‘Perhaps I should give you my phone number, just in case,’ he said.
‘That’s very kind. I’ll give you mine also,’ she said.
Halla went away again, before he had a chance to tell her that Ögmundur had already given him her number. She returned with a small note, and then also wrote down Ari Thor’s number.
Ari didn’t look at the note until he was standing in the doorway, saying goodbye to the old lady.
Her name and number.
The handwriting was the same.
They were back in the living room. The grandfather clock struck six.
‘Don’t worry, this clock has been twenty minutes early for years. You’ll make it back home in time for Christmas. You don’t live very far away, do you?’
‘A five minute walk,’ he said.
‘I know. In this town, everyone knows everything, you see.’
She had invited him back in when he had pointed out that the handwriting of her note matched that of the letters.
‘In a way I was hoping you would figure it out,’ she said, adding: ‘He was not a kind man. And yet, I have been writing these letters every year, in December. Writing down memories of some of the good times we had.’
‘Did you have children?’
‘Yes, both of them live abroad and this year neither of them could make it home for Christmas. They lead quite busy lives, of course.’
‘But again, surely writing letters to yourself in the name of a dead man is hardly a matter for the police …’
‘I called you over here because I was going to tell you, but then I lost the courage. But I am glad my note gave it away. I wanted to tell you the truth. As I told you, I don’t think I have very long to live, anyway.’
She fell silent again. The snowfall outside was getting heavier by the minute.
‘You see, I murdered my husband. Thirty years ago. No one ever suspected a thing. He was a very … he was a very violent man.’
Ari Thor sat across from her, motionless. ‘Did you say you murdered him?’
She nodded.
‘I think I simply needed to confess this to someone, before I go. I honestly don’t care what happens now, because I know what I did was wrong. I’ve known it for thirty years, but I have never regretted doing it. In the end, I think he would have killed me.’
Ari Thor wanted to ask how she did it, but in all honesty he didn’t want to know too much. Perhaps, one day, when Halla had passed away, he could look up the old case. There was no need to cause her or her children any harm now.
He stood up. ‘You called for me specifically, not my colleague Ögmundur?’
She nodded.
‘Did you want a policeman to speak to, or … well, someone who almost became a priest?’
Halla smiled.
‘I think you may know the answer to that. You had better walk home now, you don’t want to miss Christmas, young man.’
THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING
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Penguin Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.
First published in Iceland with the title Mistur by Veröld Publishing
First published in Great Britain by Michael Joseph 2020
Copyright © Ragnar Jónasson, 2017
English translation copyright © Victoria Cribb, 2020
The moral right of the author and translator has been asserted
Front cover image © Benjamin Hardman Author image © Bill Waters
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
ISBN: 978-1-405-93489-3
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
Table of Contents
Title Page
About the Author
Dedication
Epigraph
Map
PART ONE: Two months earlier – just before Christmas 1987 Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV
Chapter XV
Chapter XVI
Chapter XVII
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
Chapter XX
Chapter XXI
Chapter XXII
Chapter XXIII
Chapter XXIV
Chapter XXV
Chapter XXVI
Chapter XXVII
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV
Chapter XV
Chapter XVI
Chapter XVII
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
Chapter XX
Chapter XXI
Author’s note
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Copyright