Strømstedflashed a faint, dreamy smile. 'She'd been caught being unfaithful, hadn't she!So she was pondering the future of her marriage. She was quite distraught.'
'Herhusband didn't usually phone her then?'
'Areyou insane?'
'Soher husband had exposed her activities with this phone call? That's what you'resaying?'
'Yes.'
'Doyou think she wanted to get out of her marriage?'
'Whatdo you mean by that?'
Frølich:'Do you think she was sorry she had been caught? Was there a risk of adivorce?'
'Hmm,'Strømsted said. 'Well, you can imagine. Her husband rings while she… while she…I suppose it must have knocked her off her perch, as they say – in this case,quite literally.' His upper lip spread to reveal his teeth again. Frølich couldfeel that he was beginning to dislike this smile.
'Ithink she was dreading the evening,' Strømsted said in a more earnest tone.
'Whywas that?'
'Justimagine it, being caught like that, and then having to go home to your husbandand spend the whole evening with him.'
'Whydid he ring?'
'Hewanted to put a stop to our activities.'
'Doyou know that for certain?'
'Yes,she told me what he had said. It was a very brief conversation.'
'Whatdid you do – later that evening?' Frølich asked.
'I wasat home.'
'Cananyone confirm that you were at home?'
Strømstedstood up and strolled towards the mirror on the opposite wall. He grabbed thewall bar and raised his right leg in one supple movement. It was a classicdance step, a classic pose. 'Is this the moment of truth?' he asked in anexaggerated, theatrical voice while observing Frølich in the mirror. 'Will youlet me go if, Mr Policeman, if I answer yes?'
Frølichlooked at his image in the mirror. He was all the dancer was not. His grey hairwas unkempt and lifeless. His beard made him look down in the mouth. His bodywas too big and too heavy.
EyolfStrømsted was a statue. Muscles and sinews wreathed the man's body like yarnaround a ball. The man's curly hair emphasized the almost feminine features ofhis clean-shaven face.
'Doesthat mean the answer is no?' the policeman asked blithely.
Strømstedtook pleasure in the sight of his own body as he lowered his leg without anyhurry and continued the slow movement into a glide and the splits. 'Of coursenot,' he said to his own image. 'I realized after the phone call that IngridJespersen may not have been the smartest move I have ever made.' He grinned:'And yes indeed. You can have it confirmed any time you like. I was at home allevening and all night.'
Chapter 27
Thenext morning Gunnarstranda tried to call Ingrid Jespersen on the telephone,without any success. Then he read through reports and was able to establish,after going through Frølich's interview of the widow, that firstly she wassomewhat reluctant to pick up the phone and secondly that she liked to take herlunch in a café with which she had been connected earlier.
Ittook him a further three calls and a few enquiries before, at half past twelve,he was able to park his almost new Skoda Octavia in Frognerveien and stroll thefew metres to the café, open the door and hand his winter coat to theVietnamese-looking woman in the cloakroom. He checked himself over in the mirrorbehind the attendant, straightened his sparse hair and turned to study thescene. 'Only one person?' asked a woman dressed in dark clothes, the headwaitress. 'I'm afraid so,' answered the policeman defensively. 'But I wasthinking of joining Ingrid Jespersen.' He motioned towards a window table whereIngrid, engrossed in a newspaper, was eating pasta.
'MayI join you?' he asked, although she did not catch what he had said at once.When she peered up she did not seem at all put out. 'Sit down? Of course.' Sheextended an open hand to the unoccupied chair. Slowly she folded the paper. Itwas Verdens Gang. A youthful photograph of Reidar Folke Jespersendisappeared. 'I've read that you have some leads.'
Gunnarstrandasmiled and shook his head to the waiter who came with the menu. 'Just coffee,'he said and added: 'Black.'
ToIngrid: 'I suppose you must have gathered that we are keeping all our optionsopen?'
Shenodded. 'How did you know I was here?'
'Becausewe're keeping all our options open,' he replied lightly.
