"I'm sure he was. What did he say to you, Raymond?"
"That I had great rabbits. And did I want to sell one if they ever had babies."
"Go on, go on."
"Then we talked about the weather. And how dry it's been. He asked me if I'd heard about the girl at the tarn and if I knew her."
"What did you tell him?"
"That I was the one who found her. He thought it was too bad the girl was dead. And I told him about you, that you had been here and asked me about the car. 'The car,' he said, 'that noisy one that's always driving too fast on the roads around here?' Yes, I told him. That's the one I saw. He knew which one it was. Said it was a red Mercedes. I must have been mistaken when you asked me before, because now I remember. The car was red."
"Did he threaten you?"
"No, no, I don't let anyone threaten me. A grown man doesn't let people threaten him. I told him that."
"What about his clothes, Raymond. What was he wearing?"
"Just ordinary clothes."
"Brown clothes? Or blue? Can you remember?"
Raymond gave him a confused look and hid his face in his hands. "Stop bothering me so much!"
Sejer let Raymond sit for a moment and calm down. Then he said, in a very soft voice, "But the car was really grey or green, wasn't it?"
"No, it was red. I told the truth, and there's no use threatening me. Because the car was red, and that pleased him."
He bent over the paper and scribbled a little over the drawing. His lips were set in a stubborn line.
"Don't wreck it. I'd like to have it."
Sejer picked up the drawing. "How's your father?" he asked.
"He can't walk."
"I know. Let's go and see him."
He stood up and followed Raymond down the hall. They opened the door without knocking. The room was in semi-darkness, but there was more than enough light for Sejer to notice at once the old man standing next to the night table, wearing an old undershirt and underwear that were much too big. His knees were shaking perilously. He was just as gaunt as his son was round and stout.
"Papa!" cried Raymond. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing, nothing."
He fumbled for his false teeth.
"Sit down. You'll break a leg."
He was wearing support stockings, and at the top edge his knees were swollen like two pale bread puddings, with liver spots that resembled raisins.
Raymond helped him get back in bed and handed him his teeth. He avoided Sejer's gaze and stared up at the ceiling. His eyes were colourless, with tiny little pupils framed by long bushy eyebrows. He put his teeth in his mouth. Sejer went over and stood in front of him, looking up at the window, which faced the courtyard and road. The curtains were drawn, letting in only a minimum of light.
"Do you watch what goes on out on the road?" he asked.
"You're from the police?"
"Yes. You have a good view if you open the curtains."
"I never do that. Unless it's overcast."
"Have you noticed any strange cars around here, or motorcycles?"
"Could be. Police cars, for instance."
"Anyone on foot?"
"Hikers. They head up to Kollen, come hell or high water, to collect pebbles. Or they go and stare at that rotten tarn, which, by the way, is full of sheep carcasses. To each his own."
"Did you know Annie Holland?"
"I know her father from my days at the garage. He delivered cars, when there were any."
"You were in charge?"
He pulled up the comforter and nodded. "He had two girls. Blonde hair, pretty."
"Annie Holland is dead."
"I know that. I do read the paper, just like anybody else."
He gestured towards the floor where a thick stack of papers was stuffed under the bedside table, along with something else, something gaudier, on glossy paper.
"A man was out in the courtyard here yesterday evening, talking to Raymond. Did you see him?"
"I heard them mumbling out there. Raymond may not be so quick-witted," he said sharply, "but he has no idea what malice is. Do you understand? He's so good-natured that you can lead him by a piece of string. But he does what he's told."
Raymond nodded eagerly and scratched his stomach.
Sejer looked into the colourless eyes. "I know that," he said. "So you heard them talking? You weren't tempted to pull the curtain aside a bit?"
"No."
"You aren't very curious, are you, L氓ke?"
"That's right, I'm not. We keep our eyes to ourselves, not on others."