The Man on the Balcony

G: Well, that's about all, Mrs. Carlsson,

W: Oh. I see.

MB: Forgive my asking, but where are you going now?

W: I don't know. Not home to…

G: I'll come down with you and we can talk about it We'll think of something.

W: Thank you. You're very kind.

Kollberg switched off the tape recorder, stared gloomily at Martin Beck and said:

'That bastard who molested her last fall…'

'Yes?'

'It's the same one Ronn's busy with downstairs. We went and fetched him straight off at midday yesterday.'

'And?'

'So far it's merely a triumph for computer technique. He only grins and says it wasn't him.'

'Which proves?'

'Nothing, of course. He has no alibi either. Says he was at home asleep in his one-room apartment at Hagagatan. Can't quite remember, he says.'

'Can't remember?'

'He's a complete alcoholic,' Kollberg said. 'At any rate we know that he sat drinking at the Roda Berget restaurant until he was chucked out at about six o'clock. It doesn't look too good for him.'

'What did he do last time?'

'Exposed himself. He's an ordinary exhibitionist, as far as I can make out. I have the tape of the interview with the girl here. Yet another triumph for technology.'

The door opened and Ronn came in.

'Well?' Kollberg asked.

'Nothing so far. Well have to let him come round a bit. Seems done in.'

'So do you,' Kollberg said.

He was right; Ronn looked unnaturally pale and his eyes were swollen and red-rimmed.

'What do you think?' Martin Beck asked.

'I don't know what to think,' Ronn replied. 'I think I'm sickening for something.'

'You can do that later,' Kollberg said. 'Not now. Let's listen to this tape.'

Martin Beck nodded. The spool of the recorder started turning again. A pleasant female voice said:

'Questioning of schoolgirl Eva Carlsson born fifth of February nineteen fifty-nine. Examining officer Detective Inspector Sonja Hansson.'

Both Martin Beck and Kollberg frowned and missed the next few sentences. They recognized the name and voice all too well. Sonja Hansson was a girl whose death they had very nearly brought about two and a half years earlier when they used her as decoy in a police trap.

'A miracle she stayed on in the force,' Kollberg said.

'Yes,' Martin Beck agreed.

'Quiet, I can't hear,' Ronn said.

He had not been mixed up in it that time.

'… so then this man came up to you?'

'Yes. Eivor and I were standing at the bus stop.'

'What did he do?'

'He smelled nasty and he had a funny walk, and he said… it was so funny what he said.'

'Can you remember what it was?'

'Yes, he said, 'Hello, little girlies, will you jerk me off if I give you five kronor?''

'Do you know what he meant by that, Eva?'

'No, it was so funny. I know what jerk is, because sometimes the girl sitting next to me at school jerks my elbow. But why did the man want us to jerk his elbow? He wasn't sitting down and writing or anything, and anyway…'

'What did you do then? After he had said that?'

'He said it several times. Then he walked off and we crept after him.'

'Crept after him?'

'Yes, shadowed him. Like on the movies or TV.**

'Did you dare to?'

'Humph, there was no harm in it.'

'Oh yes, Eva, you should watch out for men like that.'

'Humph, he wasn't dangerous.'

'Did you see which way he went?'

'Yes, he went into the apartment house where Eivor lived and two floors above hers he took out a key and went inside.'

'Did you both go home then?'

'Oh no. We crept up and looked at the door. It had his name on it, see.'

'Yes, I see. And what was his name?'

'Eriksson, I think. We listened through the mail slot too. We could hear him mumbling.'

'Did you tell your mother about it?'

'Humph, it was nothing. But it was funny.'

'But you did tell your mother about what happened yesterday?'

'About the cows, yes.'

'Was it the same man?'

'Ye-es.'

'Are you sure?'

'Almost.'

'How old do you think this man is?'

'Oh, about twenty at least.'

'How old do you think I am?'

'Oh, about forty. Or fifty.'

'Is this man older or younger than I am, do you think?'

'Oh, much older. Much, much older. How old are you?'

'Twenty-eight. Well, can you tell me what happened yesterday?'

'Well, Eivor and I were playing hopscotch in the doorway and he came up and stood there and said, 'Come along up with me, girlies, and you can watch me milking my cows.''

'I see. And what did he do then?'

'Humph, he couldn't have cows up in his room. Not real ones.'

'What did you say, you and Eivor?'

'Oh, we didn't say anything, but afterwards Eivor said she was ashamed because her hair ribbon had come undone so she wasn't going home with anybody.'

'Did the man go home then?'

'No, he said, 'Well, I'll just have to milk my cows here then.' Then he undid his trousers and…'

'Yes?'

'I say, do you think that if Eivor's hair ribbon hadn't come undone, we might have been murdered? How exciting…'

'No, I don't think so. The man undid his trousers, you said?'

'Yes, and then he took out that thing that men do wee-wee with…'

The clear childish voice was cut off in the middle of the sentence as Kollberg reached out and switched off the tape recorder. Martin Beck looked at him. Propped his head on his left hand and rubbed his nose with his knuckles. 'The funny thing about this is…' Ronn began.

'What the hell are you saying,' Kollberg barked.

'Well, he admits it now. The time before, he swore blind he didn't, and the girls got more and more uncertain