The Last Fix [En liten gyllen ring no]

'Butwhy would he have killed her?'

'Goodquestion,' Gunnarstranda said. 'Until the answer to that becomes apparent, wehave to work on finding out what actually happened the night Katrine died.'

'Nothinghappened that night. Henning was at home and asleep when she was killed.'

'Washe?'

'Whatdo you mean?' The woman at the table was fidgeting with her handkerchief.

'Imean,' Gunnarstranda said, 'that Henning's statement doesn't ring true. There'ssomething that's just not right. He claimed he left a car park by Lake Gjer atthree o'clock in the morning – and arrived here at half past three at thelatest. But he didn't. A taxi driver is willing to swear in court that he sawHenning's car parked in the same place at seven in the morning – the verymorning that Katrine was killed. And he swears that Henning's car was in theexact same place that Henning claimed he had left over four hours earlier. NowI'm asking you, and I know it's difficult, but your answer will and must beused in court: When did Henning come home that night?'

'Atthe latest at half past three in the morning.'

'Somy witness is lying?'

'Ididn't say that.'

'Butyou're saying the car was here at half past three. How could it have beenparked by the lake at seven?'

Thewoman bit her lip.

'Answerme,' the policeman whispered.

'Hewent back.'

'Haveyou just made this up or is it really true?'

'It'strue. He went back.'

'Why?'

'Because…'

Gunnarstrandacouldn't stand the tension. He knocked the cigarette down from behind his ear.He lit it with his stained Zippo without giving her a glance and inhaled. Heopened the window and politely blew the smoke through the crack. 'Come on,' heprompted. 'Why did Henning go back'

'Becausehe was worried about her.'

Shestood up and fetched an ashtray from one of the kitchen cupboards. It was madeof solid glass.

'Hewas worried about her?' Gunnarstranda asked, unconvinced.

'Yes.I told him to go back.'

Gunnarstrandaflicked the ash off his cigarette.

'Haveyou one for me as well?' she asked.

Gunnarstrandapassed her the tobacco pouch. She began to roll a cigarette, but had to give upwhen the paper split. The detective put his roll-up in the ashtray, made onefor her and flicked the Zippo.

HenningKramer's mother took a deep breath. She blew a cloud of smoke towards theceiling and watched it. Then she told Gunnarstranda how she had sat up waitingfor Henning and how he had told her why he was worried about Katrine.

'Hehad gone to sleep with her in the car earlier that night. When he woke up shehad disappeared!'

'Shewasn't there?' 'No, vanished. He got out and went looking for her but she wasnowhere to be seen.' Kramer's mother put the roll-up in the ashtray and stoodup as the policeman was about to interrupt. She stopped in the doorway to theliving room and turned to him. 'He drove here and woke me up. I know it washalf past three because I couldn't understand why he was in my bedroom andwaking me up, so I glanced at the alarm clock. Henning was nervous, unsure whatto do. He said he had no idea where she could have gone and when I saw hownervous he was, I advised him to go back and search the area.'

Shewent into the hall and Gunnarstranda shouted. 'What was the time then?'

'Heleft before six,' she shouted back. And in a louder voice: 'I made him somethingto eat and we talked for quite a long time.'

Sheappeared in the doorway.

'Whendid he leave?'

'Ionly know it was before six o'clock.'

'Whendid he come back?'

'Ateight.'

'Andhe hadn't found her?'

'No.'

'Whydid your son keep this quiet?' Gunnarstranda asked.

Thewoman in the doorway just shook her head. She sat down and, with an apologeticexpression, produced a packet of Marlboro Light. 'Yours are a bit strong,' shesaid, putting one of her own in her mouth and allowing the policeman to lightit.

'Andwhy did Henning lie to us about what happened?' Gunnarstranda pocketed thelighter.

'Hewas afraid you would suspect him.'

'But,as you said yourself, why would we believe he had killed her?'

'I haveno idea, but he was all over the place. He didn't know what had happened to herand he had a bad conscience about not carrying out a more thorough search whenhe woke up to find her gone. He was convinced she had to be close by. She couldhave lost her way or someone could have prevented her from shouting for help.And he was even more convinced that was what had happened when he came back thesecond time.'

'Buthe didn't find anything?'

'I'mnot sure.'

'Whatdo you mean by that?'

'ThatI'm not sure. I asked him if he had found her. He said no and gave me a veryfunny look. I wanted to ask more questions, but he told me to be quiet, not tosay any more.'

Gunnarstrandawatched the woman take a lungful of cigarette smoke and exhale with her eyesclosed. 'I think something must have happened when he went back,' she said.

'Likewhat for example?'

'Idon't know, but I have my own ideas.'

'Whatideas?' Gunnarstranda asked.

'Hefound the corpse. Her dead body.'

Gunnarstrandacrushed his cigarette in the ashtray. 'Did he say anything else about her?'

'No.'

'Didhe talk about his police interview?'

Shenodded.

'Whatdid he say?'

'Hesaid he had lied. He hadn't told you about going back to search for her thesecond time. I said that was stupid of him. I said you would see through thelie.' She paused.

'Howdid he answer?' Gunnarstranda asked in a quiet voice.

'Hesaid: "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it,'" she replied.

'Howdo you interpret that?' the policeman asked.

'Don'tknow.'

Gunnarstrandamumbled, 'We'll cross that bridge when we come to it…'

Theyexchanged glances.

'Idon't know,' she said. 'But I do know he didn't kill her.'

Gunnarstrandawaited. In the end, she glanced up and said with a joyless smile: 'Mothers knowthat kind of thing.'

Thepoliceman nodded to himself. 'Your son's death is tragic and I appreciate youdon't like to think about the events, but what you have told me now may havehad an effect on Henning. He may have felt guilty about what happened and goneinto a depression…'

Thedetective's face was tired and lines of resignation began to appear around hismouth and eyes.

'Iknow he didn't do it,' she whispered.

'Fromwhat you've told me, I cannot exclude the possibility that he killed her.'

'ButI think he was serious about this girl.'

'Whatdo you mean by serious?'

'Thatthere was something more between her and Henning than with anyone else.'

'Youmean their relationship was special. But there is very little to suggest thatis the case, fru Kramer. Katrine Bratterud had a boyfriend.'

'Butshe still felt something special for Henning. She was also precious to him.'

'Ofcourse, the special relationship between them, if he did kill her, must havemeant that the final act would have brought on a very bad depression.'

'Wouldyou kill the person with whom you were going to share your life?'

'Shareyour life?' Gunnarstranda opened his eyes wide. 'You just said he was scepticalabout concepts like love.'

'Beingsceptical about such concepts does not mean he stopped loving her. Whatbothered Henning was that words like love camouflaged other things. He wantedto go deeper, to the core, beneath her skin.'

Shesat looking into space, and added: 'And that is in fact the essence of love,isn't it?'

Insilence, the policeman stared into the middle distance. He was thinking abouthis conversations with Edel, his own loss and his longing for isolation. 'I'msure Henning was a very intelligent young man and a wonderful human being,' hesaid by way of a conclusion and sprang to his feet. 'But we in the police haveto work with hard evidence and facts, so we would be interested in anything youmight turn up… or remember.' He grasped her hand and took his leave.