the kitchen. I smelt coffee and baking.
‘Have you made bread?’ I asked, aghast.
‘You don’t mind, do you? It’s only one of those packets.’
‘Bread is bread!’ I said, sitting down in the corner.
‘Have you been for a walk?’
‘I went to the churchyard.’
‘Oh. I’m sorry I haven’t said anything about… him.’
‘About what?’
‘About your husband dying. Being murdered, I mean. It’s so dreadful. I ought to have said something yesterday, but I was feeling so uncertain.’
‘You weren’t entirely at a loss for words, if I remember correctly. But I wasn’t either. I had a hangover and had just escaped from a lunatic. I reeked of pee and puke and needed to sleep. I was just glad to see you after all that time. It didn’t matter what you said. Did you sleep upstairs?’
She turned away.
‘You’re blushing,’ I said.
‘It was late when I came in. I sneaked upstairs quietly. The bed was made, so I went straight to sleep. Do you want some coffee?’
I did. But first I needed to call Funder. ‘Halland may not have been murdered after all. I think he may have been shot by accident by some churchman with a hunting licence.’ I told Abby.
Her eyebrows shot up. ‘Have some coffee first.’
‘You’ve been mothering me since yesterday,’ I said. ‘It’s as if you’re…’ I was going to say ‘in love’, but I knew the words would make me cry. ‘I’ll just make that call. Won’t be a minute!’
But Funder had already made progress without me. I had alerted him to that line of enquiry the day before,he told me, only without knowing what I was saying. He hadn’t spoken to Peter Olsen yet, though. ‘I’ll get back to you as soon as we’ve talked to him,’ the detective said.
‘No need,’ I replied, opening my laptop. ‘Just ring me when you know who did it.’
‘Roger,’ he said. Roger ? ‘We’re trying to get in touch with the woman who put the death notice in the paper. Pernille, wasn’t it?’
‘She’s mad. She knew Halland’s sister. I think she went too far putting in that notice. What do you want her for, anyway? She lives in Copenhagen. She’s hardly likely to know Peter Olsen.’
‘Have you got her surname? Phone number?’
‘I’ll call you back with the number. Any news about Brandt?’
‘I expect you’ll know before I do when he comes home,’ Funder answered, sounding wounded. ‘His car’s parked outside the surgery, even though he normally walks there. His secretary can’t explain it. On Friday they closed the surgery at noon because of the funeral, but they left separately, and…’
‘And he didn’t arrive at the church. I didn’t notice who came; I was too embarrassed to look. But I know he wasn’t there.’
‘Why were you embarrassed?’
‘So many people had come because of the notice in the paper.’
The doorbell rang. I heard Abby talking to Brandt’s lodger in the hall. Had she made breakfast with him in mind? Craning my neck, I saw her hug him.
‘Funder?’
‘Yeah?’
‘I’ve found Halland’s computer.’
‘You did what?’
‘I found Halland’s computer,’ I repeated.
‘Where?’
‘I’ve found it, that’s all. I don’t suppose you’ll be needing it once you’ve got hold of our parish marksman. Assuming he shot Halland by accident, that is.’
‘Leave Peter Olsen to me. I’ll send someone over to pick up the laptop. But we need to know where you found it!’
I hung up.
‘I’ll be off, then!’ said the lodger as soon as I joined them.
‘Not on my account, I hope. Abby’s baked a loaf,’ I told him.
‘Which reminds me, I better take it out of the oven!’ she said, squeezing past us with a swing of her hips.
‘I’ve got work to do, I’m afraid,’ the lodger explained. ‘I just wanted to say…’
‘Goodbye?’ I suggested. ‘Good morning? Thanks! You were wonderful?’
‘Mum!’ exclaimed Abby.
They exchanged glances over my head. I was nearly blushing myself now. ‘I need
‘Have you made bread?’ I asked, aghast.
‘You don’t mind, do you? It’s only one of those packets.’
‘Bread is bread!’ I said, sitting down in the corner.
‘Have you been for a walk?’
‘I went to the churchyard.’
‘Oh. I’m sorry I haven’t said anything about… him.’
‘About what?’
‘About your husband dying. Being murdered, I mean. It’s so dreadful. I ought to have said something yesterday, but I was feeling so uncertain.’
‘You weren’t entirely at a loss for words, if I remember correctly. But I wasn’t either. I had a hangover and had just escaped from a lunatic. I reeked of pee and puke and needed to sleep. I was just glad to see you after all that time. It didn’t matter what you said. Did you sleep upstairs?’
She turned away.
‘You’re blushing,’ I said.
‘It was late when I came in. I sneaked upstairs quietly. The bed was made, so I went straight to sleep. Do you want some coffee?’
I did. But first I needed to call Funder. ‘Halland may not have been murdered after all. I think he may have been shot by accident by some churchman with a hunting licence.’ I told Abby.
Her eyebrows shot up. ‘Have some coffee first.’
‘You’ve been mothering me since yesterday,’ I said. ‘It’s as if you’re…’ I was going to say ‘in love’, but I knew the words would make me cry. ‘I’ll just make that call. Won’t be a minute!’
But Funder had already made progress without me. I had alerted him to that line of enquiry the day before,he told me, only without knowing what I was saying. He hadn’t spoken to Peter Olsen yet, though. ‘I’ll get back to you as soon as we’ve talked to him,’ the detective said.
‘No need,’ I replied, opening my laptop. ‘Just ring me when you know who did it.’
‘Roger,’ he said. Roger ? ‘We’re trying to get in touch with the woman who put the death notice in the paper. Pernille, wasn’t it?’
‘She’s mad. She knew Halland’s sister. I think she went too far putting in that notice. What do you want her for, anyway? She lives in Copenhagen. She’s hardly likely to know Peter Olsen.’
‘Have you got her surname? Phone number?’
‘I’ll call you back with the number. Any news about Brandt?’
‘I expect you’ll know before I do when he comes home,’ Funder answered, sounding wounded. ‘His car’s parked outside the surgery, even though he normally walks there. His secretary can’t explain it. On Friday they closed the surgery at noon because of the funeral, but they left separately, and…’
‘And he didn’t arrive at the church. I didn’t notice who came; I was too embarrassed to look. But I know he wasn’t there.’
‘Why were you embarrassed?’
‘So many people had come because of the notice in the paper.’
The doorbell rang. I heard Abby talking to Brandt’s lodger in the hall. Had she made breakfast with him in mind? Craning my neck, I saw her hug him.
‘Funder?’
‘Yeah?’
‘I’ve found Halland’s computer.’
‘You did what?’
‘I found Halland’s computer,’ I repeated.
‘Where?’
‘I’ve found it, that’s all. I don’t suppose you’ll be needing it once you’ve got hold of our parish marksman. Assuming he shot Halland by accident, that is.’
‘Leave Peter Olsen to me. I’ll send someone over to pick up the laptop. But we need to know where you found it!’
I hung up.
‘I’ll be off, then!’ said the lodger as soon as I joined them.
‘Not on my account, I hope. Abby’s baked a loaf,’ I told him.
‘Which reminds me, I better take it out of the oven!’ she said, squeezing past us with a swing of her hips.
‘I’ve got work to do, I’m afraid,’ the lodger explained. ‘I just wanted to say…’
‘Goodbye?’ I suggested. ‘Good morning? Thanks! You were wonderful?’
‘Mum!’ exclaimed Abby.
They exchanged glances over my head. I was nearly blushing myself now. ‘I need
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