Read Online My Soul to Take: A Novel of Iceland by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir - Free Book Online
Authors: Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
Tags: Mystery
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believe to be Birna, the architect I told you about yesterday." He closed his eyes, still slowly rubbing the bracelet.
"Ah," said Thora. "Did they mention the cause of death? There can be many reasons for people being found dead on a beach. More often than not it's suicide."
"I don't think she committed suicide," Jonas said morosely. "She wasn't the type."
Thora didn't like to point out that there was no particular type that took their own lives. "What did the police say? That's the most important thing. Presumably they've visited the scene?"
Jonas tore his attention away from his bracelet and looked at Thora. "They said nothing specific. It was more the way they acted and what they didn't say." He looked back at his wrist. "If she'd drowned, for example, fallen on to a rock, something that suggested an accident, they would definitely have asked me about her behavior. You know—did she do a lot of hiking? Kayaking? Swimming in the sea? But they asked me nothing. All they wanted to know was whether anything was missing from here and whether I recognized her from the very rough description they gave." Jonas suddenly stared at Thora. "Now that I think of it, it was extremely strange that they made no mention of her facial features. Do you suppose the head was missing?" Before Thora could answer, he corrected himself: "No, hardly, they described the hair color." His eyes widened. "Could it be that the killer cut the head off, scalped it, and put the hair on top of the body?"
Thora put an end to his conjecture. "I think you're letting your imagination run away with you. But I do agree that it sounds as if they suspect it was something more than an accident." Casually, she added, "Did the police examine her room?"
"One of them took a look inside. The other waited outside in the corridor with me. He was only in there for a minute or two. Then when he came out again, he just shook his head."
"So he didn't say that any unauthorized person had been in there or ask you who had a key?" Thora's cheeks flushed slightly.
"No, nothing like that. They absolutely forbade anyone to enter until the CID had finished its work. Then they asked to see her car. They had the key in a little bag."
Thora nodded thoughtfully. There was really no question of the dead woman's identity. "Well, I never." Looking at Jonas, she suppressed the urge to ask him to stop fiddling with the damn bracelet. It probably had some connection with alternative medicine, energy fields or something. "Did anyone want Birna dead? Was she in some kind of trouble?"
Jonas shook his head slowly. "No, she was just normal." Thora couldn't imagine what he considered normal, but assumed that his criteria were different from hers. "A great person and a brilliant architect." Jonas smiled awkwardly. "Actually, she was a true Capricorn, consistent and committed. But a lovely person. A genuinely lovely person."
"Didn't anyone really dislike her?" Thora asked. "Can't you think of anyone who could have got into a dispute with her, something that could have got out of hand?"
Jonas pushed his bracelet back under his sleeve and gave Thora his undivided attention. "Listen, I was wondering if it might be connected with the ghost."
Thora managed not to smile. "Are you implying that a ghost murdered her?"
Jonas shrugged, then waved his hands. "What do I know? It seems like more than a coincidence. This place is haunted. Birna is found dead just outside. She was working on modifying the premises. Ghosts want to keep their surroundings the same as when they left them. They fight with all their powers against any kind of disruption. What are you supposed to believe?"
Not a paranormal enthusiast, Thora had never heard much about the behavior of spirits. "Jonas, I think we can rule out involvement by a ghost."
"Are you sure?" the hotelier asked. "Birna was very curious about the history of this place. She felt that she had to find out about it, because without that knowledge it was hard
"Ah," said Thora. "Did they mention the cause of death? There can be many reasons for people being found dead on a beach. More often than not it's suicide."
"I don't think she committed suicide," Jonas said morosely. "She wasn't the type."
Thora didn't like to point out that there was no particular type that took their own lives. "What did the police say? That's the most important thing. Presumably they've visited the scene?"
Jonas tore his attention away from his bracelet and looked at Thora. "They said nothing specific. It was more the way they acted and what they didn't say." He looked back at his wrist. "If she'd drowned, for example, fallen on to a rock, something that suggested an accident, they would definitely have asked me about her behavior. You know—did she do a lot of hiking? Kayaking? Swimming in the sea? But they asked me nothing. All they wanted to know was whether anything was missing from here and whether I recognized her from the very rough description they gave." Jonas suddenly stared at Thora. "Now that I think of it, it was extremely strange that they made no mention of her facial features. Do you suppose the head was missing?" Before Thora could answer, he corrected himself: "No, hardly, they described the hair color." His eyes widened. "Could it be that the killer cut the head off, scalped it, and put the hair on top of the body?"
Thora put an end to his conjecture. "I think you're letting your imagination run away with you. But I do agree that it sounds as if they suspect it was something more than an accident." Casually, she added, "Did the police examine her room?"
"One of them took a look inside. The other waited outside in the corridor with me. He was only in there for a minute or two. Then when he came out again, he just shook his head."
"So he didn't say that any unauthorized person had been in there or ask you who had a key?" Thora's cheeks flushed slightly.
"No, nothing like that. They absolutely forbade anyone to enter until the CID had finished its work. Then they asked to see her car. They had the key in a little bag."
Thora nodded thoughtfully. There was really no question of the dead woman's identity. "Well, I never." Looking at Jonas, she suppressed the urge to ask him to stop fiddling with the damn bracelet. It probably had some connection with alternative medicine, energy fields or something. "Did anyone want Birna dead? Was she in some kind of trouble?"
Jonas shook his head slowly. "No, she was just normal." Thora couldn't imagine what he considered normal, but assumed that his criteria were different from hers. "A great person and a brilliant architect." Jonas smiled awkwardly. "Actually, she was a true Capricorn, consistent and committed. But a lovely person. A genuinely lovely person."
"Didn't anyone really dislike her?" Thora asked. "Can't you think of anyone who could have got into a dispute with her, something that could have got out of hand?"
Jonas pushed his bracelet back under his sleeve and gave Thora his undivided attention. "Listen, I was wondering if it might be connected with the ghost."
Thora managed not to smile. "Are you implying that a ghost murdered her?"
Jonas shrugged, then waved his hands. "What do I know? It seems like more than a coincidence. This place is haunted. Birna is found dead just outside. She was working on modifying the premises. Ghosts want to keep their surroundings the same as when they left them. They fight with all their powers against any kind of disruption. What are you supposed to believe?"
Not a paranormal enthusiast, Thora had never heard much about the behavior of spirits. "Jonas, I think we can rule out involvement by a ghost."
"Are you sure?" the hotelier asked. "Birna was very curious about the history of this place. She felt that she had to find out about it, because without that knowledge it was hard
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