‘Yes, of course I know Fredrik Stuub,’ she says, still slightly out of breath. ‘Though only by name, to be honest. He hasn’t worked for us in years. Can I ask what this is about? I’m not allowed to give out information willy-nilly.’

Karen explains as blandly as she is able that Fredrik Stuub was found dead near his home and that it’s her job to ‘gather all relevant information’. Strictly ‘routine’.

‘Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear that,’ Jenny Older says distractedly. ‘But he was retiring when I started working here, so, like I said, I don’t know him personally. What did he die from? No, of course you can’t tell me, but I suppose he must have been fairly old.’

Granted, the media haven’t released the names of Fredrik or Gabriel Stuub, but the identity of the people behind the headlines are an open secret on Noorö. Jenny Older, however, doesn’t seem to have intuited any connection between the double murder and Fredrik Stuub. Karen can see no reason to help her along that path.

‘I don’t want to take up too much of your time,’ she says. ‘What I was really looking for was someone who could tell me briefly about Fredrik Stuub’s work.’

A short hesitation on the other end. Then Jenny Older seems to decide that information probably isn’t confidential.

‘He taught and did research within the biochemical field,’ she replies. ‘That is to say, he taught here until 2012, when he retired. After that, we signed an agreement that gave him continued access to our facilities and equipment for a further five years so he could conclude his research. I remember because Fredrik Stuub was one of the last to enjoy an agreement of that kind. Our policy vis-à-vis former employees has changed since.’

‘Why is that?’

‘At the end of the day, it’s a matter of prioritising. There was some discussion back and forth with our emeritus community. Knowledge transfer on the one hand, a reorientation of the university and resources on the other. In the end, the leadership decided we would no longer allow retired colleagues to remain associated with the university.’

‘And what was Fredrik Stuub’s research about?’

‘Mycotoxins. By which I mean different types of toxins that occur in mould. He was, among other things, regularly consulted by the media as an expert. Like when we had that aflatoxin scare a few years ago, for example.’

Karen searches her memory of alarmist evening news headlines screaming that what you’ve happily been eating all your life is going to kill you.