Where the Shadows Lie (Fire and Ice)

said, remembering his conversation with Katrín, about her seeing them together.
    Tómas frowned in surprise.
    ‘Go on,’ Magnus said.
    ‘Agnar said that he had been approached by a wealthy American to buy Gaukur’s ring. I acted dumb, but Agnar went on. He said that he had just come back from Hruni, where he had spoken to Father. He said that although Father denied he had the ring, Agnar was sure he was lying.’
    ‘Did he say why?’
    ‘He did. It was ridiculous.’ Tómas smiled to himself. ‘He said it was because Father looked much younger than his age. In Gaukur’s Saga the warrior who bears the ring, Ulf something, is actually ninety, but looks much younger, and Agnar’s theory was that the same thing was happening to Father, he wasn’t getting any older.’
    ‘I see what you mean,’ said Magnus. ‘That is a little weird.’
    ‘I know. The problem was I laughed at him. It was a problem because right then Agnar could tell I knew what he was talking about.’
    ‘But you didn’t actually admit it?’
    ‘No. Then he claimed that Father must have murdered Dr Ásgrímur. Obviously, I said that was wrong. But Agnar persisted. He seemed very sure of himself. Basically, he tried to blackmail me. Or us.’
    ‘How?’
    ‘He said that unless Father sold him the ring – and Agnar promised he would pay a high price – then he would go to the police and tell them, I mean you, about the ring and about Dr Ásgrímur’s murder.’
    ‘So what did you do?’
    ‘I called Father. I told him what Agnar had said.’
    ‘How did he take it?’
    ‘He wasn’t having any of it. We agreed how absurd it was that Agnar should think that Father had murdered Dr Ásgrímur. But, of course, Father knew I knew he had the ring. He said we should call Agnar’s bluff. So I went to look for him. I went to the University first, and then a student said he was at a summer house on Lake Thingvellir. I actually knew the house, I interviewed Agnar’s father there a few years ago. You know he was a cabinet minister?’
    Magnus nodded.
    ‘So I drove out to Lake Thingvellir. I told Agnar that my father had no idea what he was talking about. I urged him to drop the blackmailing.’
    ‘Urged?’ said Magnus. ‘Or threatened.’
    ‘Urged. I pointed out that if Agnar went through with it, his clients almost certainly wouldn’t get the ring. I kind of admitted I knew that Father had it.’
    ‘What did Agnar say?’
    ‘He looked at me for several seconds, thinking. Then he suggested that if Father was too stubborn to give up the ring of his own accord, I should steal it from him. That way I would keep him out of jail.’
    ‘What did you say?’
    ‘I said I would think about it.’
    Magnus raised his eyebrows.
    ‘Agnar had a point. I knew Father would never give up the ring, but I didn’t want him to go to jail. I knew where Father kept it, and it would be easy to take it and sell it to Agnar.’
    ‘So did you?’
    ‘Steal the ring? No. I drove straight home, and sat down and thought about it. In the end I decided to tell Father what Agnar had suggested. I called him that evening.’
    ‘And what did your father say?’
    ‘He was angry. Very angry.’
    ‘With you?’
    ‘With Agnar and with me. He was upset that I had as good as admitted that he had the ring. He didn’t seem at all grateful that I had stood by him, that I had called him instead of taking the ring myself.’ There was anger in Tómas’s voice. ‘He lost it, basically.’
    ‘So what did you do?’
    ‘I was wound up. I had a drink or two to calm myself down.’ Tómas winced. ‘I ended up drinking most of a bottle of whisky. I woke up late the next morning, still not sure what to do. Then I heard about Agnar’s death on the radio.’
    Tómas swallowed.
    ‘What’s the timing on all this?’ Magnus asked. ‘When did you get home from Lake Thingvellir?’
    ‘About half-past five or so. Like I told your colleague.’ Tómas’s eyes flicked towards Baldur.
    ‘And what time did you call your father?’
    ‘About half an hour later, maybe an hour.’
    ‘So that’s about six, six-thirty.’ The obvious question framed itself in Magnus’s mind. ‘So your father could have gone to Lake Thingvellir later that night? To shut Agnar up?’
    Tómas didn’t answer.
    ‘Well?’
    ‘I have no idea,’ he said. But it was quite clear that the thought had occurred to him too.
    ‘One other question,’ said Magnus. ‘Where does your father hide the