The Troubled Man (2011)

one of the students who bullied Solve, because of his near-sightedness and his determination to actually learn something at school. But all attempts to undermine Solve’s self-confidence had failed. All the scornful abuse, all the punches and kicks had been shaken off, like water off a duck’s back.

After leaving school they had not been in contact until one day Wallander was amazed to discover that Solve Hagberg was going to take part in a TV show called Double or Quits. Even more astonishing was that his chosen subject was going to be the history of the Swedish navy. He had been overweight as a child, another reason why he had been bullied. But if he’d been overweight then, he was positively fat now. He seemed to roll up to the microphone on invisible wheels. He was bald, wore rimless glasses, and spoke with the same broad Scanian accent that Wallander remembered from school. Mona had commented disparagingly on his appearance and gone into the kitchen to make coffee, but Wallander stayed to watch him answer all the questions correctly. He won, thanks to precise and detailed replies delivered with complete self-confidence. As far as Wallander could recall, he hadn’t hesitated for a moment. He really did know everything about the long, complicated history of the Swedish navy. It had been Hagberg’s big ambition to become a naval officer. But thanks to his ungainliness he had been turned down as a recruit and sent back home to his books and model ships. Now he had taken his revenge.

For a short while the newspapers showed an interest in this strange man, who still lived in Limhamn and made a living writing articles for journals and books published by various military institutions. The press wrote about Hagberg’s comprehensive archive. He had detailed information about Swedish naval officers from the seventeenth century to the present day, constantly updated. Perhaps Wallander might be able to find something in this archive to tell him more about who Hakan von Enke really was.

He finally found Hagberg’s number scribbled in the greasy margin of the letter H. He picked up the phone and dialled. A woman answered. Wallander gave his name and asked to speak to Solve.

‘He’s dead.’

Wallander was dumbstruck. After a few seconds of silence the woman asked if he was still there.

‘Yes, I’m still here. I had no idea he was dead.’

‘He died two years ago. He had a heart attack. He was in Ronneby, addressing a group of retired naval engineers. He collapsed during the dinner following his lecture.’

‘I take it you are his wife?’

‘Asta Hagberg. We were married for twenty-six years. I told him he should lose weight, but all he did was put three sugars in his coffee instead of four. Who are you?’

Wallander explained, and decided to end the call as quickly as possible.

‘You were one of the kids who used to torment him,’ she surprised him by saying. ‘I remember your name now. One of the bullies at school. He had a list of your names, and kept tabs on how you led your lives. He wasn’t ashamed to feel pleased when things went badly for anyone on the list. Why are you calling? What do you want?’

‘I’d hoped to be allowed access to his archive.’

‘I might be able to help you, but I don’t know if I should. Why couldn’t you leave him alone?’

‘I don’t think any of us really understood what we were doing. Children can be cruel. I was no exception.’

‘Do you regret it?’

‘Of course.’

‘Come by, then. Solve suspected that he wouldn’t live much longer, so he taught me all about the archive and how to use it. What will happen to it when I’m gone, I don’t know. But I’m always at home. Solve left a fair amount of money, so I don’t need to work.’

She laughed.

‘Do you know how he made his money?’

‘I expect he was much sought-after as a lecturer.’

‘He never asked to be paid for that. Try again!’

‘Then I don’t know.’

‘He played poker. He went to illegal gaming clubs. I suppose that’s something you deal with in your work?’

‘I thought people turned to the Internet these days for gambling.’

‘He couldn’t be bothered with that. He went to his clubs, and was away for several weeks sometimes. Once in a while he lost a large amount of money, but usually he came home with a suitcase full of cash. He told me to count it and put it in the bank. He would then go to bed and sleep, often for days on end. The police were here now and then, and he was sometimes arrested when they raided a club, but he was never charged. I think he had an understanding with the police.’

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘Can I mean anything but that he sometimes tipped them off? Maybe some wanted persons turned up at the clubs with money they’d stolen? Nobody would ever imagine that nice old Fatman Solve could be a copper’s nark, would they? Anyway, are you coming or aren’t you?’

When Wallander wrote down the address he realised that Solve had always lived on the same street in Limhamn. Wallander and Asta agreed that he would go there at five o’clock that same afternoon. Next he called Linda. He got her answering machine and left a message saying that he was at home. Then he went through the contents of the fridge and threw away all the food that had passed its use-by date and wrote a shopping list. The fridge was almost completely empty now. He was just about to leave the house when Linda called.

‘I just got back from the chemist’s. Klara’s not well.’

‘Is it serious?’

‘You don’t need to sound as if she were at death’s door every time. She has a temperature and a sore throat. That’s all.’

‘Has the doctor seen her?’

‘I called the health centre. I think I have everything under control. As long as you don’t get all excited and irritate me. Where have you been?’

‘I’m not saying at the moment.’

‘Aha, a woman, in other words. Good.’

‘Not a woman. But I have an important piece of news. I received a phone call not long ago. From Hakan.’

At first she didn’t seem to understand. Then she shouted into the receiver.

‘What? Hakan called you? What the hell are you saying? Where is he? How is he? What’s happened?’

‘Stop shouting at me! I don’t know where he is. He didn’t want to tell me. He just said that he was well. It didn’t sound as if there was anything wrong with him.’

Wallander could hear her heavy breathing. He felt very uncomfortable lying to her. He regretted having made that promise before he left the island. I’ll tell her the facts, he thought. I can’t deceive my own daughter.

‘It seems so unlikely. Did he say anything about why he ran away?’

‘No. But he did say that he had nothing to do with Louise’s death. He was just as shocked as the rest of us. He hadn’t had any contact with her after he left.’

‘Were Hans’s parents both crazy?’

‘I can’t comment on that. But in any case, we can be glad that he’s still alive. That was the only message he wanted me to pass on to you. That he was well. But he couldn’t say when he would return, or why he was in hiding.’

‘Did he say that? That he was in hiding?’

Wallander realised that he had revealed too much. But it was too late for him to retract.

‘I don’t remember exactly what words he used. Don’t forget that I was astonished by the call as well.’

‘I have to speak to Hans. He’s in Copenhagen.’

‘I’ll be out all afternoon. Call me this evening. Then we can talk more. I want to know how Hans reacts.’

‘He can hardly be anything but happy.’

Wallander replaced the receiver in disgust. When Linda discovered the truth he would have to deal with her fury.