Burned

‘What do we want? We want the big fish, we want to know who your client’s supplier is and how the drugs get into this country. And that’s just for starters. I’m sure you can imagine the rest.’

Indrehaug nods.

‘You’re presuming that my client will testify against BBB?’

‘Of course.’

‘Despite his family situation back in Pakistan?’

Brogeland looks at the lawyer and sighs. Then he fixes his gaze on Marhoni.

‘We know that you didn’t kill Henriette Hagerup.’

Marhoni looks up at Brogeland.

‘There’s a good chance that you can walk out of here very soon, if you co-operate.’

Marhoni looks more alert now. He turns to Indrehaug who turns to Brogeland.

‘Are you offering my client a deal?’

Brogeland looks at Sandland, smiles, and looks back at Indrehaug.

‘You bet we are.’

Chapter 62

Henning is so shocked at seeing Anette at the college that he is lost for words. He just stands there, gawping at her. He was convinced she had gone into hiding. Then he wonders whether Anette is like him. Perhaps she has also had enough of looking over her shoulder and prefers to confront her fears rather than give in to them.

She makes no attempt to get past him.

‘Hi,’ he says, at last.

‘Hi.’

They look at each other, both waiting for the other to say something.

‘I’ve read the script,’ he says, even though he knows that she knows. She nods.

‘I’ve also shown it to the police.’

‘Yes, I imagined you would.’

‘Have they spoken to you yet?’

‘No. They’ve tried, but I haven’t returned their calls.’

He frowns.

‘Why not?’

‘I don’t feel like it.’

She says it without blushing and seemingly without a hint of guilt. He studies her.

‘But I’m thinking of doing it now.’

‘Aha? Why? Why now?’

‘Because I think I know who killed Henriette.’

He can barely hear her. Intrigued, he takes a step closer.

‘Who?’

He can hear the trembling in his own voice. Anette glances around to make sure they are alone. They aren’t. But no one is close enough to hear what she says.

‘Stefan Foldvik,’ she whispers. Henning gasps. Anette watches his reaction.

‘Why?’

‘Haven’t you read the script?’ she asks.

‘Yes.’

‘Then it should be obvious.’

She offers no further explanation. Henning thinks about it.

‘The Foldvik family is the Gaarder family. In the script.’

He is half asking, half stating it. Anette nods.

‘Did Yngve have an affair with Henriette?’

Anette takes a quick look around again before she nods. Her eyes are grave.

‘Stefan must have found out.’

‘How?’

‘I’m not sure. Perhaps he found a copy of the script at home or on his father’s PC? I don’t know.’

‘Yngve hadn’t seen the script,’ Henning says.

Anette frowns. ‘He told you that?’

‘Yes,’ he admits, guiltily, as it strikes him that something doesn’t add up. ‘Has anyone else from college read the script?’

‘No.’

‘No actors or extras?’

‘We were the actors and we had only got as far as shooting the first scenes. We were going to film the rest later in the autumn, so we haven’t shown the script to anyone else. Not yet.’

He nods, thinking Yngve must have been lying. He had the script, after all. It is the only logical explanation Henning can think of, since Stefan had a copy of it. Perhaps Yngve realised that the truth about his affair would come out eventually and chose to tell his family first? Later, Stefan finds the script among his father’s things, or asks to see it.

Anette could be right about Stefan: he killed Henriette because she had destroyed his family and was about to compound the damage by making a film about it. But now Stefan is dead, either by his own hand or because someone killed him. And that changes everything, in Henning’s view. But who would benefit from Stefan’s death? Calm down, Henning, there might be other reasons why a young man chooses to end his life, reasons which have nothing to do with ‘A Sharia Caste’ or Henriette or Yngve. Besides, there is one option he hasn’t allowed for: Stefan’s death could be due to natural causes.

He is starting to feel a little dizzy. He knows he shouldn’t be discussing this with Anette, but he has no one else, and he needs to test his theory on someone while the ideas are coming at him from all angles.

‘Did you ever discuss the script with Yngve?’

‘I imagine Henriette did, but I never went to any meetings about it, if that’s what you’re asking.’

‘Do you think they discussed the Gaarder storyline?’

‘No idea.’

‘It’s pretty rich to expose your own lover like that.’

Again he utters it like something halfway between a question and a statement.

Anette sniffs. ‘Are you saying that Yngve did it?’

‘No, not necessarily.’

‘You don’t know Yngve. He’s a pussycat.’

‘A pussycat who helped Henriette sell an option on her film.’

Anette smiles. It is the first time he has seen her smile.

‘Yes, I imagine that’s why Henriette slept with him.’

‘So it only happened once? It wasn’t a full-blown affair?’

She shakes her head and suppresses a laugh. ‘Oh, no.’

She doesn’t elaborate. He lets it lie. He isn’t writing a gossip column.

‘Did her boyfriend know about this?’

‘Mahmoud? I don’t think so.’