Whale Fjord

Twenty-Eight

Vigdís headed for home straight from Bjarni’s house in Kópavogur. His wife had backed up his story: he had returned home at about eleven-fifteen — she wasn’t sure of the exact time.

Could he have thrown the phone into the bay at ten-forty-two, run back to the restaurant and caught a taxi, getting to Kópavogur at eleven-fifteen? It would be tight, but it was just possible. Also, a wife’s testimony in support of her husband was always suspect; she could just be lying.

There was no visible blood on Bjarni’s clothes and they would be added to Gudni’s in the forensic labs.

As Magnus had said, they would soon find out whether Bjarni and his father had killed Louisa.

Magnus.

It was good he had given her another twenty-four hours to make up her mind, but the truth was her mind was already made up.

She couldn’t rat on her mother. She just couldn’t. Magnus didn’t understand that. She was pretty sure he was expecting her to do what he considered her duty, in which case he wouldn’t have to report her. In a way, that was a sign of his confidence in her. It was also a sign he didn’t understand her.

His telling Ingileif about Erla was less of a worry — for Vigdís, at any rate. It’s true she had made him swear never to tell anyone at all. But Vigdís trusted Ingileif to keep quiet. It was much more of a problem for Magnus.

What about her mother? Audur probably didn’t even know yet that the jogger had died. Vigdís hadn’t heard anything about it on the news, although it might well have been reported.

Audur also didn’t know or didn’t care that Vigdís was about to blow up her career for her.

Anger boiled inside Vigdís. It was all very well feeling irritation at Magnus. The person she should really be angry with was her own mother.

She was driving along the main road approaching Hafnarfjördur and the turn-off for home. She decided to drive on.

To Keflavík.

Audur seemed sober as she opened the door to her daughter. But then Audur always seemed sober. She was good at that.

‘Vigdís! This is a surprise.’

Audur led Vigdís into the living room. The TV was on — Audur flicked it off with the remote.

‘I saw your friend Magnús on the news,’ she said. ‘The murdered Englishwoman in Hverfisgata. Have you been working on that case?’

‘I have,’ said Vigdís, flopping on to the sofa.

‘Have you found who did it?’

‘We’ve got a couple of suspects in custody. We’ll know soon enough.’

‘What’s wrong?’ Audur was looking closely at her daughter.

Vigdís leaned forward and looked her mother in the eye. ‘You know that jogger you hit? He died.’

Audur winced. ‘I know. That was on the news too.’

‘His name was Markús Hauksson. He was twenty-six. He had a girlfriend. A mother and a father. Friends. A long life ahead of him.’

‘It’s awful,’ said Audur. ‘A terrible accident.’

‘Accident?’ Vigdís muttered.

‘This doesn’t make you change your mind, does it?’ Audur said. ‘You’re not going to change your story?’

Vigdís took a deep breath. ‘No,’ she said.

‘Oh, thank you, Vigdís!’ Audur threw herself on the sofa beside her daughter and wrapped her arms around her.

Vigdís stiffened.

‘You have no idea how grateful I am to you,’ Audur went on. ‘I couldn’t bear going to jail again. I just couldn’t bear it! And I won’t drink any more, I promise. I swear to you I won’t. Not even one glass!’

Vigdís didn’t respond.

Audur let her go. Her delicate, pointed chin wavered. ‘I went to my AA meeting last night. It helped. They are all behind me.’

‘Magnús knows,’ said Vigdís. ‘I told him. Before I heard the guy was dead.’

‘Oh. Is he going to say anything?’

‘He says he will. Unless I say something first.’

‘But you won’t, will you, love?’

Vigdís shook her head. ‘I should, Mum. But I can’t. But that means that when Magnús tells our boss that I have given a false witness statement, I’ll be in big trouble. I’ll lose my job. My career will be over.’

Audur sat back and frowned. Then she smiled tentatively. ‘But Magnús wouldn’t do that to you, would he? You’ve been working together for years. He’s your biggest fan. And you’ve always said he’s a decent man.’

‘He is.’

‘No,’ said Audur. ‘We just need to brazen it out. Call his bluff. When it comes to it, I’m sure he won’t shop you.’

‘I think he will.’

‘But you’re not certain?’

‘I’m not absolutely certain, no. But Magnús has a thing about cops bending the rules to look after each other. He almost got killed in Boston when he exposed his partner there for tampering with evidence. The penalty for exposing me would be much less.’

‘But you’re not just cops. You’re friends.’ Audur reached over to Vigdís’s hand, but she withdrew it. ‘Sometimes you’ve just got to take a risk, love. Trust in people’s better natures.’

‘Like mine?’ said Vigdís. She felt the anger rising. Take advantage of people’s better natures, more like.

‘Yes. And Magnús’s.’

‘Mum. Unless you do something, I am going to lose my job. Magnús will tell Thelma what I have done. You will be arrested and go to jail anyway.’

‘No, you’re not listening, Vigdís! That’s not going to happen. Trust me.’

‘It is. And it’s down to you.’ Vigdís felt an urge to scream at her mother, but she controlled it. ‘I’ve done my best to look after you for years and years. But now it’s your turn to look after me.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Turn yourself in. It’s the only way.’

‘Turn myself in?’ Audur shook her head. She was appalled by the idea.

‘You were drunk when you hit that poor man. You did kill him.’

‘I know, but I’ve told you, it won’t happen again.’ Audur’s bottom lip wobbled. ‘I couldn’t stand any more time in prison, Vigdís. You’ve no idea what it’s like.’

‘I’m a police officer, Mum, I know what it’s like. It’s my job to send people to prison. People who deserve it.’

‘But I don’t deserve it! It was an accident.’

‘Mum. I’m asking you to do this for me. It’s your choice.’

For a moment, Vigdís thought Audur was about to agree. Then she shook her head. ‘Magnús won’t do that to you. And if he does, he’s no kind of friend. I’m not going to jail!’