Burned (22 page)

‘I never lie.’

‘Oh no?’ Brogeland quips.

‘Perhaps you would like to confront my client directly rather than pussyfoot around?’ Indrehaug says. Brogeland sends him an evil stare before he addresses Marhoni again.

‘How many people, apart from you, use your laptop, Mahmoud?’

‘No one.’

‘You haven’t ever lent it to anyone?’

‘No.’

‘Not with you watching, either?’

‘No.’

‘And you’re quite sure about that?’

‘Yes.’

‘Inspector –’

Indrehaug throws up his hands and sighs wearily. Brogeland smiles and nods to himself.

‘What were you were doing on Henriette Hagerup’s e-mail account on the day that she was killed?’

Marhoni looks up.

‘What?’

‘Why were you reading your girlfriend’s e-mails?’

Brogeland registers that Marhoni looks surprised.

‘Was it to sneak a peek at this?’

Brogeland pushes a sheet of paper across the table. It’s a photograph of Henriette Hagerup draped around a man. The man’s face can’t be seen, only the back of his head. His hair is dark and thin. Marhoni looks at the picture.

‘Who is this, Mahmoud?’

He doesn’t reply.

‘This picture was found in your late girlfriend’s e-mail account, which was read from your laptop on the day she died. Do you want to comment on that?’

Marhoni looks at the photograph again.

‘Who sent the e-mail?’ he asks.

‘Let us worry about that. I’m asking you again, do you know the man in the picture?’

He shakes his head.

‘You understand that this doesn’t look good for you, Mahmoud?’

Marhoni still has nothing to tell them. Brogeland sighs. Indrehaug looks at his client. Marhoni rubs his thumb against the palm of his other hand. Neither Sandland nor Brogeland says anything for a while; they wait for him to crack.

‘I didn’t do it,’ he suddenly whispers.

‘What did you say?’

‘I didn’t check her e-mails.’

Brogeland rolls his eyes as if he has just suffered the world’s greatest injustice.

‘You’ve just said that you’re the only one to use your laptop. Is that no longer the case?’

Marhoni shakes his head.

‘It can’t be.’

‘So someone else used your laptop – without your knowledge – to look at a photograph of your girlfriend in the arms of another man? Is that what you’re telling us?’

Marhoni nods cautiously.

‘Who could have done it? Your brother? Henriette?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Is that why they’re both dead, Mahmoud?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘No, you don’t know.’

Brogeland sighs and looks at Sandland. She scans Marhoni’s face for any giveaway signs or expressions.

‘What do you think about sharia?’ Brogeland continues.

‘Sharia?’

‘Yes. Pakistani band. Played at the Mela Festival about a year ago.’

‘Inspector –’

‘Bad joke, I know. But answer the question, what do you think about sharia? Sharia laws. Do sharia laws represent a view of women which you agree with, Mahmoud?’

‘No.’

‘You don’t think that stoning a woman – for example – is a suitable punishment for infidelity? Or chopping off someone’s hands for stealing?’

Brogeland doesn’t wait for a reply. Marhoni looks baffled.

‘Who did Henriette have an affair with, Mahmoud?’

‘If you’re innocent and want to help yourself, I strongly recommend that you start talking now.’

‘Who’s the man in the photograph?’

Brogeland and Sandland speak simultaneously. Marhoni sighs.

‘The longer you drag this out, the worse it will look.’

‘Who was the man she had an affair with?’

‘Was that why you killed her?’

‘Who are you protecting?’

Marhoni raises a hand.

‘You don’t understand anything.’

He looks down, shaking his head.

‘Then help us.’ Brogeland says. He looks at Marhoni, waiting for him to explain.

‘Henriette was never unfaithful,’ Marhoni says, having thought about it for a long time.

‘What did you say?’

‘Henriette was never unfaithful to me.’

‘Then how do you explain these text messages?
Sorry. It means nothing. HE means nothing. You’re the one I love. Can we talk about it? Please?’

Brogeland stares hard at Marhoni.

‘And you’re telling me she was never unfaithful?’

‘Yes, or, I don’t know.’

‘No, you don’t. If you can’t come up with a better answer than this, then –’

‘She never mentioned anyone else to me.’

‘So the contents of the text messages make no sense to you?’

‘No.’

‘You’ve never discussed anything like this before?’

‘No.’

‘Sorry, but you’re going to have a big problem convincing a jury of this. And you know it, Mr Indrehaug.’

Brogeland eyeballs the lawyer. Indrehaug gulps. Then he runs his fingers through his hair, one more time.

Chapter 42

Before Henning starts to read it, he spends a little time staring at the first page of the screenplay. He feels apprehensive. A little nervous, too, when he thinks about it, though he can’t quite explain why. Perhaps because the answer to why and how Henriette Hagerup was killed is lying right in front of him?

He takes a deep breath and begins:

1.
INT – A TENT ON EKEBERG COMMON – EVENING:

A woman,
MERETE WIIK
(21), stands with her back to the camera. The light reflects off the spade she holds in her hand. She is breathing heavily, she is exhausted. She wipes the sweat off her brow. Then she sinks the spade into the ground.

2.
EXT – OUTSIDE THE TENT ON EKEBERG COMMON – EVENING:

A car drives up beside the tent. The driver turns off the engine. We see the boot open.
MONA KALVIG
(23) gets out. She goes to the boot.

3.
INT – A TENT ON EKEBERG COMMON – EVENING:

MONA KALVIG
opens the tent and enters. She is carrying a heavy bag. She stops in front of a hole in the ground.

MONA
:

You’ve done a lot of digging.

Merete wipes away sweat and smiles.

MERETE
:

It’s good exercise.

MONA
:

Have you tried it?

MERETE
:

No, it’s your hole, so I thought you should do the honours.

4.
INT – A TENT ON EKEBERG COMMON – EVENING:

Close-up of the hole. Mona jumps into it and checks it out. It comes up to her waist.
 

MONA
:

It’s perfect.

MERETE
:

Great. Did you bring your mobile?

MONA
:

Yep.

MERETE
:

Time to send the first one?

Mona climbs out of the hole and brushes off moist sand. She takes a mobile out of her pocket and checks the time. Then she flashes Merete a conspiratorial smile.

5.
INT – A FLAT IN GALGENBERG:

A man,
YASHID IQBAL
(28), is watching Hotel Caesar on TV2. His mobile beeps. He picks it up and checks his messages. He frowns as he reads it. The sender is ‘Mona mobile’. We see what it says:
   
‘Sorry. It means nothing. HE means nothing. You’re the one I love. Can we talk about it? Please?’

6.
INT – A TENT ON EKEBERG COMMON – EARLY EVENING:

The women are sitting next to each other. They share a cup from a flask. Steam is coming from the cup.
 

MERETE
:

Was it good?

Mona slurps the hot tea
. 

MONA
:

Mm.

MERETE
:

I didn’t mean the tea.

MONA
:

Then what did you –

Mona realises what Merete was referring to. Mona smiles.

MONA
:

It was especially good today. I like it when he’s rough.

MERETE
:

Perhaps it was extra good because you knew it was the last time.

MONA
:

Perhaps.

MERETE
:

Will you miss it?

Mona shrugs. She passes the cup to Merete. They are quiet for a while.