The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indriðason

Author:Arnaldur Indriðason [Indriðason, Arnaldur]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781429963459
Amazon: B005G4A84I
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Published: 2009-09-02T05:00:00+00:00

Erlendur went to three video rental shops before he found the western to take for Marion Briem. He had once heard Marion describe it as a favourite because it was about a man who faced a looming peril alone when the community, including all his best friends, turned its back on him.

He knocked on the door, but no one answered. Marion was expecting him, because Erlendur had telephoned in advance, so he opened the door, which was unlocked, and let himself in. Not planning to stay, he only intended to drop the video in. He was awaiting a visit that evening from Valgerdur, who had moved in with her sister.

‘So you’re here?’ said Marion, who had fallen asleep on the sofa. ‘I heard you knock. I feel so tired. I’ve slept all day. Do you mind pushing the oxygen tank over to me?’

Erlendur placed the cylinder by the sofa and an old memory of a lonely and absurd death suddenly crossed his mind when he saw Marion’s hand reach for the oxygen.

The police had been called to a house in Thingholt. He had gone with Marion. He had only been in the CID a few months. Someone had died at home and it was classified as accidental death. A large elderly woman was sitting in an armchair in front of her television. She had been dead for a fortnight. Erlendur was almost overpowered by the stench in the flat. The woman’s neighbour had called the police because of the smell. He had not seen her for some time and eventually noticed that her television could be heard softly through the wall around the clock. She had choked. A plate of salted meat and boiled turnips was on the table beside her. A knife and fork lay on the floor by the chair. A large lump of meat was lodged in her throat. She had not managed to get out of the deep armchair. Her face was dark blue. It turned out that she had no relatives who called on her. No one ever visited her. No one missed her.

‘I know we all have to die,’ Marion had said, looking down at the body, ‘but I don’t want to die like that.’

‘Poor woman,’ Erlendur said, covering his nose and mouth.

‘Yes, poor woman,’ Marion said. ‘Was that why you joined the police force? To look at things like this?’

‘No,’ Erlendur said.

‘Why, then?’ Marion asked. ‘What are you doing this for?’

‘Have a seat,’ he heard Marion say through his thoughts. ‘Don’t stand there like a dickhead.’

He returned to himself and sat down in a chair facing Marion.

‘You don’t have to visit me, Erlendur.’

‘I know,’ Erlendur said. ‘I brought you another film. Starring Gary Cooper.’

‘Have you seen it?’ Marion asked.

‘Yes,’ Erlendur said. ‘Ages ago.’

‘Why are you so glum, what were you thinking about?’ Marion asked.

‘“We all have to die, but I don’t want to die like that.”’

‘Yes,’ Marion said, after a short pause. ‘I remember her. That old girl in the chair. And now you’re looking at me and thinking the same thing.

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