Where the Shadows Lie (Fire and Ice)

were the one who insisted on putting Gaukur’s Saga up for sale. If it hadn’t been for that, all would be well.’
    ‘That’s bullshit. Yes, I made a mistake. But I had no idea what would happen. It was you! You who killed them!’ Ingileif took a step back. ‘OK, maybe you killed Dad by accident, but not the other two. Hang on – did you kill Sigursteinn as well?’
    Pétur nodded. ‘You have to admit he deserved it after what he had done to Birna. I flew back from London, met him in Reykjavík, bought him a few drinks.’
    ‘And he ended up in the harbour?’
    ‘That’s right.’
    ‘Who are you?’ Ingileif said, her eyes wide. ‘You’re not my brother. Who are you?’
    Pétur closed his eyes. ‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘It’s this.’ He took his hand out of his pocket. Showed her the ring on his finger. ‘Here. Take a look.’
    He slipped it off and handed it to her. It was his last chance. Maybe the ring would corrupt his sister just like it had corrupted him, his father, Hákon and all the others.
    Ingileif stared at it. ‘Is this it?’
    ‘Yes.’
    She closed her fist around it. Pétur felt an urge to grab it, but resisted. Let her have it. Let it do its evil magic with her.
    ‘So, what are you going to do?’ Pétur asked.
    ‘I’m going to the police,’ Ingileif said. ‘What did you think I would do?’
    ‘Are you sure?’ said Pétur. ‘Are you absolutely sure?’
    ‘Of course I am,’ Ingileif said. She glared at her brother. In addition to fear and shock, there was hatred there now.
    Pétur’s shoulders slumped. He closed his eyes. Oh, well. The ring was going to have its way. He had been foolish to think that this could end any other way.
    He took a step forward.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
    M AGNUS PASSED A tour bus on its way out as he screeched into the parking lot. It was almost deserted. Two cars were parked next to each other – a big SUV and a much smaller hatchback, with a third a few feet away.
    ‘That’s Ingileif’s,’ said Jubb, pointing to the hatchback.
    ‘Stay here!’ shouted Magnus, as he leaped out of the car.
    He ran across the parking lot and down some wooden steps. The waterfall opened up before him, a cauldron of roaring water. The path went to a ledge with an observation point halfway down the waterfall.
    Nothing. No one. Just water. An unimaginable volume of water.
    He looked up at the falls. The path stopped just short of them, all pretty much in his view. But downstream were more steps, a path, another parking lot, a gorge. Plenty of places to hide out of view.
    Magnus ran down the steps towards the gorge.
    ‘Pési? What are you doing?’ Ingileif’s eyes widened, but anger over-came fear. Pétur knew he would have a struggle on his hands. His sister wouldn’t go quietly. He wished he had to hand a rock or some other blunt instrument to hit her with first. If he hit her hard enough with his fist, he might knock her out.
    He swallowed. It was going to be very hard to strike Ingileif.
    But … But he had to.
    He took another step forward. But then he saw some movement out of the corner of his eye. A couple with a tripod appeared over the lip of the hollow. One of them, a woman by her size and shape, waved. Pétur didn’t acknowledge her but turned back to Ingileif, who hadn’t noticed.
    He would have to play for time, until they had gone.
    ‘Do you want me to turn myself in?’ he asked his sister.
    ‘Yes,’ she said.
    ‘Why should I?’ said Pétur.
    For two minutes they continued a halting conversation, with Pétur watching the couple through his peripheral vision. He saw them set up the tripod, move it, and then take it down. Whether they had taken a picture of the falls or decided against the shot, Pétur didn’t know. But he was relieved to see them disappear back over the rim of the hollow.
    He took another step towards his sister.
    Jubb didn’t stay in the car. He looked around the car park, and then made his way to the information office. A middle-aged woman inside wished him a good afternoon in English, having sized him up as a foreigner.
    ‘Have you seen two people here?’ Jubb asked. ‘A man and a woman? The man is bald, and the woman is blonde. Icelanders.’
    ‘No, I don’t think so. I did just speak to a German couple. The man had a woolly hat so I couldn’t see if he was bald. But the woman had dark hair, I am sure of it. They were going to take photographs of the falls.’
    ‘But no Icelanders?’
    ‘No, I am sorry.