caught up with the car. Erlendur wound down the window. "He wants to talk to you," the warder said, panting from running.
"Who?" Erlendur asked.
"Ellidi. Ellidi wants to talk to you."
"We've talked to Ellidi," Erlendur said. "Tell him to forget it."
"He says he's going to give you the information you want."
"He's lying."
"That's what he said."
Erlendur looked at Sigurdur Óli, who shrugged. He thought about it for a moment.
"Okay. We'll come then," he said eventually.
"He just wants you, not him," said the warder, looking at Sigurdur Óli.
Ellidi wasn't let out of his solitary cell again, so Erlendur had to talk to him through a small hole in the door. It was opened by sliding a panel to one side. The cell was dark, so Erlendur could not see in. He could only hear Ellidi's voice, hoarse and gurgling. The warder had led Erlendur to the door and then left him alone.
"How's the poofter?" was the first thing Ellidi asked. Instead of standing up at the hole in the door, he had retreated inside. Maybe he was lying on the bed. Maybe he was sitting up against a wall. Erlendur felt as if the voice was coming from deep inside the darkness. He had obviously calmed down.
"This isn't a tea party," Erlendur replied. "You wanted to talk to me."
"Who do you reckon killed Holberg?"
"We don't know. What about Holberg?"
"Her name was Kolbrun, the chick he did in Keflavík. He often talked about it. Talked about how close he was to getting caught when that pussy was stupid enough to press charges. He described all the details. Do you want to hear what he said?"
"No," said Erlendur. "What was your relationship with him?"
"We met up now and again. I sold him booze and bought porn for him while I was on the ships. We met when we were working together for the Harbour and Lighthouse Authority. Before he started lorry driving. We went into the towns together. You never get a lost fuck back. That was the first thing he taught me. He knew how to talk. Impressive. Good at talking women round. A fun bloke."
"You went into the towns?"
"That's why we were in Keflavík. We were painting the Reykjanes lighthouse. Fucking awful ghosts there. Ever been there? Screeching and howling all night. Worse than this shithole. Holberg wasn't scared of ghosts. He wasn't scared of anything."
"And he told you straightaway how he'd assaulted Kolbrún, when he'd only just met you?"
"He winked at me when he followed her out of the party. I knew what that meant. He could be a charmer. He thought it was funny to get away with it. Laughed a lot at some cop the girl went to and ruined her case for her."
"Did they know each other, Holberg and this cop?"
"I don't know."
"Did he ever talk about the daughter Kolbrún gave birth to after the rape?"
"Daughter? No. Did he get her pregnant?"
"You know about another rape," Erlendur said without answering him. "Another woman he raped. Who was it? What was her name?"
"I don't know."
"So why did you call me back?"
"I don't know who it was but I know when it was and where she lived. More or less. That's enough for you to find her."
"When? And where?
"Yeah, right, what do I get?"
"You?"
"What can you do for me?"
"I can't do anything for you and I don't want to do anything for you."
"Sure you do. Then I'll tell you what I know."
Erlendur pondered.
"I can't promise anything," he said.
"I can't stand being in solitary."
"Was that why you called me back?"
"You don't know what it does to you. I'm going mad in this cell. They never put the light on. I don't know what day it is. You're kept here like an animal in a cage. They treat you like a beast."
"And what, you're the Count of Monte Cristo!" Erlendur said sarcastically. "You're a sadist, Ellidi.
The worst sort of psychopath and sadist there is. A dumb idiot who likes violence. A homophobe and a racist. You're the worst type of retard I know. I don't care if they keep you locked up in here for the rest of your life. I'm going upstairs to recommend just that."
"I'll tell you where she lived if you get me out of here."
"I can't get you out of here, you idiot. I don't have the authority to and, even if I did, I wouldn't. If you want to cut your solitary short perhaps you should stop attacking people."