The Man In The Window [Mannen i vinduet - no]

Chapter 15

Stray Keys

'Youcan relax,' Gunnarstranda reassured him. 'We'll keep an eye on Ingrid Jespersen.Round the clock.' He yawned. 'But whether there's any point is another matter.I'm more interested in getting an inventory of registered items in their shop.Karsten Jespersen can go through the list,' he continued and added: 'To see ifanything has been stolen.' Gunnarstranda stretched and yawned again. 'But itcan't be a burglary. That's out of the question. The only thief we havestumbled across so far is Karsten Jespersen. But that's the classic inheritancesquabble.' The Detective Inspector rose to his feet, went to the desk, openedthe top drawer and took out his darts.

'Whodo you want?' Frølich asked, going through the various newspaper cuttings onhis green desk pad.

'What'sthe choice?'

Frølichstudied the cuttings. 'Director of Public Prosecutions, Minister of Justice,Pamela Anderson and various celebs.'

'Asuper-model who plays the devil in a film about ghosts?'

'No.Why?'

'Afilm I saw yesterday,' Gunnarstranda said and went on: 'Which celebs?'

Frølichshook his head. 'None you know. They do TV shows on Saturday nights.'

'Oneof them,' Gunnarstranda said, taking the page from the newspaper. He pinned thepage to the board and took five steps back. 'Nose,' he said, throwing a dartwhich hit the celebrity in the middle of the eye.

'Notbad,' Frølich said.

'Nose,'Gunnarstranda repeated, threw and hit the woman on the chin.

Frølichgave an appreciative nod. 'What do we think about Ingrid Jespersen's storyabout the uninvited bedroom guest, snow melting on the floor and so on?'

'Mightbe true,' Gunnarstranda said, taking aim.

'Howcan it be true if it wasn't her old man?'

'Thekeys.'

'Whichkeys?'

'Nose.'

Thedart missed the page and Gunnarstranda winced. He said: 'There weren't any keysthere.'

'Where?'

'Inthe pockets of the dead man or in the shop.' He turned to Frølich. 'When theold man went down to the shop he must have unlocked the door, mustn't he? Andhe must have made sure he had the key on him so that he could return to theflat, don't you think? If there are no keys to be found, the perpetrator musthave taken them and so the same person could easily have got into Reidar FolkeJespersen's flat.' He threw the last dart, which hit the smiling celebrity rightin the mouth.

'Whywould he steal the dead man's keys if he wasn't going to use them? Anyway, themissing keys are a good enough reason to keep a watchful eye on IngridJespersen.'

'Youdon't think it was the dead man who left the snow on the floor then?'

'Yes,I do. The soles of his shoes had thick tread. But then this business with thekeys is a mystery!'

Gunnarstrandawent to the board, released the darts, went back five steps and took aim.'Right eye!'

Missed.He said: 'Ingrid Jespersen says she went to bed between eleven and half past.At that time Reidar was in the flat. She sleeps until half past two and iswoken by what she alleges is an uninvited guest in the bedroom…'

'No.'Frølich shook his head. 'She was alone, but she thinks Reidar popped in. Themost probable explanation is that Folke Jespersen went for an evening walk. Hecame back to the flat, but realized that he needed to go down to the shop andthere must have been something he wanted from the bedroom, the keys to the shopfor all we know, and so he went into the bedroom. He still had snow on hisshoes. Then he went down to the shop, met the murderer and was killed. Myproblem is that I feel she is holding something back. When I pushed her, shewent very odd. But what she is holding back – I have no idea. Anyway, sheinsists she lay awake from half past two until seven in the morning and did nothear a sound. According to Schwenke, Jespersen was killed between eleven p.m.and three a.m. If it was Jespersen who left the snow on her floor, she musthave been woken up by the sounds of the murder. Anyway, that would fitSchwenke's timescale.'

Gunnarstrandatook aim.

'Talkingabout the keys…' Frølich said, 'Karsten Jespersen unlocked the flat for us.'

Gunnarstrandathrew, but missed the eye. 'I suppose we ought to ask him if he used his ownkeys.'

'Butthat's a bit strange, isn't it?' Frølich said. 'Karsten having keys to theflat?'

'Idon't think it's so strange him having keys. After all, the dead man was hisfather. Don't you have a key to your mother's place?'

'Yes,but my mother lives on her own. Karsten's father had re-married.'

Theylooked at each other. 'Well, I suppose it doesn't have to mean anything,'Frølich concluded, adding: 'According to Ingrid, Karsten's wife said he wasn'tat home at half past two in the morning. And the guy has keys to the flat.'

'We'llhave to ask anyway,' Gunnarstranda said, going over to the board and pullingout the darts. 'Even if Karsten Jespersen was at home and asleep, it doesn'thurt to ask.'

Chapter 16

The Last Will and Testament

DetectiveInspector Gunnarstranda was shown into Movinckel's office – the solicitor for ReidarFolke Jespersen – by a young woman. Here he was received by an even youngerwoman. When she stood up, it turned out she was a little shorter than him. Shehad short, cropped hair and a round face without a single wrinkle. Her skin waswhite with rosy red cheeks like his image of dairymaids. When she smiled, sherevealed a row of white teeth dominated by two large top incisors. She waswearing dark flared slacks and a yellow cardigan. 'You seem surprised,' shesaid.

'Andyou seem young,' Gunnarstranda said, looking around. It didn't look much like asolicitor's office. It was decorated with luxuriant ivy and a number ofvarieties of the ficus plant on the window sills. On the walls hung art postersin pastel colours: Ferdinand Finne from Galleri F15 and Carl Larssonfrom the same Moss gallery.

'Youdidn't think an elderly man would choose a young solicitor? A woman? Well,you're right,' she said. 'He didn't. Herr Folke Jespersen originally chose myfather. When I took over my father's practice, he was one of the customers whotook a risk and stayed with me.'

Shemotioned with her hand to the chair" in front of the desk. 'How can I helpyou?'

Gunnarstrandatook a seat and crossed his legs. 'I was wondering if Reidar Folke Jespersenleft a will.'

Shelooked down. 'No,' she answered at length.

'Youhesitate?'

Sherevealed her teeth again. Her face seemed to have been cut out of a pumpkin,thought Gunnarstranda. She seemed to be bursting with a milky-white freshness.She had to belong to that breed of people who do not feel well until they havebeen out jogging in the morning. 'You hesitate,' he repeated.

'Yes,'she said, her lips still parted in a pumpkin-smile. 'He had a will until theday before he died.'

Gunnarstrandasucked his teeth and stretched out his legs.

'Ican understand your reaction,' she said thoughtfully and looked down. 'Ofcourse, a case like this is somewhat delicate.'

'Whathappened?' asked the policeman, impatient to move on.

'Hephoned me on the afternoon of Friday the thirteenth wanting to revoke hiswill.'

'Phoned?'the policeman asked darkly.

'Indeed,'she said. 'That's part of what makes it delicate. Perhaps the probate courtwill have to step in here.'

'You'repositive it was him on the phone?'

'Nodoubt about it. It was him.'

'Whendid he call?'

'Lateafternoon. A bit before five, I think.'

'Andhow did you answer?'

'Theway I answered you. Of course it was fine, but officially he should have comehere in person and presented his request.'

'Whatdid he say?'

'Hesaid he didn't have time.'

'Didn'thave time?'

'Yes.'

'Howdid you interpret that?'

'Ithink he was ill.'

Gunnarstrandaangled his head and waited.

'I don'tthink he had much time left,' she went on.

'Didhe ever talk to you about any illness?'