'Tsk, how careless.'
'He had lived in Sweden for six years and before that in Paris. Took no active part in politics. He had a savings account at the bank. Those who knew him say he was shy and reserved. He had finished work at ten thirty and was on his way home. Decent, but stingy and dull.'
'You're sitting there describing yourself.'
'Britt Danielsson, nurse, born 1940 at Eslov. She was sitting beside Stenstrom, but there's nothing to show she knew him. The doctor she was going steady with was on duty that night at Southern Hospital. She presumably got on at Odengatan together with the widow Johansson and was on her way home. There are no time margins there. She finished work and went to the bus. Of course we don't know for sure that she was not together with Stenstrom.'
Kollberg shook his head.
'Not a chance,' he said. 'Why should he bother about that pale little thing? He had all he wanted at home.'
Melander looked at him blankly but let the question drop.
'Then we have Assarsson. A respectable exterior but not so pretty underneath.'
Melander paused and fiddled with his pipe. Then he went on:
'Rather shady figure, this Assarsson. Sentenced twice for tax evasion and also for a sexual offence at the beginning of the 1950s. Sexually exploited a fourteen-year-old errand girl. Prison all three times. Assarsson had plenty of money. He was ruthless in business and in everything else. A lot of people had reason to dislike him. Even his wife and his brother thought he was pretty nasty. But one thing is clear. His presence on the bus had a reason. He had come from some sort of club meeting on Narvavagen and was on his way to a mistress by the name of Olsson. She lives on Karlbergsvagen and works at Assarsson's office. He had called her up and told her he was coming. We have interrogated her several times.'
'Who questioned her?'
'Gunvald and Mansson. On different occasions. She says that
'Just a moment. Why did he take the bus?'
'Presumably because he'd had a lot to drink and didn't dare to drive his own car. And he couldn't get hold of a taxi because of the rain. The company's central switchboard was overloaded and there wasn't a vacant taxi in the whole of town.'
'OK. What does the kept woman say?'
'That she thought Assarsson was a dirty old man, and almost impotent That she did it for the money and to keep her job. Gunvald got the impression that she's a bit of a slut and has other men as well, and is rather backward.'
'Mr Larsson and women. I think I'll write a novel and call it that'
'She as much as admitted to Mansson that she used to oblige Assarsson's business acquaintances, as she put it. At his orders. Assarsson was born in Gothenburg and got on at Djurgardsbron.'
'Thanks, old pal. That's exactly how I'll begin my novel. 'He was born in Gothenburg and got on at Djurgardsbron.' Brilliant'
'All the times fit' Melander said, unperturbed.
Martin Beck broke into the conversation for the first time.
'So that leaves only Stenstrom and the unknown man?'
‘Yes,' Melander said. 'All we know about Stenstrom is that he came from Djurgarden, oddly enough. And that he was armed. As regards the unidentified man, we know that he was a narcotics addict and between thirty-five and forty. Nothing more.'
'And all the others had a reason for being on the bus?' Martin Beck asked.
'Yes.'
'We have found out why they were there?' 'Yes.'
'The moment has come for the already classic question: What was Stenstrom doing on the bus?' Kollberg said.
'We must talk to the girl,' Martin Beck said.
Melander took his pipe out of his mouth.
'Asa Torell? You've already talked to her, both of you. And since then we've questioned her again.'
'Who?' Martin Beck asked.
'Ronn, a little over a week ago.'
'No, not Ronn,' he murmured to himself.
'What do you mean?' said Melander.
'Ronn's right enough in his way,' Martin Beck said. 'But in this case he doesn't quite understand what it's all about Besides, he had very little contact with Stenstrom.'
Kollberg and Martin Beck looked at each other for a long time. Neither of them said anything, and at last it was Melander who broke the silence.
'Well? What was Stenstrom doing on the bus?'
'He was going to meet a girl,' Kollberg said unconvincingly. 'Or a mate.'
Kollberg's part in these discussions was always to contradict, but this time he didn't really believe in himself.
'One thing you're forgetting,' Melander said. 'We've been knocking at doors in that district for ten days. And not found a single person who has ever heard of Stenstrom.'
'That proves nothing. That part of town is full of odd little hideaways and shady boarding houses. At places like that the police are not very popular.'
'All the same, I think we can dismiss the girlfriend theory as far as Stenstrom is concerned,' Martin Beck said.
'On what grounds?' Kollberg asked quickly.
'I don't believe in it.'
'But you admit that it's quite possible?'
'Yes.'
'OK. Dismiss it then. For the time being.'
'The key question therefore seems to be: What was Stenstrom doing on the bus?' Martin Beck said.
'Wait a minute,' Kollberg objected. 'What was the unknown man doing on the bus?'
'Never mind the unknown man at the moment'
'Why? His presence is just as remarkable as Stenstrom's. Besides, we don't know who he was or what business he had there.'
'Maybe he was just riding the bus.' 'Just riding the bus?'
'Yes. Many homeless people do. 'For one krona you can ride two trips. A couple of hours.'
'The underground is warmer,' Kollberg objected. 'What's more, there you can ride as long as you like, provided you don't pass through the gates but only change trains.'
'Yes, but -'
'And you're forgetting something important Not only did the unidentified man have crumbs of hash and amphetamines in his pockets. He also had more money than all the other passengers put together.'
'Which, incidentally, excludes the possibility of murder for the sake of robbery,' Melander put in.
'Furthermore,' added Martin Beck, 'as you yourself said, that district is full of hide-outs and shady boarding houses. Perhaps he lived in one of those fleapits. No, back to the basic question: What was Stenstrom doing on the bus?'
They sat silent for at least a minute. In the next room the telephones kept ringing. Now and then they could hear voices, Gunvald Larsson's or Ronn's. At last Melander said, ‘What could Stenstrom do?'
All three knew the answer to that question. Melander nodded slowly and answered himself. 'Stenstrom could shadow.'
'Yes,' Martin Beck said. 'That was his speciality. He was skilful and stubborn. He could go on shadowing a person for weeks.'
Kollberg scratched his neck and said, 'I remember when he drove that sex murderer from the Gota Canal boat mad four years ago.'
