The forensics team were now at the scene and began pulling on white overalls the moment they were out of their van. Daníel went over to them and pointed out the car that needed to be photographed before it could be moved to the workshop and pulled apart, and told them that they, along with himself and Helena, would be the first ones inside the apartment once the locksmith had opened the door. He expected they wouldn’t take long to check the place out. They would go over the usual stuff, searching for any of Ísafold’s belongings that might be there, to determine whether she had packed as if she were leaving for good, or as if she expected to be away only for a few days. Did it look as if Björn had packed his own things for a short trip or a long one? He had no expectation that there would be visible signs of a struggle in the flat, but the forensics team would use all their skills to detect any invisible signs.

He and Helena watched the locksmith open Björn’s flat. He quickly dealt with the lock and gently took hold of the handle so  250that the door opened a crack, then nodded and stood back to make way for Daníel. He pulled on gloves and cautiously pushed the door open. Stepping inside, he could feel it.

The pulsing in his head flashed so fast that it almost interrupted his vision. He gasped, breathed it in, and it buzzed in his ears so that every hair on his body stood upright and every cell in his body could sense it. Someone had died in here.

251

104

Grímur left the door to the stairwell half open, and sat on the floor as he listened to what was taking place on the stairs and on the floor above – in their flat. A police officer had knocked and apologised for the disturbance, saying that a crime-scene investigation was being conducted in one of the flats in the block, but he wasn’t able to provide any more information. Although Grímur feigned surprise, he knew exactly what it was about. The next police officer to come along was young and nervous, and wanted to ask questions about the neighbours. Grímur told him the truth, that Björn had beaten Ísafold, that he had injured her several times and that the man was a merciless thug.