The Land of Dreams

15

137 15 it was the morning of wednesday, july , exactly one week after he discovered the murder. Lance was at the ranger station in Tofte. He was standing in the lobby, waiting for District Ranger John Zimmerman to arrive with some documents that the two of them needed to look at before Lance could get in his car and head out. But Zimmerman was busy with something in one of the nearby buildings . From what Lance understood, it had something to do with the firefighting crew. He was leaning against the information counter, drinking coffee from the usual mug that he was always given whenever he came in. The receptionist, Mary Berglund, was standing behind the counter, talking on the phone. Lance let his gaze wander around the room without really taking anything in. He’d seen it all so many times before. “All right. Would you like more coffee?” asked Mary when she was done with her phone call. “No thanks,” said Lance. “I’ve had too much already.” For a moment neither of them spoke. Then Lance said, “So, what do you think about Zimmerman?” The remark was mostly meant just to pass the time. He’d been waiting a long time for the ranger, and he was feeling bored. “Oh, Zimmerman,” said Mary with both respect and admiration in her voice. “Now that’s a worthy district ranger, let me tell you. I think we’re extremely lucky. Especially the ladies,” she added after a pause for effect. Vidar Sundstøl 138 Lance gave an obligatory smile. “If you say so.” “You don’t agree?” said Mary. “About what?” “You don’t think he’s a handsome man?” “Why would you think I’d know anything about that?” replied Lance. “Hmm. But what a way to start off a new job,” she remarked. “You can say that again.” “It’s been exactly one week today,” she went on. Lance nodded. “I knew right from the start that it had something to do with sex,” said Mary. He gave her an uncomprehending look. “The unnatural kind, that is,” she continued. “Oh, you mean . . . But we don’t know anything about that,” said Lance. “The fact that both of them were naked could have lots of different explanations.” “Like what?” asked Mary, wagging her head coquettishly. “Well, for example . . .” But he couldn’t think of anything. “Lots of different things.” “So you don’t know about it?” said Mary. “About what?” “That they made an unusual discovery.” Lance had to laugh. “It’s nothing to laugh at,” she told him. “And don’t think I’m just spreading gossip.” “No, of course not,” he said. But Mary didn’t notice the sarcastic undertone, or maybe she just didn’t care. “I have it on the highest authority,” she said. “Oh?” Lance was suddenly interested. “Who would that be?” “I heard it from Zimmerman.” “Zimmerman? But he has nothing to do with the investigation.” “He heard it from Sparky Redmeyer. Whoops, I shouldn’t have told you that,” she added. “Okay, but what is this discovery that they’ve made?” Mary rolled her eyes, as if hinting that Lance ought to know, but she didn’t really want to say it out loud. “I don’t get it,” he said, confused. THE LAND OF DREAMS 139 Again she rolled her eyes. “You know . . . ,” she said. “No, I don’t,” said Lance. Then Mary leaned across the counter and put her face close to Lance’s. He smelled chewing gum or toothpaste. “They made a biological discovery in the dead man,” she said. “They’ve found some sort of biological evidence?” Mary nodded solemnly. “On the dead man?” “No, in the dead man,” she told him. “In his stomach,” she added . And again she rolled her eyes, as if that would make Lance realize what she was talking about. At that moment John Zimmerman arrived. “Hi, Lance,” he said. “Sorry you had to wait. But Mary has been keeping you entertained, right?” He winked at Mary, who immediately got busy with the everpresent coffee mugs. “Mary tells me that they’ve made a discovery in the murder investigation,” said Lance. “Some sort of biological evidence. What’d they find?” “You must be talking about the semen.” “I am?” said Lance, startled. “Yeah. They found semen in the victim’s stomach,” said Zimmerman...