eye stared out into the room while the other was
fixed on Harry. Independently. Like a two-headed
troll with an eye in each head, Harry thought. He
walked over to the window facing east and
watched the children cycling along Irisveien,
drawn by the rumours of police cars which always
spread with inexplicable speed in areas like this.
Harry closed his eyes and reflected. The first
impression is important. The first thought that
came into your mind at the scene is often the
most accurate. Ellen had taught him that. His own
trainee had taught him to concentrate on the first
thing he felt when he came to the scene of the
crime. That was why Harry didn’t need to turn to
know that the key was on the floor behind him. He
knew they wouldn’t find any fingerprints in the
room and that no one had broken into the house.
Quite simply because both the murderer and the
victim were hanging from the ceiling. The two-
headed troll had split.
‘Call Weber,’ Harry said to Halvorsen, who had
joined them and was standing in the doorway,
staring at the hanging body.
‘He may have planned a different start to
tomorrow’s festivities, but console him with the
fact that this one is cut and dried. Even Juul
discovered the murderer and had to pay for it with
his life.’
‘And who is it?’ Waaler asked.
‘Was. He’s dead too. He called himself Daniel
Gudeson and lived in Juul’s head.’
On the way out, Harry told Halvorsen Weber
should call him if he found the Märklin.
Harry stood on the doorstep outside and surveyed
the area. It was striking how many neighbours
suddenly had jobs to do in their gardens and were
standing on the tips of their toes to see over the
hedges. Waaler came out too and stood beside
Harry.
‘I didn’t quite understand what you said in there,’
Waaler said. ‘Do you mean the guy committed
suicide out of guilt?’
Harry shook his head.
‘No, I meant what I said. They killed each other.
Even killed Daniel to stop him. And Daniel killed
Even so that he wouldn’t be unmasked. For once
their interests coincided.’
Waaler nodded, but didn’t seem to be any the
wiser.
‘There’s something familiar about the old guy,’ he
said. ‘The living one, I mean.’
‘Right. It’s Rakel Fauke’s father, if you —’
‘Of course, the totty up at POT. That’s the one.’
‘Have you got a smoke?’ Harry asked.
‘No can do,’ Waaler said. ‘The rest of what
happens here is your responsibility, Hole. I’m
thinking of leaving, so if you need any help, tell me
now.’
Harry shook his head, and Waaler walked
towards the gate.
‘Oh, by the way,’ Harry said. ‘If you’re not doing
anything special tomorrow, I need an experienced
officer to take my shift.’
Waaler laughed and kept walking.
‘You just have to organise surveillance during the
service at the mosque in Grønland,’ Harry shouted.
‘I can see you’re pretty good at that sort of thing.
We just have to make sure the skinheads don’t beat
up the Muslims for celebrating Eid.’
Waaler had reached the gate and suddenly
stopped.
‘And you’re in charge of that?’ he asked over his
shoulder.
‘It’s no big deal,’ Harry said. ‘Two cars, four
men.’
‘How long?’
‘Eight till three.’
Waaler turned round with a broad smile.
‘Do you know what?’ he said. ‘Now that I think
about it, I owe you a favour. That’s great. I’ll do
your shift.’
Waaler saluted, got into the car, started it up and
was off.
Owes me a favour for what? Harry mused, and
listened to the lazy thwacks of the ball coming
from the tennis court. But the next moment he had
forgotten because his mobile rang again, and this
time the number on the display was Rakel’s.
92
Holmenkollveien. 16 May 2000.
‘ARE THOSE FOR ME?’
Rakel clapped her hands and took the bunch of
daisies.
‘I couldn’t get to the florist, so these are from
your own garden,’ Harry said, stepping inside the
door. ‘Mm, that smells of coconut milk. Thai?’
‘Yes, and congratulations on the new suit.’
‘That obvious, is it?’
Rakel laughed and stroked the lapels.
‘Good quality wool.’
‘Super 110.’
Harry had no idea what Super 110 meant. In a
moment of exuberance he had marched into one of
the trendy shops in Hedgehaugsveien as they were
closing and had managed to get the sales staff to
find him the only suit into which they could fit his