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‘That’s what I thought he was ringing to tell me, after that article in VG. But naturally I was surprised over Bellman delivering the message personally. This sort of thing is usually communicated via formal channels. That is to say, the people I expected to get in touch—’

‘Not that I’m unduly busy here on a Saturday morning, Krohn, but can we fast-forward to what Bellman said?’

‘Right. He said he couldn’t see that the Department of Justice had any legal argument for closing down our investigation, and they would not therefore be taking any action regarding this case. However, in light of the transgression that appears to have occurred, they would be watching us closely and the next time something of a similar nature took place, the police would take action.’

‘Mm.’

‘Yes, that’s not overstating it. Very surprising — I was certain they’d put a stop to us. Politically, it’s almost incomprehensible, Bellman will now have his own people and the media to deal with. Do you have any explanation for it?’

Harry pondered the question. Offhand he could only think of one person on their side who could possibly pressure Bellman.

‘No,’ he said.

‘Well, in any case, now you know we’re still in the game,’ Krohn said.

‘Thanks.’

Harry hung up. Reflected. They were able to continue. He had three more days and no good leads. How did that saying go? He who is born to be hanged will never drown?

‘Your mother had talent, you see.’

Uncle Fredric made his way along the narrow footpath on Slemdalsveien, seemingly oblivious to the fact people coming in the opposite direction had to step out onto the road to let them pass. Apart from that, he appeared lucid today.

‘That’s why it was so sad to see her throw away her career and jump into the arms of the first patron who came her way. Well, I say patron, but he abhorred the theatre, your stepfather, he only went once in a blue moon to put in an appearance, it was a family tradition for the Røeds to sponsor the National Theatre. No, he saw Molle onstage only the one time. In the title role of Hedda Gabler, ironically. Molle was a fine-looking woman and quite the little celebrity at that time. Perfect for a man to show off to the outside world.’

Prim had heard the story before but had asked his uncle to tell it all the same. Not so much to check if it was still lodged in the memory of his uncle’s diseased mind, but because he needed to hear it to be further reassured that the decision he had taken was the right one. He didn’t know why he had suddenly wavered in faith the night before, but apparently it was quite common ahead of big moments in life. Like when your wedding day was approaching. And this — revenge — was, after all, something he had thought about, dreamt about, since he was a boy, so not so strange his thoughts and emotions should play tricks on him as it drew closer.

‘That was how their relationship was,’ his uncle said. ‘She lived off him. And he lived off her. She was a beautiful young single mother who didn’t demand much. He was an unscrupulous fellow with enough money to give her everything except the one thing she needed. Love. That was why she became an actress, above all she wanted, as all actors do, to be loved. And when she didn’t get that love, neither from him nor, as time went on, from any audience, she fell apart. Of course, it didn’t help matters that you were an overactive, spoilt little shit. When her patron eventually left you both, your mother was a depressed, worn-out alcoholic who no longer got the parts her talent warranted. I don’t think she loved him. It was being left by someone — anybody at all — that was the final nail in the coffin. Your mother’s psyche had always been fragile, but I must admit I hadn’t expected she would set fire to the house.’

‘You don’t know if she did,’ Prim said.

His uncle stopped, straightened up and smiled broadly to a young woman coming towards them. ‘Bigger!’ he shouted, pointing at his own chest to illustrate. ‘You should have bought bigger ones!’

The woman looked at him aghast and hurried past.

‘Oh yes,’ his uncle said. ‘She started the fire. Yes, yes, it started in her bedroom and they found a high concentration of alcohol in her blood — the report said that the cause of the fire was probably smoking in bed while intoxicated. But believe me, she set the fire with the desire to burn both of you alive. When parents take their children with them into death it’s usually to spare them from life as orphans, and I know this is painful for you to hear, but in your mother’s case the reason was she thought you were both worthless.’

‘That’s not true,’ Prim said. ‘She did it so I wouldn’t be entrusted to him.’

‘To your stepfather?’ His uncle laughed. ‘Are you a fool? He didn’t want you, he was happy to be rid of you both.’

‘He did,’ Prim said, in a voice so low it was drowned by the noise of the metro train passing next to them. ‘He did want me. Just not in the way you think.’