‘All right. The ball’s in your court. How did you know I was here, by the way?’

‘I was home when Mum called you. I hear you’re coming over tonight,’ he says darkly.

‘Probably. I hear you’re going to be there, too. And Einar is apparently home from the oil rig. I haven’t seen him in ten years, so I’m looking forward to it. But you don’t seem thrilled?’

‘I don’t want any trouble. No fucking fuzz crap at Mum’s house. Or anywhere else. No trips to the clubhouse.’

‘I can’t promise not to go up there, you know that. But fine, no trouble tonight. Was that all you came here to say?’

‘How much is information about Gabriel worth to you? Enough for you to back off the OP?’

So that’s how it is, she thinks to herself, and feels her pulse make her arms tingle. So that’s how important it is to you that I don’t come barging into your headquarters, introducing myself as your cousin. You might even be aspiring to the top job now that Allan Jonshed is in the nick. Having a copper in the family probably doesn’t look good on the CV.

‘I guess that depends on what you have for me,’ she says, feigning indifference.

‘Information about who slit his throat.’

Karen is momentarily taken aback.

‘If you know who did it, you need to testify.’

‘Forget it. Then the deal’s off. Take it or leave it.’

‘You really care that much about your mates in that little scout troop finding out we’re related? Because you’re not going to convince me you’re doing it to keep your family out of this.’

Odd pulls out a rumpled packet of cigarettes and Karen waves her hand impatiently when he makes no move to share. He hands her the packet and leans back with a heavy sigh.

‘It’s up to you,’ he says. ‘I’ll tell you what I know if you promise to keep me out of it.’

She takes a moment to weigh her options. If she does make that promise, she will have a hard time breaking it. Or at least it will mean never speaking to Odd again. Or anyone else on her father’s side of the family. No one would take her side in that kind of dispute.

‘OK, deal,’ she says after taking a deep drag. ‘On the condition that you’re not involved.’

He shoots her a wry smile.

‘Come on, Kay-Kay, you really think I could kill a man? Does that sound like me?’

‘What do you have?’ she demands curtly.

‘All right, it’s like this. Gabriel talked a big game. Mostly bullshit.’

‘Yes, that much I’ve gathered.’

‘And he whored around.’

‘“Whored around”? You mean because he was stealing from Groth’s?’