Roseanna

Martin Beck caught the man's eyes and held them. They were cold and calm and questioning.

'Don't you know that Roseanna McGraw was murdered during that trip?'

A slight shift of expression crossed the man's face.

'No,' he said, finally. 'No… I really didn't know that.'

He wrinkled his forehead.

'Is it true?' he said suddenly.

'It seems very strange that you haven't heard anything about it. To be blunt, I don't believe you.'

Martin Beck got the feeling that the man had stopped listening.

'Naturally, now I understand why you have brought me here.'

'Did you hear what I just said? It seems very strange that you haven't heard anything about it in spite of everything that's been written about this case. I simply don't believe you.'

'If I had known anything about it I certainly would have come in voluntarily.'

'Come in voluntarily?'

'Yes, as a witness.'

'To what?'

'To say that I had met her. Where was she killed? In Gothenburg?'

'No, on board the boat, in her cabin. While you were on board.'

'That doesn't seem possible.'

'Why not?'

'Someone must have noticed it. Every cabin was fully occupied.'

'It seems even more impossible that you never heard anything about it. I find that hard to believe.'

'Wait, I can explain that. I never read the newspapers.'

'There was a lot about this case on the radio, too, and on the television news programs. This photograph was shown on Aktuellt. Several times. Don't you have a television?'

'Yes, of course. But I only look at nature programs and at movies.'

Martin Beck sat quietly and stared at the man. After a minute he said:

'Why don't you read the papers?'

'They don't contain anything that interests me. Only politics and… yes, things like you just mentioned, murders and accidents and other miseries.'

'Don't you ever read anything?'

'Yes, of course. I read several magazines, about sports, fishing, outdoor life, maybe even a few adventure stories sometimes.'

'Which magazines?'

'The Sportsman, just about every issue. All-Sport and Rekord-Magazine, I usually buy them, and Lektyr. I've read that one since I was little. Sometimes I buy some American magazines about sport fishing.'

'Do you usually talk about the events of the day with your fellow workers?'

'No, they know me and know that I'm not interested. They talk about things with each other, of course, but I seldom listen. That's actually true.'

Martin Beck said nothing.

'I realize that this sounds strange, but I can only repeat that it's true. You have to believe me.' 'Are you religious?' 'No, why do you ask?'

Martin Beck took out a cigarette and offered the man one. 'No thank you. I don't smoke.' 'Do you drink?'

'I like beer. I usually take a glass or two on Saturdays after work. Never anything stronger.'

Martin Beck looked at him steadily. The man made no attempt to avoid his glance.

'Well, we found you finally, anyway. That's the main thing.'

'Yes. How did you do that, figure out that I was on board, I mean?'

'Oh, it was accidental. Someone recognized you. It's like this: so far you are the only person we have been in contact with who has spoken to this woman. How did you meet her?'

'I think that… now I remember. She happened to be standing next to me and asked me something.' 'And?'

'I answered. As well as I could. My English isn't that good.'

'But you often read American magazines?' 'Yes, and that's why I usually take an opportunity to talk with Englishmen and Americans. To practice. It doesn't happen very often. Once a week I usually go to see an American film, it doesn't matter which. And I often look at detective films on the television, although the subject doesn't interest me.'

'You spoke with Roseanna McGraw. What did you talk about?' 'Well…'

'Try to remember. It could be important.' 'She talked a bit about herself.' 'What, for example?'

'Where she lived, but I don't remember what she said.' 'Could it have been New York?'

'No, she named some state in America. Maybe Nevada. I actually don't remember.' 'What else?'

'She said that she worked in a library. I remember that very well. And that she had been to the North Cape and in Lapland. That she had seen the midnight sun. She also asked about a number of things.'

'Were you together a lot?'

'No, I couldn't say that. I spoke with her three or four times.'

'When? During which part of the trip?'

The man didn't answer immediately.

'It must have been the first day. I actually remember that we were together between Berg and Ljungsbro, where the passengers usually get off the boat while the boat is in the locks.'

'Do you know the canal area well?'

'Yes, rather well.'

'Have you been on it before?'

'Yes, several times. I usually plan to ride part of the way on the boats when it fits in with my vacation plans. There aren't too many of those old boats left and it really is a fine trip.'

'How many times?'

'I can't exactly say right away. Maybe if I think about it, but it must have been at least ten times over the years. Different stretches. I only rode the whole way once, from Gothenberg to Stockholm.'

'As a deck passenger?'

'Yes, the cabins are booked well in advance. In addition, it's rather expensive to go as a cruise passenger.'

'Doesn't it get uncomfortable without a cabin?'

'No, not at all. You can sleep on a sofa in the salon under the deck if you want to. I am actually not terribly fussy about those things.'

'So, you met Roseanna McGraw. You remember that you were with her at Ljungsbro. But later in the trip?'

'I think that I spoke with her again on some other occasion, in passing.'

'When?'

'I don't actually remember.'

'Did you see her during the latter part of the trip?'

'Not that I can remember.'

'Did you know where her cabin was?'

No answer.

'Did you hear the question? Where was her cabin?'

'I'm really trying to remember. No, I don't think I ever knew.'

'You were never inside her cabin?'

'No. The cabins are usually terribly small and anyway, they are double cabins.'

'Always?'

'Well, there are a few singles. But not many. They are quite expensive.'

'Do you know if Roseanna McGraw was traveling alone?'