Nemesis(59)

'In a nutshell, the message is this, Harry. Drop everything else you're doing and tell me if you need more people. Ivarsson will continue with his team, but we're relying on you. And one more thing…' Mřller had stepped closer to Harry. 'You have a free rein. We're willing to accept that rules can be bent. In return, this must stay within the force, of course.'





'Mm. I think I understand. And if it doesn't?'





'We'll back you up as far as we're able, but there's a limit. That goes without saying.'





Elmer turned when the bells above the door rang and nodded towards the little portable radio he was standing in front of: 'And there was me thinking Kandahar was a skiing club. Twenty Camel?'





Harry assented. Elmer turned down the volume of the radio and the news commentator's voice joined the buzz of sounds outside–cars, the wind catching the awning, the leaves being swept along the tarmac.





'Anything for your colleague?' Elmer motioned towards the door where Mřller was standing.





'He'd like a kamikaze pilot,' Harry said, opening the packet.





'Really?'





'But he's forgotten to ask the price,' Harry said and could sense Mřller's sweetly sardonic smile without needing to turn.





'And what is the going rate for kamikaze pilots nowadays?' the kiosk owner asked, handing over Harry's change.





'If he survives, he's allowed to take on the jobs he wants afterwards,' Harry said. 'That's the only condition he makes. And the only one he insists on.'





'Sounds reasonable,' Elmer says. 'Have a good day, gentlemen.'





On the way back Mřller said he would talk to the Chief Superintendent about the possibility of Harry working on the Ellen Gjelten case for three months. Provided the Expeditor was caught, that was. Harry agreed. Mřller hesitated in front of the DON'T WALK ON THE GRASS sign.





'It's the shortest route, boss.'





'Yes,' Mřller said. 'But my shoes will get dirty.'





'As you wish,' Harry said, walking up the track. 'Mine are filthy already.'





* * *





The traffic eased after the turn-off to Ulvřya. It had stopped raining and the Ljan road was already dry. Soon it widened into four carriageways and it was like a starting grid for cars to accelerate and race off. Harry looked over at Halvorsen and wondered when he, too, would hear the heart-stopping screams. But Halvorsen didn't hear anything as he had taken Travis's exhortation–they were on the radio–literally:





'Sing, sing, siiing!'





'Halvorsen…'





'For the love you bring…'





Harry turned down the radio and Halvorsen gave him an uncomprehending look.





'Windscreen wipers,' Harry said. 'You can switch them off now.'





'Oh, yes, sorry.'





They drove on in silence. Passed the exit for Drřbak.





'What did you say to the grocer guy?' Harry asked.





'You won't want to know.'





'But he had delivered food to Albu's chalet one Thursday five weeks ago?'





'That was what he said, yes.'





'Before Albu arrived?'





'He only said he used to let himself in.'





'So he has a key?'





'Harry, there were limits to what I could ask for with my paper-thin pretext.'





'What pretext did you give?'





Halvorsen sighed. 'County council surveyor.'





'County council sur—?'





'—veyor.'





'What's that?'





'Don't know.'





Larkollen was just off the motorway, thirteen slow kilometres and fourteen tight bends away.





'To the right by the red house after the petrol station,' Halvorsen recited from memory and turned up into a gravel driveway.





'A lot of shower mats,' Harry mumbled five minutes later when Halvorsen had pulled up and pointed to the enormous log construction between the trees. It looked like an overgrown mountain chalet which following a minor misunderstanding had ended up by the sea.





'Bit deserted here, isn't it,' Halvorsen said, looking at the neighbouring chalets. 'Just seagulls. Loads of seagulls. Perhaps there's a rubbish dump nearby.'





'Mm.' Harry checked his watch. 'Let's just park a little further up the road anyway.'





The road ended in a turning area. Halvorsen switched off the ignition and Harry opened the car door and got out. Stretched his back and listened to the screams of the gulls and the distant roar of waves beating against the rocks by the beach.





'Ah,' Halvorsen said, filling his lungs. 'This is a bit different from Oslo air, eh?'





'No doubt about that,' Harry said, searching for his packet of cigarettes. 'Will you take the metal case?'





On the path up to the chalet Harry noticed a large yellow-and-white gull on a fencepost. The head turned slowly round on its body as they passed. Harry felt he could sense the shiny bird's eyes on his back the whole way up.