Sea of Stone Read Online Free PDF Page A

the
kreppa
came, the financial implosion of 2008, the value of the loan had ballooned. They were behind. So far behind they could never catch up.
    And Emil knew there was no way that he would pass his next medical due in July. So then they would be living on his police pension. The farm broke even at best. Yes, maybe he should just have a heart attack. That would solve everything.
    Unfortunately, there wasn’t another place to buy a hot dog before Bjarnarhöfn.
    So, this was almost certainly Emil’s last major investigation. There had been very few of them since he had transferred from CID in Reykjavík to Akranes after his wife had inherited the farm. He had been a good investigator once. At least as good as his old colleague Snorri Gudmundsson, who was now National Police Commissioner. However badly his body was wearing out, Emil’s brain was still in good shape, he knew that. Although, if this was a homicide and the killer wasn’t right there waiting to confess at the farm, he would have to draft in help from Reykjavík. They would probably send that jerk Baldur.
    But then there was Magnús Ragnarsson. He intrigued the inspector. Snorri and his wife still occasionally visited Emil and Linda for dinner at the farm, and Snorri had a lot of good things to say about the Icelandic American. He had really shaken thingsup in Reykjavík. Inspector Baldur, who ran the Violent Crimes Unit, didn’t like him much, which was a good thing as far as Emil was concerned. And now Magnus had found the body. Perhaps Emil could use him. That would be interesting.
    He called the chief superintendent. ‘Hi, Rúnar, it’s Emil. I’ll be at Bjarnarhöfn in about half an hour. Anything to report?’
    ‘I’m keeping the family at the farmhouse until you arrive,’ said Rúnar. ‘The victim’s grandson Ollie called the victim’s house soon after he died. He’s somewhere in the area, I’m not sure where. I’ve asked him to come here as soon as possible.’
    ‘And forensics?’
    ‘An hour behind you, I think. They’ve just set off.’
    The forensics team had to gather in Reykjavík before heading up to the Snaefells Peninsula, so that was quick going.
    ‘No obvious suspects, then?’
    ‘Not yet.’
    Rúnar was waiting for Emil in the farmyard. He and Páll showed the inspector the crime scene and the victim’s body, then briefed him on what they knew so far. As Emil and Rúnar made their way back to the farmhouse they were stopped by a tall woman with long blonde hair.
    Rúnar introduced Aníta, the farmer’s wife, Hallgrímur’s daughter-in-law. She seemed agitated.
    ‘I don’t know whether this is important, but I saw something that doesn’t seem right the more I think about it,’ she said to Rúnar, glancing back over her shoulder to the farmhouse.
    ‘What’s that?’ asked Rúnar.
    ‘Magnús. When I was riding back to the farm, I saw him through the window of Hallgrímur’s cottage. He was washing up a mug.’
    ‘Really?’ said Emil. ‘Are you sure?’
    ‘Quite sure. He saw me, and rushed outside to tell me that Hallgrímur had been killed in the church.’
    ‘Was Magnús staying in the cottage?’ Emil asked.
    ‘No. At least I don’t think so. I’ve only ever met him once before, over ten years ago. I had no idea he was coming today. No one mentioned it; not Hallgrímur, nor his wife Sylvía. And he and Hallgrímur hate each other, so I was surprised to see him here.’
    ‘Thank you,’ said Emil. ‘That’s very interesting. I was just going to speak to him now. Is there somewhere we can talk privately?’
    There were two large men sitting in grim silence in the kitchen: Kolbeinn and Magnus. Kolbeinn was pale and shaken, Magnus calm. Clutching mugs of coffee, Emil, Rúnar and Magnus followed Aníta through to a small study, and she left them with promises of refills if they needed them.
    ‘We haven’t met yet, but I’ve heard a lot about you,’ Emil began with an amiable smile. ‘They tell me you