The Dinosaur Feather

long time, then he nodded.
    ‘Some woman was in love with Johannes, and she . . . bothered him,’ she said. ‘A woman he had met at this club he goes to . . . the Red Mask.’
    ‘A woman?’ Søren raised his eyebrows and looked at Anna.
    ‘I’m not sure . . . I assumed it was a woman. I thought that’s what he said. Someone he got on well with, but hewasn’t in love with her, and I think she freaked out because she was in love with him.’ Anna squirmed as she realised how little attention she had paid. ‘He told me last Monday, but I was too preoccupied with my own problems,’ she added, miserably. ‘But there was someone who wouldn’t leave him alone, who kept calling and . . .’
    ‘We’ve found some e-mails on Johannes’s computer,’ Søren said, looking pensive. ‘They were sent from an account in the name of Donald Duck and the sender calls himself YourGuy, so we think it might be a man. Ring any bells?’
    Anna shook her head and stared out of the window.
    ‘It just seems . . . so extreme to kill Johannes,’ she said. ‘He’s the nicest person in the world! He never falls out with anybody. That’s what makes him so irritating,’ she added. ‘Johannes sees the good in everyone.’ She froze, realising she had used the present tense.
    ‘Johannes had fallen out with Professor Helland,’ Søren protested.
    ‘No, definitely not. Helland and Johannes were friends. Johannes got really uptight if I ever dared criticise Helland even a little.’ Anna replied as though Søren’s statement had been a question.
    ‘Anna, I’m telling you that Helland and Johannes had clashed. We have it in writing, a long e-mail exchange which began before the summer and was still ongoing. Helland wasn’t pulling his weight regarding a paper they were meant to co-write. Johannes appears to have been dissatisfied with Helland’s contribution and cross that Helland was making so little effort. Did Johannes ever mention this?’
    Anna looked wretchedly at Søren. ‘No,’ she whispered.
    ‘And you never noticed that his relationship with Professor Helland was strained?’
    ‘No.’ She jerked her head and stared at Søren. ‘You’re not insinuating that Johannes killed Helland, are you? That’s outrageous. Johannes is the sweetest man I know, he would never . . .’ She clutched her forehead.
    ‘Anna,’ Søren assured her. ‘I’m not insinuating anything. I’m just trying to make sense of it. That’s all. Why do you think Johannes never told you anything?’
    ‘Because I’m utterly self-centred,’ Anna said in a chastened voice.
    ‘Pardon?’ Søren said.
    ‘Nothing,’ Anna replied.
    Lily appeared in the doorway, dangling Bloppen in one hand.
    ‘I can’t sleep,’ she said, drowsily. ‘Bloppen is being noisy.’
    The World’s Most Irritating Detective sat down and looked at Lily. Now alert, she glanced from her mother to Søren.
    ‘Darling, you need to go back to bed,’ Anna said, wearily.
    ‘Bloppen is jumping up and down in my bed,’ Lily complained.
    ‘It’s late, darling,’ Anna pleaded and got up.
    ‘But Bloppen is reading my books,’ Lily persisted. ‘While he sings.’
    ‘No wonder you can’t get to sleep,’ Søren said. Anna wanted to explode. Pig! How dare you talk to my daughter when you’ve just threatened to take her away from me? Søren looked at Lily.
    ‘He makes so much noise,’ Lily said, shy, but pleased to have an audience.
    ‘Why do you think he makes a noise when you’re trying to sleep? That’s not a nice thing to do.’
    ‘Bloppen teases me,’ Lily complained.
    She toddled further into the living room, past Anna as if she didn’t exist, and up to Søren where she stopped in front of his legs. She reached almost up to his chest and her nightdress touched the floor. She dumped the naughty toy dog on Søren’s lap.
    ‘Shall we ask him why he’s so noisy?’ Søren suggested.
    Lily nodded.
    ‘I’m a police officer,’ Søren said, conspiratorially. ‘It’s better if I ask the questions, isn’t it? Then Bloppen might think you’ve called the police because he was noisy.’
    Lily thought that was an excellent idea.
    Søren picked up Bloppen, narrowed one eye and looked at him sharply. ‘Bloppen,’ he said. ‘Why are you noisy, why do you read Lily’s books, sing and jump in her bed so she can’t sleep?’
    Lily stared at Bloppen, she was mesmerised. Søren barked like a dog.
    ‘Oh, no,’ he said. ‘I’m afraid I don’t understand