Sun on Fire by Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson Read Free Book Online Page A

considerable force, slitting the abdomen all the way down to the pubic bone. At that point he would have let go of the weapon, and blood, guts and stomach contents would have gushed from the wound and over the knife handle. Very likely over the killer’s hand and arm, too. The victim would have passed out within a few seconds from shock and blood loss. Death probably occurred soon after.”
    “Wouldn’t he have called for help or screamed as he was attacked?” Gunnar asked.
    “Sure, but the sound wouldn’t have carried two floors down to where the party was apparently being held. We can assist you in experimenting with that if you like. And the killer could have muzzled the victim with his free hand. The autopsy may reveal signs of that.”
    “At what stage is your investigation?” Gunnar asked.
    Fischer took out a notebook. “We received a message from our Foreign Ministry at 10:27 yesterday morning. We were asked to come to the embassy and carry out a regular examination of the body at the crime scene prior to arranging for its removal and transportation to the pathology laboratory here in Berlin. Our procedure included marking out and detailed photography of the scene. Also preliminary medical examination, thermometry and taking some tissue samples. Transportation of the body and its detached parts was carried out by specialist removers. Our orders from the ministry were to comply with the senior embassy official’s instructions. Following the body’s removal, we were to do nothing more here, so no further forensic investigation was carried out at the scene. No interrogation took place, either. The Foreign Ministry was adamant that the investigation was the responsibility of the Icelandic state, and that we were only to provide such assistance as Iceland requested. The embassy is out of our jurisdiction.”
    “Goddamned mindless bureautwats. They’ve succeeded in delaying the investigation by twenty-four hours,” Gunnar said. “I hope you didn’t comply?”
    Fischer smiled apologetically. “There wasn’t much else we could do.”
    He pulled a wallet wrapped in plastic from his bag. “Here are the deceased’s personal effects,” he said, handing the packet to Gunnar. “This is what he had with him.”
    “Anything specific?”
    “No. Cash, credit cards, business cards, a key.”
    “A key. You mean a key ring?”
    “No key ring. Just a single key in a wallet compartment. Probably to some kind of safe.”
    “I see,” Gunnar said. “Anything else?”
    “Yes, actually,” Fischer replied. “I did a search for the man’s name in our database. Just to see if he had been involved in anything.”
    “And?”
    “We have for some time been increasing our surveillance of German citizens who frequent Asian countries and are suspected of committing sexual crimes against children. We’re trying to make it easier to implement laws sanctioning prosecution of such individuals here in Germany, as happens in many other European countries. We also inform the relevant Asian authorities of our suspicions so they can take measures against traffickers and child abusers at the source. Some things we do in these countries are slightly dubious according to our procedures and laws, but we take the view that these matters are so serious that the end justifies the means. Herr Eiríksson’s name appeared on a list from one of our informers in Indonesia. Eiríksson is known there by the pseudonym Tenderloin, and he is very active in this field. These guys keep their real names as secret as possible, of course, but our man followed Eiríksson for two days and eventually managed to bribe his way to a copy of a hotel bill. I don’t suppose that Anton Eiríksson is a very common name, so there’s no doubt about this. Unfortunately we haven’t yet established clear working rules onhow to deal with information on citizens of other countries, so nothing has been done so far in this individual’s case.”
    “How did