House of Evidence(35)
The pastor stopped, and seemed to be waiting for the next question.
“What did he do apart from this?” Erlendur asked.
“He attended to his hobbies. He read history and, from time to time, wrote articles for various periodicals. He was very meticulous, and as a result probably undertook fewer things than he would otherwise have done. Always when he completed a project, he felt he could have done better.”
He took another sip of coffee before continuing. “He was also very fond of Birkihlíd and was extremely diligent in maintaining both house and garden.”
“Who were his friends?”
“He was not gregarious by nature, and after the setback at the school, he became very isolated for a while. But he always took part in the fraternity’s activities.”
“The fraternity?”
“Yes, when we were at high school, we and some other friends founded a fraternity named Gethsemane, whose objectives were Bible readings, prayers, and fellowship, besides which we went on outings together. It has, of course, always been within the framework of the established church. I have been the fraternity’s chairman for twenty years, and Jacob became treasurer seven years ago when the previous treasurer fell ill. The operations of the fraternity have always been blessed with success. One of the older brothers who passed away without offspring bequeathed his estate to the fraternity, and we have been fortunate in our investments ever since. Of course, some money is donated to charity each year, but we have amassed considerable capital, some of which we now plan to use to add an extension to our meetinghouse. The membership may remain unchanged, but it will be beneficial to have more space. We have been freeing up assets recently in order to get started.”
“Whom did Jacob Junior mainly associate with?” Erlendur asked.
“He and I always kept in good touch; we have, for instance, continued to play chess together once a week, regularly. Our companions on these chess evenings were my brother Steindór and Sveinbjörn, a primary-school teacher.”
“Did Jacob have any enemies?”
The pastor smiled faintly and shook his head.
“No, my friend Jacob had no enemies. I think that most people will at some time, intentionally or unintentionally, do something to offend others, and so generate enmity. But Jacob was someone who tried to be kind to everybody he met. He never engaged in any kind of business activities, he did not push to get promoted at the bank, and on the whole, he never competed with a soul. I even think that he was happiest when we, his chess companions, checkmated him.”
Reverend Ingimar smiled at the thought, but immediately grew solemn again.
“Were any valuables kept at Birkihlíd?”
“No, definitely not. Contrary to what many people think, Jacob and his mother were not wealthy. I understand that Jacob Senior had taken out a life insurance policy that provided a reasonable living for Mrs. Elizabeth, but they did not accumulate any wealth. There are, of course, various objects in the house that are quite valuable, but hardly enough for dishonest people to want to try to acquire them, never mind kill for them. Their value lay above all in the memories the family associated with them, and in their historical worth.”
“Did Jacob’s circumstances alter when his mother died?”
“Yes, everything to do with maintaining the home at Birkihlíd changed, of course. The estate had to be divided between the heirs, forcing them to sell the house. I do, actually, know that Jacob Junior was having talks with the municipal authorities about the city buying the house and its contents to turn it into a museum—it is, of course, a unique record of what a well-to-do family home in the early part of the century was like.”
“Do you know who will inherit Jacob’s share?” Erlendur inquired.
“I believe that his sister Kirsten is the legal heir, though I am sure he will have bequeathed a sum of money to the fraternity.”
“Were you and Jacob Junior close friends?”
“Yes, of course,” replied the pastor. “Naturally, we discussed our hopes and feelings more when we were younger, but I always had my friend’s full confidence.”
“Did you notice any changes in Jacob’s behavior in recent weeks?”
“No.”
“Did you meet frequently…that is to say since the New Year?”
“We played chess last Friday.”
“Did anything unusual happen then?”
“No.”
“Did you not meet him after that?”
“No.”
Diary III
June 7, 1915. Have now crossed the border and am sitting in the train on my way to Copenhagen. I feel as if I am back home. I would never have believed that I would be so happy to hear Danish spoken. The German border guards were very strict. They examined my books thoroughly. Fortunately they were all in German, apart of course from my diaries, which I was very relieved that they did not examine thoroughly. They were among my workbooks in my trunk…