‘Gunni has admitted it. And Helga confided in someone.’
‘Who?’
‘I can’t say.’
This was clearly new information to Ómar. ‘Are you talking before 2008?’
‘Yes.’
Ómar winced. Shook his head. ‘Oh, Helga.’
Magnus waited.
‘Actually, although it makes me angry, I’m also glad to hear that,’ said Ómar.
‘Why?’
‘Because she cheated before I did. I had an affair with a woman from work, starting in 2008. It was stupid. It was one of the reasons Helga left me and went back to Dalvík. That and the fact I was in jail and not earning a salary any more. But if she was cheating on me, well...’
‘You feel better?’
Ómar’s shoulders slumped. ‘There’s nothing about any of this that makes me feel good.’
‘Why are you protecting Sharp?’ Magnus asked.
‘He’s a mate.’
‘But your daughter thinks that Thomocoin is behind Helga’s death. And Sharp is behind Thomocoin.’
‘My daughter is wrong. And I’ve told you I’m not going to talk about Thomocoin.’
‘I’ve read your record. You and four others went to jail, but none of you testified against Sharp. Why not?’
‘Because he hadn’t done anything wrong.’
‘How did you feel when he was running around free in London and you were locked up? And now, when he has a nice flat in London and you live in this dump?’
‘I’m happy for him. He’s a mate.’
‘A mate who gave you some bitcoin a few years ago? Who cut you in on Thomocoin?’
‘I had a few thousand bucks of Thomocoin, that’s all,’ said Ómar. ‘I introduced Dísa to it three years ago, but I specifically told her not to tell her mother about it.’
‘Why did you do that?’
Ómar took a deep breath. ‘Helga liked money, but she never understood it. She was always greedy. Whereas Dísa gets it.’ He grinned. ‘I don’t know if she told you, but she did a phenomenal job turning a few thousand dollars’ worth of bitcoin into hundreds of thousands.’
‘She is a clever girl,’ said Magnus. ‘And her mother has been murdered. Your ex-wife. Which is why I want to help her find out what happened.’
Ómar shrugged.
‘Was there anyone else from Dalvík who was worried about Thomocoin that you know about?’ Magnus asked. ‘Her father, perhaps?’
‘Hafsteinn was always a true believer,’ said Ómar. ‘But I think her brother had doubts. Eggert. He gave me a hard time at the funeral.’
‘Tell me about Eggert.’
‘He was lined up to take over the farm, but he refused, which really pissed off his parents. He’s an engineer. A smart guy. He got involved with some dot-com stuff many years ago, a website for individuals to offset their carbon emissions. It wasn’t a bad idea. We talked about it, back when I was a banker; Sharp tried to put him in touch with venture capitalists in London, but it never got off the ground.’
‘What went wrong?’
‘Back then carbon offset was something corporations were more interested in than individuals. Something might have come out of it, but then the crash happened, and he retreated to Akureyri.’
‘How did he and Helga get on?’ Magnus asked.
‘Pretty well. They’re very different. I get the impression he was happy to leave the farm and the parents for her to deal with.’
‘Did he understand Thomocoin?’
‘I’d say yes. And, actually, his questions about the exchange were good ones. He’d obviously read up a lot on crypto. Helga said he had made an investment in a bitcoin miner. Do you know what those are?’
Magnus remembered the shed near the airport with the open window and the ladder against the wall. ‘Indeed I do. That’s not very environmentally friendly for someone who set up a carbon-offset website is it? Those things use a load of electricity.’
Ómar shrugged.
‘Do you believe Thomocoin is going to work, Ómar?’ Magnus asked.
Ómar sat back in his armchair and didn’t answer.
‘Who’s Krakatoa?’ Magnus asked.
‘It’s a volcano in Indonesia,’ said Ómar.
‘It’s also the name of the guy who runs Thomocoin.’
‘I didn’t know that.’
‘Is he an Icelander? Is he Sharp?’
‘I have no idea. And that really is all I’m going to tell you about Thomocoin.’
Thirty-One
LAWRENCE: It was a cop.
KRAKATOA: Did he ask you about Thomocoin?
LAWRENCE: Yes. He said he was investigating Helga’s murder, but his questions were all about Thomocoin.
KRAKATOA: Did you tell him anything?
LAWRENCE: Of course not. I’ve been through this before. I told him nothing.
KRAKATOA: Did he mention the FBI?
LAWRENCE: Why would he mention the FBI?
KRAKATOA: Did he mention the FBI?
LAWRENCE: No.
KRAKATOA: You know how to operate the kill switch on your laptop?
LAWRENCE: Yes. You showed me.
KRAKATOA: Right. Next time the police show up, hit the kill switch before you answer the door. Otherwise they might seize the machine.
LAWRENCE: OK. I’ll do that.
KRAKATOA: And then go dark.
LAWRENCE: What do you mean go dark?
KRAKATOA: Don’t contact me. Or anyone else. Got that?
LAWRENCE: Got it. Do you think the FBI are on to Thomocoin?
KRAKATOA: Maybe. Bye.
Krakatoa sat back from his computer and exhaled.
It was happening.
There was no ‘maybe’ about it. The FBI were on to them. Goodmanhunting had just sent him a message that a red notice had been issued by Interpol and arrests would be made tomorrow. Probably at dawn.
Krakatoa had prepared for this. Although there had been the hope that Thomocoin might succeed on its own terms, Krakatoa knew it was always likely that he might have to bail. Hence the kill switch installed on everyone’s computers, including his. It was activated by the simultaneous hitting of three keys, which would cause their computers to lock out all access to their hard drives forever.
Or actually until the year 2100. In a fit of whimsy, Krakatoa had decided to leave something for his grandchildren.
What about the twenty million? What about the twenty million fucking dollars Dísa had stolen from him?
That would have to wait. Not long, but it would have to wait.
Goodmanhunting’s message had taken the decision for him. Time to pull the plug.
KRAKATOA: Scramble.
LINDENBROOK: Are you sure?
KRAKATOA: Certain. Arrest warrants issued today. Arrests likely tomorrow morning.
LINDENBROOK: OK. I’ll contact you from Panama.
KRAKATOA: Good luck.
KRAKATOA: Scramble.
DUBBELOSIX: Shit. OK. Can I get a flight tomorrow afternoon?
KRAKATOA: No. You’ve got to be out of France this evening. Leave right now if you can.
DUBBELOSIX: But it’s my wife’s birthday tomorrow!
KRAKATOA: And do you want to be arrested on her birthday? Arrests likely tomorrow at dawn. You need to get out before the borders are informed. Are you going via Madrid?
DUBBELOSIX: Yes.
KRAKATOA: Then kiss your wife goodbye and go!
DUBBELOSIX: When will I see her again? The kids?
KRAKATOA: It may be a while. I’m sorry. But it was always a possibility.
DUBBELOSIX: I didn’t think it would really happen.
KRAKATOA: Well, it’s really happening. And unless you leave now you will spend the rest of the decade in jail. Comprends?
DUBBELOSIX: Je comprends. OK. I’ll scramble.