Meltwater (Fire and Ice)

was on all night, then I’d say she’s been dead between eight and eighteen hours,’ the inspector said. ‘So that makes it between two-thirty
yesterday afternoon and half past midnight? Obviously the pathologist will get a better idea once he checks her temperature.’
    ‘Sounds right,’ said Magnus. He could tell just by looking at her pale face that Ásta had been dead a few hours. The night before rather than that morning.
    Magnus peered at Ásta’s fingertips without touching them – no obvious blood or skin under the nails. Her hands, wrists and the parts of her face he could see seemed free of
cuts or bruising. ‘No sign of a struggle.’ He stood up, surveying the scene. ‘Someone crept up on her while she was in front of the altar, praying no doubt, and whacked her over
the head. Probably kept the murder weapon.’
    ‘Who found the body, Árni?’ Baldur called. The detective was helping a uniformed constable fix tape across the entrance. He seemed to have got himself into a tangle.
    ‘The church’s pastor. He lives in a block of flats opposite. He saw lights on in the church this morning and came to investigate. He’s waiting outside.’
    Magnus glanced at Baldur. ‘Let’s talk to him.’
    The pastor was a man of about Magnus’s own age with wispy fair hair. His name was Egill and he was shaking.
    Magnus and Baldur led him to a row of chairs at the entrance to the church, and sat him down. He repeated how he had found the body.
    ‘When did you last see Ásta alive?’ Magnus asked.
    ‘Last night. She lives very close to here. She isn’t formally attached to this parish, she doesn’t work for me or anything, but she is a member of the congregation. She’s
lived around here for about six months, and I’ve got to know her quite well. She loves this church. It’s a shame we don’t have a paid place for her here, but you know how things
are these days financially.’
    Magnus nodded.
    ‘Well, she came to see me last night. She wanted some advice.’
    ‘About what?’
    ‘It was confidential.’
    ‘Of course it was confidential!’ Magnus said. He was losing his patience with people not telling him things. ‘It was also probably the reason why she died. Now what was
it?’
    The pastor swallowed. ‘She was worried about her career, basically. It’s become very difficult for priests to get parishes these days. She had been lucky to get six months covering
for a woman on maternity leave. She was wondering whether she should try to go abroad to study for a couple of years in the hope that things would be better when she returned. She wanted my
advice.’
    ‘Did you give it?’
    ‘I couldn’t give her much help,’ said the pastor.
    ‘There is no way that any of that could be a reason for her death, is there?’
    The pastor swallowed again. ‘No,’ he said, his voice cracking. ‘No,’ again, more clearly this time.
    Magnus stared hard at him. The priest looked uncomfortable. Something was wrong. But how could worrying about getting a job in a church provide someone else with a motive to kill?
    ‘Did she mention Freeflow at all?’
    ‘No – at least not last night. I know she had been interested in the organization ever since they came to Iceland at the end of last year. But I did see the murder on
Fimmvörduháls on the news. Did she have anything to do with that?’
    ‘She was up there with them when it happened,’ said Magnus. ‘It’s funny she didn’t mention it.’
    The pastor shrugged. ‘I have just seen her this once since Sunday.’
    ‘A couple more questions,’ said Magnus. ‘Did you see anyone hanging around here last night? A stranger? Or anyone speaking to Ásta?’
    ‘No,’ said the pastor. ‘No. I didn’t.’
    ‘And what time was Ásta with you?’
    ‘I don’t know. Probably seven-thirty until about nine o’clock, something like that.’
    ‘Was the heating on all night? At about this temperature?’
    ‘Yes. Yes, it would have been.’
    Important information for the pathologist, whose estimate of time of death would involve comparing the temperature of the body with that of the room in which it had been lying.
    ‘All right,’ said Magnus. ‘I’m sure we’ll have some more questions for you. But right now, can you please check the church? See if there is anything
missing?’
    ‘You think they stole something?’
    ‘They might have done. More likely the murderer took away the murder weapon.’
    The three of them went back into the