Read Online An Event in Autumn: A Kurt Wallander Mystery by Henning Mankell - Free Book Online
Authors: Henning Mankell
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ago. He had cancer. It went quickly.”
“Was it your daughter who answered the phone?”
“Lena. She’s my youngest. The entry code number is 1225.”
They agreed that Wallander would drive to central Malmö to meet her that same day. Without really knowing why, he telephoned Linda and asked her if she would like to accompany him. She had the day off after working two successive nights, and he woke her up. But, unlike her father, she seldom became angry when her beauty sleep was interrupted. They agreed that he would collect her an hour later, at eleven o’clock.
It was wet and windy when they drove out to Malmö. Wallander listened to a cassette recording of
La bohème
.As Linda was not especially keen on opera he had turned the volume down. When they came to Svedala, Wallander switched the music off altogether.
“Nobelvägen,” he said. “She lives right in the center.”
“Have we time to stay on for a bit afterward?” asked Linda. “I want to do some shopping. It’s ages since I’ve been to any decent shops.”
“What kind of shopping?”
“Clothes. I want to buy a sweater. As consolation.”
“Consolation for what?”
“For feeling rather lonely.”
“How are things with you and Stefan?”
“It’s going well. But one can feel lonely at times, even so.”
Wallander said nothing. He knew all too well what Linda was talking about.
He parked the car at Triangeln. The wind was bitter while they were finding their way to the house. Wallander had written the entry code number on the back of his hand.
Kristina Fredberg’s apartment was on the top floor. There was no elevator. Wallander was panting heavily by the time they reached the top of the stairs. Linda stared sternly at him.
“You’ll have a heart attack if you don’t start exercising soon.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my heart. I’ve been on an exercise bike with wires attached to my body, andthe result was good. And my average blood pressure is 135 over 80. That’s also good. And my blood lipids are as they should be. Well, almost. I have my diabetes under control. In addition to all that I have my prostate checked once a year. Will that do, or would you like all that information in writing?”
“You’re mad,” said Linda. “But quite funny. Ring the doorbell now.”
Kristina Fredberg looked distinctly youthful. Wallander found it difficult to believe that she was sixty-five years old. He’d have guessed just over fifty if he hadn’t known.
She invited them into her living room. A tray with coffee and biscuits was on the table. They had just sat down when a woman of Linda’s age came in through the door. She introduced herself as Lena. Wallander couldn’t remember when he had last seen such a beautiful woman. She looked like her mother, and spoke like her, with the same voice and a smile that gave Wallander a forbidden urge to touch her.
“Do you mind if I sit in and listen?” she asked. “From pure curiosity.”
“Not at all,” said Wallander.
She sat down on the sofa next to her mother. Wallander couldn’t resist looking at her legs. Then he noticed that Linda was frowning at him. Why did I ask her to come with me? he wondered. To give her even more reason to criticize me?
Kristina Fredberg served coffee. Wallander took outhis notebook and pencil. But needless to say, he had forgotten his glasses. He put the notebook back into his pocket.
“You were born in 1937,” he said. “You were the youngest of four siblings.”
“I was an afterthought, yes. I don’t think I was really wanted. More of a mistake.”
“Why do you think that?”
“It’s the sort of thing children sense. But nobody ever said anything.”
“And you grew up there at the house in Löderup?”
“Yes and no. Until 1942, in November, we lived there all the year round. Then Mum and I and my brothers and sister moved to Malmö for a few years.”
“Why?”
Wallander noticed that she hesitated very slightly before
“Was it your daughter who answered the phone?”
“Lena. She’s my youngest. The entry code number is 1225.”
They agreed that Wallander would drive to central Malmö to meet her that same day. Without really knowing why, he telephoned Linda and asked her if she would like to accompany him. She had the day off after working two successive nights, and he woke her up. But, unlike her father, she seldom became angry when her beauty sleep was interrupted. They agreed that he would collect her an hour later, at eleven o’clock.
It was wet and windy when they drove out to Malmö. Wallander listened to a cassette recording of
La bohème
.As Linda was not especially keen on opera he had turned the volume down. When they came to Svedala, Wallander switched the music off altogether.
“Nobelvägen,” he said. “She lives right in the center.”
“Have we time to stay on for a bit afterward?” asked Linda. “I want to do some shopping. It’s ages since I’ve been to any decent shops.”
“What kind of shopping?”
“Clothes. I want to buy a sweater. As consolation.”
“Consolation for what?”
“For feeling rather lonely.”
“How are things with you and Stefan?”
“It’s going well. But one can feel lonely at times, even so.”
Wallander said nothing. He knew all too well what Linda was talking about.
He parked the car at Triangeln. The wind was bitter while they were finding their way to the house. Wallander had written the entry code number on the back of his hand.
Kristina Fredberg’s apartment was on the top floor. There was no elevator. Wallander was panting heavily by the time they reached the top of the stairs. Linda stared sternly at him.
“You’ll have a heart attack if you don’t start exercising soon.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my heart. I’ve been on an exercise bike with wires attached to my body, andthe result was good. And my average blood pressure is 135 over 80. That’s also good. And my blood lipids are as they should be. Well, almost. I have my diabetes under control. In addition to all that I have my prostate checked once a year. Will that do, or would you like all that information in writing?”
“You’re mad,” said Linda. “But quite funny. Ring the doorbell now.”
Kristina Fredberg looked distinctly youthful. Wallander found it difficult to believe that she was sixty-five years old. He’d have guessed just over fifty if he hadn’t known.
She invited them into her living room. A tray with coffee and biscuits was on the table. They had just sat down when a woman of Linda’s age came in through the door. She introduced herself as Lena. Wallander couldn’t remember when he had last seen such a beautiful woman. She looked like her mother, and spoke like her, with the same voice and a smile that gave Wallander a forbidden urge to touch her.
“Do you mind if I sit in and listen?” she asked. “From pure curiosity.”
“Not at all,” said Wallander.
She sat down on the sofa next to her mother. Wallander couldn’t resist looking at her legs. Then he noticed that Linda was frowning at him. Why did I ask her to come with me? he wondered. To give her even more reason to criticize me?
Kristina Fredberg served coffee. Wallander took outhis notebook and pencil. But needless to say, he had forgotten his glasses. He put the notebook back into his pocket.
“You were born in 1937,” he said. “You were the youngest of four siblings.”
“I was an afterthought, yes. I don’t think I was really wanted. More of a mistake.”
“Why do you think that?”
“It’s the sort of thing children sense. But nobody ever said anything.”
“And you grew up there at the house in Löderup?”
“Yes and no. Until 1942, in November, we lived there all the year round. Then Mum and I and my brothers and sister moved to Malmö for a few years.”
“Why?”
Wallander noticed that she hesitated very slightly before
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