‘And with his family background,’ Harry added. ‘I’ve seen pictures of his forefathers. They didn’t look like men who would hand over the reins of the business to someone who has sex with men.’
Katrine still hadn’t taken her eyes off Harry. ‘So tell me, what would you do?’
‘Me?’
‘Yes, you. There’s a reason you’re telling us this, right?’
‘Well.’ He reached into his pocket and handed her a note. ‘I’d take the opportunity of this interview to ask him these two questions.’
He watched Katrine read the note as they listened to Krohn’s voice coming over the loudspeaker. ‘...over an hour, and my client has answered all your questions, most of them two or three times. Either we can stop here or I’d like my objection put on the record.’
The main interviewer and her colleague looked at each other.
‘OK,’ the lead interviewer said, looked up at the clock on the wall and became aware of Katrine who had opened the door of the interview room. She went over to her, took the note and listened. Harry could see Krohn’s questioning look. Then the lead interviewer sat down and cleared her throat.
‘Two final questions. Were you at the Villa Dante club at the times it’s believed that Susanne and Bertine were killed?’
Røed exchanged a glance with Krohn before answering. ‘I’ve never heard of that club, and I will simply repeat that I was with my wife.’
‘Thank you. The other question is for you, Krohn.’
‘For me?’
‘Yes. Were you aware that Helene Røed was seeking a divorce and that if her demands in the related settlement were not met, she was planning to retract the alibi she’d given her husband for the nights of the murders?’
Harry saw Krohn’s face turn red. ‘I... I see no reason to answer that.’
‘Not even a simple no?’
‘This is highly irregular, and I think we’ll consider this interview over.’ Krohn got to his feet.
‘That spoke volumes,’ Sung-min said, rocking on his heels.
Harry made to go but Katrine held him back.
‘Don’t try to tell me you didn’t know all this before we arrested Røed,’ she whispered angrily. ‘OK?’
‘He just lost his stated alibi,’ Harry said. ‘That was the only one he had. So let’s just hope no one at Villa Dante can attest to his being there.’
‘And what exactly are you hoping for, Harry?’
‘The same as always.’
‘Which is?’
‘That the guiltiest get caught.’
Harry had to take long strides to catch up with Johan Krohn on the hill down from Police HQ towards Grønlandsleiret.
‘Was it you who gave them the idea of asking me that last question?’ Krohn said, scowling.
‘What makes you think that?’
‘Because I know exactly what Helene Røed told the police, which wasn’t much. And when I arranged for you to have your conversation with Helene, I was foolish enough to tell her she could trust you.’
‘Did you know she’d use the alibi to blackmail Markus?’
‘No.’
‘But you did receive the letter from her lawyer where she demanded half of everything despite the prenup and managed to put two and two together.’
‘She may have had other leverage which bore no relation to this case.’
‘Like outing him?’
‘It would seem we’ve nothing more to discuss, Harry.’ Krohn made an unsuccessful attempt to hail a passing taxi, but from across the street a parked taxi made a U-turn and glided up to the pavement beside them. The window on the driver’s side was lowered and a face with a brown grin appeared.
‘Can we offer you a lift?’ Harry asked.
‘No thank you,’ Krohn said and strode down Grønlandsleiret.
Øystein watched the lawyer stalk off. ‘Bit pissed off?’
It was six o’clock and beneath the low, dense cloud cover the lights in the houses were already coming on.
Harry stared at the ceiling. He was lying on his back on the floor next to Ståle Aune’s bed. On the other side of the bed, Øystein was lying in a similar position.
‘So, your gut is telling you that Markus Røed is both guilty and innocent,’ Aune said.
‘Yeah,’ Harry said.
‘How, for example?’
‘Well, he orders both murders, but doesn’t commit them. Or the first two murders are carried out by a sex attacker, and Røed spots his chance to kill his wife by copying the serial killer, so no one thinks he’s guilty.’
‘Especially if he has an alibi for the first two murders,’ Øystein said.
‘Do either of you believe in that theory?’ Aune asked.
‘No,’ Harry and Øystein said in unison.
‘It’s baffling,’ Harry said. ‘On the one hand Røed had motive to kill his wife if she was blackmailing him. On the other hand, his alibi is severely weakened now that she can’t confirm her statement to the police under oath in a trial.’
‘Well, maybe Våge’s right then,’ Øystein said, as the door opened. ‘Even though he’s been given the boot. There’s a cannibal and serial killer on the loose, full stop.’
‘No,’ Harry said. ‘The type of serial killer Våge is describing doesn’t murder three people from the same party.’
