Wallander could quite see what Akeson meant. The unsolved assassination of the Swedish prime minister, a mystery now getting on for ten years old, had not only stunned the police but had also shocked nearly everyone in Sweden. Too many people, both inside and outside the police force, were aware that in all probability the murder had not been solved because at an early stage the investigation had been dominated and mishandled in scandalous fashion by a district police chief who had put himself in charge in spite of being incompetent to run a criminal investigation. Every local force discussed over and over, sometimes angrily and sometimes contemptuously, how it had been possible for the murder, the murderer and the motive to be brushed under the carpet with such nonchalance. One of the most catastrophic errors in that disastrous investigation had been the insistence of the officers in charge on pursuing certain leads without first establishing priorities. Wallander agreed with Akeson: an investigation had to be more or less concluded before the police had the green light to put all their eggs into one basket.
'I'd like you to be there when we discuss the case this morning,' Wallander said. 'We have to be absolutely clear about what we're doing. I don't want the investigation team to be split. That would prevent us from being able to react rapidly to any new development.'
'I'll be there,' Akeson said. 'I was supposed to be playing golf today. Mind you, given the weather, I'd rather not.'
'It's probably pretty hot in Uganda,' Wallander said. 'Or was it the Sudan?'
'I haven't even raised the subject with my wife yet,' Akeson said in a low voice.
After that call, Wallander drank another cup of coffee and then called Bjork again. This time it was the man himself who answered. Wallander had decided not to say anything about what had happened the first time he visited Farnholm Castle. He would rather not do that on the phone, he needed to be face to face with Bjork. He was brief and to the point.
'We need to meet and discuss what's happened,' Wallander said. 'Something, that is, which is going to change the whole direction of the case.'
'What's happened?' Bjork said.
'I'd sooner not discuss it over the phone,' Wallander said.
'You're not suggesting our phones are being tapped, I hope?' Bjork said. 'We need to keep things in perspective after all.'
'It's not that,' Wallander said, although it struck him that he had never considered that possibility. It was too late to do anything about it now - he had already told Akeson how things were going to develop from now on.
'I need to see you briefly before the investigation meeting starts,' he said.
'OK, half an hour from now,' Bjork said. 'But I don't understand why you're being so secretive.'
'I'm not being secretive,' Wallander said. 'But it's sometimes better to discuss crucial things face to face.'
'That sounds pretty dramatic to me,' Bjork said. 'I wonder if we shouldn't contact Per.'
'I've done that already,' Wallander said. 'I'll be in your office in half an hour.'
Before meeting Bjork, Wallander sat in his car outside the police station for a few minutes, gathering his thoughts. He considered cancelling the whole thing, perhaps there were more important things to do; but then he acknowledged that he had to make it clear to Bjork that Harderberg must be treated like any other Swedish citizen. Failure to reach that understanding would lead inevitably to a crisis of confidence that would end up with Wallander's resignation. He thought how quickly things had moved. It was only just over a week since he had been pacing up and down the beach at Skagen, preparing to say goodbye for ever to his life as a police officer. Now he was feeling that he had to defend his position and his integrity as a police officer. He must write about all this to Baiba as soon as he could.
Would she be able to understand why everything had changed? Did he really understand it himself?
He went to Bjork's office and sat on his visitors' sofa.
'What on earth's happened?' Bjork said.
'There's something I must say before we go into the meeting,' Wallander said, and realised his voice sounded hesitant.
'Don't tell me you've decided to resign again,' Bjork said, looking worried.
'No,' Wallander said. 'I have to know why you phoned Farnholm Castle and warned them that the Ystad police were going to contact them in connection with the murder investigation. I have to know why you didn't tell me or the others that you had phoned.'
Wallander could see Bjork was put out and annoyed.
'Alfred Harderberg is an important man in our society,' Bjork said. 'He's not suspected of any criminal activity. It was purely politeness on my part. Might I ask how you know about the phone call?'
'They were too well prepared when I got there.'
'I don't see that as being negative,' Bjork said. 'Given the circumstances.'
'But it was inappropriate even so,' Wallander said. 'Inappropriate in more ways than one. And besides, such goings-on can create unrest in the investigation team. We have to be absolutely frank with one another.'
'I have to say that I find it difficult being lectured by you - of all people - on frankness,' Bjork said, no longer hiding the fact that he was furious.
'My shortcomings are no excuse for others acting in that way,' Wallander said. 'Not my superior in any case.'
Bjork rose to his feet. 'I will not allow myself to be addressed in that manner,' he said, going red in the face. 'It was pure politeness, nothing more. In the circumstances, a routine conversation. It couldn't have had any adverse effect.'
'Those circumstances no longer apply,' Wallander said, realising he was not going to get any further. The important thing now was to apprise Bjork as quickly as possible as to how the whole situation had changed.
Bjork was staring at him, still on his feet. 'Express yourself more clearly,' he said. 'I don't understand what you mean.'
'Information has come to light which suggests that Alfred Harderberg could be behind everything that's happened,' Wallander said. 'That would surely imply that the circumstances have changed quite dramatically.'
Bjork sat down again, incredulous. 'What do you mean?'
'I mean that we have reason to believe that Harderberg is directly or indirectly mixed up in the murder of the two solicitors. And the attempted murder of Mrs Duner. And the blowing up of my car.'
Bjork stared at him in disbelief. 'Am I really expected to take that seriously?'
'Yes, you are,' Wallander said. 'Akeson does.'
Wallander gave Bjork a brisk summary of what had happened. When he had finished, Bjork sat looking at his hands before responding.
'It would be very unpleasant, of course, if this were to turn out to be true,' he said in the end.
'Murder and explosions are certainly unpleasant things,' Wallander said.
'We must be very, very careful,' Bjork said, apparently ignoring Wallander's comment. 'We can't accept anything short of conclusive proof before we consider making a move.'
'We don't normally do that,' Wallander said. 'Why should this case be any different?'
'I have no doubt at all that this will turn out to be a dead end,' Bjork said, getting to his feet to indicate that the conversation was over.
'That is a possibility,' Wallander said. 'So is the opposite.'
It was 8.10 when he left Bjork's office. He fetched a cup of coffee and called in at Hoglund's office, but she had not yet arrived. He went to his office to telephone Waldemar Kage, the taxi driver in Simrishamn. He got through to him on his mobile and explained what it was about. He made a note that he should send Kage a cheque for 230 kronor. He wondered if he should phone the haulage contractor his father had punched and try to persuade him not to take the case to court, but decided against it. The meeting was due to start at 8.30. He needed to concentrate until then.
He stood at the window. It was a grey day, very cold and damp. Late autumn already, winter just round the corner. I'm here, he thought: I wonder where Harderberg is right now. At Farnholm Castle? Or 30,000 feet up, in his Gulfstream, on the way to and from some intricate negotiation? What had Gustaf Torstensson and Borman discovered? What had really happened? What if Hoglund and I are right, if two police officers of different generations, each with their own view of what the world is like, have come to the same conclusion? A conclusion
