‘Would you like this coffee?’ he asked, and Gunnar shook his head. He didn’t drink coffee. Coffee put him on edge.

‘Here’s your driver, at your service,’ the national commissioner’s guy said, jerking a thumb towards Gunnar, who leaned forward and extended a hand.

‘Gunnar,’ he said.

‘Úrsúla,’ she replied. Her handshake was strong and warm. ‘This is my husband, Nonni, and our daughter Herdís. We have a ten-year-old son who is staying with a friend overnight, fortunately.’

‘I understand you’ve had an unpleasant experience.’

‘Yes. I imagine Boris has told you what happened. I’m unhurt, but had something of a roll in the snow,’ she said. ‘And the self-confidence has had a battering. You know that I was going to drive myself?’

Gunnar nodded, relieved that the minister had reminded him of the national commissioner’s guy’s name.

‘My last job was in Syria, and there was gunfire all day long, and before that I was in Liberia during the Ebola outbreak. So I’m no shrinking violet, but somehow you don’t expect this kind of thing here in Iceland. I have to confess I’m shaken.’

Gunnar nodded. It was clear that the woman felt a need to excuse herself, make it plain that she was no pushover, but that didn’t matter to Gunnar. He was delighted to be in his dream job.

‘Gunnar will handle all your security,’ Boris said. ‘And it’s best if you don’t open the door in the morning until Gunnar has rung the bell.’

‘Why’s that?’ the girl asked with a curious expression on her face. 55

‘It’s because recently ministers have experienced unpleasant things at home. Offal or paint on their doors, that kind of thing.’

The girl’s eyes widened in surprise and fear, and she looked beseechingly at Gunnar.

‘Are you going to look after my mummy?’ she asked.

‘Yes,’ Gunnar said, sending the child a smile. ‘I’m going to take very good care of her.’

56

Tuesday

21

Úrsúla took the neat plastic sleeve that Eva handed her and lifted a corner to look at the printouts. Fréttablaðið, DV, Morgunblaðið and many online news outlets had covered the case at the time, six months ago, but there had been nothing recently. The latest clipping was five months old.

‘These state that a formal accusation has been lodged, but there are no names – neither the mother’s nor the girl’s,’ Eva said.

‘This should be enough for Óðinn to find out more. There can’t be that many police officers in Selfoss with rape accusations made against them. This must be documented somewhere.’

‘Yes, according to the reports, the girl went to the local health centre, which ordered a rape kit from the National Hospital in Reykjavík, and after that there was a request for assistance from the Reykjavík city police in making a formal accusation, because it was against a police officer who came under the authority of the Southern Region.’

‘OK, that’s perfect, Eva,’ Úrsúla said and handed the plastic sleeve back to her. ‘Will you take this to Óðinn and make it clear that I want this followed up, with a formal request for an update on the progress of this case?’