Murder at the Savoy. Arne Dahl

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СКАЧАТЬ you just sit here?’ Backlund said, quite surprised.

      He strained his eyes to stare at Månsson.

      ‘How's the description coming?’ said Månsson. ‘We've got to get a move on.’

      Backlund fumbled with his notebook, put it on the bar, took off his glasses and began cleaning them.

      ‘Listen,’ Skacke said quickly, ‘this is the best we can come up with right now. Medium tall, thin face, thin dark brown hair, combed back. Brown sports coat, pastel shirt, dark grey trousers, black or brown shoes. Age about forty.’

      ‘Fine,’ said Månsson. ‘Send it out. Right away. Block all main roads, check out trains, planes and boats.’

      ‘Right,’ said Skacke.

      ‘I want him to stay in town,’ said Månsson.

      Skacke left.

      Backlund put on his glasses, stared at Månsson and repeated his pertinent question, ‘And you just sit here?’

      Then he looked at the glass, saying with even greater astonishment, ‘Drinking?’

      Månsson didn't reply.

      Backlund turned his attention to the clock over the bar, compared it with his watch and said, ‘That clock's wrong.’

      ‘Of course,’ the barman said. ‘It's fast. A little service for guests who're in a hurry to catch a train or boat.’

      ‘Hmm,’ Backlund said. ‘We'll never get this figured out. How can we determine the correct time when we can't rely on the clock?’

      ‘It won't be too easy,’ Månsson said absentmindedly.

      Skacke came back.

      ‘Well, that's done,’ he said.

      ‘Probably too late,’ Månsson said.

      ‘What in the world are you talking about?’ Backlund said, seizing his notepad. ‘About this waiter …’

      Dismissing him with a gesture, Månsson said, ‘Wait. We'll take that later. Benny, go call the police in Lund and ask them to send a man to the neurosurgeon at the hospital. The man they send should have a tape recorder with him so he can catch anything Palmgren says. If and when he regains consciousness. He'll have to question Mrs Palmgren, too.’

      Skacke departed again.

      ‘About the waiter. I'd say he wouldn't have noticed a thing if Dracula himself had fluttered through the dining room,’ the barman said.

      Irritated, Backlund kept quiet. Månsson waited to say anything else until Skacke came back. Since Backlund was officially Skacke's superior, he carefully addressed his question to both of them.

      ‘Who do you two think is the best witness?’

      ‘A guy named Edvardsson,’ said Skacke. ‘He was sitting only three tables away. But …’

      ‘But what?’

      ‘He isn't sober.’

      ‘Alcohol is a curse,’ Backlund said.

      ‘Okay, we wait with him until tomorrow,’ said Månsson. ‘Who can drop me off at headquarters?’

      ‘I can,’ said Skacke.

      ‘I'll stay here,’ Backlund said stubbornly. ‘This is officially my case.’

      ‘Right,’ said Månsson. ‘We'll be seeing you.’

      In the car he mumbled, ‘Trains and boats …’

      ‘Do you think he's got away?’ asked Skacke hesitantly.

      ‘He could have. Any way you look at it, we've got a whole lot of people to call. And we can't worry about waking anybody up.’

      Skacke looked sideways at Månsson, who was taking out another toothpick. The car swung into the courtyard of the main police station.

      ‘Planes,’ Månsson said to himself. ‘It could be a rough night.’

      The station seemed large, grim and very empty at this time of day. It was an impressive building. Their steps echoed desolately on the broad stone staircase.

      By nature, Månsson was as slow-moving as he was tall. He detested rough nights, and besides, most of his career was behind him.

      The opposite was true of Skacke. He was twenty years younger, thought about his career a lot and was eager and ambitious. But his previous experience as a policeman had made him careful, anxious to do what was expected.

      So, in fact, they complemented each other quite well.

      Inside his room Månsson immediately opened the window, which overlooked the station's tarmac yard. Then he sank down in his desk chair and sat silently for several minutes, reflectively spinning the platen on his old Underwood.

      Finally he said, ‘Get all the radio messages and calls sent up here. Take them on your telephone.’

      Skacke had a room on the other side of the corridor, across from Månsson.

      ‘You can leave the doors open,’ Månsson said.

      And after several seconds he added with mild irony, ‘That way we'll have a real operations centre.’

      Skacke went into his room and began using the telephone. After a little while Månsson followed him. He stood with a toothpick in the corner of his mouth, one shoulder propped against the doorframe.

      ‘Have you given this any thought, Benny?’ he said.

      ‘Not very much,’ said Skacke carefully. ‘It seems incredible, somehow.’

      ‘Incredible is the word for it,’ Månsson said.

      ‘What I don't get is the motive.’

      ‘I don't think we should give a damn about the motive until we get the details straight.’

      The telephone rang. Skacke made a note.

      ‘The person who shot Palmgren had only one chance in a thousand of making it out of the hotel dining room afterwards. Up to the second the shot was fired, he acted like a fanatic.’

      ‘Something like an assassination?’

      ‘Right. And afterwards? What happens? Miraculously enough he escapes, and then he doesn't act like a fanatic any more, but panics.’

      ‘Is that why you think he's trying to leave town?’

      ‘Partly. He walks in and shoots and doesn't care what happens afterwards. But then, like most criminals, he panics. He simply gets frightened and only wants to get away from there, as far and as fast as possible.’

      That's СКАЧАТЬ