afternoon."
"This is urgent and it won't take much time."
The man was quiet at the other end of the line. Wallander waited.
"What time?"
"Around 2 p.m.?"
"I'll call Copenhagen and let them know I won't be in today."
Sture Björklund gave Wallander directions. His house didn't seem hard to find.
After the phone conversation, Wallander spent a half hour writing out a summary of the case. He was still searching for the thought he had had when he first saw Svedberg lying on the floor – the thought that something wasn't quite right, the same idea that had also struck Nyberg. Wallander realised that it could simply be a reaction to the unbearable and incomprehensible experience of seeing a colleague dead. But he still tried to explore what might have caused it.
A little after 10 a.m. he went to get another cup of coffee. A number of people were gathered in the canteen. There was a general atmosphere of shock and dismay. Wallander lingered for a while, talking to some traffic officers. Then he walked back to his office and called Nyberg on his mobile phone.
"Where are you?" Wallander asked.
"Where do you think?" he replied sourly. "I'm still in Svedberg's flat."
"You haven't seen a telescope, by any chance?"
"No."
"Anything else?"
"We have a number of prints on the shotgun. We'll be able to get complete copies of at least two or three of them."
"Then we'll hope he's already in the database. Is that it?"
"Yes."
"I'm on my way to question Svedberg's other cousin, who lives outside Hedeskoga. After that I'll be back to do a more thorough search of the flat."
"We'll be done by then. I'm also planning to attend the press conference."
Wallander couldn't remember Nyberg ever coming to a meeting that involved the press before. Maybe it was Nyberg's way of expressing how upset he was. Wallander was suddenly moved.
"Have you found any keys?" he asked after a moment.
"There are some car keys and a key to the basement storage area."
"Nothing in the attic?"
"There don't seem to be storage areas in the attic, only in the basement. You'll get the keys from me at the press conference."
Wallander hung up and went to Martinsson's office.
"Where's Svedberg's car?" he asked. "The Audi."
Martinsson didn't know. They asked Hansson, who didn't know either. Höglund wasn't in her office.
Martinsson looked at his watch.
"It's got to be in a car park close to the flat," he said. "I think I have time to check before 11 a.m."
Wallander went back to his office. He saw that people had started to send flowers. Ebba looked like she had been crying, but Wallander didn't say anything to her. He hurried past her as fast as he could.
The press conference started on time. Afterwards Wallander remembered thinking that Lisa Holgersson conducted the proceedings with dignity. He told her that no one could have done a better job. She was wearing her uniform and standing in front of a table with two bouquets of roses. Her speech was clear and to the point. She told the press the known facts, and her voice did not fail her this time. A respected colleague, Karl Evert Svedberg, had been found murdered in his flat. The exact time of death and the motive were not yet known, but there were indications that Svedberg was attacked by an armed burglar. The police did not have any leads. She concluded by describing Svedberg's career and his character. Wallander thought her description of Svedberg was very good, not exaggerated in any way. Wallander answered the few questions that were asked. Nyberg described the murder weapon as a Lambert Baron shotgun.
It was all over in half an hour. Afterwards, Holgersson was interviewed by the Sydnytt newspaper, while Wallander spoke to some reporters from the evening papers. It was only when they asked him to pose outside the block of flats on Lilla Norregatan that he let his impatience show.
At midday Holgersson asked the members of the investigative team to a simple lunch at her home. Wallander and Holgersson
"This is urgent and it won't take much time."
The man was quiet at the other end of the line. Wallander waited.
"What time?"
"Around 2 p.m.?"
"I'll call Copenhagen and let them know I won't be in today."
Sture Björklund gave Wallander directions. His house didn't seem hard to find.
After the phone conversation, Wallander spent a half hour writing out a summary of the case. He was still searching for the thought he had had when he first saw Svedberg lying on the floor – the thought that something wasn't quite right, the same idea that had also struck Nyberg. Wallander realised that it could simply be a reaction to the unbearable and incomprehensible experience of seeing a colleague dead. But he still tried to explore what might have caused it.
A little after 10 a.m. he went to get another cup of coffee. A number of people were gathered in the canteen. There was a general atmosphere of shock and dismay. Wallander lingered for a while, talking to some traffic officers. Then he walked back to his office and called Nyberg on his mobile phone.
"Where are you?" Wallander asked.
"Where do you think?" he replied sourly. "I'm still in Svedberg's flat."
"You haven't seen a telescope, by any chance?"
"No."
"Anything else?"
"We have a number of prints on the shotgun. We'll be able to get complete copies of at least two or three of them."
"Then we'll hope he's already in the database. Is that it?"
"Yes."
"I'm on my way to question Svedberg's other cousin, who lives outside Hedeskoga. After that I'll be back to do a more thorough search of the flat."
"We'll be done by then. I'm also planning to attend the press conference."
Wallander couldn't remember Nyberg ever coming to a meeting that involved the press before. Maybe it was Nyberg's way of expressing how upset he was. Wallander was suddenly moved.
"Have you found any keys?" he asked after a moment.
"There are some car keys and a key to the basement storage area."
"Nothing in the attic?"
"There don't seem to be storage areas in the attic, only in the basement. You'll get the keys from me at the press conference."
Wallander hung up and went to Martinsson's office.
"Where's Svedberg's car?" he asked. "The Audi."
Martinsson didn't know. They asked Hansson, who didn't know either. Höglund wasn't in her office.
Martinsson looked at his watch.
"It's got to be in a car park close to the flat," he said. "I think I have time to check before 11 a.m."
Wallander went back to his office. He saw that people had started to send flowers. Ebba looked like she had been crying, but Wallander didn't say anything to her. He hurried past her as fast as he could.
The press conference started on time. Afterwards Wallander remembered thinking that Lisa Holgersson conducted the proceedings with dignity. He told her that no one could have done a better job. She was wearing her uniform and standing in front of a table with two bouquets of roses. Her speech was clear and to the point. She told the press the known facts, and her voice did not fail her this time. A respected colleague, Karl Evert Svedberg, had been found murdered in his flat. The exact time of death and the motive were not yet known, but there were indications that Svedberg was attacked by an armed burglar. The police did not have any leads. She concluded by describing Svedberg's career and his character. Wallander thought her description of Svedberg was very good, not exaggerated in any way. Wallander answered the few questions that were asked. Nyberg described the murder weapon as a Lambert Baron shotgun.
It was all over in half an hour. Afterwards, Holgersson was interviewed by the Sydnytt newspaper, while Wallander spoke to some reporters from the evening papers. It was only when they asked him to pose outside the block of flats on Lilla Norregatan that he let his impatience show.
At midday Holgersson asked the members of the investigative team to a simple lunch at her home. Wallander and Holgersson
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