A large artificial Santa beard hid his face. He had undone the thick belt around his waist and unbuttoned his jacket. Beneath it he was wearing only a white vest. There was a fatal wound to his heart. Although there were other wounds on the body, the stabbing through the heart had finished him off. His hands had slash marks on them, as if he had tried to fight off the assailant. His trousers were down round his ankles. A condom hung from his penis.

“Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,” Sigurdur Oli warbled, looking down at the body.

Elinborg hushed him.

In the room was a small wardrobe and the door was open. It contained folded trousers and sweaters, ironed shirts, underwear and socks. A uniform hung on a coat-hanger, navy blue with golden epaulettes and shiny brass buttons. A pair of smartly-polished black leather shoes stood beside the cupboard.

Newspapers and magazines were strewn over the floor. Beside the bed was a small table and lamp. On the table was a single book: A History of the Vienna Boys” Choir.

“Did he live here, this man?” Erlendur asked as he surveyed the scene. He and Elinborg had entered the room. Sigurdur Oli and the hotel manager were standing outside. It was too small for them all inside.

“We let him stay here,” the manager said awkwardly, mopping the sweat from his brow. “He’s been working for us for donkey’s years. Since before my time. As a doorman.”

“Was the door open when he was found?” Sigurdur Oli asked, trying to be formal, as if to compensate for his little ditty.

“I asked her to wait for you,” the manager said. “The girl who found him. She’s in the staff coffee room. Gave her quite a shock, poor thing, as you can imagine.” The manager avoided looking into the room.

Erlendur walked up to the body and peered at the wound to the heart. He had no idea what kind of blade had killed the man. He looked up. Above the bed was an old, faded poster for a Shirley Temple film, sellotaped at the corners. Erlendur didn’t know the film. It was called The Little Princess. The poster was the only decoration in the room.