Björn Groth has to be brought in today, she reflects while the room empties, and that’s a task she can’t delegate. In fact, she wants Karl Björken with her when she talks to him. But what can I trust Byle’s people to do? she wonders and glances down at her notes. Her to-do list includes following up with the party guests, especially Lyanna Drage and Ingemar Bergvall, and the Groths, talking to the Trystes and going through the contents of Fredrik Stuub’s laptop. I should really talk to his sister one more time, too, she thinks to herself and feels her pulse rise at the thought of trying to get everything done. And I need to talk to Odd again. Röse had been right about one thing: anyone could have got into the distillery grounds without being detected.

Karen closes the door and turns to Byle. Then she tells him what Fredrik Stuub wrote to Björn Groth.

‘Blimey,’ he says. ‘But you have to ask yourself whether he really had something or whether it was just bluster. He was widely known as a bit of an eccentric old crank. He wrote some irate letters to the editor of the local paper and to various local politicians about the vandalism up at Gudheim. Demanding round-the-clock police surveillance. Can’t you just see it, a three-shift operation to protect the ship setting!’

‘It might be nothing, but we need to follow up on it. I’ll start and see what shakes out. I’m going to try to make the time to at least skim the contents of Fredrik Stuub’s laptop right now.’

She flips through her notes.

‘Karl and I will talk to William Tryste and his wife as soon as we’re done with Björn Groth. And someone needs to talk to the secretary . . .’ Karen scans her notes for the name. ‘Eva Framnes. Can you do that?’

Byle nods.

‘Absolutely. But we need more help. As you know, no one up here has any experience of murder investigations.’

‘I talked to Smeed just before we sat down and I made it very clear to him we need more hands on deck. But we can’t sit on our hands while we wait for reinforcements to arrive. I want to talk to Björn Groth as soon as possible, and this time I’m not driving up to the distillery. Do you have anyone who can bring him here this afternoon, at, say, three o’clock?’

‘I’ll have one of the boys go pick him up if necessary. I think he’ll be grateful it’s Saturday.’

‘Why is that?’

‘I don’t imagine he’d appreciate running into the members of the provincial board, what with the decision on his expansion pending. I’m sure they would have some questions and their offices are right across the street.’