Meltwater (Fire and Ice)

names, however important the person, was
hard to get used to.
    ‘We can’t just stand by while our officers assault parliamentarians.’
    ‘No. And I will speak to Árni. What he did was unacceptable. But he was standing up for a fellow officer. That kind of racism cannot be left unchallenged, in my opinion. If you
discipline him you will be condoning it.’
    ‘That’s absurd. Árni broke the rules. He should get punished.’
    Magnus realized he had gone a bit too far. ‘OK, frankly sometimes he’s an idiot. But Árni took a bullet for me a year ago. He stood up for Vigdís last night against
someone much more powerful than him. I admire the guy.’
    The Commissioner shook his head.
    Magnus didn’t give up. ‘If Viktor was pressing charges I agree you would have to do something. But he’s not. And there’s a reason for that. He knows he’s in the
wrong.’
    The Commissioner smiled. ‘OK, OK. But have a word with Árni. And as for you, Magnús . . .’
    ‘Yes?’ Here it came. Magnus wondered if he would get by with a ticking off, or whether he was in for something worse. He had already got a result with Árni, though.
    ‘I want you to lead this investigation. Reporting to Chief Superintendent Kristján.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘You look surprised, Magnús?’ The Commissioner was smiling.
    ‘Actually, I am,’ said Magnus. ‘What about Baldur?’
    ‘The crime was not committed in the Metropolitan area, it’s in Hvolsvöllur’s jurisdiction. Chief Superintendent Kristján is a very capable man – I think you
and he will work well together. And this is exactly the kind of case for which we have you here. Baldur will support you with any inquiries you make in the Reykjavík area. My understanding
is that this Freeflow group are staying in town?’
    ‘Yes. On Thórsgata.’
    ‘I have every confidence in you as an investigating officer, Magnús,’ the Commissioner went on. ‘But so far I haven’t been impressed by your political
sensitivity.’ The Commissioner’s blue eyes twinkled. ‘I’m sure you know what I mean. You do need to tread carefully here. Viktor could make life very difficult for you. For
all of us.’
    ‘I understand,’ said Magnus. His instinct was to burst into the house on Thórsgata, preferably with the ‘Viking Squad’ SWAT team breaking down the doors, and cart
everyone off to the cells until they broke down and told him everything. But even he realized that that was not exactly what the Commissioner had in mind. ‘Given that, can I ask your
advice?’
    ‘By all means.’ Snorri looked pleased. Like many senior officers he missed the excitement of a live case.
    ‘I don’t understand what the problem is with this Icelandic Modern Media Initiative. Parliament hasn’t actually changed any of the laws yet, has it?’
    ‘That’s true. But Parliament will pass the resolution in a couple of months and then the laws will be changed. The problem is that the sponsors of the initiative, and it’s not
just Viktor, there are lots of others, would love a cause to rally around, and if we are not careful we could give them just that. So the judge is being very careful.’
    ‘OK,’ said Magnus. ‘But I would like to talk to Rannveig about taking the Freeflow team in for questioning. If not on suspicion of murder, at least then for obstruction of
justice. What do you think?’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘I need to find out what they are working on. Who their enemies are.’
    ‘I don’t think bringing them in is a good idea. With Viktor Símonarson acting as their lawyer, I think it is highly unlikely they will tell you anything, don’t
you?’ said Snorri. ‘They’ll just sit tight.’
    ‘You’re probably right.’
    ‘I’m not saying you’re not on the right track. But go gently. If you can’t find out by direct means, go indirectly. I have every confidence in you. Now, you had better
get cracking.’
    Jóhannes had spent a couple of hours at his desk, going through his father’s documents, trying to get them into some sort of order. There were some parts of
Benedikt’s life that Jóhannes knew very well. Others would require a little more research, such as his childhood at the farm of Hraun. And then there were the mysteries. Like the one
that had erupted the year before Benedikt’s death.
    Benedikt’s last novel, his best in some people’s estimation – including Jóhannes’s – was entitled Moor and the Man , published a few months before his
death in