Burned

‘There is actually very little that suggests it might be an honour killing,’ she says. Gjerstad turns to her.

‘In a few countries, infidelity means a death sentence. In Sudan, for example, in 2007…’

‘Marhoni’s from Pakistan.’

‘I know, but they stone people to death in Pakistan, too. And, as far as the honour killing theory goes, several elements are missing,’ Sandland continues. Gjerstad looks at her, indicates that she should go on. Nokleby nudges her glasses further up the bridge of her nose and leans closer to the table. Her dark fringe falls over her eyes, but not to the extent that it irritates her.

‘Honour killings are often carried out after the shame has become public knowledge,’ Sandland begins. ‘As far as we’ve been able to establish, all anyone knew about Hagerup and Marhoni was that they were an item. Secondly, honour killings are often planned. The decision is usually made by the family. As far as I know, Marhoni has no family in Norway, apart from his brother, who lives with him. And last, but not least: you own up to what you’ve done. Marhoni denies that he did it.’

Gjerstad digests the short lecture and nods with approval.

‘What do we know about stoning?’ Emil Hagen asks.

Hagen is a short man who has recently graduated from the police academy. Brogeland recognises the type: bursting with enthusiasm, keen to get stuck in and nurturing a vision of making a difference to society, one villain at a time. You just keep thinking that, Brogeland muses. You’ll be brought down to earth soon enough, just like the rest of us. Emil has blond hair and looks like an adult version of the eponymous Astrid Lindgren character. He even has a big gap between his front teeth.

‘Only Iran officially uses the method today,’ Sandland explains. ‘However, it’s also used in other countries, as a form of vigilantism. It’s mainly adultery, indecency and blasphemy which are punishable by stoning. In 2007, Jafar Keyani was stoned to death in Iran. It was the first time since 2002 that Iran officially admitted to using this form of punishment.’

‘What had he done?’ Nokleby asks.

‘You mean what had she done?’

Nokleby bows her head, embarrassed at her ignorance.

‘She had an extra-marital affair.’

The rest of the team looks at Sandland. Fredrik Stang puts down his water glass.

‘I don’t follow, didn’t we just make an arrest?’ he says. Stang has dark hair, cut short to the point of a crew cut and a face that always oozes earnestness. He likes to wear tight-fitting clothes, so people can see he spent much of his youth in the gym.

‘Indeed we did, but he denies the murder and it’s far too early not to pursue other leads. Besides, we’re trying to establish a motive,’ Nokleby points out.

‘Hagerup had screwed around,’ Stang protests. ‘The texts suggest she had. And Marhoni is a Muslim, isn’t he. To me, it sounds like a straightforward home win.’

Sandland raises a bottle of Cola Zero to her lips and takes a swig.

‘Sure, I agree that it might look that way. But I still think we need to ignore the honour killing theory. It’s more obvious to take a closer look at sharia.’

‘Sharia?’ Gjerstad frowns.

‘Yes. You do know what it is, don’t you?’

She looks around the team. Most people nod, but not very convincingly. Emil Hagen shifts in his chair.

‘Extreme rules telling you how to live or something?’

Sandland smiles briefly.

‘That’s one way of putting it. Most people who’ve heard about sharia immediately think “mad mullahs and fundamentalists”. But sharia is a complex concept. Those who call themselves learned, as far as sharia is concerned, have studied the legal principles of sharia for years. They study the Koran, the sayings and doings of the Prophet Mohammed, Muslim history, how different legal schools have interpreted the law and so on. In Muslim countries today, sharia primarily applies to aspects of family law such as divorce and inheritance.’

‘But what has this got to do with the murder of Henriette Hagerup?’ Gjerstad asks impatiently.

‘I’m getting to that. There’s no such thing as one Islamic law, and only a few countries enforce a penal code based on Islamic law. The countries that do, have something they call hudud punishments.’

‘Hu-what?’ Hagen asks.

‘Hudud punishments. It’s a penal code in the Koran. It prescribes specific punishments for certain crimes. Flogging, for example. Or chopping off someone’s hand.’

Brogeland nods quietly to himself. He has instantly grasped the implications of Sandland’s information.

‘So what crimes warrant these punishments?’ Nokleby asks, folding her hands in front of her. Sandland looks at her, while she explains.