Ashes to Dust

by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

  She walked across her office and shook her hands to get the blood flowing better. She didn’t know if this actually did anything, but she hoped so. In any case she was tired of this work, and bored. She took her seat again and reached for a piece of paper lying on the coffee table. On it was scribbled the name and telephone number of the defence lawyer in Adolf’s rape case. The trial was imminent and Thóra had gone into the private offices of Reykjavik district Court to look up the defence counsel’s name. She had hoped it might be someone she knew, so she could ask them for help finding possible links between the rape and Alda’s murder. Even though Markus appeared no longer to be under suspicion of murdering his childhood crush, something told Thóra the cases were connected. Fortunately she recognized the name of the lawyer; they had studied together at university. Less fortunately, each time Thóra tried to call her the line was busy. She was starting to think the woman’s phone was not turned on, but decided to try one more time before it got too late.

  This time the lawyer’s husband answered, and sighed heavily before he called her name. A thud indicated that the receiver had been dropped carelessly.

  After a short pause Thóra heard the receiver being picked up again. ‘Svala speaking.’ The woman sounded out of breath.

  ‘Hi, Svala, it’s Thóra,’ she said. She added, ‘From the law department?’

  ‘Oh, hi,’ said the woman, cheerful now. ‘Great to hear from you. How long has it been?’

  ‘God,’ said Thóra, trying unsuccessfully to recall. ‘Far too long.’ They exchanged stories of what had happened in their lives, then Thóra got to the point. ‘Anyway, I have an ulterior motive,’ said Thóra. I’m sorry to be out of touch for so long then call on official business. I’m working on an unusual case, and the name of your client has come up.‘

  ‘Oh?’ said Svala. ‘Which one? I have plenty, let me tell you.’

  ‘Adolf Dadason,’ replied Thóra. ‘It’s a strange connection, like everything else in this case, and among other things it concerns a tattoo on a young woman by the name of Halldora Dogg Einarsdottir. She nearly threw a fit when I called her just a while ago, because she was convinced I was working for Adolf.’

  ‘What case is it actually that you’re working on?’ asked Svala quickly. ‘Not the one about the nurse?’

  Thóra concurred. ‘My client is sitting in custody because of her murder, along with the discovery of some bodies on the Westmann Islands. The nurse, Alda, appears to have had some interest in Adolf and this particular tattoo. That led me to this girl, Halldora Dogg. Is there any chance you could explain this to me? I’m in quite a fix with this case and I’m starting to fear it won’t be solved, which would be inconvenient for my client.’

  Svala clicked her tongue. ‘I don’t know anything about the tattoo,’ she said. ‘However, I do know a few things about this nurse and Halldora Dogg.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Halldora pressed charges against Adolf for rape. He maintains he didn’t do it, and even though I’ve met a lot of arseholes in cases like this, who always protest their innocence, I have a feeling he’s telling the truth. Don’t get me wrong, he’s no angel; far from it. He’s a nasty piece of work, in fact, but that doesn’t mean he’s broken the law. Still, everything points towards a guilty verdict, since the girl is so bloody convincing. On top of that, it seems she was drugged with contraceptive pills to prevent pregnancy, and a witness has come forward who says he bought these drugs for Adolf, and not for the first time either. It’ll be difficult to get the judge to believe the purchase was made with good intentions - the man is single.’

  ‘But how does Alda fit into this?’ asked Thóra. ‘Did she give him the drugs?’

  ‘No, no,’ said Svala. ‘She and Adolf didn’t know each other. She treated Halldora when she finally checked into the hospital. This Alda was a kind of therapist to her, providing her with trauma counselling among other things. Alda’s testimony looks very bad for Adolf. It deflates our argument that the girl’s credibility is questionable since so much time passed between the alleged rape and her reporting it. Alda actually gave the police a statement in which she emphasized how common it was for a rape victim not to come forward immediately. In other words, she wasn’t the witness I most looked forward to seeing on the stand.’

  ‘You got lucky,’ said Thóra. ‘She won’t be testifying in this case.’

