Part 32 (2/2)

'Thanks, control. We'll keep you informed,' Helgi said, pretending not to be scared as Gunna slowed hard for the turnoff to Kjalarnes, the car's brakes complaining and its rear wheels struggling to grip the icy road.

They b.u.mped down the road to the solitary house, where they found a diminutive blonde woman speaking to an animated figure next to a blue Land Rover. Gunna walked smartly across just as the wail of sirens on the main road was heard in the distance. A heavy 4 4 was already parked by the door.

'Afternoon, Petur,' Gunna said smartly. 'Looks like the rescue squad's here. Helgi, check inside, would you? Bara, good to see you. You can tell me later just why you're here. What's happened?'

'One man in the workshop with a stab wound to the left side of the head; two women in shock. They're both in the main bedroom. Looks like one of them grabbed a file and lashed out with it.'

'A file?'

'You know. A metalwork file.'

'And n.o.body else has been in or out?'

'No, chief,' Bara said, instinctively falling back on habit.

'Will somebody tell me what the h.e.l.l's been happening?' Petur said, his frustration boiling over. 'I've just come home and been told by this person that I can't go into my own house.'

'Well, you heard what the lady said, didn't you?'

Petur leaned on his crutch and limped towards the door. 'I won't be kept out of my own home, d.a.m.n it,' he roared.

'Gunna, the action's at the back of the place. Just get him to go in through the front door and he'll be clear of the crime scene,' Bara said quickly as Gunna trotted to catch up with Petur, taking his arm to steer him towards the front door.

'We'll go in this way, if you don't mind,' she said.

Petur grunted an answer that was neither one thing nor another and pushed his way through the front door, his crutch clattering to the floor.

'Sif! Hekla! Where are you?' he yelled and there was a call in reply from the bedroom. Gunna followed him and watched as he enveloped the girl in his arms, while the woman who was with her clung to him. The puffy, tear-streaked face was unmistakably that of the woman on the Gullfoss Hotel's CCTV, and Gunna felt a surge of relief at having finally found her.

A patrol car b.u.mped down the road and two officers stepped out. Behind them the blue lights of an ambulance flashed and were reflected from the windows of houses further up as doors began to open and people stared at the sudden flurry of activity in the normally quiet village.

'Chopper job, this is,' the paramedic said, shaking his head as his colleague monitored Baddo's pulse and breathing. 'We need a doctor here before we even try to move this character. What the h.e.l.l happened, anyway? I've never seen an injury like this,' he muttered to Gunna out of the casualty's earshot. 'I'm amazed the b.a.s.t.a.r.d's even alive.'

'That's what I'm hoping to find out,' Gunna told him. 'It's a first for me as well.'

The paramedic muttered into his communicator, looking anxiously at Baddo, whose expression had remained unchanged, his unfocused eyes staring into the distance. Gunna took in the livid cut down his cheek, some of the sutures having come adrift, leaving bloodless gaps in the line of ragged skin.

Gunna cornered Bara outside. 'I'm not saying it isn't good to see you, but what the h.e.l.l's happened? You've got quite a bit of explaining to do. Start by telling me how come you're here, will you?'

'I've been working as an investigator since I left the force. Not long before Christmas I had a request to shadow someone and report back. That person had a meeting last night with the man who's in there with a lump of metal in his head. I'm not sure how it works, or who was blackmailing who, but one thing led to another and, as far as I can make out, I turned up here just as this had happened.'

'All right, so who's this mysterious person you've been tailing?'

'I'm not sure I can tell you.'

'Come on. You were in the force for long enough to know that doesn't wash.'

Bara frowned. 'A guy called Joel Ingi Bragason.'

'Who skipped the country last night.'

'That's right. I saw him go through departures at Keflavik last night.'

'Did you? So who are you working for?'

'That's what I don't think I should tell you.'

'Really?'

'Actually I'm not sure who the client is,' Bara said. 'You may not believe it, but we've only spoken on the phone a couple of times. To start with I thought Joel Ingi's wife was behind it and that this was a straightforward divorce thing. The client wanted to know where he went and who he met, times and places. Everything was done by email and text, with a report every few days. It was only this last week that I had a couple of calls from the client and found out it was a man; he wanted a closer tail and reports by text four or five times a day.'

Gunna nodded slowly. 'And where's this famous laptop?'

'Laptop?'

'That's your car there, is it?' Gunna asked, jerking her head towards the Renault. 'You want me to look in the boot?'

'You can't do that.'

'I can, and we'd better be quick about it,' Gunna said, shading her eyes as a black 4 4 with tinted windows sped down the street towards them, sliding to a halt in the snow next to the Land Rover. Two figures in suits tumbled out of it and hurried in through the front door.

Bara clicked the fob of her car key and the lights flashed for a moment. 'Go on, then.'

Gunna had the case tucked under her arm when the two suits reappeared, chased away from the house and the crime scene by a furious Petur shaking his fist. They were ushered discreetly past a line of fluttering tape by one of two uniformed officers, who pointed them towards Gunna and Bara.

'Officer, will you hand over that laptop?' AEgir Larusson demanded, puffing with effort and excitement. 'It's government property,' he added for good measure, and Bara blanched at the expression on Gunna's face.

'I don't think that's going to be possible, AEgir,' she said, keeping her voice calm.

'That laptop is government property,' AEgir repeated, this time spluttering with fury.

'As far as I'm aware, this laptop is the personal property of Joel Ingi Bragason, and right now it's also evidence, so the answer's no. I'm not prepared to hand it over. If you feel it's your department's affair, then you'd best go through the proper channels.'

AEgir's fury boiled over. 'Hand that f.u.c.king thing over, you stupid woman.'

That was rich coming from a man half a head shorter than her, Gunna thought, looking down on AEgir Larusson and wondering if his wife cut his hair especially to emphasize the s.h.i.+ning bald spot on top of his head.

Approaching from behind, Mar Einarsson whispered in AEgir's ear.

'That woman there,' he pointed at Bara. 'That woman has been working on the ministry's behalf to recover that laptop, after you and your people couldn't do it.'

'Interesting you should say that, as I was about to formally arrest this person for being in possession of stolen goods, plus a few other things for good measure, and I'll be expecting her to explain all the circ.u.mstances surrounding this case in quite some detail,' Gunna said, pleased to see that Bara looked suitably crestfallen.

AEgir Larusson's face went even redder and Mar muttered in his ear a second time.

'Gentlemen, this is a crime scene,' she reminded them. 'I have a serious a.s.sault to deal with here and every second counts. If you have a problem, I'd appreciate it if you take it up with ivar Laxdal. All right?' she said, taking Bara by the arm. 'And you're coming with me. Behave yourself or you'll be in handcuffs.'

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