by Jo Nesbo
‘Did he say anything?’
Harry raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you thinking about Waaler?’
‘Yes. Did he say anything before he died? Anything about who his partners were? Who else was involved?’
Harry decided to save the last cigarette. ‘No, he didn’t say anything. Not a thing.’
‘Shame.’ The head of Kripos observed him with a blank expression. ‘What about these film recordings that were done? Do they reveal anything of that kind?’
Harry met the head of Kripos’s blue eyes. As far as Harry knew, the head of Kripos had been in the police force all his working life. His nose was as sharp as an axe blade, his mouth a straight line and surly, and his hands large and coarse. He was part of the bedrock of the Force: solid but secure granite.
‘Who knows?’ Harry answered. ‘There’s not much to worry about anyway. Since in this case it will be a version that leaves no room for . . .’ Harry finally poked the dry crust of varnish free. ‘. . . misinterpretation.’
As if on cue, the lights in the bar began to flicker.
Harry stood up.
They looked at each other.
‘Do you need a lift?’ the head of Kripos asked.
Harry shook his head.
‘I’ll go for a stroll.’
The head of Kripos shook Harry’s hand firmly and at length. Harry was going towards the door when he stopped and turned round.
‘By the way, Waaler did say one thing.’
The head of Kripos’s white eyebrows fell.
‘Oh?’ he said cautiously.
‘Yes. He asked for mercy.’
Harry took the shortcut through Our Saviour’s Cemetery. The rain was dripping from the trees. The drops hit the leaves beneath with small sighs before they fell to the ground and the thirsty earth absorbed them. He walked on the path between the graves and heard the dead talking in mumbles. He stopped and listened. Gamle Aker church hall stood ahead of him, dark and dormant. There was the whispering sound of wet tongues and cheeks. He took the left fork and went out through the gate towards Telthus hill.
When Harry arrived in his flat he tore off his clothes, went into the shower and turned on the hot water. The steam ran down the walls and he stood there until his skin was red and sore. He went into the bedroom. The water evaporated and he lay on the bed without drying himself. He closed his eyes and waited. For sleep to come. Or images. Whichever came first.
Instead the mumbling came.
He listened.
What were they whispering about?
What plans were they making?
They were talking in codes.
He sat up. Rested his head against the wall and felt the carving of the devil’s star against the back of his head.
He looked at his watch. It would soon be light outside.
He got up and went into the hall. He searched the pockets of his jacket and found his last cigarette. He ripped off the tip and lit it. He sat in the wing chair in the living room and waited for morning to come.
The light from the moon shone into the room.
He thought about Tom Waaler staring into eternity. And about the man he had talked to in Oslo Old Town after the conversation with Waaler outside the canteen on the roof terrace at Police HQ. It had been easy to find him, because he had kept his nickname and still worked in the family kiosk.
‘Tom Brun?’ the man behind the tiled counter had answered and had run a hand through his greasy hair. ‘Yes, indeed I do remember him. Poor lad. Was beaten by his dad at home. His father was an unemployed brickie. Drank. Friend? No, I wasn’t any pal of Tom Brun’s. Yes, it was me who was called Solo. Inter-rail?’
The man had laughed.
‘Furthest I’ve ever been by train is just down the coast, south of Oslo. Don’t think Tom Brun had that many pals in fact. I remember him as a nice lad, the kind of boy who would help old ladies cross the road, a bit like a Boy Scout. Strange guy though. There was something dodgy about his father’s death. Very weird accident, that.’
Harry ran his ring finger over the smooth surface of the table. He felt small particles stick to his skin and knew it was the yellow dust from the chisel. The red light on his answerphone flashed. Journalists, presumably. It would start this morning. Harry put the tip of his finger on his tongue. It tasted bitter. Mortar. He remembered that it came from the wall over the door to room 406 where Wilhelm Barli had carved the devil’s star. Harry made a smacking noise with his tongue. It must have been a strange mix the bricklayer had used because there was another taste in there somewhere. Sweet. No, metallic. It tasted of egg.
Table of Contents
Cover
Table of Contents
Copyright
About the Author
Also by Jo Nesbø
OSLO City Centre
The Devil’s Star
Part One
1. Friday. Egg.
2. Friday. Staff Leave.
3. Friday. The Awakening.
4. Friday. Statistics
5. Friday. Underwater.
6. Friday. Water.
7. Tuesday. Dismissal
Part Two
8. Tuesday and Wednesday. Chow Chow.
9. Wednesday. Missing Person.
10. Thursday and Friday. Nightmares.
11. Sunday. Departure.
12. Sunday. Bethlehem.
Part Three
13. Monday. Touch.
14. Monday. Barbara.
15. Monday. Vena Amoris.
16. Monday. Dialogue.
17. Tuesday. Profiles.
18. Tuesday. The Pentagram.
19. Wednesday. Under Water.
20. Wednesday. Cathedral Builders.
21. Thursday. Pygmalion
22. Thursday and Friday. The Revelation.
23. Friday. A Human Number
24. Friday. Otto Tangen.
25. Friday. Speaking In Tongues.
Part Four
26. Saturday. The Soul. The Day.
27. Saturday. Into Action.
28. Saturday. The Dildo.
29. Saturday. Drowning.
30. Saturday. The Arrest
31. Saturday. ‘Isn’t it wonderful to have someone to hate?’
Part Five
32. Sunday. The Swallows.
33. Sunday Night. Joseph’s Blessing.
34. Sunday Night. The Ultimatum.
35. Sunday Night. Fascinating Nonsense.
36. Monday. The Photograph.
37. Monday. Confession.
38. Monday. The Cloud.
39. Monday. Meetings.
40. Monday. Rain.
41. Monday. Happy Ending.
42. Monday. The Devil’s Star.
43. Monday Night. Rolex.
44. Monday Night. The Mumbling.
