‘Then you need to shut me up as well!’

‘And Boris,’ Úrsúla said. ‘I sent him a memo today instructing him to look into all communication between you and Jónatan going back to when the rape charge was raised. I’ve no doubt he’ll find a trail of messages and calls between you.’

Úrsúla felt Óðinn’s body sag behind her and the hand holding the knife dropped so that the blade now hovered over her chest.

‘I’ve known for years this would come back to haunt me,’ he said, his voice slow and dark. Úrsúla thought she caught a sob as he spoke. ‘You can do the right thing your whole life, work hard and try to do better. But when the past catches up with you, all that’s worth nothing.’

‘You mean when Jónatan raised his head after so long and started blackmailing you into suppressing the rape charge against him,’ Úrsúla said.

‘He was calling in an old debt, as he had every right to,’ Óðinn said. ‘But when you started digging into all this and demanding 261it be followed up, he was scared stiff. He started calling all the time, going wild, and expecting me to work some kind of miracle.’

‘It’s over, Óðinn. Now it’s time for you to let me go,’ Úrsúla said, hoping that the tension she could feel draining out of him was an indication that he was about to capitulate.

But instead Óðinn stiffened and moved his arm to hold Úrsúla in a headlock. Her chin rested in the crook of his arm and the smell of onion from the blade gave way to the stronger odour of sweat.

‘You have influence with Thorbjörn,’ he whispered. ‘You can call him and let him spin a story on all this. Vefpressan takes the lead and all the other media follow.’

‘You mean the Thorbjörn you were seen talking to outside the ministry? Didn’t you see the news earlier? The cleaner, Stella, saw you getting out of his car and said it was obvious you had been arguing. What were you and Thorbjörn plotting?’

‘We’ve both been plotting with Thorbjörn – each in our own way. Don’t think I haven’t noticed,’ Óðinn snarled, but before Úrsúla could formulate a reply, she saw Gunnar step towards them. Óðinn shouted something, and then Gunnar leaped and all three of them fell to the floor.

She heard the men struggling beside her as she fought to catch her breath, but she was unable to because of the pain of the knife deep in her chest.

She didn’t feel fear, but as she lost consciousness she was thankful that Nonni and the children were elsewhere, somewhere safe.

117

The knife clattered out of Óðinn’s grasp as he fought back, and as he tried to reach for it, Gunnar landed a punch to his face. The blow left Óðinn dazed. He looked around, gathering his wits, so Gunnar made to pin him down, but he twisted away and was on 262his feet with surprising agility and looked ready to make a break for the door. Gunnar threw himself into a tackle that brought Óðinn to his knees and a moment later Gunnar had him in an arm lock. Óðinn was heavily built and a powerful man, but was left helpless as Gunnar held him, putting his weight behind him so that Óðinn fell to the floor. With one arm holding Óðinn down, Gunnar felt for his belt and the handcuffs that should have been there – but they had been taken from him by the police after the altercation with Pétur.