‘This one’s entirely off the record, Michael,’ she said. ‘Totally confidential. In a few minutes I’m going to email you some documents and a few notes, and I’d really appreciate it if you’d take a look and tell me what conclusion you come to.’

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77

The greatest injustice within the Icelandic penal system was that murder usually attracted a sentence of no more than sixteen years. Just sixteen, and normally ten would be served. Ten years passed quickly. This was why he was setting out to do what he had planned.

He wondered whether it had been daring or simply careless on his part to buy the ketamine from Björn. He simply hadn’t been able to resist. Somehow it was too neat, taking the circumstances into consideration. It would serve Björn right. He sold it to anyone who asked, through a Facebook page that he called The Sweetshop. Grímur’s message had barely been sent when a reply dropped in:

No prob. Plenty of Special K. Where do you want to do the handover?

Grímur had suggested the car park outside the kiosk down at Mjódd, and he sat there in his car, watching people going in and out of the shopping centre and wondering why so many of those who shopped there had blue hair. This wasn’t just the elderly biddies with walking sticks or frames, and light-blue hairdos, but youngsters sporting electric-blue hair. He watched them all until he saw a young lad get out of a car and glance around as if he was looking for something. Then he got out of his own car and walked straight to the lad, now standing in front of the kiosk, shoulders hunched and his hood over his face.

Grímur extended a hand, money between his fingers, and the boy snatched the wad of notes with lightning speed, simultaneously handing him a package with his other hand as he set off for his car again, and Grímur did the same. No words had been exchanged, and the lad had hardly looked at him, so he doubted that he would be recognised if they were to meet in the stairwell 186at home. Björn’s dealers still showed up occasionally, although more rarely since he had been sentenced. He no longer seemed to keep his dope in his flat, and must have found some other base for the boys, while he stayed at home and handled sales via Facebook.