‘Not long, a couple of hours, maybe. I think we got there around half-past midnight and Brynn’s girlfriend called at quarter past two, I know that. Well, at that point, there was nothing for it but to jump in the car and drive Brynn to Thysted. I have no idea how long Leo and Kore stayed after that.’

‘And what did you do after dropping Brynn off at the hospital?’

‘I went home, of course. I was exhausted.’

‘And where’s home?’

‘Ljustervej 22 in Gaarda,’ Billy replies. ‘Subletting, but I’m hoping to find my own place soon.’

‘And do you have any idea where Luna might be? Something she said, something you saw, but maybe didn’t think twice about until now?’

He closes his eyes and sits there motionless for so long Karen starts to wonder whether he intends to go over every single minute he ever spent with Luna. Or whether Billy Formby has in fact dozed off. But then he opens his eyes and sticks his hand into his pocket.

‘I have pictures,’ he says hesitantly. ‘But I’m not really supposed to show them to anyone.’

‘Pictures? You mean photographs?’

‘Yes, I’ve been taking pictures with my phone the whole time she’s been here.’

‘And Luna didn’t notice?’

Billy gives her a surprised look.

‘Of course she noticed. She was the one who told me to do it. My God, what kind of creep do you take me for?’

Karen raises a soothing hand.

‘I was just surprised. What with everything being so hush-hush.’

‘She wanted them as keepsakes, she said. But I know they were talking about releasing some of them in conjunction with the album launch, if they came out all right.’

‘And they’re all in your phone?’

‘Yes, though I obviously wasn’t allowed to use my own. They let me borrow a brand-new one with a nice camera. I suppose I have to give it back now.’

Karen holds out her hand.

‘Is it that one? Can I see?’

Billy leans back slightly and clutches the phone to his chest.

‘Maybe we should ask someone first? I did sign a non-disclosure—’

He jumps when Karen gets to her feet without warning and hollers across the room.

‘Oi, Kore, could you come over here!’

*

About an hour later, Karen Eiken Hornby is back in the car, reluctantly turning the key in the ignition. She has decidedly mixed feelings about the prospect of going through the pictures documenting the white-clad goddess’s stay in Doggerland.

Chapter 9

9

The smell from the hob tells Karen that Sigrid is using the same seasoning as always: garlic, chilli, ginger, and, unfortunately, coriander from the lovingly tended pots on the windowsill. The latter was added during a recent bout of culinary experimentation and the resulting flavours have varied from undefined but perfectly edible Asian, to scorching hot with significant undertones of aftershave.