Read Online The Laughing Policeman by Maj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Maj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö
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Kollberg's tie lay on the desk where he had tossed it, and although the room was not particularly warm he was perspiring in the face and under the arms. Martin Beck was seized with a long, racking cough, then he put his hand thoughtfully to his chin and went on studying the sketches.
Kollberg stopped his pacing, looked at him critically and declared, 'You sound awful.'
'And you get more and more like Inga every day.'
And just then Hammar threw open the door and marched in.
'Where are Larsson and Melander?'
'Gone home.'
'And Rönn?'
'At the hospital.'
'Oh yes, of course. Heard anything from there?' Kollberg shook his head. 'You'll be up to full strength tomorrow.' 'Full strength?'
'Reinforcements. From outside.'
Hammar made a short pause. Then he added ambiguously, 'It's considered necessary.'
Martin Beck blew his nose with great care.
'Who is it?' Kollberg asked. 'Or shall I say who are they?'
'A man called Månsson is coming up from Malmö tomorrow. Do you know him?'
'I've met him,' Martin Beck replied without the faintest trace of enthusiasm.
'So have I,' said Kollberg.
'And they're trying to get Gunnar Ahlberg free from Motala.' 'He's OK,' Kollberg said listlessly.
'That's all I know,' Hammar said. 'Someone from Sundersvall, too, I think. Don't know who.'
'I see,' said Martin Beck.
'Unless you solve it before then,' Hammar said bleakly. 'Of course,' Kollberg agreed. 'Facts seem to point to ...'
Hammar broke off and gave Martin Beck a searching look. 'What's wrong with you?' 'I've got a cold.'
Hammar went on staring at him. Kollberg followed his look and said, by way of diverting his attention, 'All we know is that someone shot nine people in a bus last night And that he followed the internationally familiar pattern of sensational mass murders by not leaving any traces and by not getting caught He might of course, have committed suicide, but in that case we know nothing about it We have two substantial clues. The bullets and the fired cartridges, which may possibly lead us to the weapon, and the man in the hospital, who might regain consciousness and tell us who fired the shots. As he was sitting at the rear of the bus he must have seen the murderer.'
'Hunh,' Hammar grunted.
'It's not very much, I grant you,' said Kollberg. 'Especially if this Schwerin dies or turns out to have lost his memory - he's seriously injured. We've no motive, for instance. And no witnesses that are any use.'
'They may turn up,' Hammar said. 'And the motive needn't be a problem. Mass murderers are psychopaths and the reasons for their actions are often an element in the pathological picture.'
'Oh,' Kollberg said. 'Melander's looking after the scientific relations. I expect he'll be along with a memorandum one of these days.'
'Our best chance ...' Hammar said, looking at the clock.
'Is the inside investigations,' Kollberg added.
'Exactly. In nine cases out of ten it leads to the murderer. Don't stay on here too long to no purpose. Better for you to be rested tomorrow. Good night'
He left the room, and there was silence. After a few seconds Kollberg sighed and said, 'What is wrong with you?' Martin Beck didn't answer. 'Stenström?'
Kollberg nodded to himself and said philosophically, 'To think of the dressing downs I've given him. Over the years. And then he goes and gets murdered.'
"This Månsson,' Martin Beck said. 'Do you remember him?'
Kollberg nodded.
'The bloke with the toothpicks. I don't believe in roping in every available man like this. It would be for better if they let us get on with this by ourselves. You and I and Melander.'
'Well, Ahlberg's OK, at any rate.'
'Sure,' Kollberg replied. 'But how many murder investigations has he had down there in Motala during the last ten years?' 'One.'
'Exactly. Besides, I don't care for Hammar's habit of standing there and slinging cliches and truisms in our feces. "Psychopaths", "an element in the pathological picture", "up to full strength". Yuk.'
Another silence.
Kollberg stopped his pacing, looked at him critically and declared, 'You sound awful.'
'And you get more and more like Inga every day.'
And just then Hammar threw open the door and marched in.
'Where are Larsson and Melander?'
'Gone home.'
'And Rönn?'
'At the hospital.'
'Oh yes, of course. Heard anything from there?' Kollberg shook his head. 'You'll be up to full strength tomorrow.' 'Full strength?'
'Reinforcements. From outside.'
Hammar made a short pause. Then he added ambiguously, 'It's considered necessary.'
Martin Beck blew his nose with great care.
'Who is it?' Kollberg asked. 'Or shall I say who are they?'
'A man called Månsson is coming up from Malmö tomorrow. Do you know him?'
'I've met him,' Martin Beck replied without the faintest trace of enthusiasm.
'So have I,' said Kollberg.
'And they're trying to get Gunnar Ahlberg free from Motala.' 'He's OK,' Kollberg said listlessly.
'That's all I know,' Hammar said. 'Someone from Sundersvall, too, I think. Don't know who.'
'I see,' said Martin Beck.
'Unless you solve it before then,' Hammar said bleakly. 'Of course,' Kollberg agreed. 'Facts seem to point to ...'
Hammar broke off and gave Martin Beck a searching look. 'What's wrong with you?' 'I've got a cold.'
Hammar went on staring at him. Kollberg followed his look and said, by way of diverting his attention, 'All we know is that someone shot nine people in a bus last night And that he followed the internationally familiar pattern of sensational mass murders by not leaving any traces and by not getting caught He might of course, have committed suicide, but in that case we know nothing about it We have two substantial clues. The bullets and the fired cartridges, which may possibly lead us to the weapon, and the man in the hospital, who might regain consciousness and tell us who fired the shots. As he was sitting at the rear of the bus he must have seen the murderer.'
'Hunh,' Hammar grunted.
'It's not very much, I grant you,' said Kollberg. 'Especially if this Schwerin dies or turns out to have lost his memory - he's seriously injured. We've no motive, for instance. And no witnesses that are any use.'
'They may turn up,' Hammar said. 'And the motive needn't be a problem. Mass murderers are psychopaths and the reasons for their actions are often an element in the pathological picture.'
'Oh,' Kollberg said. 'Melander's looking after the scientific relations. I expect he'll be along with a memorandum one of these days.'
'Our best chance ...' Hammar said, looking at the clock.
'Is the inside investigations,' Kollberg added.
'Exactly. In nine cases out of ten it leads to the murderer. Don't stay on here too long to no purpose. Better for you to be rested tomorrow. Good night'
He left the room, and there was silence. After a few seconds Kollberg sighed and said, 'What is wrong with you?' Martin Beck didn't answer. 'Stenström?'
Kollberg nodded to himself and said philosophically, 'To think of the dressing downs I've given him. Over the years. And then he goes and gets murdered.'
"This Månsson,' Martin Beck said. 'Do you remember him?'
Kollberg nodded.
'The bloke with the toothpicks. I don't believe in roping in every available man like this. It would be for better if they let us get on with this by ourselves. You and I and Melander.'
'Well, Ahlberg's OK, at any rate.'
'Sure,' Kollberg replied. 'But how many murder investigations has he had down there in Motala during the last ten years?' 'One.'
'Exactly. Besides, I don't care for Hammar's habit of standing there and slinging cliches and truisms in our feces. "Psychopaths", "an element in the pathological picture", "up to full strength". Yuk.'
Another silence.
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