  ‘No, that’s the problem. She actually changed her mind suddenly. She got in touch and asked to meet me, saying she had information that could clear Adolf of the charges.’

  ‘And what information was that?’

  ‘I’ll never know,’ said Svala sadly. ‘She died, or to be precise was murdered, before we were able to talk. She didn’t want to tell me on the phone, so we’d set up a meeting for the next day. She was being very mysterious and I didn’t get much sense out of her, I’m afraid.’

  ‘What did you ask her?’

  ‘I was so dumbstruck when she called that I actually didn’t know how to respond. At first I thought she’d lost her mind, and I wasn’t even sure if I should speak to her. Naturally, I tried to get the information out of her, and when that didn’t work I tried to find out the reason for her change of heart. It was a complete about-face, because the woman was really quite merciless about Adolf in her original police statement. Ruthless, even.’

  ‘She knew his parents,’ said Thóra. ‘Maybe she changed her opinion after she realized the rape suspect was her friends’ son. She even knew him as a child.’

  ‘If that’s the case, then the memory of Alda has completely disappeared from Adolf’s mind. He says he’s never heard of this woman, and would prefer to hear as little as possible about her.’

  ‘But he must have been disappointed that her testimony would never be heard,’ Thóra said. ‘There was a lot at stake for him.’

  ‘No,’ said Svala. ‘It’s very strange - he simply shuts down if I try to talk about Alda or her testimony. I understood from Alda that she had tried repeatedly to speak to him, but hadn’t been able to persuade him to see her. He didn’t turn up when they arranged a meeting, and that’s why she contacted me. That same evening, she was dead.’

  Thóra couldn’t work this out. ‘But you’re convinced he didn’t know her? Could it be that the reason he’s being so stubborn has something to do with an old issue between them?’

  ‘No, I’m sure,’ replied Svala. ‘Maybe his parents knew her, but he didn’t. They’re both dead, so it’s too late to ask them about it.’

  ‘Here’s another strange thing,’ said Thóra. ‘Alda had a copy of the autopsy report on Adolf’s mother. I don’t know why; I wouldn’t have thought anyone would be that interested in that kind of information about their friends or relatives. I understand the woman died because of some kind of medical malpractice.’

  ‘What?’ gasped Svala. ‘She had the autopsy report?’

  ‘Yes, in her desk at work. The doctors she worked for had no idea why. At least, she hadn’t discussed the report with them, even though they could have explained its contents to her. It’s not easy to understand at all. I had to get help figuring it out.’

  ‘You’re telling me,’ said Svala. ‘Listen: the report is actually the basis of another case that I’m working on for Adolf. He’s in litigation with the hospital where his mother died, and among other things, I’ve had to go through that same report. It was a medical error, as you said. The woman was given penicillin, but she had a severe allergy. The staff on duty didn’t realize it when she was admitted.’ Svala thought for a moment before continuing: ‘But I have to confess, I’m really confused. Why was this woman so obsessed with Adolf and his business?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ admitted Thóra. ‘But I’m starting to think it’s linked to her murder.’

  ‘Oh God, no,’ sighed Svala. ‘It’s more than enough having to get involved in two cases for this man. For God’s sake, don’t add murder.’

  Thóra smiled. ‘But what about this Halldora?’ she asked. ‘Could it be that
she knew or had ties to Alda?’

  ‘That I don’t know,’ said Svala. ‘I think she’s a little cow, actually; not all that bright, and not good-looking at all.

  So she’s got very little going for her. You know, she’s one of those girls who goes around with a bare midriff even though she’s not exactly a supermodel. She doesn’t want to talk to me at all — I’ve tried to reach her but she always hangs up.‘

  ‘She hung up on me, too,’ said Thóra. ‘When I mentioned the tattoo, she ended the conversation.’

  ‘What is it about this tattoo? There’s been nothing about a tattoo in Adolf’s case.’

  ‘Alda had a picture of it in her desk drawer, a tattoo that says Love Sex. We found the tattoo parlour where it was done, and they told me Halldora Dogg had had it drawn on her back. But that’s all I know,’ said Thóra. ‘When I asked her about it, she responded by putting the phone down.’