Takenaback, she grimaced. 'Well, I must say…' She stared down at her meal, butseemed to have lost her appetite. 'Are you having me followed?'
Gunnarstrandatook the cup of coffee without a word and stirred it with a faraway look. Thewaiter stretched out a hand for Ingrid's plate with a questioning look. 'Thankyou. I've had enough,' she said. The policeman was stirring his coffee as hewatched the waiter retreat.
'Areyou following me?' Ingrid Jespersen repeated.
'We'relooking after you as well as we can.'
'But…'
'Doyou know the name Eyolf Strømsted?' he interrupted.
Ingridlowered her eyes. She went quiet. Gunnarstranda leaned back in his chair.
'Isthat what they call shooting from the hip?' she asked, her eyes still downcast.
Noresponse from Gunnarstranda.
'Orwhat?' she went on, with renewed energy in her voice, and raising her head. Hereyes seemed tired, but aggressive at the same time.
'It'sa question,' Gunnarstranda said with composure. 'Either you answer it or youdon't. Make sure the answer is honest.'
'Lookingafter…' Ingrid muttered. 'Isn't it simply spying on people?'
Gunnarstrandadidn't answer. Instead he sipped his coffee.
'Weknow each other,' she said in a more controlled tone of voice. 'We know eachother very well. But I presume you know that.'
Gunnarstrandanodded.
'Wego way back… he's… he was once a pupil of mine. He used to be a dancer.'
'Howlong have you two been having an affair?'
'Forthree years.'
'That'squite a long time, isn't it?'
'Thereare some that last longer, unknown to anyone.'
'Thatgoes without saying.'
Ingridreached down and scratched her leg. 'My God, I'm so hot…' Gunnarstranda noticedshe had a determined furrow between her eyebrows. It made her look severe.'Have you got any plans?' he asked.
Shestraightened up.
'Whatdo you mean?'
Gunnarstrandalooked into her eyes: 'I was wondering what Strømsted means to you. Is he anerotic dalliance or does he mean much more?'
'Muchmore?' She lowered her gaze and rested her head on her hand. 'Isn't it enoughthat we have stayed together for three years?'
'Iwould like you to answer the question.'
'Whetherhe's an erotic dalliance or more? Does whether I distinguish between eroticismand love tell you anything about who I am?'
Gunnarstrandapatiently sipped his coffee.
'Do youknow what I've heard?' she said, gazing out of the window. 'I've heard thathowever wild your desire there will always be a concomitant feeling ofemptiness.'
Composed,she turned to him again.
'Sex,'she began, pausing for a few seconds before taking the plunge. 'Sex is aboutbodies, a physical phenomenon which can be calculated and defined, amathematical curve with growth, with peaks and troughs. Sexuality exists byvirtue of its form.'
Theyexchanged glances. The policeman said nothing. She had not yet finished.
'Sexualityis man-made, and like all man-made things it has deficiencies. Sex contains ananticipation of something else and more. All physical matter is bound to reachsaturation point – just because it has physical limits. That applies to sextoo. Therefore it is the nature of eroticism that you become sated, either withthe partner or with the sexual act.'
Raptin thought, she gazed across the room, and then continued: 'On the other hand,there is an energy which does not depend on physical proximity. The emotional,psychological longing which two people feel for each other is a genuine form oflove. Longing is love that knows no boundaries. Longing can never be destroyedor fade away or die.'
Gunnarstrandaobserved her over the rim of his cup. It was as though she had been giving alecture learned by rote, and at this moment she was recalling the times whenshe used to swot for school. He had to swallow hard. Her words had conjured upan image of Edel. He cleared his throat to make his voice heard, so strong hadthe sensation been that she had been talking directly to him. 'That was wellput,' he conceded and coughed again. 'And I may well have heard somethingsimilar. But is it like that? Most people would rather try to unite theseaspects of their love life. At any rate, those who choose a partner for lifethrough marriage.'