Meltwater (Fire and Ice)

see. So who have you written for? Anyone I would have heard of?’
    ‘The Washington Post . The Chicago Tribune . A lot of online stuff.’
    ‘Online stuff?’
    Erika nodded.
    ‘So if I were to Google you, your name would come up?’
    Erika shrugged. ‘I guess.’
    There was a computer screen on the desk by Magnus in the interview room, but it was blank. Magnus turned to his colleague.
    ‘Árni, have you got that iPhone you’re always talking about?’
    ‘Right here.’
    ‘Can you Google Erika Zinn?’
    ‘Sure.’ Árni pulled out his little gadget and tapped. Erika watched Árni. Magnus watched Erika. He knew he was on to something.
    ‘Jesus,’ said Árni. Magnus saw Erika close her eyes. Árni handed the gadget to Magnus.
    Magnus tapped and scrolled, skimming the words on the tiny screen. ‘Tell me about Freeflow, Erika.’
    Erika didn’t reply.
    Magnus tapped on a link to Freeflow’s website. ‘That’s weird. Doesn’t seem to be the kind of site that would be interested in volcanoes. What’s this? African arms
deals? Bribing Italian judges? Ah, Icelandic banks. But no volcanoes.’
    ‘You speak very good English.’
    ‘Freeflow?’
    ‘Are you sure you are not an American?’
    ‘I was born here,’ said Magnus. ‘But I have lived most of my life in Boston.’
    ‘And you?’ Erika asked Árni.
    ‘I went to college in the States,’ said Árni. ‘Indiana.’ Although Árni’s English was good, his Icelandic accent was obvious, even in those few
words.
    ‘OK,’ said Erika. ‘But what about you, Sergeant Jonson? What are you doing here?’
    ‘I’m attached to the office of the National Police Commissioner,’ said Magnus.
    ‘I don’t believe you.’
    Magnus frowned. The Icelanders were much less prone to waving their badges around than American cops, but that was clearly what was required. He pulled out his ID and slid it across the table to
Erika. He had been made to do a six-month programme at the National Police College, and since graduating from there he had full status as a member of the Icelandic police.
    Erika picked it up, glanced at it and tossed it back on to the desk.
    ‘I don’t believe it.’
    ‘What do you mean, you don’t believe it?’
    ‘I’m involved in a murder on a mountain in the middle of Iceland. I get taken to some hick small town and who shows up to interview me? An American. Just where the hell did they find
you?’
    Magnus fought to control his temper. ‘You’ve seen my ID, now answer my questions.’
    ‘You work for the CIA, don’t you?’
    ‘The CIA? You’re nuts!’
    ‘What happens next, you fly me out to Morocco or somewhere and interrogate me?’
    ‘Erika, I work for the Icelandic police. I am an Icelandic policeman. Now answer my questions.’
    ‘Or what? You’ll waterboard me? I want a real Icelandic policeman in here now. Someone with a uniform. In fact I’d like to speak to the chief superintendent. He must be in the
building somewhere.’
    ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
    ‘I’m not being ridiculous. My lawyer will be here soon.’
    ‘Your lawyer?’
    ‘Yes. I have an Icelandic lawyer in Reykjavík. I called from the station. He’ll be here in a few minutes.’
    ‘Stay here!’ snapped Magnus. He left Árni with Erika and went to look for the chief superintendent. He was interviewing a small dark-haired woman with Vigdís.
    ‘Got a minute?’
    Kristján and Vigdís joined Magnus in the corridor. Magnus quickly explained about Erika, Freeflow, Erika’s suspicions that he was in the CIA and the lawyer.
    ‘Wait a moment,’ said Vigdís. ‘I remember seeing her on Silfur Egils last year . She was good.’
    ‘Did you let them make calls?’ Magnus asked Kristján.
    ‘Of course I did,’ said Kristján. ‘She’s a victim, not a suspect.’
    ‘Yeah, of course, sorry. What does the woman say? Is she the priest?’
    ‘Yes,’ said Vigdís. ‘Her name is Ásta. She hasn’t mentioned Freeflow. She says the foreigners were all there to report on the volcano.’
    ‘That’s bullshit,’ said Magnus. ‘We need to move fast, before the lawyer gets here. Kristján, is there a way of keeping the witnesses separate? I don’t want
them talking to each other. Perhaps we can get one of the others to give us something.’
    ‘I can organize that.’
    ‘What is it?’ Magnus noticed the look of doubt in the chief superintendent’s eyes.
    ‘You don’t work for the CIA, do you?’
    ‘What kind of question is that?’ Magnus