Winterlude by Quentin Bates Page A

had are legally mine.’
    Gunna sat back, pleased that she had pressed the right button. ‘I don’t have anything concrete. Just a few leads that I still have to follow up. Who had a grudge against your husband? Who might have had enough of a grudge to want him dead?’
    This time Hafdís sat back as if she had been slapped. ‘So many people,’ she said bitterly. ‘He had screwed so many people for money it was unbelievable. Why do you think I wanted to leave the country? I used to have a comfortable life, of sorts. Living with Borgar was never predictable. But now I’ve had to go back to work to support the children while their father was in jail for that stupid drunken escapade. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t told him. I always knew he’d do something like that one day.’
    ‘Any names?’ Gunna asked.
    ‘There’s Henning who ran the boatyard, which was about the only business Borgar had that was steady. Losing that hit him hard and I did feel sorry for him. But the rest of them were the same wide boys as Borgar and it’s difficult to feel any sympathy for them if they lost some money. They’d have done exactly the same to him.’
    ‘Mæja?’ Anna Björg looked puzzled. ‘I was on traffic duty all day on Sunday. I saw Ingi Aronsson heading north on Sunday morning and around midday I saw Hjörtur Sighvats coming this way. That’s Mæja’s husband.’
    ‘You’re sure?’
    ‘Of course I’m sure. Hjörtur drives a big Econoline van that they travel around the country in sometimes. You can’t miss it, plus he waved as he went past.’
    Helgi’s fingers formed a steeple in front of his face as he thought. ‘He wouldn’t have gone back to work that night?’
    Anna Björg shook her head. ‘I doubt it. But I can check,’ she decided, phone to her ear while Helgi went back to the fish and potatoes that had been forgotten in front of him.
    His talk with Mæja that morning had left him disturbed. Her agitation had been palpable and it was clear that she was terrified, although he wasn’t sure if this was because of Reynir himself or if she was more frightened of her husband.
    Anna Björg returned and sat down opposite him. ‘Hjörtur Sighvats was on a four-day shift that ended at eight on Sunday morning,’ she said. ‘I spoke to the supervisor at the power station and he confirmed it. Hjörtur goes back to work tonight.’
    ‘So you reckon Mæja is lying to protect Reynir?’
    ‘Who knows? You’re from round here, Helgi. You know what people are like. Sometimes it’s a nightmare figuring out just why someone does something, and sometimes there’s no reason to it.’
    ‘I know,’ Helgi said gloomily. ‘Why do you think I left?’
    ‘I always thought it was because Halla wanted to live in Reykjavík?’
    ‘That was part of it. Anyway, how long has this been going on between Mæja and Reynir? And is it Reynir or her husband that she’s so frightened of?’
    ‘It’s been going on for years. There can hardly be anyone in the place who doesn’t know about it.’
    ‘Apart from Hjörtur?’
    ‘Yes. Except Hjörtur.’
    ‘He goes to work at the power station and Reynir moves in for a couple of nights to keep his bed and his wife warm for him? Could you maybe speak to Mæja while I go out to Tunga again?’
    Anna Björg looked dubious. ‘It’s up to you, but you’re sure you want to be going there alone?’
    ‘So if Reynir wasn’t with Mæja, where was he? In Reykjavík dealing with big brother Kjartan’s unfinished business?’ he asked as his phone began to buzz.
    It was late in the evening and Helgi was tired, knowing that it would be hours before he would be able to shut his eyes. Reynir hadn’t gone happily, snarling angrily as Helgi and Anna Björg escorted him from the farmhouse at Tunga, the old lady, a scowling Össur and a newly arrived Ingi watching with worried eyes as they marched him across the farmyard in the gathering gloom. Anna Björg had been all for using handcuffs. Against