'Yes.I collect the post and that sort of thing.'
'Thatsort of thing?'
'Yes,cook and…'
'And?'
Shecame to a halt with a grin. 'Housewifely things.'
Gunnarstrandanodded in an eloquent way- 'Housewifely things,' he repeated and winked at her.
Thegirl blushed again. At that moment the policeman's mobile phone rang. He put itto his ear, listened to the message and smiled at the girl on the opposite sideof the table. 'Great,' he said: 'Go to it'.
Soonafterwards there was a ring at the door and the young woman jumped up. 'That'sRaymond,' she said, excited.
'Ofcourse,' Gunnarstranda said without moving from his chair.
Thenthere was the sound of running feet followed by a thud and someone cursing in agruff voice.
Thegirl called Linda glanced up in fear at Gunnarstranda, who staggered to hisfeet and went to the door. 'Pack your things together,' he said to the younggirl. 'I'll arrange for someone to drive you home.' He opened the door andwatched the scuffle on the floor of the staircase. A silent man was wrigglingand twisting under the weight of two uniformed policemen. The man's arms wereforced up behind his back and handcuffed together. As he swung round to seewhat was going on, his greasy hair hung like a thick curtain in front of hisface.
Gunnarstrandasmiled to the girl. 'But before going home you'll have to talk to some nicepeople about your boyfriend.'
Chapter Thirty
Frølichspotted Gunnarstranda's lean back as he rounded the corner of Prinsens gate.His boss was passing the shop Steen og Strшm. Frank walked faster.'Congratulations on finding Skau,' Frank said as he caught up with hiscolleague. Gunnarstranda gave a brief smile and both strode on without anotherword about the case.
Theycrossed Egertorget between the bookshop and the dense group of people standingaround the street musicians playing by the stairs leading down to the Metro.'Have we anything to celebrate?' Frølich asked at length. He had toshout to be heard above the pan pipes and the singing.
'No,'Gunnarstranda said, forcing a path through the crowd.
'Noteven Skau?'
Gunnarstrandashook his head. They continued down the slope on the right of Karl Johans gate.Frølich glanced over the picket fence of Dasslokket, the street cafecalled the toilet lid because it was situated above the public conveniences.Even though it was some time since it had stopped raining, the plastic chairsoutside were still wet. The tables and chairs covered by a canopy appeared tobe dry, but there wasn't a single customer under it. The open door of theserving wagon was the sole evidence that the place was not closed. A warmer daywould have been nice, he thought. With sun and designer sunglasses. 'Let's havea cup of coffee,' he said, patting his boss on the shoulder. Gunnarstrandafollowed him through the gate.
'Doyou know why we couldn't find Raymond Skau?' Gunnarstranda asked, findinghimself a relatively dry chair by the fence facing Lille Grensen street.
Frølichshook his head.
'Becausehe was in custody.'
'Saythat again,' Frølich exclaimed.
'No,'said Gunnarstranda.
Frølichcalled to the young waitress slouching towards them. 'Two coffees, please.'
Theysat looking at each other.
'Sohe was in custody,' Frølich said in a thinly disguised ironic tone.
Gunnarstrandanodded. 'Skau was arrested on the evening of 13 June. A call-out to SageneVideo, a small shop by Sagene church. A young girl on the cash desk reported arobbery – Skau was arrested behind Sagene church, in the area leading to theAkerselva the evening after Katrine was murdered. He was held under suspicionof robbing Sagene Video for a few kroner and some films in CD format.'
'DVDformat,' Frølich corrected.
'Theworst thing is that the shop's right by where I live and the man's been incustody until now,' Gunnarstranda said.
'Andthe warrant for his arrest was issued several days ago.'
Gunnarstrandascowled. 'Don't tell any journalists.'
'Buthe still could have killed Katrine on the Saturday night.'
'Possible,but it doesn't seem very likely any longer.'
'Buthe had her jewellery.' Frølich extended his arm outside the canopy.'See,' he said. 'Now it's raining again.'
Gunnarstrandaglanced up at the sky and took out a cigarette; he lit it and cupped his handto shelter it from the rain.
'WhenI went to Skau's place I was let in by a girl of fourteen. Her name's Linda Rosand she says she's Skau's girlfriend.'
'Fourteenyears old! The man's almost forty!'
Thepolice inspector had one of his famous coughing fits. While Gunnarstranda wasstruggling, the rain hammered down on the canopy making them feel as if theywere sitting in a tent.
Asthe cough subsided Frølich burst out: 'What's happened to the coffee?There are only two of us here. It can't take that bloody long to brew two cupsof coffee!'
'Yes,but the problem is this girl maintains she was the one who took the jewelleryinto the flat. Our people found Katrine's jewellery in the handbag lying on thesitting room table. The girl says it had come by post and she put the bag onthe table.'
'Post?'
'That'swhat she says. The bag came by post on Wednesday or Thursday.'
'Isshe telling the truth?' Frølich asked.
'It'svery probable. The girl's head over heels in love.'
'ButSkau can still have killed Katrine on the Saturday night.'
Gunnarstrandawrinkled his nose. 'The girl is stupid, but not stupid enough to make up thisstory. And why would Skau send Katrine's jewellery to himself?'
'Whydid Skau turn up at her work – at the travel agency?' Frølich asked in turn.
'Heclaims Katrine owed him money.'
'Howmuch?'
'Hewouldn't say. Nor would he say why she owed him money.'
Frølichnodded.
'Keepinghis mouth shut won't help him. Skau's the usual sort, an old acquaintance, asthe saying goes, and he thinks he has something to gain by withholdinginformation. Anyway, two narks, quite independently of each other, tipped offYttergjerde that Skau owes money everywhere. That explains why he was sodesperate and went for Katrine at her workplace.' Gunnarstranda paused andreflected on what he had just said.
Hetook another cigarette from his pocket and lit it from the stump of the last.
'Skauis supposed to have been doing amphetamine deals with some Vietnamese. Thatexplains why he was desperate. They're tough on debtors.'
'Well,here comes the coffee at last,' Frølich said with glee. He took the cupsand found the money to pay. 'Got a lot on today, have you?' he asked the girl,who was sullenly gazing into space. Her pout deepened after the sarcasticremark.
Chapter Thirty-One
'Irefuse to make a statement,' Raymond Skau said as he was pushed through thedoor.
'Thatis your legal right,' the detective inspector said from his chair with a yawn.He pointed a weary finger at the red plastic chair. 'Please take a seat.'
Skau,unshaven and red-eyed, dressed in a loose- fitting, grey track suit stoodlooking at the chair and repeated: 'I refuse to make a statement. Somethingwrong with your hearing?'
'Doesthat also mean you refuse to sit down?' Gunnarstranda asked drily.
Skaulooked from the policeman to the chair and back again.
'Ofcourse you may remain standing if you wish.'
'Driveme back to my cell.'
Thepoliceman checked his watch. Ten minutes past midnight. He pulled a glum faceand informed the man: 'The first transport to leave here will be at seventomorrow morning.
''Youhave no fucking right to do this.'
'Whathave we no right to do?'
'Torefuse me transport to my cell.'
'ButI'm not refusing you transport to your cell, am I?'
'Well,then you can drive me back.'
'Thereis no transport for six hours and fifty minutes. Would you like to stand forthe duration?'
'I'llreport you.'
'Bemy guest.'
'I'llreport you to the police complaints authority, SEFO. My solicitor will reportyou.'