on.'
'I still don't understand, though,' Wallander said. 'There must have been more to it than that. Major Liepa talked about a conspiracy, something that would make the whole of Europe realise what was happening in this country.'
Putnis nodded sagely. 'Of course there was more to it than that,' he said. 'Something much bigger than a high-ranking police officer being corrupt and protecting his privileges with as much brutality as was necessary. It was a devilish plot, and Major Liepa had realised that.'
Wallander felt cold. He was still holding Baiba's hand.
Putnis's armed men had withdrawn and were standing by the fire door.
'It was all very cleverly worked out,' Putnis said. 'Murniers had an idea and succeeded in selling it to the Kremlin and the leading Russian circles in Latvia. He had seen the possibility of killing two birds with one stone.'
'By using the new Europe, where the border controls no longer existed, in order to earn money from the organised smuggling of drugs,' Wallander said. 'Including Sweden. But at the same time, he also used the drug smuggling to discredit the Latvian national movements. Am I right?'
Putnis nodded. 'I could see from the start that you were a good police officer, Inspector Wallander. Very analytical, very patient. That's exactly how Murniers had worked it out. The blame for the drug trafficking would be attached to the freedom movements here in Latvia, and in Sweden public opinion would be radically altered. Who would want to support a political freedom movement that thanked you for the support it was receiving by flooding your country with drugs? It can't be denied that Murniers had created a weapon that was both dangerous and cleverly devised, a weapon that could have smashed the freedom movement in this country once and for all.'
Wallander thought about what Putnis had said.
'Do you understand?' he asked Baiba.
She nodded slowly.
'Where is Sergeant Zids?' he asked.
'As soon as I have the necessary proof, Murniers and Sergeant Zids will be arrested,' said Putnis. 'I have no doubt Murniers is feeling very worried just now. He probably hasn't realised that all the time we've been keeping watch on those of his men who've been keeping watch on-you.
Of course, you could criticise me for exposing you to unnecessary danger, but I assumed it was probably the only way of finding the papers Major Liepa must have left behind.'
'When I left the university yesterday, Zids was lying in wait for me,' said Baiba. 'He told me that if I didn't hand over the papers, Upitis would die.'
'Upitis is innocent, of course,' Putnis said. 'Murniers had taken his sister's two small children hostage, and told him they'd be killed unless Upitis confessed to being Major Liepa's murderer. There really is no limit to what Murniers is capable of doing. It will come as a relief to the whole country once he's been exposed for what he is, and condemned to death and executed, as will Sergeant Zids. The major's evidence will be published. The plot will be revealed, not just in the courts, but it will be circulated to the whole nation. I've no doubt it will also be of interest to people beyond our borders.'
Wallander could feel relief seeping through his body. It was all over.
Putnis smiled.
'All that remains is for me to read Major Liepa's documents,' he said. 'And now you can go back home for real, Inspector Wallander. We are deeply grateful for the help you have given us.'
Wallander took the numbered tag out of his pocket.
'The file is blue,' he said. 'It's in a carrier bag at the left luggage desk. Along with two records that I would like to have back.'
Putnis laughed. 'You really are very clever, Mr Wallander. You don't put a foot wrong unless you're forced to.'
Was it something in Putnis's tone of voice that gave him away? Wallander never managed to work out precisely why he was suddenly struck by the awful thought – but just as Putnis was putting the tag into his pocket, it became crystal clear to Wallander that he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. He simply knew without knowing why he knew. He could no longer distinguish between intuition and rational thought, and his mouth was as dry as a desert.
Putnis continued to smile as he took his pistol from out of his pocket. His men closed in, spreading themselves all over the roof and pointing their machine guns at Baiba and Wallander. She didn't seem to grasp what was happening, and Wallander was struck dumb with fear and humiliation. At that very moment the fire door opened, and Sergeant Zids stepped out on to the roof. It occurred to Wallander's confused mind that Zids must have been there behind the door all the time, waiting to make his entrance. The show was over now, and he didn't need to wait in the wings any more.
'Your only mistake,' Putnis said, his voice expressionless. 'Everything I've just told you is absolutely true, of course. The only thing that distances my words from reality is my good self. Everything I said about Murniers applies to me. You were right and wrong at the same time, Inspector Wallander. If you had been a Marxist, like me, you would have realised that one must occasionally stand the world on its head in order to put it on its feet.'
Putnis took a step backwards. 'I trust you will realise that it is not possible for you to return to Sweden,' he said. 'After all, you'll be quite close to heaven when you die, up here on the roof.'
'Not Baiba,' Wallander pleaded. 'Not Baiba.'
'I'm so sorry,' Putnis said.
He raised his gun, and Wallander realised he was going to shoot Baiba first. There was nothing he could do, he would die here on the roof in the centre of Riga. At that very moment the fire door burst open. Putnis gave a start and turned to see what had caused the unexpected noise. At the head of a large number of armed police officers pouring out on to the roof was Colonel Murniers. When he saw Colonel Putnis standing there with his gun in his hand, he did not hesitate. His own pistol was already drawn, and he shot Putnis through the chest, three bullets in rapid succession. Wallander threw himself over Baiba in order to shield her. A violent gun battle raged all over the roof. Murniers's and Putnis's men tried to hide behind chimneys and ventilators. Wallander saw he was in the firing line, and tried to pull Baiba with him behind Putnis's corpse. He suddenly noticed Sergeant Zids crouching behind one of the chimneys. Their eyes met, then Zids noticed Baiba, and it was immediately clear to Wallander that Zids was going to try to take both of them hostage in order to secure a safe passage for himself. Murniers's men outnumbered the others, and several of Putnis's henchmen had already been killed. Wallander could see Putnis's pistol lying beside his body, but before he could reach it Zids had flung himself at him. Wallander thrust his injured hand into Zids's face, and cried out in agony. Zids reeled from the force of the blow, his mouth started bleeding, but he had not been seriously hurt by Wallander's desperate reaction. There was hatred in his eyes as he raised his gun to shoot the Swedish police officer who had caused him and his superior so much trouble. But when the shot rang out and Wallander realised he was still alive, he opened his eyes and registered that Baiba was kneeling beside him. She had Putnis's pistol in her hands, and had shot Sergeant Zids between the eyes. She was crying, but he knew it was due to a mixture of fury and relief rather than the fear and misery she had been subjected to for so long.
The gunfire on the roof ceased just as suddenly as it had begun. Two of Putnis's men were wounded, the rest were dead. Murniers looked grim as he examined one of his own men who had received a number of gunshots to the chest, then he walked over to Baiba and Wallander.
'I'm sorry it had to turn out like this,' he said apologetically, 'but I had to know what Putnis said.'
'You'll no doubt be able to read the full story in the major's papers,' Wallander said.
'How could I have been sure they existed? And still less that you had found them?'
'By asking,' Wallander said.
Murniers shook his head. 'If I'd contacted either of you, I'd have entered into open warfare with Putnis, he'd have fled the country and we'd never have been able to catch him. I had no option but to keep watch over you by constantly following on the heels of Putnis's shadows.'
Wallander suddenly felt far too weary to listen any more. His hand was throbbing and the pain was agonising. He took Baiba's hand and pulled himself up.
Then he passed out. When he came round he was on a treatment table in hospital, his hand was in plaster and the pain had gone at last. Colonel Murniers was standing in the doorway, cigarette in hand, watching him and smiling.
