House of Evidence(64)
July 8, 1921. We inspected the geothermal area. It has about 20 mud pots with boiling blue-green mud, giving off thudding and rasping noises. We have opted for the route to the west of Kjalhraun lava field, making for Hrútfell. Langjökull Glacier is to the west of us, and to the east stand the Kerlingafjöll Mountains, silhouetted against the sky. Kristján says that from there you enjoy the most panoramic and majestic views in Iceland. Glacier tongues stretch into Lake Hvítárvatn and icebergs float on the lake. We are making for the ferry where the Hvítá River flows from the lake…
July 10, 1921. Our journey is nearly over. Elizabeth is weary but does not complain. I am relieved that our loads are getting lighter as we use up our food. Kristján is indefatigable, and yet he has the most to carry…We wade across Grjótá and Sandá Rivers and reach the Gullfoss waterfall around the middle of the day. We are staying at Brautarholt tonight, and will be viewing Geysir tomorrow…
When Halldór returned from the bank at eleven o’clock, the investigative team convened—apart from Egill, who had showed up earlier at the office that morning and then disappeared again.
Halldór, Jóhann, Hrefna, and Marteinn took turns describing what they had found out. Halldór began by explaining the ins and outs of Jacob Junior’s embezzlement scheme. The import of this revelation was immediately clear to the team: Jacob had no doubt used the money to finance the running of the house for some time, and then to pay the deposit when contracts for its sale were exchanged, hence the so-called loans that he had recorded in his books. Initially, he had probably intended this to be a one-off loan, but, as so often happens with people who misappropriate funds they are entrusted with, things got out of hand. Remarkably, unlike most crooks in this sort of situation, Jacob had kept detailed accounts of his financial misdealings.
The victim’s obsession with preserving his home was becoming more and more clear to Hrefna as well; it must have governed all his actions, and was probably either the consequence of some kind of mental derangement or what caused it. It did not, however, explain why he was murdered. They still had no motive; they needed to identify not only motive, but intention and opportunity, none of which had come to light yet.
Jóhann then presented a timeline he had prepared, showing all they knew of Jacob Junior’s movements on Wednesday, January 17:
08:56 Clocks in for work at the bank. A few fellow employees remember seeing him at his desk that morning.
12:05 Clocks out for lunch.
12:15 Arrived at Birkihlíd, according to Sveinborg. Ate the rest of the previous day’s meatballs and a prune compote. Took a ten-minute nap and went back to the bank at 12:50.
12:59 Clocks in for work after lunch. As far as is known, spends the rest of the day at his desk. Had afternoon coffee in the bank canteen at 15:30. Sat at the same table as one of the bank’s cashiers, as was his habit. They discussed the fishing limits dispute. Jacob was reportedly somewhat distressed by this conflict, being English on his mother’s side.
18:03 Clocks out from the bank.
18:10 to 18:20 Arrives at Birkihlíd, according to Sveinborg. She is not completely certain of the time.
19:00 Has supper, poached haddock fillet. Sveinborg recalls that the radio news program started just as they sat down at the supper table.
After 21:00 Sveinborg leaves Birkihlíd, at which time Jacob is in his home office. What he was doing is not known. After that there is no information about what happened in the house.
In Egill’s absence, it fell to Marteinn to describe their fruitless search all over town the previous day for Sigurdur the guitarist. And finally, the meeting was adjourned after Halldór delegated the tasks for the rest of the day.
Diary VII
May 13, 1922. It seems that driving conditions are now safe for cars going east across Hellisheidi. The snowdrift in Smidjulautin was cleared yesterday. Now I can start to prepare for the survey…
June 26, 1922. Had a meeting with the supporters of the railroad in the Ölfus district. Many people spoke, and I answered questions. A farmer from the region performed a long poem about the undertaking. I only remember this bit:
…swift runs the train over southerly lands, eager its song is, and clear. In the first carriage he eminent stands, Jacob the engineer…
As I listened I jotted these lines on a piece of paper:
Here my heart is warmed by you, my hopes, dear friends, you nurture. Tracks I lay this terrain through, and trains will be the future.
I got up and recited this at the end of the meeting and was well received. Perhaps they were being polite…