The Snowman ( PDFDrive )

Tresko had once explained that the poker player who bases his game on his ability to intuit a bluff is
bound to lose. It’s true that we all give ourselves away with superficial mannerisms when lying;
however, you have no chance of exposing a good bluffer unless you coldly and calculatedly chart
all these mannerisms against each individual, in Tresko’s opinion. Harry tended to think Tresko was
right. And so he didn’t base his conviction that Støp was lying on the man’s expression, his voice or
his body language.
‘Where were you between four and eight o’clock the day Vetlesen died?’ Harry asked.
‘Hey!’ Støp raised an eyebrow. ‘Hey! Is there something about this case I or my readers ought to
know?’
‘Where were you?’
‘That sounds manifestly like you haven’t caught the Snowman after all. Is that right?’
‘I would appreciate it if you would let me ask the questions, Støp.’
‘Fine, I was with ’
Arve paused. And his face suddenly lit up in a boyish smile.
‘No, hang on a moment. You’re insinuating that I could have had something to do with Vetlesen’s
death. If I were to answer I would be conceding the premises of the question.’
‘I can easily register that you refused to answer the question, Støp.’
Støp raised his glass in toast. ‘A familiar countermove, Hole. One which we press people use every
single day. Hence the name. Press. People. But please note that I’m not refusing to answer, Hole.
I’m just refraining from doing so at this minute. In other words, I’m giving it some thought.’ He
walked back to the window where he remained, nodding to himself. ‘I’m not refusing, I just haven’t
decided whether to answer or indeed what. And in the meantime you’ll have to wait.’
‘I’ve got plenty of time.’
Støp turned. ‘And I don’t mean to waste it, Hole, but I have declared in the past that Liberal’s only
capital and means of production is my personal integrity. I hope you appreciate that I as a pressman
have an obligation to exploit this situation.’
‘Exploit?’
‘Hell, I know I’m sitting on a little atomic bomb of a news scoop here. I assume no newspapers
have been tipped the wink that there’s something fishy about Vetlesen’s death. If I were to give you
an answer now that would clear me of suspicion, I would have already played my hand. And then
it’s too late for me to ask for relevant information before I answer. Am I right, Hole?’
Harry had an inkling where this was leading. And that Støp was a smarter bastard than he had
anticipated.
‘Information isn’t what you need,’ Harry said. ‘What you need is to be told that you can be
prosecuted for consciously obstructing the police in the course of their duties.’