Knut seemed to give that some thought before answering. ‘I don’t know. I think I would. But I knew she was Even’s girlfriend, and I thought I could score some points with her, and with him, if I went in and got her. God knows it’s not easy coming into a family like Susanne’s the way that I have, late in the boys’ lives and all.’

Knut had been working when Børre Halvorsen was murdered as well, but he’d been on a trip to Lillestrøm at the time. The taxi company had a copy of the receipt he’d collected afterwards. He’d been paid at exactly thirteen minutes past midnight. There was no way Knut could have made it back to Fredheim in time to kill Børre.

Yngve asked him a few more questions, then sent him on his way, sweating profusely and apologising once again for not coming forward. Afterwards Yngve went to see Therese.

‘Someone’s lying to us in this town,’ he said. ‘I can’t see any other explanation.’

‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘I think you may be right. I’ve just heard from the doctors at Akershus University Hospital. They have given us the go-ahead to interview Tobias.’

‘Let’s go then.’

73

73

I said goodbye to Victor Ramsfjell and checked my phone. Ole Hoff had called. I suspected he’d heard about Tobias and wanted an update. But after what my mum had told me about Julia, his wife, I really didn’t want to talk to him. Besides, our family drama was nobody else’s business – especially not the media’s.

I was wondering what to do. I didn’t want to go home to the big empty house and sit there with my own thoughts, waiting for updates on Tobias. As I was standing on the pavement, my bike leaning against my stomach, I tried to go through everything I knew about the case, step by step. I thought about Mari and what she’d done the last few days of her life – besides breaking up with me. I remembered how she’d stayed away from school and spent the last two nights of her life at Ida Hammer’s, apparently because of some argument with her parents.

A new plan formed in my mind, but I wasn’t sure if I should go through with it. My previous encounter with Cecilie Lindgren hadn’t gone well, and if it really was Frode who had been following me in his car that night, going to see them now might not be a good idea. But I needed answers.