Read Arctic Chill for Free Online Page A

in God.'
    Then she closed the door in his face.
    Sigurdur Óli stood thoughtfully for a while then rang the bell again.
    'You haven't heard the news, have you?' he said in a serious tone when the woman opened the door again.
    'What news?'
    'I'm from the police. One of your pupils has been found dead near his home. It looks as if he's been stabbed with a knife.'
    The woman's expression became one big question mark.
    'What?' she groaned. 'Dead? Who?'
    'Elías,' Sigurdur Óli said.
    'Bias?'
    Sigurdur Óli nodded.
    'I don't believe you! How? Why? What... what on earth are you saying?'
    'Perhaps you'd let me come inside,' Sigurdur Óli said. 'We need information about his class, his friends, who he went around with, whether he'd been in trouble at school, whether he had enemies. It would be great if you could assist us. We're short of time. The sooner we can gather information, the better. It's terrible to have to call on people like this but...'
    'I... I thought you were from one of those religious sects,' Agnes sighed. 'You're so ...'
    'May I come in and sit down with you for a moment?'
    'Sorry,' Agnes said. 'Please do.'
    As he entered the flat through a small hallway with a mirror, Sigurdur Óli could see the teacher's family eating dinner in the kitchen. Three children – two boys and a girl – eyed him curiously and their father stood up to shake his hand. Agnes took her husband to one side and in a low voice explained the unexpected visit to him, then showed Sigurdur Óli into their study.
    'What happened?' she asked once they had closed the door. 'Was the boy attacked?'
    'It looks that way.'
    'My God, that's ... the poor kid. Who could have done a thing like that?'
    'Can you imagine that anyone at school or in his class would have wanted to do him harm?'
    'Not at all,' Agnes said. 'Elías was a very sweet boy, always trying to please everyone. And he was a good pupil. Why do you want to link this to the school? Do you have any concrete lead?'
    'No, nothing,' Sigurdur Óli said firmly. 'We have to begin somewhere. You haven't noticed him being hassled in particular? No incident that could be linked to the attack? Nothing you've been worried about?'
    'Nothing,' Agnes said. 'As far as I know, nothing's happened at the school that could end like this. Nothing.'
    She gave a deep groan.
    'Do you know about a group of children who hang around by the local chemist's? Friends of the brothers, immigrants perhaps?'
    'No, I don't know of any such group. How is his mother taking it, the poor woman? I must call on her. Though I don't know what to say to her.'
    'I think she's bearing up, considering the circumstances,' Sigurdur Óli said. 'Do you know her at all?'
    'I can't really say I do,' Agnes replied. 'She's had trouble with speaking Icelandic so a supervisor was appointed for the brothers, a kind of liaison between the family and the school, a lovely woman called Gudný. That's not uncommon when we want greater contact with the pupils and their parents. Some come from Croatia, others from Vietnam, the Philippines or Poland. There are Catholics, Buddhists, Muslims. I've met Elías's mother a few times and she seems very nice. Things must be difficult for her, being single like that.'
    'How are the immigrants regarded?' Sigurdur Óli said. 'How well do they fit in?'
    'Actually, these days we try to talk about ethnic minorities,' Agnes said. 'Some take longer than others to adjust. The most successful ones are those who speak and understand Icelandic, who were born here and are, of course, just Icelanders as well. Like Elías. Niran was a different matter. You know that they're half-brothers?'
    'Yes,' Sigurdur Óli said. Erlendur had told him about his conversation with the interpreter. 'What about Niran?'
    'You should really talk to his form teacher about this,' Agnes said. 'They sometimes find it difficult, the children who come here when they're already quite old and know nothing of the language.'
    And Niran was like that?'