  ‘Do you know when it was done?’ asked Svala. ‘This hasn’t been mentioned in any of the files I’ve seen, and I think I have everything.’

  Thóra reached for the piece of paper on which she’d written the information. ‘The twenty-sixth of February, 2007,’ she read. ‘The tattoo parlour is called Mirror of the Soul, if that helps at all.’

  ‘What?’ said Svala. ‘What did you say?’

  ‘Mirror of the Soul,’ repeated Thóra, surprised at the woman’s interest in the name.

  ‘No,’ said Svala impatiently. ‘When did she get this tattoo?’ Thóra repeated the date. ‘And it says Love Sex?’ asked Svala, still sounding surprised.

  ‘Yes,’ answered Thóra. ‘Not exactly a work of art.’

  ‘Maybe not,’ said Svala, obviously pleased. ‘But very good news for Adolf.’

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Tuesday 24 July2007

  In front of Thóra sat the man from the picture in Alda’s desk, Adolf Dadason. He was older than he looked in the photo, and even better looking. There was something attractive about him, even though Thóra knew he was a waste of space. Svala hadn’t tried to make any excuses for his character; she had even offered the opinion that his behaviour was typical of the kind of man who put his own interests and desires before everything else. So his charisma didn’t come from his personality, only from his physical appearance. Adolf was the living incarnation of a one-night stand, a man who offered sex without emotion. He would no doubt have prospered in prehistoric times. Thóra could feel herself attracted to him in a way, but at the same time she pitied him for existing during the wrong time period. She hastily directed her gaze elsewhere when he suddenly looked up at her from beneath his heavy brow, as if he knew what she was thinking. Before she looked away, she saw one corner of his mouth lift in an ironic smile. She felt as if he were inviting her to go to some out of the way place and have a quickie before they went any further. Thóra was relieved when Svala broke the silence.

  ‘You realize, Adolf, that you owe a great debt to Thóra, and it’s only fair that you assist her in return. If she hadn’t contacted me, your case would be hard to win, but now it looks as though we may be able to clear your name.’ Svala hesitated a moment, but then added: ‘Almost, anyway. We don’t know how the judge will react to you having drugged the girl with emergency contraceptives.’

  Thóra watched Adolf, whose face didn’t change as his lawyer spoke. Svala had arranged this meeting at Thóra’s request, after their phone conversation the night before. She had been so happy with the information about the date of Haldóra’s tattoo that Thóra suspected she would have done even more if Thóra had asked her to. ‘You do understand how important the tattoo is?’ pressed Svala, when Adolf showed no reaction.

  He shrugged his shoulders, looking bored. ‘Yes, yes. It’s all the same to me.’

  Svala put her hands on the desk. They were sitting in her office at the legal firm where she worked. The furniture appeared to be brand new and very expensive, and even the computer on the table seemed to be from a different generation to the piece of junk Thóra used, with its clunky monitor. Freshly brewed espresso fitted perfectly with the whole image, and it didn’t hurt that it was accompanied by chocolates. Visitors to Thóra’s firm should be grateful if Bella had remembered to buy milk for their coffee, or the coffee itself, for that matter. This was one of the advantages of working for a large legal firm: decent coffee and better conditions. At the moment Thóra couldn’t see any disadvantages, although there must have been some. ‘No one goes and gets a tattoo that reads Sex, much less Love Sex, under forty-eight hours after they were raped. This strengthens your declaration that the sex with Halldora Dogg was consensual.’

  Adolf sat there silently, expressionless, so Thóra decided to join in the discussion. ‘It would help me if I could ask you something about Alda’s role in this,’ she said. ‘As Svala said before, Alda was interested in this tattoo.’

  Adolf shifted in his seat. ‘I know nothing about that woman,’ he said, and glanced out of the window, which had a wonderful view of the city. ‘She was against me at first, and then all of a sudden on my side.’

  Svala smiled warily. ‘That’s not entirely true. She told me she contacted you. You even planned to meet up.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Adolf, then added after a brief silence: ‘Alda did actually contact me. But I changed my mind about meeting her.’

