There’s not a sound on the other end. She knows that’s a good sign. Kneought Brodal’s interest has been piqued, though he would never admit it. A deep, quiet breath, then she presses on.

‘When I did a close read of the documents we found on Fredrik’s laptop, I came across some terms I wanted to know more about.’

‘So you googled them?’ the coroner groans. ‘This ought to be good . . .’

‘It’s about something called Baudoinia.’

‘Go on,’ Brodal says tersely.

‘Apparently, it’s some kind of fungus that spreads—’

‘I know what Baudoinia is,’ Brodal cuts in. ‘Get to the point.’

‘So I looked up some of the other recurring terms Stuub seems to have been examining in conjunction with Baudoinia. At least, that’s what I think he was doing, but that kind of research jargon is completely impenetrable to me. I don’t even know if my interpretation of what little I’ve found is correct.’

‘And what is your interpretation?’

‘That Fredrik Stuub was trying to demonstrate that the Baudoinia fungus isn’t as harmless as we think. That there are links to . . . I mean, I could be completely wrong about this . . .’

‘Are you telling me you called me at quarter past six in the morning on Twelfth Night to inform me that you have a hunch, but you think you’re wrong about it?’

‘Alzheimer’s,’ Karen says. ‘And I don’t think I’m wrong. But I would be very happy to find out I am.’

A booming laugh on the other end.

‘Alzheimer’s? Are you serious?’

‘I don’t know, Kneought. To my eyes it looks like Stuub was trying to link Alzheimer’s or some other disease like it to the shit leaking out of the distillery.’

‘And now you want me to verify this insanity?’

‘Not the results themselves, of course. Just if that was, in fact, what he was researching. And I don’t really care if Stuub was right or not. What’s important is to find out if he was in a position to make others believe he was. If he managed to scare someone badly enough for that person to want to silence him.’

‘One of the Groths, you mean.’

‘Too early to say, but sure. If Fredrik had enough to make people even suspect such a link, it would threaten their entire company.’

Not to mention their expansion plans, she adds silently. The provincial board would certainly get cold feet and even if Stuub’s results were proven wrong in due course, it would still throw a spanner in the works for the Groths and lead to costly delays.

‘I need a few hours,’ Brodal says curtly.

‘Thank you.’