‘We’ve collected everyone’s information. I wanted to wait for you, to make sure there’s no trouble down the line. My understanding is that our role is mostly to stand guard.’

Karen sighs inwardly. This is the downside to having the national CID head up all serious crime investigations; you take away people’s responsibilities and authority and the result is anxious officers who are scared to put one foot in front of the other.

‘And you have done that wonderfully,’ she says. ‘Just one thing, Thorstein.’

She pauses, searching for the right words. Stop being so fucking passive, she growls inwardly. Out loud, she says, ‘I’m never going to complain about you taking the initiative, so long as what you do makes sense and isn’t in breach of established police regulations. You’re an experienced officer and I need your help. OK?’

‘OK.’

‘So, starting right now, your men are going to take down very basic witness statements and then we’re going to let the guests go home. I want to know the last time each and every one of them saw Gabriel Stuub and whether there were any arguments during the course of the evening. I also want them to ask open questions about Gabriel Stuub, coax out any other observations anyone might have about last night. And I want all the guests swabbed.’

‘Of course. I’ll tell them to get going straight away. But I need to keep a couple of my guys at the crime scene and at least one at the bottom of the drive. With only seven constables, we’re spread pretty thin.’

Karen nods.

‘Yes, this is going to take a while. I’ll start by talking to all the members of the Groth family, but I really need at least two—’

A familiar voice from the doorway cuts her off.

‘So, Eiken,’ says Karl Björken. ‘Here you are, stuffing your face. I thought we had a murder to solve?’

Chapter 36

36

The relief Karen feels at seeing the tall, dark man who seems to fill the entire doorway is overwhelming; it’s an effort not to run over and hug him.

Once Detective Inspector Karl Björken from the National CID has been properly introduced to Thorstein Byle, they agree Byle will go down to the hotel to help the officers there, while Karen and Björken tackle the Groth family.

‘But before I do anything else, I want to see the body. What’s taking Sören and Kneought so long?’ Karen snaps impatiently.

‘Calm down, Eiken,’ Karl Björken says and steals a piece of serrano ham from her plate. ‘They were on the same ferry as me. They probably went straight to the scene.’

As they walk over to the spot where Gabriel Stuub’s body was found, Karen tells Karl everything Byle just told her, then briefly sums up the Fredrik Stuub case.