‘Weed,’ the prosecutor says, as though that’s the important bit. ‘And how had your brother got himself to Solstad?’

‘After our argument the night before, he’d asked Ruben to come and pick him up.’

‘In the middle of the night?’

‘Yes. I don’t know exactly what time it was. But I’m sure you have that in your notes somewhere.’

Ms Håkonsen clearly doesn’t like my remark, but I’m too tired of all her questions to care. I’m wondering how much longer I need to be up here. A while, I reckon. We haven’t even got to Ole Hoff yet.

‘Your brother got Ruben to come and collect him, even though Ruben didn’t have a driver’s licence yet. He borrowed his father’s car, didn’t he? A man who works as a funeral agent.’

‘Yes, that’s right,’ I say wearily.

‘Then they drove back to Solstad.’

‘Correct.’

I had smelled weed on Tobias’s clothes from time to time, so it didn’t come as a big surprise to me that he’d been smoking at Ruben’s. What I didn’t know, was that he’d been taking other substances as well. Pills, mostly. It was when Imo found my brother that I realised what he wanted extra money for. Why he’d stolen that iPad.

I wasn’t angry about any of that, though. I was just happy he was alive and, for the time being, well.

‘Did your uncle say anything about what state Tobias was in when he found him?’

‘No. Just that he was tired – they’d been up all night.’

’So Imo’s plan was to drive Tobias home.’

‘Yes.’

‘But Yngve Mork was standing beside you when you got that phone call, wasn’t he?’

‘Yes. And he asked if he could have a word with Imo.’

61

THEN

I handed the phone to Mork. He moved away from me, but I edged towards him, making sure I was close enough to hear what he said. My uncle was to drive Tobias straight to the police station, where my brother would be questioned.

Then something changed in Mork’s eyes, in the expression on his face. It was as if something was going on at the other end, something that startled him.

‘Imo, what’s happening?’ Mork said. He was looking straight ahead, eyes wide.

Whatever was going on, Mork’s face told me that it wasn’t good.

‘Imo…’

My uncle obviously didn’t answer, because Mork started shouting his name.

‘What the hell is going on?’ I yelled, but Mork just put a finger in his ear to block out the noise. Had they been in a car crash or something? Why wasn’t Imo saying anything?