Delaware flinched. 'Leon-'

'Why can't you just leave me alone, Licia?'

He expected her to go, but she didn't. She just stood in front of him. Suddenly Anawak felt dazed. The office was spinning, and he thought briefly that his legs were about to buckle. Then his mind cleared and he saw that she was holding something.

'What's that?' he growled.

'A camcorder.' She handed it to him.

It was a top-of-the-range Sony handycam, encased in underwater housing to protect it from splashes.

'Well?' he said.

Delaware made a despairing gesture. 'I thought you wanted to find out why it happened.'

'And you'd know all about that, I suppose.'

'There's no need to take your anger out on me, Leon!' she retorted. 'A few hours ago I nearly died out there. I could be sitting in a clinic, crying, but I'm not. I'm here and I'm trying to help. So, are you going to listen to me or not?'

Anawak took a deep breath. 'OK.'

'Did you get a good look at the whales that rammed the Lady Wexham?'

'Sure. They were greys and hump-'

'No.' Delaware shook her head impatiently. 'Not the species. The actual whales. Were you able to identify them?'

'It happened too fast.'

She smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, but it was a smile all the same. 'Remember the woman we pulled out of the water? I knew her from the Blue Shark. She's in shock. She doesn't know what's happening. But when I want something, I don't give up.'

'Don't I know it.'

'I saw the camera hanging round her neck. It was strapped on tightly, which was why she hadn't lost it in the water. Anyway, when you went out the second time, I talked to her and she'd filmed the whole thing. She was filming when Greywolf arrived. And as far as I remember, from where we were positioned, the Lady Wexham was behind Greywolf's boat.'

Suddenly Anawak saw what she was getting at.

'She filmed the attack,' he said.

'She filmed the individual whales. I don't know how expert you really are at identifying them but you live around here and you know them. And with a camcorder you can take as long as you like.'

'I suppose you forgot to ask her whether you could keep the camera?' asked Anawak.

She stuck out her chin defiantly. 'What of it?'

He twisted the camera in his hands. 'All right. I'll take a look.'

'We'll take a look,' said Delaware. 'I don't want to be left out. And don't even think of asking me why. It's the least I'm entitled to, all right?'

Anawak was dumbstruck.

'And besides,' she said, 'it's about time you started being nice to me.'

He exhaled slowly, pursing his lips. He had to admit that Delaware's idea was the best lead they had. 'I'll give it a go,' he murmured.

12 April

Trondheim, Norway

The summons came as Johanson was preparing to drive out to the lake. On his return from Kiel he'd contacted Tina Lund to tell her about the experiment in the deep-sea simulation chamber. They hadn't talked for long: Lund was up to her ears in work, and spent every spare second with Kare Sverdrup. Johanson had had the impression that her mind was elsewhere, but whatever was bothering her didn't seem to relate to her job, so he didn't ask questions.

A few days later Bohrmann called with the latest on the worms. The scientists in Kiel had been running more tests. Johanson had already packed his suitcase and was about to leave the house when he decided to call Lund and tell her the news. She seemed more focused now and jumped in before he could begin. 'Why don't you pay us a visit?' she suggested.

'At Marintek?'

'No, at the Statoil research centre. The project-management team is here from Stavanger.'

'Do you want me to regale them with stories of sinister creepy-crawlies?'

'I've already done that. Now they want details so I said I'd ask you.'

'Why me?'

'Why not?'

'Because you've got all the documentation,' said Johanson. 'Reams of it. All I can do is pass on what other people have told me.'

'You can do more than that,' said Lund. 'You can give them your personal opinion.'

Johanson was too surprised to answer.

'They know you're not an expert on wellheads or even worms, for that matter,' she said, 'but you've got a fantastic reputation at the NTNU and you can judge things impartially. At Statoil we're coming at this business from a different perspective.'

'You mean you're only interested in whether it's viable.'

'There are other factors! Look, the trouble is, we've got a bunch of people here, all acknowledged experts in something but-'

'They don't have the first clue about anything else.'

'That's not true!' She sounded put out. 'They're all extremely capable – they wouldn't be here otherwise. But we're too involved in it all, too bogged down. Christ, how else do you want me to put it? We just need some outside opinions, that's all.'

'But I hardly know anything about oil.'

'No one's forcing you.' Lund sounded annoyed now. 'If you're not interested, forget it.'

Johanson rolled his eyes. 'OK, OK. I don't want to leave you in the lurch – and in any case, there's some new data from Kiel and-'

'Can I take that as a yes, then?'

'Jesus, Tina! So, when is this meeting?'

'There's a whole row of them coming up. Every day is just one long meeting.'

'Fine. It's Friday today. I'll be away at the weekend, but Monday would be-'

'That's…' She checked herself 'That would actually be…'

'What?' Johanson prompted her. He had a nasty feeling about this.

'Got something nice planned for the weekend?' she asked conversationally. 'Another trip to the lake?'

'Well guessed. Do you want to come too?'

She laughed. 'Why not?'

'I see. And what would Kare have to say about that?'

'Who cares? It's none of his business.' She paused. 'Oh, hell.'

'If only you were as good at everything else as you are at your job,' said Johanson, so softly that he wasn't sure she'd heard.

'Please, Sigur. Can't you set off a bit later? We're meeting in two hours, and I thought. . . Well, it's not far for you to come and it won't take long. We'll be finished in no time. You can go to the lake this evening.'

'I – '

'We really need to make progress. We've got a schedule to stick to, and you know how much these things cost. Now we're slipping behind and all because…'

'I said I'd do it, all right?'

'You're a honey.'

'Do you want me to pick you up on the way?' I'll be there already. You've made my day, Sigur. Thank you.' She hung up. Johanson looked at his suitcase wistfully.

AS JOHANSON WAS USHERED into the conference hall at the Statoil research centre, the tension was almost tangible. Lund was sitting with three men at a huge table. Late-afternoon sunshine seeped into the room, lending warmth to the glass, chrome and dark-wood furnishings. The walls were lined with blow-ups of diagrams and technical drawings.

'Here he is,' said the woman who had brought Johanson from reception, and a man rose to greet him. He had close-cut dark hair and was wearing designer glasses.

'Thor Hvistendahl, deputy director of the Statoil research centre,' he introduced himself. 'I apologise for encroaching on your time at such late notice. Tina assures us that we're not disrupting your plans.'

Johanson shot Lund an eloquent look, then shook Hvistendahl's hand. 'No problem,' he said. 'I was free this afternoon.'

Lund suppressed a smile. She introduced him to the other men. One was from the Statoil headquarters in Stavanger – a burly man with red hair and friendly blue eyes. He was a member of the executive committee, and was there to represent the management board. 'Finn Skaugen,' he boomed.