  ‘Do you know why she wanted to talk to you?’ Thóra asked. ‘She could just as easily have contacted the police if she only wanted to give them information pertinent to the case.’

  ‘No, I don’t know why,’ Adolf replied, still looking out of the window.

  ‘Didn’t she mention why, when she called — or did she come to visit you?’ asked Thóra, not knowing how Alda had contacted the man. When Adolf did not reply, she added: ‘You realize that she knew your parents, don’t you?’

  Adolf shifted again in his chair without saying anything. ‘How about you answer the lady?’ said Svala testily. ‘These aren’t complicated questions.’

  ‘I’m not sure I should say anything about it,’ said Adolf calmly, now looking at his lawyer. ‘It’s not as simple as you think.’ Svala started to say something, but stopped. ‘As you know, I’m involved in more than one case right now.’

  ‘Do you mean the hospital case?’ asked Svala. ‘Are the two cases connected?’

  ‘No,’ replied Adolf dryly. ‘But I need to speak to you in private before we go any further.’

  Thóra did not object. Adolf was Svala’s client and it was right that his interests had precedence over a favour for an old university classmate. She nodded consent as Adolf and Svala left the office together, leaving her with the view. She was happy not to have had to leave the room, as it would have been awkward to wait outside while they discussed things. It also gave her space to consider what this meant, and to try to understand Alda’s connection to the death of Adolf’s mother. She wanted to ask Adolf if he had any idea why Alda had got hold of his mother’s autopsy report. Given how long his corridor conversation with Svala was taking, she was sure he knew the answer. Had Alda also discovered something that could help Adolf get financial compensation for his mother’s accidental death? Where could such information have been found? Had Alda spotted something in the autopsy report that Thóra and others had overlooked? Thóra had barely been able to get through the document, so she wouldn’t have been capable of noticing anything unusual.

  The door opened and Svala stuck her head through the gap. ‘Who is Alda’s next of kin?’ she asked.

  Thóra looked at the woman in surprise. This seemed an odd and irrelevant question from someone she had always found very straightforward, but she replied without comment that she imagined Alda’s sister or parents must be her heirs, although she hadn’t ever checked.

  ‘Precisely, so no children, in other words,’ said Svala, and closed the door again. Thóra sat and stared at it. She hadn’t had time to form an opinion on any of this when the door reopened and Svala appeared in the gap once more. ‘Do you know any
thing about her estate?’ she asked. ‘What there is to be divided?’

  Thóra raised her eyebrows. ‘Not in any detail. I know that she owned her house but it’s impossible to say how much she owed on the mortgage. It couldn’t have been very much, because she bought it long before the prices went up. I believe she’d lived there a long time.’ Thóra didn’t recall whether Alda had any other property. ‘May I ask why you’re discussing this?’

  ‘Give me two minutes,’ said Svala, and the door slammed shut again. Fifteen minutes later she and Adolf reappeared. Thóra had started to grow uncomfortable. She had a lot to do before going to the courtroom at two o’clock. Luckily she’d managed to get Svala to arrange the meeting for nine in the morning, but if it went on like this it would be almost eleven when Thóra finally made it back to her office. ‘Well,’ said Svala, taking a seat at her desk. ‘It would appear that Adolf has a little story to tell you. It might improve your client’s position, but it also might make it worse. We’ll just have to wait and see. It’s up to you; do you want to hear it, or should we let it go?’

  Thóra chose the former. As things stood, any new information could only help Markus. The limbo he was in now was unbearable for him. Even if the court didn’t rule against him, a large percentage of the Islands’ population would always be convinced of his guilt, particularly if the custody extension was granted.

  ‘Tell her what you told me, Adolf,’ said Svala. It was clear from her tone that she was not best pleased with him. ‘I stand by what I told you in the corridor. You’ll benefit more by telling your story than by keeping it to yourself.’

  Adolf did not appear convinced, but began nevertheless. ‘Alda came to see me,’ he said slowly. ‘She rang first, but then came anyway after I refused to talk to her.’