than she had expected. Steini seemed to be the kind of person it was easy to spend time with, without a need for chatter. The case was still preying on her mind and it irritated her that she could not clear thoughts of work even for a few short hours.
‘Good fish,’ she said finally when her plate was almost clear.
‘Can’t beat it,’ Steini agreed, his plate already shining. ‘Coffee?’
‘Let me finish, at least.’
‘Sorry. It’s force of habit, not being able to eat slowly. It’s all those years of having half an hour to wake up, eat your dinner, drink a cup of coffee and be out on deck on time.’
Gunna smiled wryly. ‘Don’t think I don’t know. My dad and my brothers are just the same and Raggi always finished before me as well.’
Steini nodded. ‘How are your kids? Your lad’s at sea, isn’t he?’
‘Yup. Deckhand on
‘Not a bad berth. Has he been there long?’
‘Since January. He tried college but couldn’t get on with it. Then one of his uncles, you must know him, Stefan Jonsson, had a word and got him a berth to see how he’d like it. Gisli took to it straight away. I wouldn’t be surprised if he applies for navigation college in a year or two.’
‘Send him to me if he needs any coaching,’ Steini smiled.
‘I might do just that. But we’ll see,’ Gunna replied absently. She shook herself quickly, realizing that her thoughts were drifting unconsciously back to Matti and whether or not to try and hunt him down in the morning.
She looked up to see Steini gazing quizzically at her.
‘Sorry. Miles away,’ she said, irritated with herself.
‘Work on your mind?’ Steini asked gently.
‘Unfortunately,’ she admitted, wondering at the same time if she should mention the offered promotion that would also entail moving to the other side of the country. ‘Until this is sorted out, I’m afraid it’s going to be on my mind. But I ought to be on my way home soon. Laufey’s gone riding and I’d better cook a meal for us this evening for once.’
Steini waved for the bill until the waitress placed it in front of him and sauntered away.
Gunna reached for it. ‘My turn.’
‘No, come on. I invited you.’
‘I know, but you paid last time,’ Gunna said firmly and Steini shrugged. Gunna stood up to walk over to the bar. She rested her elbows on the counter and dug through her purse, lifting one foot to place it on the brass rail that ran along the foot of the bar. Steini smiled quietly to himself as he admired Gunna’s figure in the loose cheesecloth trousers that he felt did her so many more favours than uniform.
