45
Friday, January 24
He didn’t feel much. Attending the funeral was like watching a TV repeat. Same place, same priest, same urn, same shock to your eyes when you emerge in the sun afterward, and the same people standing at the top of the stairs and looking at one another in doubt. Almost the same people. Harry said hello to Roald Bork.
“You found them, yes?” was all he said. There was a gray veil over his alert eyes; he seemed changed, as though what had happened had added years to his age.
“We found them.”
“She was so young.” It sounded like a question. As though he wanted someone to explain to him how this kind of thing could happen.
“Hot,” Harry said, to change the subject.
“It’s hotter where Ove is.” He said it casually, but his voice had a hard, bitter tone. He wiped his brow with a handkerchief. “By the way, I’ve realized I need a break from this heat. I’ve booked a flight home.”
“Home?”
“Yes, to Norway. ASAP. I rang my lad and said I wanted to meet him. Quite a while passed before I clicked that it wasn’t him on the phone but his son. Heh-heh. I’m getting senile. A senile grandfather, that’ll be something.”
In the shade of the church, Sanphet and Miss Ao stood together, away from the others. Harry went over to them and reciprocated their wai.
“Could I ask you a quick question, Miss Ao?”
Her gaze flitted to Sanphet before nodding.
“You sort the post at the embassy. Can you remember if you’ve received anything from a company called Phuridell?”
She considered the question before responding with an apologetic smile. “I don’t remember. There are so many letters. I can look through the ambassador’s office tomorrow if you’d like. It might take a bit of time. He wasn’t exactly tidy.”
“It’s not the ambassador I’m thinking about.”
She gave him an uncomprehending look.
Harry sighed. “I don’t even know if this is important, but would you contact me if you find anything?” he asked.
She locked eyes with Sanphet.
“She will, Officer,” Sanphet said.
Harry was sitting in her office waiting when Liz rushed in completely out of breath. There were beads of sweat on her forehead.
“Oh my God,” she said. “You can feel the tarmac through your shoes out there.”
“How did the briefing go?”
“Fine, I guess. The bosses congratulated us on solving the case and didn’t ask any detailed questions about the report. They even bought our story about anonymous tip-offs leading us to Klipra. If the Chief thought something was fishy he decided not to kick up a fuss.”
“I didn’t think he would. After all, he has nothing to gain.”
“Is that cynicism, Mr. Hole?”
“Not at all, Miss Crumley. Just a naive, young officer beginning to understand the rules of the game.”
“Maybe. But in their heart of hearts everyone’s probably glad Klipra’s dead. There would have been some very unpleasant revelations if the case had gone to court, not just for a couple of Police Chiefs but for the authorities in our two countries as well.”
Liz kicked off her shoes and leaned back contentedly. The springs in the chair creaked while the unmistakable aroma of sweaty feet spread through the room.
“Yes, it’s conspicuously handy for a number of people, don’t you think?” Harry said.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. I think it stinks.”
Liz glanced at her toes and then looked at Harry.
“Has anyone ever told you you’re paranoid, Harry?”
“Yeah, of course. But that doesn’t mean the little green men aren’t after you, does it.”
She seemed nonplussed. “Relax, Harry.”
“I’ll try.”
“So when are you going?”
“As soon as I’ve spoken to the pathologist and Forensics.”
“Why do you need to talk to them?”
“Just to rid myself of the paranoia. You know … a few mad ideas I’ve had.”
“All right,” Liz said. “Have you eaten?”
“Yes,” Harry lied.
“Oh, I hate eating on my own. Can’t you just keep me company?”
“Another time?”
Harry got to his feet and left the office.
The young pathologist cleaned his glasses as he spoke. The pauses were sometimes so long that Harry wondered if the slow-moving flow of words had come to a complete halt. But then another word came, then another, the cork freed itself and he continued. It sounded as though he was afraid Harry would criticize his English.
“The man had been lying there for a maximum of two days,” the doctor said. “Any longer in this heat and his body …” He puffed out his cheeks and demonstrated with his arms. “… would have been like a huge gas balloon. And you would have noticed the smell. As far as the girl is concerned …” He looked at Harry and puffed out his cheeks again. “Ditto.”