The Cabin by Jørn Lier Horst

Author:Jørn Lier Horst
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781405941624
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2019-08-07T16:00:00+00:00

37

It was Friday afternoon and the traffic was nudging its way out of the capital city. Adrian Stiller sat with his hands on the steering wheel, thinking of Line Wisting. He could not quite work out her role in this. Whether her father had sent her to gain access to the Gjersjø case files, or whether she actually did intend to write a story about a cold case. Either way, it must have been her father who had tipped her off about Simon Meier.

He looked down at the sheet of paper on the passenger seat beside him, the note that had dragged Bernhard Clausen into the case. He had understood why the yellow note attached to it had Arnt Eikanger’s name on it. Eikanger had worked as an officer in the local police station in Oppegård when Simon Meier went missing, but he was also politically active. He had been a local councillor and chair of the executive committee, as well as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party in the period from 2003 to 2007. The officer in charge of the investigation must have thought it practical to ask him to make contact with Bernhard Clausen.

Arnt Eikanger lived in Myrvoll, just beside Gjersjø lake, only a couple of kilometres from the fishing spot frequented by Simon Meier. The drive through the afternoon traffic took double the usual time.

When the local police station was closed down, Eikanger had quit the police and concentrated entirely on politics. In the run-up to that autumn’s general election, he was in fourth place on the Labour Party’s list vote for members of parliament for the region in Norway’s proportional representation system. Stiller had not given Eikanger notice of his visit. The whole trip could prove to be a wasted journey, but he liked to speak to people without giving them an opportunity to prepare.

He located the house and turned into a paved courtyard. As he stepped out of the car, it crossed his mind that police officers ought to be careful about expressing political viewpoints. A neutral political standpoint in the force would surely instil greater public confidence and trust.

Arnt Eikanger was at home. A grey-haired man with glasses, he stood in the doorway while Stiller introduced himself.

‘I don’t mean to disturb you,’ he said. ‘It’s just that I was in the neighbourhood and thought I’d swing by and see if you were at home. We’ve taken up the Gjersjø case again and I’m following up some leads.’

‘I see,’ the former policeman answered. ‘Then you really must come in.’

They sat down together at the kitchen table. ‘Is there anything new?’ Eikanger asked. ‘Has he been found, or something?’

Stiller shook his head. ‘There’s nothing new,’ he said. ‘But there are a few unanswered questions from that time.’

‘It was Ulf Lande who led the investigation,’ Eikanger pointed out. ‘I had more responsibility for the operative details, such as organizing the search party. Ulf still works in the police force, at the police station in Ski.’

Stiller drew out the letter that named Clausen.

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